Top Items:
Jordain Carney / Politico:
Thune warns Democrats about Russ Vought: 'We don't control what he's going to do' — Senate Majority Leader John Thune isn't endorsing the slash-and-burn campaign White House budget director Russ Vought has planned for the federal government during the pending shutdown.
RELATED:
Washington Post:
We asked 1,000 Americans who they blame for the shutdown — Here's what they said. — Just now — How concerned are Americans about the partial shutdown of the federal government and whom do they blame for causing it? The Washington Post texted a nationally representative sample of 1,010 people on Wednesday to ask.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, New York Times, Mother Jones, CNN, Roll Call, Semafor, NBC News, The Guardian, New Jersey Online, New Republic, Daily Mail, Raw Story, Blaze Media, Mediaite, The Hill and Breitbart
Washington Post:
Senior government officials privately warn against firings during shutdown — The Trump administration has telegraphed that mass firings are coming, but officials have cautioned that such moves could violate appropriations law. — Senior federal officials have quietly counseled several agencies …
Discussion:
The Hill, Breitbart, Dogwood, NewsNation, Associated Press, Daily Mail and Raw Story
NBC News:
Early polls show Trump and GOP taking more blame than Democrats for shutdown — The national surveys taken in the final days of September and the first day of the shutdown find that voters are more inclined to blame Trump and his party. But many are uncertain.
Discussion:
The Hill, New York Sun, ACA Signups, Newsbusters, Truthout, Raw Story, The Independent, PoliticusUSA, Mediaite, Newsweek, al.com, HuffPost, Roll Call and Fox News
Washington Post:
The health care subsidies at the heart of the government shutdown
The health care subsidies at the heart of the government shutdown
Discussion:
Punchbowl News, Fox News and The Daily Caller
Jordain Carney / Politico:
Weekend votes ‘unlikely,’ Thune says, meaning shutdown could push into next week
Weekend votes ‘unlikely,’ Thune says, meaning shutdown could push into next week
Discussion:
Punchbowl News, New Jersey Globe, NewsMax.com, UPI and Newsweek
Tony Romm / New York Times:
White House Uses Shutdown to Maximize Pain and Punish Political Foes
White House Uses Shutdown to Maximize Pain and Punish Political Foes
Discussion:
The Bulwark, Associated Press, Newsweek, al.com, To the Contrary, MSNBC, Bloomberg, Reuters, Washington Examiner, NBC News, Quartz and Pew Research Center
New York Times:
Trump ‘Determined’ the U.S. Is Now in a War With Drug Cartels, Congress Is Told — A notice calls the people the U.S. military recently killed on suspicion of drug smuggling in the Caribbean Sea “unlawful combatants.” — President Trump has decided that the United States is engaged in a formal …
Discussion:
The Guardian, Reuters, New Republic, Salon, El País, Raw Story, New York Post, Mediaite, NewsMax.com and The Independent
RELATED:
Nick Turse / The Intercept:
Leaked Document Justifies Boat Strikes as “Non-International Armed Conflict” — The Trump administration is waging a secret war against undisclosed enemies without the consent of Congress, according to a confidential notice that was sent to several congressional committees this week and obtained by The Intercept.
Associated Press:
Trump says US is in ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels after ordering strikes in the Caribbean
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Bloomberg, Scripps News, Times Now, Semafor and Forbes
Ellen Mitchell / The Hill:
Trump declares US in ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
Trump declares US in ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money and NewsMax.com
Cindy Hernandez / Chicago Sun Times:
Massive immigration raid on Chicago apartment building leaves residents reeling: ‘I feel defeated’ — Dan Jones was jolted awake around 1 a.m. Tuesday to the sound of federal agents trying to break through his apartment door. They couldn't get past his double lock, so he went back to bed.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Salon, Balls and Strikes, New Republic, Block Club Chicago, Raw Story and New York Times
NBC News:
Education Department employees surprised to find their email automatically changed to blame Democrats for shutdown — Five furloughed employees told NBC News they had put up nonpartisan out-of-office messages, only to see they were changed — without their permission — to partisan ones.
