Top Items:
Judd Legum / Popular Information:
Trump maintains funding freeze at NIH, defying court order — The Trump administration is still prohibiting National Institutes of Health (NIH) staff from issuing virtually all grant funding, an NIH official tells Popular Information. The ongoing funding freeze is also reflected …
Discussion:
New York Times, St. Louis Business Journal, The Hill, The Federalist, The Colorado Sun, Wired and The Guardian
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ProPublica:
The Courts Blocked Trump's Federal Funding Freeze. Agencies Are Withholding Money Anyway. — ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published. — When the federal courts first blocked …
Discussion:
American Prospect, MPR News, Washington Examiner, ACLU, Bloomberg, Alternet.org and The National Pulse
Mattathias Schwartz / New York Times:
The federal judge in Rhode Island said the Trump administration had failed to comply with his order unfreezing billions of dollars in federal grants. — A federal judge on Monday said the White House has defied his order to release billions of dollars in federal grants …
Discussion:
Business Insider, The Nation, Washington Examiner, Associated Press, HotAir, CBS News, Wall Street Journal, Axios and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Andrew Prokop / Vox:
Will Trump really defy the courts?
Discussion:
NBC News, Washington Monthly, Talking Points Memo, HuffPost, Mediaite and Alternet.org
Shayna Jacobs / Washington Post:
Justice officials tell prosecutors to drop charges against N.Y. Mayor Eric Adams — A top Justice official said New York Mayor Eric Adams should not have to face trial given his reelection campaign and the fight against crime and illegal immigration. — NEW YORK — The Justice Department …
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New York Times:
Justice Dept. Tells Prosecutors to Drop Federal Corruption Case Against Eric Adams — The request to dismiss the charges against Mayor Eric Adams of New York raised questions about the independence of federal prosecutors under President Trump. — Here's the latest.
Discussion:
The Downballot, CNN, City & State New York, UPI, Raw Story, The City, New York Magazine, RedState, Reuters, CBS News and Mediaite
New York Times:
Push to Drop Adams Charges Reveals a Justice Dept. Under Trump's Sway — Eric Adams cultivated a close relationship with President Trump. Now, U.S. prosecutors in Manhattan have been told to drop the corruption case against the New York City mayor. — The Justice Department …
Discussion:
Raw Story, El País, New York Post, Lawyers, Guns & Money, abc7NY, New York Daily News, Forbes, The Daily Caller and The Gateway Pundit
Associated Press:
Top Justice Department official orders prosecutors to drop charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams
Discussion:
New York Times, Daily Kos, Fox News, Associated Press, ABC News, The City, New York Post, Reason, abc7NY, ZeroHedge News, Washington Examiner, Townhall, Reuters, Axios, Blaze Media, Bloomberg, Mediaite, The Independent, New York Daily News, The Daily Wire, Politico and The Post Millennial
ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix:
1 dead, 4 hospitalized after two planes crash on runway at Scottsdale Airport — The incident happened around 2:30 p.m. Monday — SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Officials confirm at least one person has died after an aircraft crash on the runway Monday at the Scottsdale Airport.
Discussion:
Arizona Republic, New York Times, KASW-TV, Associated Press, CNN, Plain Dealer, KFTC-TV, UPI, EADaily, Deadline, Fox News, Forbes, WAGA-TV, Washington Examiner, CBS News, Consequence, KFMB, New York Post, Metro.co.uk, Reuters and WXIA-TV
Raf Casert / Associated Press:
EU vows countermeasures to US tariffs; bourbon, jeans, peanut butter, motorcycles easy targets — U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum “will not go unanswered,” European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen vowed on Tuesday, adding that they will trigger tough countermeasures from the 27-nation bloc.
