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10:30 PM ET, January 29, 2025

memeorandum

 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pressure over the impacts on a sudden pause in key government spending  —  The White House budget office on Wednesday rescinded an order freezing federal grants …
RELATED:
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.
Paul Blumenthal / HuffPost:
The Trump White House Wants A Court Challenge Over Frozen Funds  —  An internal OMB document shows that it is official administration policy to block funding to provoke a constitutional challenge.  —  LOADING  —  The Trump administration's federal government funding freeze instituted Monday …
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 …
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: Washington Post and Raw Story
Politico:
Another judge is preparing to block Trump's spending freeze, despite White House cleanup  —  U.S. District Judge Jack McConnell said a bid by the White House to rescind a “hugely ambiguous” order implementing the freeze appeared to be undercut by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's …
NBC News:
'It's a small victory': Democrats find their voice fighting Trump's federal funding freeze
Mike Lillis / The Hill:   Democrats leave ‘emergency’ meeting vowing ‘street fight’ in response to Trump actions
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 …
RELATED:
Michael Scherer / The Atlantic:
Why Meta Is Paying $25 Million to Settle a Trump Lawsuit  —  Donald Trump spent decades in business gleefully suing and angrily being sued by his adversaries in civil court.  But since winning reelection, he has suddenly posted a remarkable string of legal victories as litigants rush to settle their cases.
Discussion: The Hill
RELATED:
David Shepardson / Reuters:   Small airplane down in Potomac River near Ronald Reagan National Airport
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.
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Fetterman: RFK Jr.'s nomination in trouble after rocky hearing  —  Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who was thought to be open to voting for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services, now says the nominee is in serious trouble after his rocky confirmation hearing.
Discussion: Associated Press
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Trump plans to build mass detention camp for deportees at Guantánamo Bay  —  The president ordered construction of a facility with room for 30,000 migrants on the U.S. naval base in Cuba.  —  President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered the construction of a detention camp with 30,000 beds …
RELATED:
Will Weissert / Associated Press:
While signing Laken Riley Act, Trump says he'll send ‘worst criminal aliens’ to Guantanamo
Jason Koebler / 404 Media:
Declassified CIA Guide to Sabotaging Fascism Is Suddenly Viral  —  A declassified World War II-era government guide to “simple sabotage” is currently one of the most popular open source books on the internet.  The book, called “Simple Sabotage Field Manual,” was declassified in 2008 by the CIA and …
New York Times:
R.F.K. Jr. Appears Unfamiliar With Key Elements of Medicare and Medicaid  —  In testimony to the Senate Finance Committee, Mr. Kennedy seemed to confuse the two government programs that cover more than 150 million Americans.  —  In a tense exchange with Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana …
RELATED:
Joanne Kenen / Politico:   RFK Jr.'s rocky rollout
Wall Street Journal:
FBI Overhaul Off to a Rocky Start as Kash Patel Prepares to Defend His Vision  —  White House mixes up who is temporarily in charge of agency as Trump loyalist heads into Senate confirmation hearing  —  WASHINGTON—Trump officials tried to start their shake-up of the Federal Bureau …
Denise Cana / Slate:
I Just Got Trump's “Buyout” Offer at My Job.  Let Me Tell You How That's Going.  —  The author is a federal civil servant who has been granted the use of a pen name to protect them and their family from reprisals.  —  The new Trump administration's effort to both get a grip on and dismantle …
Suzanne Summerlin / Just Security:
Beware the “Deferred Resignation” Offer: A Legally Dubious Proposal for Federal Employees  —  On Tuesday, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released a memorandum outlining the details of a “Deferred Resignation Program.”  —  According to OPM, the program allows federal employees …
RELATED:
Drew Harwell / Washington Post:
Elon Musk rose to the top of video game charts.  Now he has confessed to cheating.  —  The world's richest man has admitted to paying to boost his online warriors into global leaderboards, raising questions about his gaming prowess — and his need for digital praise.
Discussion: Newsbusters and Raw Story
Tara Copp / Associated Press:
Pentagon agency pauses celebrations for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month and more  —  The Defense Department's intelligence agency has paused observances of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pride Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance and other cultural or historical annual events …
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 …
Lexi Lonas Cochran / The Hill:
Denver schools under investigation over all-gender bathroom  —  The Department of Education launched an investigation Tuesday against Denver Public Schools for converting a girl's restroom into an all-gender bathroom.  —  The department's Office for Civil Rights said it is investigating …
Jessica Valenti / Abortion, Every Day:
RFK Jr. Accidentally Reveals Trump's Plan on Abortion  —  Here we go: At his confirmation hearing today, RFK Jr. revealed how the Trump administration is thinking about restricting abortion—dropping hints not just about mifepristone, but abortion ‘complication’ reporting, emergency abortions, and the possibility of a national ban.
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 …
Megan Brenan / Gallup:
Trump's Inaugural Approval Rating Is Historically Low Again  —  Americans divided over whether Trump's pace in addressing major U.S. problems is about right or too fast  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — At 47%, President Donald Trump's initial job approval rating for his second term is similar …
Washington Post:
Musk team's push to gut federal workforce bypassed key Trump officials  —  Billionaire Elon Musk has worked behind the scenes on an initiative aimed at depleting the civil service, prompting questions about its legality.  —  Billionaire Elon Musk's influence over a traditionally nonpartisan agency …
Ethan Colbert / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Franklin County woman pardoned for Capitol riot is sentenced to 10 years in fatal crash  —  UNION, Mo. — The Franklin County woman pardoned for her participation in the U.S. Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021 was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison for her role in a fatal drunk driving crash.
Discussion: Raw Story and Alternet.org
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.
Alejandro Serrano / The Texas Tribune:
An immigrant faces deportation after a routine traffic stop in Texas, sparking more fear  —  Advocates worry that rapidly shifting federal and state immigration initiatives will prompt more city police to funnel migrants without criminal records to federal agents.
 
 
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 More Items: 
Patrick Reis / Vox:
The Logoff: The government purge, explained
Anemona Hartocollis / New York Times:
Student Whose Racy Social Media Posts Riled a College Gets $250,000 Settlement
Lois Parshley / The Lever:
Trump's Tech Donors Have Big Plans For Greenland
Adam Serwer / The Atlantic:
The Attack on Trans Rights Won't End There
Discussion: Axios and Advocate
 Earlier Items: 
The White House:
Celebrating America's 250th Birthday
Discussion: WTOP News, RedState and Fox News
Nicholas Wu / Politico:
Pelosi backs Wikler for DNC
Discussion: The Hill, CBS News and WisPolitics
Eric Berger / Ars Technica:
The long-planned return of two astronauts from space is now a political issue
Kevin Breuninger / CNBC:
Trump accuses Fed, Powell of creating inflation on heels of rate decision
The Independent:
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From Techmeme:

Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg:
Sources: Meta is considering deep budget cuts to its metaverse efforts in 2026, potentially as high as 30% and most likely including layoffs as early as January

Kif Leswing / CNBC:
Apple says general counsel Kate Adams and policy chief Lisa Jackson will retire, and Jennifer Newstead, Meta's former chief legal officer, will replace Adams

Will Oremus / Washington Post:
Two studies suggest AI chatbots can shift political views more effectively than TV campaign ads, especially by presenting many claims, regardless of accuracy

 
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