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pressure over the impacts on a sudden pause in key government spending — The White House budget office on Wednesday rescinded an order freezing federal grants …
Discussion:
MeidasTouch News, CBS News, Benzinga, PoliticusUSA, FedScoop, Truthout and Bloomberg
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 …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Daily Mail, Politico, Associated Press, The Guardian and ABC News
Zachary Basu / Axios:
White House rescinds Trump's funding freeze after massive backlash
White House rescinds Trump's funding freeze after massive backlash
Discussion:
Associated Press, Washington Post and Raw Story
Politico:
Another judge is preparing to block Trump's spending freeze, despite White House cleanup
Another judge is preparing to block Trump's spending freeze, despite White House cleanup
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Hill, Deseret News, ClearanceJobs, RedState, Reuters and Alternet.org
Dan Froomkin / Heads Up News:
The lawyers are getting louder - and they're getting results
The lawyers are getting louder - and they're getting results
Discussion:
The Daily Signal
New York Times:
Inside the Chaotic Rollout of Trump's Federal Funding Freeze
Inside the Chaotic Rollout of Trump's Federal Funding Freeze
Discussion:
Axios, Democracy Now and The Status Kuo
CNN:
Inside 45 hours of chaos: The brief life and quick death of Trump's federal spending freeze
Inside 45 hours of chaos: The brief life and quick death of Trump's federal spending freeze
Discussion:
Politico, Alabama Reflector, PBS NewsHour, CBS News, Texas Standard and Washington Examiner
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:
New York Times, Business Insider, The Hill, Washington Post, NBC News, CNN, Politico, Benzinga, Axios, Scripps News, The Guardian, Digby's Hullabaloo, ABC News, One America News Network, Bloomberg, NPR, RedState, The Verge, Engadget, Mediaite, Daily Mail, Deadline, The Information, Raw Story, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Gateway Pundit, more at Mediagazer »
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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
David Shepardson / Reuters:
Small airplane down in Potomac River near Ronald Reagan National Airport — A small aircraft is down in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and fireboats were on the scene, the Washington fire department said. — The airport said late on Wednesday that all takeoffs …
Discussion:
Washington Post, ABC News, Fox News and Raw Story
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NBC News:
Live updates: Plane crashes into Potomac River after collision with helicopter near Reagan National Airport — A regional jet collided in midair with a helicopter while on approach to Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m., the FAA said Wednesday evening in a preliminary update.
Discussion:
The Hill, CBS News, USA Today, Washington Examiner, NPR, New York Post, RedState, Townhall, New York Daily News, Mediaite and The Gateway Pundit
Associated Press:
Passenger jet collides with helicopter while landing at Reagan Washington National Airport, FAA says — A passenger jet has collided with a helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington. That's according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which says the collision remains under investigation.
Discussion:
Associated Press, TMZ.com and Orlando Sentinel
Amber Anderson / WUSA:
American Airlines plane collides midair with military helicopter, rescue efforts underway
American Airlines plane collides midair with military helicopter, rescue efforts underway
Discussion:
Politico, The Hill, Fox News and New York Post
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 …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Al Jazeera, Vox, FedSmith.com, Washingtonian, Mashable, RedState and HotAir
RELATED:
Suzanne Summerlin / Just Security:
Beware the “Deferred Resignation” Offer: A Legally Dubious Proposal for Federal Employees
Beware the “Deferred Resignation” Offer: A Legally Dubious Proposal for Federal Employees
Discussion:
The Guardian, Washington Post, Ars Technica and OutsideTheBeltway, more at Techmeme »
Andrea Hsu / NPR:
‘Not a buyout’: Attorneys and unions urge federal workers not to resign
Discussion:
Defense One, The Hill, FedSmith.com, New York Times, GovExec.com, CNN and The Verge
Scott Pilutik / Slate:
Elon Musk Looks to Stick a Fork in Federal Government Workers
Elon Musk Looks to Stick a Fork in Federal Government Workers
Discussion:
New York Times, Mother Jones, New Republic, Daily Kos, The Independent and Mock Paper Scissors
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:
Lauren Irwin / The Hill:
Sanders grills RFK Jr. on baby onesie saying ‘No Vax, No Problem’
Discussion:
NBC News, Gizmodo, Louder With Crowder, RedState and Twitchy
Niall Stanage / The Hill:
5 takeaways from RFK Jr.'s first Senate hearing
5 takeaways from RFK Jr.'s first Senate hearing
Discussion:
NPR, Politico, The Nation, New York Times, USA Today, New Republic, The Independent, STAT, Washingtonian and Daily Kos
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.
Discussion:
Daily Mail, Fox News, Twitchy, Townhall, Alternet.org, Daily Caller News Foundation, RedState, The Post Millennial, Raw Story, Slate and New Jersey Online
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 …
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:
New York Times:
Trump Says U.S. Will Hold Migrants at Guantánamo
Discussion:
CNBC, The Hill, Associated Press, USA Today, NBC News, Fox News, The Guardian and Raw Story
Will Weissert / Associated Press:
While signing Laken Riley Act, Trump says he'll send ‘worst criminal aliens’ to Guantanamo
While signing Laken Riley Act, Trump says he'll send ‘worst criminal aliens’ to Guantanamo
Discussion:
The Independent, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Associated Press, New York Post, Axios, Bloomberg, ABC News, Daily Kos, NBC News, The Guardian, The Hill, Politico, Roll Call, CBS News, Townhall, Raw Story, RedState, The Daily Caller, WUSA, Scripps News, The Post Millennial and New York Times
The White House:
Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling — By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: — Section 1. Purpose and Policy. Parents trust America's schools to provide their children …
Discussion:
Advocate, New York Times, Mother Jones, New York Post, Townhall, The Post Millennial, Daily Mail and Chalkbeat
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
RELATED:
Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Democrats leave ‘emergency’ meeting vowing ‘street fight’ in response to Trump actions
Democrats leave ‘emergency’ meeting vowing ‘street fight’ in response to Trump actions
Discussion:
NBC News
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
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
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 …
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
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 …
Discussion:
New York Times, ABC News, them. and Raw Story
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 …
Discussion:
U.S. Department of Education, USA Today, Denver Post, Reuters, Twitchy and Fox News
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 …
Discussion:
MeidasTouch News, New York Times, Raw Story, Fox News and Breitbart
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 …
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.
Discussion:
Mother Jones, CBS News, The 19th and LifeNews.com
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 …
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 …
Discussion:
Associated Press, New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Guardian, NBC News, The Hill, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Axios, USA Today, Reuters, CBS News, National Legal …, Breitbart, Twitchy, CNN, Roll Call, RedState, Al Jazeera, Deseret News, Rolling Stone, Shore News Network, Bloomberg, Townhall, The Independent, New Jersey Online, FOX 13 Tampa Bay, Scripps News, New York Daily News, Daily Caller News Foundation, One America News Network, Forbes, New York Magazine and New Jersey Monitor
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:
Axios, Politico, HotAir, New York Post, The Daily Caller, Fox News, KRON4, The Hill and Washington Post
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:
The White House, freebeacon.com, The Hill, New York Post, The Guardian, New Republic, Fox News and Townhall