Discussion:
Reuters, Fox Business, Politico and Associated Press
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Eric Levitz / Vox:
Why Trump's new tariffs are such a strange idea
Discussion:
CNN, New York Times, Canadian Press, El País, American Prospect, Kyodo News+, CNBC, Scripps News, Global News, Associated Press, The Daily Wire and Daily Mail
Washington Post:
Trump announces fresh round of tariffs on steel and aluminum
Trump announces fresh round of tariffs on steel and aluminum
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Wall Street Journal, Canadian Press, The Guardian, Focus Taiwan, The Daily Wire, Reuters, Financial Times, CBS News, Associated Press, UPI, New York Times, Axios, Deseret News, Daily Mail, The Independent, Fox Business, The American Conservative, Business Insider, USA Today and Breitbart
Lydia DePillis / New York Times:
Steel and Aluminum Tariffs May Raise US Manufacturing Costs
Steel and Aluminum Tariffs May Raise US Manufacturing Costs
Discussion:
Bloomberg
The White House:
Pausing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement to Further American Economic and National Security — 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.
Discussion:
MeidasTouch News and New York Times
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CNBC:
Trump signs order pausing enforcement of foreign bribery ban … WATCH NOW — President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order directing the Department of Justice to pause enforcing a nearly half-century-old law that prohibits American companies and foreign firms from bribing officials …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, New Republic, Alternet.org and Breitbart
Steve Beynon / Military.com:
Military Drops Recruiting Efforts at Prestigious Black Engineering Awards Event — The Army and other service branches are abandoning recruiting efforts at a prestigious Black engineering event this week, turning down access to a key pool of highly qualified potential applicants amid President …
Discussion:
Mediaite
Punchbowl News:
2/11/25 ☀️ AM: — Rough days for Democrats in GOP-run Washington — The Vault: A stress test for Powell's Capitol Hill ties — While spending cuts are in vogue, House chairs seek budget boosts — Johnson to brief Republicans on budget progress today
Discussion:
New York Times, E&E News and RedState
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Politico:
Johnson quietly shops new budget blueprint
Discussion:
E&E News, Axios, Alternet.org, The Daily Wire and Jacobin
Brett Samuels / The Hill:
Trump says he may withhold aid to Jordan, Egypt if they don't take in Palestinians — President Trump said Monday he would consider withholding aid to Jordan and Egypt if they do not agree to take in Palestinians as part of a plan for the U.S. to take over and develop the Gaza Strip.
RELATED:
New York Times:
Trump Says He May Cut Aid to Jordan and Egypt if They Don't Take Gazans
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and Los Angeles Times
Mark Mazzetti / New York Times:
Jordan's King Faces a Bind as He Meets With Trump
Jordan's King Faces a Bind as He Meets With Trump
Discussion:
Washington Post, NPR, Associated Press, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, Atlantic Council and Breitbart
Wall Street Journal:
Exclusive | Elon Musk-Led Group Makes $97.4 Billion Bid for Control of OpenAI — The unsolicited offer complicates Sam Altman's plans to convert OpenAI to a for-profit company.
Discussion:
New York Times, Forbes, Fortune, Axios, El País, New York Magazine, Fox Business, MacRumors, Raw Story, TechCrunch, The Information, Politico, The Japan Times, UPI, One America News Network, Futurism, The Republic News, VentureBeat, HotAir, Al Jazeera, Adweek, WUSA, New York Post, 9to5Mac, Deadline, Metro.co.uk, The Verge, BGR, Gizmodo, Variety, The Hill, Semafor, ZeroHedge News and Common Dreams, more at Techmeme »
Jon Henley / The Guardian:
Far-right populists much more likely than the left to spread fake news - study — Amplifying misinformation is now part of radical right strategy, says Dutch study of tweets by MPs in 26 countries — Far-right populists are significantly more likely to spread fake news on social media …
U.S. Department of Defense:
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Renames Fort Liberty to Fort Roland L. Bragg — While flying aboard a C-17 from Joint Base Andrews to Stuttgart on February 10, 2025, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum renaming Fort Liberty in North Carolina to Fort Roland L. Bragg.