Discussion:
New York Magazine, RedState, The Guardian, New Republic and MSNBC
RELATED:
Congressman Jamie Raskin:
Raskin Statement on Trump Administration's Use of Federal Departments and Agencies for Propaganda Purposes; Possible Violations of the Hatch Act — Washington, D.C. - Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08) released the following statement: — “I have been contacted by numerous constituents outraged …
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Examiner, E&E News, WTOP News and Common Dreams
Wired:
Government Workers Say Their Out-of-Office Replies Were Forcibly Changed to Blame Democrats for Shutdown — Some employees at the Department of Education changed their responses back to the more neutral language, only to have it changed yet again to the partisan response, multiple sources tell WIRED.
Discussion:
New Republic
Meredith Lee Hill / Politico:
Trump making plans to send billions in cash bailouts to farmers with taxpayer money … Trump officials are still working on estimates of how big the first tranche of aid will be, according to the three people, who were granted anonymity to share private details.
RELATED:
Politico:
Farmers, a key GOP constituency, hit hard by shutdown — The government shutdown is already hurting a key GOP constituency: farmers. Thousands of USDA's Farm Service Agency offices that help producers across the country access loans and other services are completely shuttered and only available for “emergency scenarios.”
Discussion:
Raw Story, MSNBC, DTN Progressive Farmer and NewsMax.com
Associated Press:
Trump administration cuts nearly $8B in clean energy projects in blue states — The Trump administration is cancelling $7.6 billion in grants that supported hundreds of clean energy projects in 16 states, all of which voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in last year's presidential election.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Axios, Politico, Bloomberg, Los Angeles Times, Ace of Spades HQ, Salon, E&E News, Governor of California and The National Pulse
RELATED:
Politico:
Damage from Trump's $8B energy hit list would spill into GOP districts
Discussion:
Bloomberg
Energy.gov:
Energy Department Announces Termination of 223 Projects, Saving Over $7.5 Billion
Energy Department Announces Termination of 223 Projects, Saving Over $7.5 Billion
Discussion:
Fox Business, NewsMax.com, New York Times, Heatmap News, pv magazine USA, E&E News and Daily Caller News Foundation
Michael Copley / NPR:
The Energy Department canceled billions in funding. Democrats say it's retribution
The Energy Department canceled billions in funding. Democrats say it's retribution
Discussion:
New Republic, HotAir, TechCrunch, Axios, The Guardian, Quartz, Heatmap News, ABC News, NOTUS and E&E News, more at Mediagazer »
Anthony Clark / The Last Campaign:
EXCLUSIVE: NARA Ousts Eisenhower Library Director Over Proposed Trump Gift to King Charles — James Byron, Special Assistant to Acting Archivist Marco Rubio at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, this week forced Dr. Todd Arrington, director of the federal Dwight D. Eisenhower …
Discussion:
New York Times and The Independent
RELATED:
Ed O'Keefe / CBS News:
Head of Eisenhower library resigns after sword spat with Trump administration
Head of Eisenhower library resigns after sword spat with Trump administration
Discussion:
Raw Story
Herb Scribner / Axios:
Trump embraces Project 2025 after disavowing it during 2024 campaign — President Trump referenced Project 2025 Thursday despite distancing himself from it during his 2024 campaign. … - Project 2025, never an official Trump platform, was built by some Trump allies and echoes moves from the early days of Trump's second presidency.
RELATED:
Malcolm Ferguson / New Republic:
Karoline Leavitt Says It's OK to Target Americans Repped by Democrats
Karoline Leavitt Says It's OK to Target Americans Repped by Democrats
Discussion:
Politico, CNBC, Townhall, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, The Independent, Newsweek, The National Pulse, The Daily Signal, Mediaite, Blaze Media, The Daily Caller, E&E News and Fox News
Alexandra Steigrad / New York Post:
Bari Weiss to lead CBS News as part of major Paramount Skydance shakeup: sources — Paramount Skydance is poised to name Bari Weiss as editor in chief of CBS News in the coming days — giving the hard-charging journalist unusual clout to revamp the struggling network as it also acquires …
Discussion:
NewsMax.com, more at Mediagazer »
Brendan Cole / Newsweek:
Mike Johnson's Response to Being Told Trump is ‘Unhinged’ Takes Off Online — A clip has gone viral of Democratic Representative Madeleine Dean telling House Speaker Mike Johnson that President Donald Trump's address to military top brass showed the U.S. president was “unhinged.”
