Top Items:
Politico:
Vought sounds layoff siren: ‘The RIFs have begun’ … It's unclear how many people were laid off and Vought provided no further details. — But an administration official granted anonymity to discuss the layoffs said they hit agencies including: Interior, Homeland Security, Treasury, EPA, Commerce, Education, Energy, HHS and HUD.
Discussion:
Axios, NewsMax.com, Townhall, Forbes, NOTUS, UPI, Blaze Media, masslive.com, Fox Business and The Guardian
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Trump administration begins laying off federal workers amid shutdown — White House budget director Russell Vought said reductions-in-force were underway. — Just now — The Trump administration moved to begin laying off federal workers Friday while the government was shuttered …
Discussion:
CNBC, Ars Technica, Reuters, New York Daily News and Blue Virginia
Wall Street Journal:
White House Says Government Layoffs Have Begun — OMB chief Vought makes announcement as shutdown continues — WASHINGTON—A top White House official said Friday that mass layoffs of federal employees had started in response to the government shutdown, following through on weeks of threats meant to increase pressure on Democrats.
Discussion:
The Atlantic, The Hill, /home, CBS News, IJR, Reason, RedState, NPR, The National Pulse, GovExec.com, Washington Times, NewsMax.com and New Republic
Associated Press:
Firings of federal workers begin as White House seeks to pressure Democrats in government shutdown — Add AP News to Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share — The White House budget office said Friday that mass firings of federal workers …
Discussion:
New York Post, CNN, Straight Arrow News, The Hill, New York Times, CNBC, USA Today, NBC News, Breitbart, Roll Call, FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, Centralmaine.com, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Mediaite, Bloomberg, WTOP News, PoliticusUSA and Scripps News
Andrew Solender / Axios:
“This is a disaster”: Congress erupts at Trump's shutdown mass firings
Discussion:
Quartz and NewsMax.com
Jordain Carney / Politico:
Collins knocks Vought over firing of federal workers
Collins knocks Vought over firing of federal workers
Discussion:
The Hill, Bloomberg, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, Fox News and Washington Examiner
Sally Kornbluth / orgchart.mit.edu:
Regarding the Compact — The U.S. Department of Education recently sent MIT and eight other institutions a proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” along with a letter asking that MIT review the document. — From the messages I've received, I know this is on the minds …
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Vimal Patel / New York Times:
M.I.T. Rejects a White House Offer for Special Funding Treatment — The Trump administration offered nine universities benefits in exchange for signing an agreement to protect conservative voices, among other things. M.I.T. was the first to refuse. — M.I.T. became the first university …
Discussion:
The Tech, Reuters, MSNBC, Associated Press, Erin In The Morning and Forbes
Marc Rowan / New York Times:
Trump's ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Badly Needed
Discussion:
Deseret News, Credit Slips and The Argument
CNN:
Lindsey Halligan didn't coordinate NY AG Letitia James indictment with Pam Bondi's DOJ — Attorney General Pam Bondi was caught off guard Thursday when President Donald Trump's handpicked US attorney, Lindsey Halligan, secured New York Attorney General Letitia James' indictment from a grand jury …
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Molly Roberts / Lawfare:
The Justice Department's Dangerously Weak Case Against Letitia James — Lindsey Halligan didn't have a strong case against Letitia James. She indicted her anyway. — Meet The Authors … Earlier this week, the Justice Department seemed poised to pursue an indictment …
Louis Casiano / Fox News:
New York AG Letitia James' indictment sparks sharp partisan divide
Discussion:
The Bulwark, Bloomberg, New York Times, NewsMax.com, CNN, RedState, The Guardian, The Hill, JURISTnews, MSNBC, JONATHAN TURLEY, American Greatness and Daily Kos
NBC News:
Trump accidentally posted message pressuring Pam Bondi to charge his enemies, source says
Trump accidentally posted message pressuring Pam Bondi to charge his enemies, source says
Discussion:
The Nation, The Hill, New York Times, Politico, Fox News, Truthout, Mediaite, Axios and masslive.com
Dareh Gregorian / NBC News:
Attorney General Pam Bondi announces charges over threat to conservative activist
Attorney General Pam Bondi announces charges over threat to conservative activist
Discussion:
State of California
New Republic:
Transcript: Trump ICE Raids Worsen as Pritzker Drops Bombshell Warning — The following is a lightly edited transcript of the October 10 episode of the Daily Blast podcast. Listen to it here. — (After we recorded, a judge temporary blocked National Guard deployments in Illinois).
Discussion:
Public Notice, The Gateway Pundit and Raw Story
RELATED:
Andrew Solender / Axios:
Democrats fume as Mike Johnson cancels third week of votes … - Johnson said earlier this week that there would be no standalone vote on paying the troops, saying the House has already done its work by passing a stopgap spending bill last month that includes troop pay.