Discussion:
New York Times, Forbes, Shore News Network, New York Post and The American Saga
NBC News:
Judge extends freeze on Trump's unprecedented plan to get millions of federal workers to resign — U.S. District Judge George A. O'Toole Jr. said the pause would continue until he ruled on the legality of Trump's “deferred resignation” plan. — A federal judge in Boston on Monday continued …
Discussion:
CNN, Fortune, The Daily Caller, Raw Story, Axios and New Republic
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Sam Stein / The Bulwark:
The GOP Says They Love Elon. Privately, They're Expressing Concerns. — REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS HAVE WIDELY praised Elon Musk as he's gone about restructuring and in certain cases eliminating entire parts of the government. — But in private, they've expressed quite a different perspective …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, Alternet.org and E&E News
Christina A. Cassidy / Associated Press:
US cyber agency puts election security staffers who worked with the states on leave — Staffers at the nation's cybersecurity agency whose job is to ensure the security of U.S. elections have been placed on administrative leave, jeopardizing critical support provided to state and local election offices across the country.
Discussion:
Alternet.org and CyberScoop
Annie Karni / New York Times:
Mace Takes to House Floor With Charges of Rape and Sexual Predation — The South Carolina Republican used her floor privileges to lodge shocking accusations against her former fiancé and three other men. — Representative Nancy Mace, the South Carolina Republican who in recent weeks …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Alternet.org, NBC News, The Independent, New York Daily News, RedState, Mediaite, UPI, New York Post, Washington Examiner and Raw Story
Nicole Winfield / Associated Press:
Pope rebukes Trump administration over migrant deportations, and appears to take direct aim at Vance — Pope Francis issued a major rebuke Tuesday to the Trump administration's mass deportation of migrants, warning that the forceful removal of people purely because of their illegal status deprives …
Discussion:
Reuters, Raw Story, Frontpage Mag and Foreign Policy
Newsweek:
Donald Trump Declines to Endorse JD Vance as 2028 Republican ‘Successor’ — said in a preview of his Super Bowl interview on Monday that it's “too early” to endorse Vice President — successor. — When — 's Bret Baier asked if he views Vance as his “successor” and the Republican nominee in 2028 …
Politico:
As USAID retreats, China pounces — With help from Connor O'Brien, Nahal Toosi and Daniel Lippman — If USAID is packing up and moving out, China seems all too happy to move in. — That's the trend that longtime U.S. China watchers and aid workers are already noticing …
Kathryn Watson / CBS News:
Trump ousts director of Office of Government Ethics — Washington — President Trump on Monday removed the director of the Office of Government Ethics, the independent agency responsible for overseeing ethics rules and financial disclosures for the executive branch.
Discussion:
Politico, CNN, CNBC, Raw Story, Bloomberg, Federal News Network, CREW, GovExec.com, USA Today and E&E News
Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
Obama Best Liked Among Living Presidents; Biden, Least — Obama, Bush, Clinton are viewed more positively than negatively — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Of the five living men who have served as U.S. president, Barack Obama receives the highest favorable rating (59%) and Joe Biden the lowest (39%).
Discussion:
Semafor
Associated Press:
JD Vance rails against ‘excessive regulation’ of AI at Paris summit in rebuke to European efforts — U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday warned global leaders and tech industry executives that “excessive regulation” could cripple the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry …
Discussion:
Politico, Bloomberg, NPR, European Commission, Al Jazeera, Forbes, UPI, CNN, Reuters, The Republic News, New York Times, TechCrunch and Baltimore Sun, more at Techmeme »
Mehdi Hasan / The Guardian:
What Republicans really mean when they blame ‘DEI’ — Referencing DEI is the new rightwing abstraction deployed by Republicans to conceal their anti-Black racism — In 1981, Lee Atwater, the most influential Republican party strategist of the late 20th century, sat down for an off …
Amy Mackinnon / Politico:
Gabbard clears key Senate hurdle with unanimous GOP support — The cloture vote was a party-line vote. — Senators voted to advance Tulsi Gabbard's nomination to serve as director of national intelligence in a party-line vote Monday evening, setting the stage for a final confirmation vote later this week.

