Top Items:
Washington Post:
U.S. government officials privately warn Musk's blitz appears illegal — The billionaire's DOGE team has launched an all-out assault on federal agencies, triggering numerous legal objections. — The chaotic blitz by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has triggered legal …
Discussion:
The Bulwark, New Republic, American Greatness, NPR, Al Jazeera and Daily Mail, more at Mediagazer »
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The Atlantic:
Trump Advisers Stopped Musk From Hiring a Noncitizen at DOGE — As Elon Musk set out to upend the federal bureaucracy on behalf of Donald Trump, he reached out to Trump's team with an unusual request: U.S. law generally prohibits noncitizens from working for the federal government …
New York Times:
A Legal Counteroffensive to Beat Back Trump's Government Purges — A raft of new lawsuits contend that President Trump and Elon Musk are breaking the law to ransack the F.B.I. and other federal agencies. The courts will now decide. — Workers from across the federal government set off …
Discussion:
Federal News Network, Vox, FedScoop, Bloomberg, DNyuz, CNN, Nebraska Examiner, Nextgov/FCW and Daily Mail
NBC News:
Elon Musk gets quiet White House reminders his power isn't unchecked — Trump's aides have signaled behind the scenes that Musk still reports to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. — Tech billionaire and newly minted “special government employee” Elon Musk has received quiet White House reminders …
Reuters:
Musk creates new power base in Washington with takeover of US agencies
Discussion:
New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Truthout, DNyuz, Bangor Daily News, NPR, Axios and Daily Kos
CNN:
FBI turns over names of 5,000 employees who worked on January 6 cases to Trump Justice Department, as agents sue
FBI turns over names of 5,000 employees who worked on January 6 cases to Trump Justice Department, as agents sue
Discussion:
New York Times, emptywheel, CBS News, New Republic, Washington Post, NCJA, NOTUS, HotAir, Associated Press, Reason, New York Post, Breitbart, Raw Story, Daily Kos, The Gateway Pundit, Law & Crime, GovExec.com, Twitchy, Townhall, DNyuz, The Daily Caller, WUSA, Daily Mail, The Independent, Axios, Ace of Spades HQ, The Post Millennial, Orlando Sentinel, Politico, Florida Politics, NBC News and Metro.co.uk
NBC News:
‘Deranged’ and ‘problematic’: Bipartisan lawmakers bash Trump's Gaza proposal — Trump said Tuesday night that the U.S. “will take over Gaza” and send in troops “if necessary.” — Criticism and concern spread across both sides of the aisle Tuesday night following President Donald Trump's announcement …
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money, Associated Press, The Hill, New York Times, NOTUS, Raw Story, DNyuz, israelhayom.com, Bloomberg and Daily Mail
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Washington Post:
Trump proposes U.S. ‘take over’ Gaza, permanent displacement of residents — The idea, a first indicator of Trump's approach to the conflict, was sure to inflame the region given the history of Palestinians' displacement from their territory.
