Top Items:
NOTUS:
Bill Cassidy Breaks With RFK Jr. After CDC Leadership Exodus — Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician and leading voice on public health in the chamber, called for a key government vaccine panel to postpone its upcoming meeting after the stunning exodus of top leaders Wednesday at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Discussion:
STAT, The Hill, MedPage Today, Raw Story and NewsMax.com
RELATED:
Dan Diamond / Washington Post:
White House taps top RFK Jr. deputy as acting CDC director — The selection of Jim O'Neill reflects Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s influence as he seeks to remake federal vaccine policy. — Just now — The White House on Thursday selected a top deputy of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr …
Discussion:
NBC News, The Hill, Axios, ABC News, UPI, WXIA-TV, STAT, Associated Press, The Guardian, Raw Story, Newsweek, Wall Street Journal and CBS News
Washington Post:
CDC leaders who resigned said RFK Jr. undermined vaccine science, risking lives — As the CDC reels from the firing of its director, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Fox News the agency is “in trouble and we need to fix it.” — As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reeled …
Discussion:
STAT, Fox News, The National Pulse, Raw Story, New York Magazine, CNBC, VTDigger, Roll Call, Senator Bernie Sanders, The Hill, Daily Kos, Deseret News and WTTG-TV
New York Times:
Kennedy Sought to Fire C.D.C. Director Over Vaccine Policy — The director, Susan Monarez, declined to fire agency leaders or to accept all recommendations from a vaccine advisory panel made over by Mr. Kennedy, according to people with knowledge of the events. — 1.1k
Discussion:
The Hill, Axios, Politico, Washington Examiner, STAT, MSNBC, The Guardian, CBS News, Bloomberg, Esquire, NewsNation, MedPage Today, Steady, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, Talking Points Memo, Al Jazeera, The Forward, WXIA-TV, Blaze Media, AZ Public Health Association, Newsweek, The Daily Caller, New Jersey Online, The Left Hook with Wajahat Ali, Zeteo, American Greatness, Fox News, Wired, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Genetic Literacy Project, New York Sun and BBC
Jeremy Faust / Inside Medicine:
Breaking News: Read three top CDC officials' resignation emails. — The end of an era. … UPDATE: I've added a second, longer letter from Dr. Daskalakis, posted on X/Twitter. … Moments ago, Inside Medicine broke news that three top career CDC officials have resigned from the agency …
Sophie Gardner / Politico:
Monarez would not cross ‘red lines’ before she was fired, confidant says
Discussion:
New York Times, NOTUS, Reuters, NBC News, Press Herald, New Republic, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, The Guardian and USA Today
Brandy Zadrozny / MSNBC:
‘People will die because of this’: How RFK Jr. drove out the CDC's senior leaders
‘People will die because of this’: How RFK Jr. drove out the CDC's senior leaders
Discussion:
Politico, Bloomberg, The Hill, Axios, The Guardian, One America News Network, Futurism, New Jersey Online and KSTP-TV
Associated Press:
CDC gets new acting director as leadership turmoil leaves agency reeling
CDC gets new acting director as leadership turmoil leaves agency reeling
Discussion:
The Hill, CT Mirror, Associated Press, Reason and NextDraft
Dylan Scott / Vox:
The bigger story behind the mass exodus of CDC leadership
The bigger story behind the mass exodus of CDC leadership
Discussion:
New Republic, MedPage Today, The Hill, STAT, Washington Post, Politico and Salon
Wall Street Journal:
Inside the Trump Administration's Vaccine Politics
Inside the Trump Administration's Vaccine Politics
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, CNN, Advocate, Raw Story and Media Matters for America
Adriel Bettelheim / Axios:
RFK Jr. shakes up COVID vaccine policy
RFK Jr. shakes up COVID vaccine policy
Discussion:
Bloomberg, STAT, The National Pulse and New Republic
Brandy Zadrozny / MSNBC:
CDC employees walk out to rally in support of ousted leaders
CDC employees walk out to rally in support of ousted leaders
Discussion:
Politico, The Hill, Washington Examiner, CBS News, New York Sun, NewsMax.com and Raw Story
Jeneen Interlandi / New York Times:
Kennedy Ousted the C.D.C. Director. If Only That Were the End of It.
Kennedy Ousted the C.D.C. Director. If Only That Were the End of It.
Discussion:
The Contrarian, Forbes, STAT, The Independent, twitchy.com, The Equation and The Hill
David Zimmermann / Washington Examiner:
What to know about the Minneapolis Annunciation Catholic Church shooting — Hours after Wednesday's shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic church and school left two children dead and 17 other people wounded, Minnesota officials identified the now-deceased gunman as 23-year-old Robin Westman, who has been identified as transgender.
