Top Items:
Washington Post:
Trump White House reverses course, rescinds freeze on federal grants — The budget office came under immense pressure over the impacts on a sudden pause in key government spending — The White House budget office on Wednesday rescinded an order freezing federal grants …
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Zachary Basu / Axios:
White House rescinds Trump's funding freeze after massive backlash — The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rescinded a memo Wednesday that had ordered a “temporary pause” on federal funding and unleashed major confusion across the country.
CNBC:
White House says Trump funding freeze remains in effect despite rescinding OMB memo … The White House on Wednesday said a “federal funding freeze” remains in “full force and effect” despite it rescinding a controversial memo ordering that freeze on grants and loans to give agencies …
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Examiner, Fox News, CBS News, New York Magazine, Roll Call, Virginia Mercury, The Handbasket, Raw Story, Lawyers, Guns & Money, IJR, WVEC and Spectrum News NY1
NBC News:
Trump administration rescinds order attempting to freeze federal aid spending — The move comes just one day after the order was issued and a federal district judge temporarily halted it. — President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday rescinded an order that attempted to freeze …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Townhall, IJR, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit and Block Club Chicago
NPR:
New memo, White House response adds to confusion on federal funding freeze — The Office of Management and Budget has rescinded its call for a pause on federal assistance, according to the agency's memo shared by Democracy Forward, which led a legal challenge over the effort.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Missouri Independent, USA Today, Politico, Scripps News, The Mahablog, Alabama Reflector, The Root, Hollywood Life and Texas Standard
Just Security:
Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions — This public resource tracks legal challenges to Trump administration actions. If you think we are missing anything, you can email us at [email protected]. Special thanks to Just Security Student Staff Editors Rick Da and Jeremy Venook.
Rachael Levy / Reuters:
USDA inspector general escorted out of her office after defying White House — Security agents escorted the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Agriculture out of her office on Monday after she refused to comply with her firing by the Trump administration, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Josh Fiallo / The Daily Beast:
RFK Jr. Completely Fumbles Basic Medicaid Facts at Hearing — That is not quite how Medicaid works, Mr. Kennedy.Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Wednesday “most Americans are not happy” with Medicaid because “the premiums are too high,” suggesting he may be oblivious to the fact that Medicaid overwhelmingly does …
Discussion:
The Hill, The Gateway Pundit and Protect Our Care
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Daniel Payne / Politico:
Senate Democrats rip into RFK Jr.
Senate Democrats rip into RFK Jr.
Discussion:
Fox News, ABC News, New Republic, The Guardian, Associated Press, Twitchy, CBS News, Alternet.org, STAT, New York Post, New York Magazine, The Gateway Pundit and PBS NewsHour
New York Times:
R.F.K. Jr. Appears Unfamiliar With Key Elements of Medicare and Medicaid
R.F.K. Jr. Appears Unfamiliar With Key Elements of Medicare and Medicaid
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Fox Business and Time
Nicholas Florko / The Atlantic:
This Is About More Than RFK Jr.
This Is About More Than RFK Jr.
Discussion:
The Hill, Vanity Fair, New York Times, Politico, STAT and PinkNews
Washington Post:
Trump to build mass detention camp for deportees at Guantánamo Bay — The president said he will issue an executive order to construct a detention camp with room for 30,000 migrants on the U.S. naval base in Cuba. — President Donald Trump said he will order the construction …
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Will Weissert / Associated Press:
Trump plans to sign the Laken Riley Act into law as his administration's first piece of legislation — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is directing the opening of a detention center at Guantanamo Bay to hold up to 30,000 migrants who are living illegally in the United States.
Kevin Breuninger / CNBC:
Trump says he will send migrants to Guantanamo Bay
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Hill, The Guardian and The Independent
New York Times:
Justice Dept. Is Said to Discuss Dropping Case Against Eric Adams — Senior officials under President Trump have talked with prosecutors in Manhattan about the possibility of abandoning the corruption case against Mr. Adams, the mayor of New York City. — Senior Justice Department officials …
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CNN:
Trump DOJ appointee in DC lashes out after flurry of ‘personally insulting’ leaks in his first week
Discussion:
Alternet.org
Erica Orden / Politico:
Trump hires new lawyers to appeal his hush money conviction
Trump hires new lawyers to appeal his hush money conviction
Discussion:
The Hill, New York Times, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Associated Press, Fox News, Washington Examiner and Townhall
Matthew Yglesias / Slow Boring:
Throw Biden under the bus — Sleepy Joe landed us in this mess with bad, selfish decisions — When Joe Biden stepped aside in favor of Kamala Harris, the overwhelming majority of Democrats praised him for the decision and painted an overall flattering portrait of Biden's presidency and his career.