Discussion:
MeidasTouch News, Politico, Bloomberg, New York Times, Jerusalem Post, Reuters, The Japan Times, Associated Press, UPI, israelhayom.com, Tennessee Star, The Guardian, HotAir, Semafor, Breitbart, DNyuz, Raw Story, Al Jazeera and Grabien
Peter Baker / New York Times:
With Gaza Plan, an Unbound Trump Pushes an Improbable Idea
Discussion:
Bloomberg, CBS News, Frontpage Mag, Fox News, Politico, Reuters, DNyuz, The Daily Sceptic, Informed Comment, The Atlantic, RedState, Al Jazeera, Algemeiner.com, CNBC, USA Today, Mediaite, Grabien and The Independent
Eli Stokols / Politico:
Trump says US will ‘take over the Gaza Strip’
Trump says US will ‘take over the Gaza Strip’
Discussion:
Reuters, Politico, New York Times, DNyuz, israelhayom.com, Daily Mail and The Forward
The Hill:
US allies, adversaries reject Trump suggestion to ‘take over’ Gaza Strip
US allies, adversaries reject Trump suggestion to ‘take over’ Gaza Strip
Discussion:
Associated Press
Associated Press:
Trump suggests displaced Palestinians in Gaza be ‘permanently’ resettled outside war-torn territory
Trump suggests displaced Palestinians in Gaza be ‘permanently’ resettled outside war-torn territory
Discussion:
New York Times, Politico, Bloomberg, Washington Examiner, Reuters, The Intercept, Washington Post, Axios, NPR, Los Angeles Times, The Independent, NBC News, New York Post, Asia Times, Jewish Insider, DNyuz, Daily Mail, WTOP News, Wall Street Journal, Mediaite, The Forward, Al Jazeera, OutsideTheBeltway, Raw Story, Rolling Stone, freebeacon.com, The Daily Signal, Twitchy, Tennessee Star, The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart, Roll Call, The Post Millennial, WUSA, Foreign Policy, Metro.co.uk, Scripps News, CNBC, USA Today, WSVN-TV, Associated Press and Grabien
Wall Street Journal:
The CIA Is About to Get a Trump Makeover — Spy agency's workforce receives buyout-style offer — WASHINGTON—The Central Intelligence Agency offered buyouts to its entire workforce Tuesday, in what officials said is a bid to bring the agency in line with President Trump's priorities, including targeting drug cartels.
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CNN:
CIA sends ‘buyout’ offers to entire workforce — The Central Intelligence Agency on Tuesday became the first major national security agency to offer so-called buyouts to its entire workforce, a CIA spokesperson and two other sources familiar with the offer said, part of President Donald Trump's broad effort …
Discussion:
Blaze Media and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Reuters:
CIA offers buyouts to entire workforce to align with Trump priorities, sources say — The Central Intelligence Agency offered buyouts to its entire workforce Tuesday, citing an aim to bring the agency in line with U.S. President Donald Trump's priorities, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Jamelle Bouie / New York Times:
There Is No Going Back — Even if anyone had elected Elon Musk to anything, the last week would still be one of the most serious examples of executive branch malfeasance in American history. — Musk has seized hold of critical levers of power and authority within the federal government …
Discussion:
Slate, DNyuz and Chicago Tribune
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Elizabeth Popp Berman / Liberal Currents:
Personal Discretion Over the Treasury's Payments System Means the End of Democracy
Personal Discretion Over the Treasury's Payments System Means the End of Democracy
Sareen Habeshian / Axios:
USPS temporarily suspends some inbound parcels from China amid Trump trade war … - Trump had vowed in his first-term to overhaul America's mail carrier, in a move that could undercut reliable delivery, impact hundreds of thousands of government jobs and influence how e-commerce giants like Temu and Shein operate.