Discussion:
Politico, The Guardian, The Hill, The American Spectator, The Washington Free Beacon, The Post Millennial, Telegraph, Time, The Daily Signal, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, Deseret News, TMZ.com, The Gateway Pundit, New York Post, NewsNation, NewsMax.com, NBC News, Advocate, Fox News and WXIA-TV
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New York Post:
Minneapolis school shooter Robin Westman confessed he was ‘tired of being trans’: ‘I wish I never brain-washed myself’
Brett Samuels / The Hill:
FBI investigating Minnesota school shooting as hate crime against Catholics
FBI investigating Minnesota school shooting as hate crime against Catholics
Discussion:
Page Six, New York Post, ABC News, Yellowhammer News, TMZ.com, The Wrap, WBLS, Newsweek, NPR, CBS News, Plain Dealer and The Guardian
Filip Timotija / The Hill:
Melania Trump: Minnesota school shooting ‘illuminates’ need for ‘pre-emptive intervention’
Melania Trump: Minnesota school shooting ‘illuminates’ need for ‘pre-emptive intervention’
Discussion:
HuffPost, Good Morning America, New York Post, Fox News, IJR, Washington Examiner and Newsweek
NBC News:
Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt offered full military funeral, Air Force confirms — Babbitt, 35, was an Air Force veteran who was fatally shot by Capitol police while protesting Donald Trump's defeat in the 2020 presidential election. — The Air Force has offered full military funeral honors …
Discussion:
KOKI-TV, Judicial Watch, Raw Story, Advocate, Townhall, The Guardian, The Daily Caller and The Hill
RELATED:
Brandi Buchman / HuffPost:
Jan. 6 Rioter Killed As She Stormed Capitol Will Receive Military Funeral Honors — The Babbitt family also received a settlement of $5 million earlier this year. — Despite the fact that Ashli Babbitt attempted to climb through a shattered glass door inside the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers fled …
Discussion:
Politico, MSNBC, Fox News, The Independent, Task & Purpose, Military and Veteran …, Washington Examiner, Times of San Diego and Judicial Watch
Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Judge reluctantly authorizes refund of restitution paid by Jan. 6 rioter
Judge reluctantly authorizes refund of restitution paid by Jan. 6 rioter
Discussion:
Raw Story
Margaret Hartmann / New York Magazine:
Army Parade ‘Disappointed’ Trump, So Navy Will Do One Too — Donald Trump fulfilled his yearslong dream of holding a military parade in Washington, D.C., this past June. Miraculously, both the president and his opponents mostly got what they wanted out of the event.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and The Independent
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Wall Street Journal:
In Trump's Second Term, a Bolder President Charges Ahead Unchecked — Trump is frequently riffing on authoritarianism and ignoring caution from advisers — Some aides to Donald Trump warned the president that building a ballroom at the White House would force them to tear down part …
Discussion:
The Atlantic
James Bickerton / Newsweek:
Ron DeSantis Wasted $250 Million on Alligator Alcatraz as It Faces Closure — The state of Florida is committed to $245 million toward the construction of “Alligator Alcatraz,” the Everglades immigration detention facility which is due to close in days. — An email obtained …
Discussion:
Associated Press, ABC News and Raw Story
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Greg Allen / NPR:
Florida's ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention facility to be empty ‘within a few days’
Florida's ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention facility to be empty ‘within a few days’
Discussion:
WATN, Sun-Sentinel, Mediaite and CBS News
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution to Quit Print Cold Turkey — The publication says the time is right to pour all of its resources into its online news operation and get its journalism “in front of the most people.” — When Andrew Morse joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as its president …
Discussion:
Washington Times, KSTP-TV, The Wrap and WXIA-TV, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
J. Scott Trubey / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
AJC to move to fully digital publication, phase out print Dec. 31
AJC to move to fully digital publication, phase out print Dec. 31
Discussion:
NewsMax.com and Fox Business
Don Moynihan / Can We Still Govern?:
The authoritarian checklist — There is so much happening that occasionally pausing to take stock is necessary. So where are we? In deep trouble. America may not be fully authoritarian, but by no means can we consider it to be a functioning democracy.
