“They're Scared Shitless”: The Threat of Political Violence Informing Trump's Grip on Congress  —  With the president smashing norm after norm, even lawmakers within his party have feared for their personal safety, and at least one has told confidants that it has swayed his decision-making.

Playbook: One month of Trump  —  With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine  —  KICKING OFF SHORTLY ... POLITICO convenes its Governors Summit here in Washington D.C. at 8 a.m. — a series of timely conversations on how key policy areas are shaped at the state level …

ICE Prosecutor in Dallas Runs White Supremacist X Account  —  Fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids began to spread the day after President Donald Trump was inaugurated for the second time.  Posts on social media and Reddit claimed that ICE had already been spotted …

Majority Say System Of Checks & Balances Not Working Well, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Congressional Job Approval: Democrats Hit All-Time Low, Republicans Hit Record High  —  mail_outline  —  Less than 4 in 10 voters think the system of checks and balances between the executive …

Trump can't end birthright citizenship, appeals court says, setting up Supreme Court showdown  —  An appeals court will not allow the Trump administration to end birthright citizenship for certain children of immigrants, in a ruling that could propel the issue to the Supreme Court.

DOGE Now Has Access to the Top US Cybersecurity Agency  —  DOGE technologists Edward Coristine—the 19-year-old known online as “Big Balls”—and Kyle Schutt are now listed as staff at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.  —  Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old engineer …

Ex-NFL punter Chris Kluwe arrested over protest at Huntington Beach City Council meeting  —  Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe was arrested over a protest at a city council meeting in Huntington Beach, California on Tuesday.  —  Kluwe was protesting Huntington Beach's decision to display a plaque …

DOGE released data about federal contract savings.  It doesn't add up  —  A new online tracker on the Department of Government Efficiency's website puts a dollar amount on the estimated savings from the DOGE effort to slash federal government spending at $55 billion.  —  But an NPR analysis finds the numbers don't add up.

IRS expected to fire 6,700 employees beginning Thursday  —  The Internal Revenue Service is preparing to conduct mass firings of 6,700 employees beginning Thursday, according to multiple employees notified of the plans.  —  Staff in their probationary periods—mostly recent hires …

Trump receives widespread backlash to social post calling himself ‘king’  —  US president made comparison after administration rescinded New York City's congestion pricing plan  —  Donald Trump is receiving widespread backlash after he likened himself to a “king” on social media following …

USDS Engineering Director Resigns: ‘This Is Not the Mission I Came to Serve’  —  “I do not believe that DOGE can continue to deliver the work of USDS, based on their actions so far,” wrote Anne Marshall in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday.  —  The director of data science and engineering …

Cal Fire captain found stabbed to death inside of her San Diego County home  —  A Cal Fire captain was found stabbed to death inside of her San Diego County home on Monday and authorities are still searching for the suspect.  —  Deputies were dispatched to a home in the 20200 block …

Trump administration orders Pentagon to plan for sweeping budget cuts  —  The directive, detailed in a memo dated Tuesday, exempts a handful of programs, including the president's expanded military mission along the U.S.-Mexico border.

US figures do not support Trump claims on Ukraine spending  —  President Donald Trump on Wednesday repeated a claim that the United States has spent $350 billion on Ukraine's war — a figure that far eclipses the amount recorded by the Department of Defense and the interagency oversight group that tracks U.S. appropriations to Ukraine.

Trump Team Finds Loophole to Defy Spirit of Court Orders Blocking Spending Freezes  —  Officials cite other legal authorities — not Mr. Trump's court-blocked directives — to keep withholding foreign aid and domestic grant money.  —  The Trump administration is systematically exploiting loopholes …

A judge in Mississippi orders newspaper to remove editorial, so we're publishing it  —  At Scioto Valley Guardian, Ohio's leading news website, we stand unwaveringly for the freedom of the press—a cornerstone of democracy enshrined in the First Amendment.  Today, we are reprinting an editorial …

11-year-old took her own life after classmates threatened to call ICE on her family, devastated mother reveals  —  ‘I waited a whole week for a miracle that my daughter would be well, but unfortunately, nothing could be done,’ despaired her mother  —  Your support helps us to tell the story

Exclusive: FDA staffers told that ‘woman,’ ‘disabled’ among banned words; White House says it's an error  —  Some U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientists have been told to stop using the words “woman,” “disabled” and “elderly” in external communications, two sources familiar with the matter said …

D.C. U.S. attorney probing Democrats over alleged threats, documents show  —  Analysts say Ed Martin's ‘Operation Whirlwind,’ which targets statements by Democrats and others about Elon Musk, justices and government workers, is meant to stifle criticism.  —  D.C.'s top prosecutor escalated …

Citing ‘Biological Truth,’ Kennedy Issues Guidance Recognizing Only Two Sexes  —  The new guidance follows President Trump's demand that the Health and Human Services Department align with his executive order barring transgender athletes from women's sports.

Trump voter, disabled military veteran, ‘valuable member’ at FEMA fired as part of DOGE cuts  —  A Northern Virginia couple is hashing out their next steps after the husband, a 13-year, disabled military veteran and nearly two-year information technology technician with the Federal Emergency Management Agency …

A resolute Eric Adams insists he can keep New York City running  —  The mayor struck defiant tone, and declined to criticize Trump over his ‘king’ remark.  —  NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams defiantly insisted Wednesday that New York City is running smoothly — even with four of his deputies ready to resign …

Texas Banned Abortion.  Then Sepsis Rates Soared.  —  ProPublica's first-of-its-kind analysis is the most detailed look yet into a rise in life-threatening complications for women experiencing pregnancy loss under Texas' abortion ban.  —  Life of the Mother: How Abortion Bans Lead to Preventable Deaths