Top Items:
Katherine Long / Wall Street Journal:
Exclusive | DOGE Staffer Resigns Over Racist Posts — A staffer for Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency whose access to U.S. Treasury payment systems was approved by a federal judge on Thursday has links to a deleted social-media account that advocated for racism and eugenics.
Discussion:
The Free Press, Raw Story, Fortune, CNBC, Washingtonian, The Register, MIT Technology Review, Crooks and Liars, WNYW-TV, Advocate, Breitbart, New York Magazine, The Bulwark, New York Post, The Verge, Axios, Talking Points Memo, Techdirt, NPR, Bloomberg, Mediaite, Washington Post, The Independent, Gizmodo, Notes on the Crises, Forbes, Grabien, TechCrunch, The Hill, Business Insider and New York Times, more at Techmeme »
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Wired:
The US Treasury Claimed DOGE Technologist Didn't Have ‘Write Access’ When He Actually Did — Sources tell WIRED that the ability of DOGE's Marko Elez to alter code controlling trillions in federal spending was rescinded days after US Treasury and White House officials said it didn't exist.
Discussion:
Diplomatic,, Talking Points Memo, Roll Call, The Post Millennial, Daily Kos, New Republic, Beyer and CNN
ProPublica:
Elon Musk's Demolition Crew — On President Donald Trump's authority alone, Elon Musk, the world's richest man, has been unleashed on federal agencies. Employees from Musk's companies and those of his allies, as well as young staffers he's recruited, are wresting authority from career workers and commandeering computer systems.
Discussion:
Just Security, The National Interest, Reuters, Rolling Stone, Raw Story, USA Today, Business Insider, NJTODAY.NET and Wired
Shelby Talcott / Semafor:
DOGE follows longtime Musk pattern — and turns attention to Social Security Administration — The News — Elon Musk's DOGE shuttered USAID. It has searched Medicare payments and gained access to a sensitive Treasury Department payment system. Its initial Labor Department presence prompted a lawsuit.
Reese Gorman / NOTUS:
GOP Lawmakers Are Already Annoyed by Trump's Chaotic Governing Style — “Hard to defend controversial executive orders when there's no heads-up nor rationale,” one GOP lawmaker told NOTUS. — Copy — After a turbulent few weeks to begin his presidency, Republicans in Congress …
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New York Times, Washington Post, ABC News, CBS News and Associated Press
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Alan Rappeport / New York Times:
Senate Confirms Russell Vought as Office of Management and Budget Director — Mr. Vought, an architect of Project 2025 who served in the first Trump administration, will be at the center of President Trump's plans to upend the federal bureaucracy. — The Senate voted along party lines …
Stephen Groves / Associated Press:
Senate confirms Project 2025 architect Russell Vought to lead powerful White House budget office
Discussion:
NBC News, USA Today, The Independent, Senate Democratic Leadership, RedState, Townhall, Forbes, FedScoop, The Daily Wire, The Federalist, IJR, NOTUS, New York Post, Washington Examiner, The 19th, New York Times, Bangor Daily News, Tennessee Star, The Post Millennial, Truthout, New Republic, Fox News, The Guardian, HuffPost, Raw Story and CNN
Tony Romm / Washington Post:
Senate confirms Russell Vought to lead White House budget office
Senate confirms Russell Vought to lead White House budget office
Discussion:
Daily Kos
NBC News:
Senate Republicans confirm Project 2025 co-author Russell Vought as White House budget director
Senate Republicans confirm Project 2025 co-author Russell Vought as White House budget director
Discussion:
Fox News, The Independent, DNyuz, The Gateway Pundit, He/Him, US/Canadian …, Associated Press and E&E News
Riley Rogerson / NOTUS:
‘The Clock Is Ticking’: Republicans Are Unexpectedly Careening Toward a Government Shutdown
‘The Clock Is Ticking’: Republicans Are Unexpectedly Careening Toward a Government Shutdown
Discussion:
Raw Story
Washington Post:
Recall of USAID's global workforce causes havoc and distress — Employees stationed overseas are struggling to navigate the sudden upheaval, having received little clear information from the Trump administration. — The Trump administration's abrupt decision to repatriate the U.S. Agency …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and New York Times
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Reuters:
Trump administration to keep only 294 USAID staff out of over 10,000 globally, sources say
Trump administration to keep only 294 USAID staff out of over 10,000 globally, sources say
Discussion:
Plain Dealer, Wired, New Republic, New York Post, IJR, Axios, Business Insider, The National Pulse, ZeroHedge News, Forbes, Raw Story and The Hill
Samantha Power / New York Times:
I Ran U.S.A.I.D. Killing It Is a Win for Autocrats Everywhere.