Discussion:
RedState and New Jersey Online
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Greg Sargent / New Republic:
Trump's First Big Fiasco Triggers Stephen Miller's Rage—Take Note Dems — Admitting failure is anathema to the authoritarian leader, who is perpetually in danger of being diminished by those who are resentful of his glory—which is why White House adviser Stephen Miller is frantically searching …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Shane Goldmacher / New York Times:
Powerless, Democrats Debate Just How Deep in the Wilderness They Are
Powerless, Democrats Debate Just How Deep in the Wilderness They Are
Discussion:
HotAir
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Signs Agreement Calling for Meta to Pay $25 Million to Settle Suit — The president had sued the social-media company after his accounts were suspended — President Trump has signed settlement papers that are expected to require Meta Platforms to pay roughly $25 million to resolve …
Discussion:
Deadline and The Independent, more at Techmeme »
Ed Kilgore / New York Magazine:
Federal-Worker Buyouts May Make Government As Broken As X — In the latest episode of what MAGA nihilist Steve Bannon joyfully predicted would be “Days of Thunder” from the new Trump administration, on Tuesday the United States Office of Personnel Management offered all federal employees a buyout offer wrapped in menacing threats.
Discussion:
The Hill, The Guardian, Business Insider, American Prospect, Fox News, New York Times, Hollywood Life, Mashable and Associated Press, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Don Moynihan / Can We Still Govern?:
Compelling Mass Civil Servant Resignations Will Create Chaos — Elon Musk's role at Twitter represents a Rorschach test for how people think he will fare in restructuring government. For fans, he was able to cut the majority of the employees, and the site continued to run more or less as before.
Discussion:
Slate, Washington Examiner, Washingtonian, Al Jazeera, CNN, West Virginia Watch, Associated Press, Washington Post, NPR, Ars Technica, The Bulwark, E&E News, New York Times, Townhall, Mock Paper Scissors and Axios
Andrew Prokop / Vox:
Trump and Musk's plan for a massive purge of the federal workforce, explained
Trump and Musk's plan for a massive purge of the federal workforce, explained
Discussion:
The Verge, New York Times, Must Read Alaska, Wired, OutsideTheBeltway, Truthout and RedState, more at Techmeme »
NBC New York:
Former Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years corruption and bribery case — Menendez resigned from the Senate after his conviction last year — Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years in prison for selling his once-considerable clout in Washington for gold bars …
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Alex Gangitano / The Hill:
White House aide says spending freeze isn't being rescinded despite memo — The White House is claiming the Wednesday move by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rescinding a controversial order that froze a wide swath of federal financial assistance is not actually an end to curbing government spending.
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Politico:
DOJ moves to drop charges against former GOP lawmaker in case criticized by Trump — The step likely ends a legal saga that drove ex-Rep. Jeff Fortenberry from Congress over foreign donations. — The Justice Department has moved to drop its criminal prosecution of former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry …
Discussion:
The Hill, Roll Call, New York Post, Talking Points Memo and Nebraska Examiner
RELATED:
Andrea Shalal / Reuters:
Trump administration to cancel student visas of pro-Palestinian protesters — U.S. President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Wednesday to combat antisemitism and pledge to deport non-citizen college students and others who took part in pro-Palestinian protests, a White House official said.
Discussion:
Forbes, Sky News Australia and Jewish Insider
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Steven Nelson / New York Post:
Trump ordering review to identify, punish and deport antisemites — including students on visas
Trump ordering review to identify, punish and deport antisemites — including students on visas
Discussion:
Fox News, freebeacon.com, The Post Millennial, Townhall and VINnews
Sara Weissman / Inside Higher Ed:
Governor Leaves Indiana's Predominantly Black University Out of Budget — Martin University had a short-lived burst of state funding. But those funds disappeared in Governor Mike Braun's budget proposal, unveiled on the heels of an anti-DEI executive order. One lawmaker calls it racist.
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Brad Reed / Raw Story:
‘Written by children’: Critics slam New York Times' glowing coverage of Trump official — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt received glowing coverage from the New York Times for her press briefing debut despite delivering a performance that other observers have described as an “embarrassment.”
Discussion:
Jerusalem Post and New Republic
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Shawn McCreesh / New York Times:
White House Press Secretary Makes Steely and Unflinching Debut
White House Press Secretary Makes Steely and Unflinching Debut
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Axios, Washington Post, Global News, Daily Kos, Reuters and Washington Examiner, more at Mediagazer »
Quinnipiac University Poll:
Trump Begins Second Term Stronger Than The First, 6 In 10 Voters Approve Of Sending U.S. Troops To Southern Border, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Majority Disapprove Of Elon Musk's Role In Trump Administration — mail_outline — President Donald Trump is starting his second term …
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Post and New Jersey Online
Fox News:
DHS Sec. Noem announces end to temporary protected status for Venezuelan migrants — Newly confirmed DHS Sec. Kristi Noem joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss her efforts to crackdown on immigration, including the decision to remove the temporary status directive for Venezuelan migrants and the ICE raids in New York City.
Discussion:
Breitbart, RedState, New York Post and One America News Network
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NBC News:
Defense secretary revokes Mark Milley's security detail and orders IG review — Pete Hegseth told Milley, a critic of Trump, that he had ordered an investigation to determine whether his rank should be re-evaluated. — WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has told former Joint Chiefs …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, ClearanceJobs, NPR, New York Times, American Military News, Reuters, New Jersey Online and Al Jazeera
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Cybele Mayes-Osterman / USA Today:
Pete Hegseth tells Mark Milley the Pentagon is pulling his security detail and clearance
Pete Hegseth tells Mark Milley the Pentagon is pulling his security detail and clearance
Discussion:
NPR, Daily Kos, Associated Press, Politico, CNN, American Greatness, MeidasTouch News, The Independent and Washington Examiner