Discussion:
The New Republic
Wall Street Journal:
Fed Governor Lisa Cook Sues to Stop Trump From Firing Her — The lawsuit tees up a high-stakes court battle over the president's authority to remove members of the central bank's board — Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook sued President Trump on Thursday, seeking to block his move to fire …
Shane Goldmacher / New York Times:
Trump and Democrats Float Unusual Midterm Conventions — Both parties appear to be weighing gatherings that would gin up excitement for candidates in 2026 — and give a major platform for ambitious politicians hoping to lead the parties in 2028. — President Trump suggested on Thursday …
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post, Mediaite, Ace of Spades HQ, Raw Story, New Jersey Online, The Hill, Blaze Media, New York Daily News and American Greatness
RELATED:
Stephen Neukam / Axios:
Exclusive: Senate Dems launch “budget-buster” site targeting GOP costs
Exclusive: Senate Dems launch “budget-buster” site targeting GOP costs
Discussion:
NewsMax.com
New Republic:
Transcript: Trump Erupts in Rage as Dem Gov's Harsh Takedown Hits Home — The following is a lightly edited transcript of the August 28 episode of the — Daily Blast podcast. Listen to it here. — Greg Sargent: This is The Daily Blast from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR network.
Jason Koebler / 404 Media:
Trump Tariffs Cause Chaos on Ebay as Every Hobby Becomes Logistical Minefield — The Trump administration is throwing various hobbies enjoyed by Americans into chaos and is harming small businesses domestically and abroad with its ever-changing tariff structure that is turning the United States into a hermit kingdom.
Rebecca Carballo / Politico:
Trump administration plans to limit how long foreign students can study in the US … “For too long, past Administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the U.S. virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing untold amounts of taxpayer dollars …
Discussion:
Department of Homeland …, The Hill, Federal Register, masslive.com, Forbes, IJR, Fox News and UPI, more at Mediagazer »
Nicole Silverio / The Daily Caller:
Jen Psaki Tells Christians She's Had ‘Enough’ With Their Prayers After Catholic School Shooting — Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki shamed Christians on Wednesday who were praying for those afflicted in the Annunciation Catholic School shooting.
Discussion:
Newsbusters, One America News Network, Raw Story, The Daily Signal, The Gateway Pundit, Fox News, The Wrap, The Hill, Evie Magazine, IJR, The Post Millennial, Deseret News, The Daily Register, RedState, Reason, Newsweek, Townhall, Washington Examiner, Hartford Courant, The Independent, Plain Dealer, Archdiocese of Saint Paul …, The Federalist, Daily Kos, NewsMax.com, Mediaite, New Republic and Breitbart
Brett Forrest / Wall Street Journal:
Tulsi Gabbard Blindsided CIA Over Revoking Clearance of Undercover Officer — The naming of an agency Russian hand on a list of officials has alarmed people inside the spy agency — Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, surprised Central Intelligence Agency officials last week …
Discussion:
New Republic, The Daily Beast, Salon, Daily Kos, Mediaite, NewsMax.com, Daily Mail, Public, Washington Examiner, Anchorage Daily News and Raw Story
Daniel Ziblatt / Foreign Affairs:
Warnings From Weimar — Why Bargaining With Authoritarians Fails — On March 23, 1933, inside a dimly lit chamber filled with the stale scent of cigar smoke, Ludwig Kaas tried to convince himself he was making the right decision. A Catholic priest and the leader of Germany's establishment Center Party, he stood at a crossroads.
Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:
The Sycophancy Must Be Televised — Notes from the longest, cringiest Trump Cabinet meeting yet. — When Donald Trump began to speak on Tuesday, during what would become the longest televised Cabinet meeting ever, he did not exactly advertise his plans to make history.
Mother Jones:
The “Mini-Trump” Attacking Lisa Cook Had Paperwork Problems of His Own — Bill Pulte has weaponized his office to attack Trump's political enemies. — Donald Trump is attempting to seize control of the historically independent Federal Reserve by firing one of its leaders.
Discussion:
Raw Story, NPR and Washington Examiner
New York Times:
Medicare Will Require Prior Approval for Certain Procedures — A pilot program in six states will use a tactic employed by private insurers that has been heavily criticized for delaying and denying medical care. — Like millions of older adults, Frances L. Ayres faced a choice …
Discussion:
CBS News and The Independent
Anna Merlan / Mother Jones:
“The Most Transparent Administration In History” Refuses to Say Who's Behind Their Batshit Social Media — Government trolls spread cruel memes and “textbook propaganda” on behalf of Trump. — The way the U.S. government communicates online has shifted dramatically since Donald Trump returned to power on January 20.
Paul Krugman:
Why Aren't Markets Freaking Out? — For those of us who follow economic policy in general and the Federal Reserve in particular, the past week has been shocking and terrifying. Donald Trump's ongoing attempts to bully the Fed into large interest rate cuts have escalated into an attempt to fire Lisa Cook …
Victoria Albert / Wall Street Journal:
ICE Eyes Naval Base Outside Chicago as Operations Center — Border czar Tom Homan says to expect a ramp up of enforcement in sanctuary cities — The Trump administration is weighing the use of a naval base north of Chicago as an ICE operations center, border czar Tom Homan said Thursday.