I Ran U.S.A.I.D. Killing It Is a Win for Autocrats Everywhere.
Discussion:
The Guardian, Washington Examiner and Politico
Ellen Knickmeyer / Associated Press:
Trump administration plans to slash all but a fraction of USAID jobs, officials say
Trump administration plans to slash all but a fraction of USAID jobs, officials say
Discussion:
Reuters, Washington Examiner, CNN, NBC News and The Independent
Roy Canivel / The Daily Dot:
Conservative film critic who called child trafficking movie a ‘call to action’ arrested for child molestation — In 2023, Aaron Craig Gleason wrote a review for the conservative publication the Federalist about The Sound of Freedom, an indie hit and a favorite among right-wing circles.
Axios:
Scoop: Trump orders key government agency to cancel all media contracts … - The discovery, made through a U.S. government spending database that has long been publicly available, triggered erroneous theories on X about the Biden administration “funding” anti-Trump media.
Discussion:
New York Post, RedState, Fox News, The Post Millennial, Mediaite, KRDO and The Gateway Pundit, more at Mediagazer »
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Politico:
Note to Our Readers — POLITICO has been the subject of debate on X this week.
Discussion:
Poynter, Townhall, PolitiFact, Twitchy, DNyuz, ZeroHedge News, Dark Maga Returns and The Hill, more at Mediagazer »
David Bauder / Associated Press:
Trump promotes misleading claims about federal government's media subscriptions
Trump promotes misleading claims about federal government's media subscriptions
Christian Paz / Vox:
What a wild conspiracy theory about Politico tells us about how Trump governs
What a wild conspiracy theory about Politico tells us about how Trump governs
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Daily Wire, The Dispatch, Townhall, Raw Story, Breitbart, RedState, HotAir, Hollywood Life, New York Times, The Post Millennial, Blaze Media, Reason, Daily Kos, Mediaite, CNN, The Independent, Tilting At Windmills, Rolling Stone, Axios and freebeacon.com, more at Mediagazer »
Newsweek:
DOGE Emails Went Out to Federal Judges by Mistake — One of the people who received an email from allies of — was a federal judge overseeing a lawsuit aimed at blocking these messages. — “I, like probably every other judge in the country, also received the [Office of Personnel Management] …
Discussion:
Axios, WUSA, CBS News, ZeroHedge News, Computerworld, Reuters and Nextgov/FCW
Bill Allison / Bloomberg:
Trump Fires Head of Federal Election Panel, But She Won't Leave — Commissioner Ellen Weintraub says procedures weren't followed — Weintraub, a frequent Trump antagonist, joined the FEC in 2002 — The chairwoman of the Federal Election Commission posted a letter from President Donald …
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Daily Mail
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Chris Cameron / New York Times:
Federal Election Commission Chair Says Trump Has Moved to Fire Her
Discussion:
Reuters, Blaze Media, New York Post, Fox News, Business Insider, Forbes and Daily Mail
Rebecca Falconer / Axios:
FEC commissioner says Trump has moved to fire her
FEC commissioner says Trump has moved to fire her
Discussion:
Raw Story, Washington Examiner, The Hill and The Guardian
The White House:
Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias — 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. It is the policy of the United States, and the purpose of this order …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, The Daily Caller, Al Jazeera, Americans United, The Daily Wire, Twitchy, Breitbart, WTTG-TV and Scripps News
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Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget:
Trump Tax Priorities Total $5 to $11 Trillion — In a closed-door meeting with House Leadership today President Trump reportedly outlined his tax priorities. According to press reports, they included extending the expiring pieces of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA); …