Discussion:
Straight Arrow News, Mediaite, Raw Story, The Independent, The Gateway Pundit, New Jersey Online, IJR, The Hill and CNN
Bolts:
Your Cheat Sheet to the 2025 General Elections — Four contests have come to largely define the 2025 elections: the elections to lead New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City, plus California's redistricting measure. But there's so much else on the ballot.
Chris Mason / BBC:
Two dead in Manchester synagogue attack, with suspect also believed to have been killed - police — Summary — Two people have died after a car and stabbing attack at a synagogue in Manchester - here's a timeline of how the attack unfolded — A third person - thought to be the suspect …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, NBC News, New York Times, The Guardian, New York Post, Reuters, Financial Times, Bloomberg, The Free Press, Telegraph, Channel2 NOW, GB News, The Washington Free Beacon, Daily Mail, The Sun, The Daily Register, Breitbart, The Western Journal, Washington Examiner, France 24, Associated Press, Fox News, Al Jazeera, Times Now, The Daily Caller, UPI, New York Sun, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Metro.co.uk, Politico, Semafor and WTOP News
RELATED:
Lee Moran / HuffPost:
Corey Lewandowski Drops Menacing ICE Threat Over Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Show — The Department of Homeland Security adviser also joined in with MAGA outrage over the Puerto Rican superstar's halftime gig. — Department of Homeland Security adviser Corey Lewandowski on Wednesday fumed …
Discussion:
The Hill, Breitbart, MSNBC, TMZ.com, The Daily Signal, Washington Times, New York Post, Axios, Harper's BAZAAR, New Republic, Chicago Tribune, American Thinker, Claytoonz, El País, The Daily Caller, Blaze Media, Raw Story, New Jersey Online, The Independent, The Wrap, Straight Arrow News, Washington Examiner, Rolling Stone, UPI, Variety, Forbes, Deadline, Mediaite, The Hollywood Reporter and NewsMax.com
Associated Press:
Man pleads guilty to throwing Molotov cocktail at deputies during LA immigration protest — A 23-year-old man has pleaded guilty to throwing a Molotov cocktail at Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies during protests against immigration raids across the region last spring.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and Los Angeles Times
Paul Krugman:
An Autocracy of Dunces — How stone-faced generals, Wall Street pushback, and a government shutdown may save America's quickly declining democracy — If America still had a fully functioning democracy, Donald Trump's speech Tuesday to the assembled generals would have ended his presidency.
Matt McGrath / BBC:
Pope Leo condemns climate change critics — Pope Leo XIV has hit out at those who minimise the “increasingly evident” impact of rising temperatures in his first major statement on climate change. — Reiterating the words of his predecessor Pope Francis, the new pontiff lambasted critics who …
Discussion:
Associated Press, New York Times, vaticannews.va and Times Now
S.V. Date / HuffPost:
Trump Quietly Grants Defense Guarantee To Autocracy That Gave Him A Luxury Jet — Maybe Ukraine should have just given him a gold-plated 747. — WASHINGTON - Just months after soliciting and receiving a $400 million luxury airliner for himself from Qatar, President Donald Trump …
Discussion:
MSNBC, Truthout, Accountable US, Israpundit, New York Times, CNN, Political Wire and Ace of Spades HQ
Axios:
Axios Vibes: Grocery price pain rises, in warning sign for Trump and GOP — Americans say it's harder to afford their groceries now than it was a year ago, a warning sign for President Trump and Republicans, in the latest Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll.
Discussion:
New Jersey Online, The Hill, Raw Story, Mock Paper Scissors and NewsMax.com