Discussion:
Fortune, Forbes, New York Times, Reuters, Fox Business, Politico, DNyuz and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »
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Zeyi Yang / Wired:
USPS Halts All Packages From China, Sending the Ecommerce Industry Into Chaos
Discussion:
Quartz, South China Morning Post, DNyuz and Semafor
Michael Sainato / The Guardian:
Doge staffers enter Noaa headquarters and incite reports of cuts and threats — Members reportedly sought access to IT systems at agency that Project 2025 has called ‘harmful to US prosperity’ — Staffers with Elon Musk's “department of government efficiency” (Doge) reportedly entered …
Discussion:
E&E News, Axios, Bloomberg, Associated Press and The Hill
NBC News:
Federal health workers terrified after ‘DEI’ website publishes list of ‘targets’ — The site calls out workers who have been involved with DEI initiatives. A majority are Black. — Federal health workers are expressing fear and alarm after a website called “DEI Watch List” published the photos …
Discussion:
Pharyngula
Rachael Bade / Politico:
Democrats Are Falling For Trump and Musk's Foreign Aid Trap — Three veteran strategists want their party to be more thoughtful about fighting Trump's anti-bureaucracy campaign. — After three months of soul-searching about how to revive their party, some Democrats this week believe …
Discussion:
New York Times, Democracy Now, No More Mister Nice Blog, Raw Story, Bloomberg, The Bulwark and The Independent
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Phil Mattingly / CNN:
Treasury says Musk's DOGE has not rejected payments in first attempt to clarify access granted to critical system — The Treasury Department said Elon Musk aides detailed to the agency have “read-only” access to its sensitive $5 trillion US payments system and that no payments have been suspended …
Discussion:
U.S. Department …, The Register, Raw Story, Fox News, Scripps News, WUSA, CBS News, Federal News Network, New Republic and Politico
RELATED:
Andrew Solender / Axios:
Congressional Democrats denied entry to Treasury Department
Congressional Democrats denied entry to Treasury Department
Discussion:
Reuters, Wall Street Journal, Twitchy, The Guardian, RedState, The Gateway Pundit and New York Times
Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Trump Brazenly Defies Laws in Escalating Executive Power Grab — In the radical opening weeks of his second term, President Trump has appeared to feel little constraint by any need to show respect for the rule of law. — In his first term, President Trump seemed to relish ripping through …
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
How Trump Gutted America's $40 Billion Aid Agency in Two Weeks — Dismantling of USAID appears to be a test case for new administration — WASHINGTON—The cuts came so fast that one dismissed employee had to be rehired to process other employees' time sheets.
Discussion:
New Republic
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Suhasini Raj / New York Times:
Migrants Are Deported to India on U.S. Military Plane — The flight appeared to be the first use of an American military aircraft to deport people to India, which is one of the top sources of illegal immigration to the United States. — A U.S. military plane with at least 100 aboard landed …
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Indian Express, The Independent, Reuters, Bloomberg and Daily Mail
RELATED:
Aseem Bassi / India Today:
US military plane carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants lands in Amritsar
US military plane carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants lands in Amritsar
Discussion:
DNyuz
Associated Press:
Trump and Musk demand termination of federal office leases through General Services Administration — One of the next moves in President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's sweeping effort to fire government employees and curtail operations is using the agency that manages thousands …
Discussion:
New York Times and New York Magazine
Olivia Reingold / The Free Press:
EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Penny Gets Hired by Andreessen Horowitz — “Daniel acted with courage in a tough situation,” said partner David Ulevitch in a statement explaining the hire. — In less than two months, Daniel Penny has gone from facing a potential 20 years in prison to landing a role …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, The Independent, New York Post, Fox Business, New York Times, RedState and The Information, more at Techmeme »
Jeremy Roebuck / Washington Post:
Pam Bondi to be sworn in as attorney general following Senate confirmation — The 54-46 vote fell mostly along party lines, with Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) joining Republicans voting in her favor. — The Senate voted Tuesday evening to confirm Pam Bondi, President Donald Trump's nominee …
Judd Legum / Popular Information:
The “deferred resignation” scam — Last week, Popular Information broke down the “offer” that the Trump administration was making to millions of federal employees to induce them to resign voluntarily. The Trump administration wanted federal employees to believe that if they agreed …
Discussion:
CNN, DNyuz, FedSmith.com, Denver Post, Washington Examiner, GovExec.com, NY State Attorney General, WTOP News, The Gateway Pundit and Bloomberg
Liz Dye / Public Notice:
Trump declares flawless victory in pointless trade war — Keep pulling the fire alarm, eventually no one will pay attention to the noise. — 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 🇲🇽 With corporate outlets obeying in advance, supporting independent media is more important than ever right now.
Discussion:
Law and Chaos, Politico, Baltimore Sun and Rolling Stone
CNN:
Multiple ICE impersonation arrests made during nationwide immigration crackdown — Editor's note: This story contains profane and hateful language. — Authorities in at least three states have arrested individuals allegedly impersonating Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers …
Discussion:
NBC News, Baltimore Sun and New York Daily News


