Government shutdown set to begin overnight as Congress hits impasse  —  The Senate is expected to vote Tuesday on extending government funding.  If the measure fails, a shutdown would start early Wednesday.  —  just now  —  The federal government is on track to shut down just after midnight Wednesday …

‘Could have been an email’: Officials balk at Hegseth's generals meeting … Defense officials, in the Pentagon and at bases around the world, spent much of Tuesday trying to make sense of the last-minute gathering at the Quantico base in Virginia.  Hegseth called out “fat generals,” and …

Pfizer's Drug Price Cuts Yield Three-Year Trump Tariff Reprieve  —  Pfizer Inc. secured a reprieve from President Donald Trump's long-threatened tariffs on the pharmaceutical industry Tuesday by agreeing to slash some of its drug prices by up to 85% and selling directly to the American public …

Republicans refuse to swear in newly elected Democrat, delaying success of Epstein petition  —  Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Republican leaders refused requests from Democrats to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) on Tuesday, saying she will be sworn in when the House returns to regular session.

White House withdraws Trump's controversial nominee to lead BLS after ousting predecessor over jobs data  —  The White House has sent paperwork to the Senate to withdraw the nomination of E.J. Antoni as head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, three sources told CNN.

Judge excoriates Trump in blistering decision calling efforts to deport pro-Palestinian academics illegal … The ruling is the long-awaited result of a lawsuit brought by university professors who say the Trump administration is illegally chilling free speech by targeting prominent pro …

Trump says deal reached to end feud with Harvard … The deal could include Harvard paying $500 million, operating trade schools, teaching artificial intelligence and other unspecified actions: “And then their sins are forgiven,” Trump said.  —  A Harvard University spokesperson did not respond to an immediate request for comment.

ICE agents assault amNewYork reporter at Federal Plaza immigration court; another journalist seriously injured after shove  —  ICE agents assaulted amNewYork's own Dean Moses, and allegedly attacked another journalist, on Tuesday morning as they were documenting the ongoing arrests …

“It's a war from within.”  —  If you were expecting Triumph of the Will, you were disappointed because what you got instead was fat, disoriented Elvis stumbling through his set.  Except that it wasn't funny.  It was dangerous.  —  I promise you that the flag officers in attendance were more alarmed than amused.

Legal Organizations Across the Ideological Spectrum Urge Court to Reinstate Lawsuit Against Trump Administration's Unconstitutional Attack on Academic Freedom  —  Federal interference in academic affairs at Columbia University violates the First Amendment, the brief argues

In Unusual Move, Prosecutors Secure Federal Charges From Local Grand Jury  —  A judge, Zia M. Faruqui, said that what appeared to be a kind of grand jury forum shopping seemed to have broken “decades-long norms and the rule of law.”  —  In the past month or so, federal prosecutors in Washington …

Google is blocking AI searches for Trump and dementia  —  AI Mode uncharacteristically pulls up a list of 10 web links instead of a written explanation. … Google appears to have blocked AI search results for the query “does trump show signs of dementia” as well as other questions …

US comedians defend decision to play in Saudi Arabia: 'They're paying me enough to look the other way'  —  Usual supporters of free speech are under fire for signing on to Riyadh festival despite the government's human rights abuses  —  Billed as “the biggest comedy festival in the world” …

Trump's USAID pause stranded lifesaving drugs.  Children died waiting.  —  As a result, when 5-year-old Suza Kenyaba contracted malaria, the medicine was not available.  —  She died on Feb. 19.  —  In the first half of the year, hundreds of USAID shipments of antimalarial …