Discussion:
Econbrowser, Axios and Breitbart, more at Techmeme »
Juan Carlos Lara / KQED:
FCC Investigates SF Radio Station for ICE Reporting, Sparking Press Freedom Fears — The Federal Communications Commission is investigating San Francisco-based KCBS for its coverage of immigration enforcement actions in San José last month, sparking concerns from press freedom advocates …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Standard, Techdirt, New York Post and Newsbusters
Robert Downen / The Texas Tribune:
Houston man pardoned by Trump arrested on child sex charge — Andrew Taake received a six-year sentence for assaulting officers on Jan. 6. He was arrested Thursday on an outstanding charge of soliciting a minor. — A Houston man who was recently pardoned by President Donald Trump for his role …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Houston Public Media, The Hill, New York Post and Mediaite
Isaac Chotiner / New Yorker:
Do Democrats Have a Plan? — Senator Brian Schatz on how the Party should be responding to Donald Trump's breakneck assault on the government. — Three weeks into office, President Trump has issued a slew of controversial executive orders, fired officials across government agencies …
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, Semafor, Mediaite, Associated Press, New York Magazine and HotAir
Jessica Riedl:
Yes, My Name has Changed... ...but my focus on center-right economic policy will continue — Hi everyone, well, this is awkward. I have always been comfortable presenting my economic research in meetings, speeches, national TV interviews, and Congressional testimony.
NCAA.org:
NCAA announces transgender student-athlete participation policy change — Men's category open to all eligible student-athletes, women's category restricted to student-athletes assigned female at birth, schools directed to foster welcoming environments on all campuses.
Discussion:
PJ Media, The 19th, Associated Press, The Daily Wire, PinkNews, CNN, Reuters, Al Jazeera, UPI, DNyuz, CBS News, NewsNation, Daily Mail, Advocate, NBC News, The Hill, Fox News, New York Daily News, WRIC-TV, Axios, Los Angeles Times, al.com, The Post Millennial, RedState, FIT IS A FEMINIST ISSUE and Breitbart
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Juliet Macur / New York Times:
N.C.A.A., Following Trump's Order, Excludes Transgender Athletes From Women's Sports
N.C.A.A., Following Trump's Order, Excludes Transgender Athletes From Women's Sports
Discussion:
Townhall, HotAir, DNyuz, Fox News, NCAA.org, Grabien, Lawyers, Guns & Money, WTOP News, Washington Examiner, Washington Post, IJR, Metro.co.uk and USA Today
Sarah Fortinsky / The Hill:
Sotomayor hits presidential immunity decision in first public comments since new Trump admin — Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Wednesday doubled down on her opposition to the presidential immunity decision last summer and expressed concern about public confidence in the high court.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Patterico's Pontifications and WTOP News
New York Times:
C.D.C. Posts, Then Deletes, Data on Bird Flu Spread Between Cats and People — The data, which appeared fleetingly online on Wednesday, confirmed transmission in two households. Scientists called on the agency to release the full report. — Cats that became infected with bird flu might …
Discussion:
Inside Medicine, Forbes, NPR and Mercury News
Andrew Roth / Michigan Advance:
Michigan legislator says she underwent sterilization to avoid pregnancy during Trump presidency — Hundreds gather at the Michigan Capitol to protest Trump's politics — Hundreds of people gather on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on Feb. 5, 2025 …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Detroit News, Breitbart, Daily Mail, New York Post, Twitchy, IJR, Louder With Crowder, HotAir, freebeacon.com and The Gateway Pundit
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