White House pauses all federal grants, sparking confusion  —  Trillions of dollars could be on hold, according to an Office of Management and Budget memo.  —  The White House budget office is ordering a pause to all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government …

Michigan's Gary Peters won't seek reelection to U.S. Senate.  Here's why  —  Washington ― Gary Peters, Michigan's senior senator and a former congressman, said he won't seek reelection next year and will retire from the U.S. Senate when his second term ends in January 2027.

Trump Ousts Top Labor Board Leaders Who Backed Broader Worker Rights  —  Jennifer Abruzzo says she was fired by email late on Monday  —  Donald Trump is forcing out top leaders of the US labor board, ushering in a swift reboot of workplace law enforcement while testing the limits of presidential authority.

Trump and the Dr Strangelove experiment  —  The president revels in his unpredictability but over time he risks sowing distrust in America's good faith  —  Do as I say or I might be crazy enough to blow everyone up.  That is the essence of the Dr Strangelove playbook — that acting the madman will scare your enemies into concessions.

Democrats' playbook for Trump 2.0: Tune out the noise and focus on economic issues  —  As Trump floods the zone in his first week in office, Democrats are departing from their “resistance” strategy in his first term and zeroing in on issues that cost them the last election.

Trump's Dictatorial Theory of Presidential Power - What the Executive Orders, in the Aggregate, Tell Us  —  In a flurry of executive orders and proclamations this past week, President Donald Trump took decisive action on a range of significant issues including border enforcement, energy policy …

Trump signs 4 new executive orders, transforming military  —  President Trump signed a bevy of new executive orders Monday evening that have the potential to significantly transform the Defense Department (DOD).  —  The new orders prevent transgender people from openly serving in the military …

House Republicans brace for tough talk on cuts  —  DORAL, Florida — House Republicans are in for a long day of tough conversations about how to pay for President Donald Trump's massive legislative agenda at their Florida retreat, with various factions already drawing red lines over the package.

Tillis Assured Hegseth's Former Sister-in-Law Her Testimony Could Convince GOP Senators to Vote No  —  North Carolina senator provided pivotal 50th ‘yes’ vote to confirm Hegseth as defense secretary  —  WASHINGTON—A key witness in the contentious Senate confirmation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth …

Acosta La Vista  —  The anchor signaled to associates in private conversations over the weekend that he intends to depart the network, Status has learned. … The anchor, I'm told, signaled to associates in private conversations over the weekend that he intends to depart the network …

Kristi Noem calls human beings ‘dirtbags’ as she cosplays as ICE agent in New York City  —  Kristi Noem began her tenure as Department of Homeland Security secretary by dressing up as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent and calling human beings “dirt bags.”

Trump Administration Payment Freeze May Delay Money For Critical Preschool Program  —  Head Start providers logging onto the online funding system this morning found a message warning of delays because of “potentially unallowable grant payments.”  —  LOADING

The Strategy Behind Trump's Policy Blitz  —  The staff was still setting up dinner on Mar-a-Lago's outdoor patio on a balmy early-January evening when Donald Trump sat down.  He was surrounded by several top advisers who would soon join him in the West Wing and who wanted to get his input …

Week One inside Trump's DOJ: ‘It feels like a non-violent war’  —  Fear reigns among the staff at the beleaguered law-enforcement agency as a new reality sets in.  —  Career lawyers and staff at the Department of Justice say the rush of changes in the first week of the Trump administration make them feel like they're under siege.