Discussion:
NewsMax.com
RELATED:
Kadia Goba / Washington Post:
Some House GOP lawmakers want to get back to work
Discussion:
Federal News Network and Associated Press
Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Johnson says House will remain closed until shutdown ends
Johnson says House will remain closed until shutdown ends
Discussion:
New York Post
Meredith Lee Hill / Politico:
Mike Johnson raises fresh doubts about an Obamacare compromise
Mike Johnson raises fresh doubts about an Obamacare compromise
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Hill and Washington Reporter
Nicholas Wu / Politico:
Democratic troop pay bill blocked in House amid shutdown
Democratic troop pay bill blocked in House amid shutdown
Discussion:
Fox News, The Hill, NewsMax.com and New Republic
NobelPrize.org:
Announcement, Nobel Peace Prize 2025 — The Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 goes to a brave and committed champion of peace - to a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness. — The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 to Maria Corina Machado.
Discussion:
The Atlantic, Bloomberg, Reuters, Esquire, Politico, HuffPost, CBS News, Breitbart, Axios, Newsweek, New Republic, New York Times, Washington Post, Fox News, BBC, Mediaite, Townhall, New York Post, New York Sun, Daily Kos, France 24, Latin America Risk Report, Washington Examiner, Salon, The Daily Caller, HotAir, Palm Beach Post, Florida Politics, Deseret News, NewsMax.com, MPR News, El País, American Thinker, New York Magazine, IJR, NPR, Comic Sands, The Hill, CNBC, MSNBC and The Independent
RELATED:
Faith Wardwell / Politico:
Venezuelan opposition leader dedicates Nobel Prize to Trump for ‘decisive support’
Discussion:
Politico, The Guardian, NBC News, CBS News, Bloomberg, The National Pulse, Blaze Media, New Republic, Al Jazeera, Washington Examiner, Washington Times, New York Times, Mediaite, Fox News, IJR, El País and New Jersey Online
Associated Press:
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado wins the Nobel Peace Prize
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado wins the Nobel Peace Prize
Discussion:
The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, MeidasTouch News, CBS News, Reuters, The Parnas Perspective, New York Times, Mediaite, HuffPost, El País, Billboard, Telegraph, The Daily Register, Washington Post, Breitbart, Axios, Dave Dubya's Freedom Rants, Raw Story, Truthout, WTOP News, Washington Examiner, The National Pulse, Middle East Monitor, Fortune, TMZ.com, Metro.co.uk, The Last Refuge, Reason, New York Post, The Hill, PinkNews, Townhall, UnHerd, The Independent, NewsNation, The Japan News and Rolling Stone
Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune:
WGN-TV producer detained during ICE enforcement action in Lincoln Square — A WGN-TV video editor and producer was roughly detained by two Border Patrol agents on Friday morning during a highly visible rush hour enforcement action in Lincoln Square. — Debbie Brockman, who has worked …
RELATED:
Brad Reed / Common Dreams:
ICE Pins Chicago TV News Producer to the Ground, Hauls Her Off in Unmarked Van
ICE Pins Chicago TV News Producer to the Ground, Hauls Her Off in Unmarked Van
Discussion:
TMZ.com
Brett Samuels / The Hill:
Trump announces 100 percent tariff on China in response to rare earth controls — President Trump announced Friday he will raise tariffs on China in response to a move from Beijing to tighten its control over certain critical minerals and rare earth elements.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, New York Times, Fortune and Breitbart, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Joe Walsh / CBS News:
Trump announces extra 100% tariff on Chinese goods starting next month
Trump announces extra 100% tariff on Chinese goods starting next month
Discussion:
CNN, The Hill, NBC News, CNBC, HotAir, Scripps News, Reuters, Washington Post, New York Times, Fortune, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Blaze Media, Los Angeles Times, The Japan Times, Mediaite, The National Pulse, Politico, israelhayom.com, The Last Refuge, The Gateway Pundit, The Independent, Fox Business, Forbes, UPI, Raw Story, Ars Technica, Quartz, Al Jazeera, ABC News, Washington Examiner and The Post Millennial, more at Techmeme »
Washington Post:
Inside billionaire Peter Thiel's private lectures: Warnings of ‘the Antichrist’ and U.S. destruction — The Washington Post reviewed leaked audio from four off-the-record lectures the tech investor delivered in San Francisco over the last month that fused beliefs about religion and technology.
Discussion:
Reuters, Gizmodo, The Guardian, The Nerd Reich and The Daily Caller
RELATED:
Kathryn Watson / CBS News:
Hegseth announces Qatar will build air force facility at U.S. base in Idaho — Washington — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday announced a finalized agreement that will allow the Qatari Emiri Air Force to build a facility at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
Discussion:
The Hill, Axios, New Republic, Reuters, The Parnas Perspective, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Bloomberg, Fox News, NOTUS, CNBC, Al Jazeera, UPI, Washington Times, ABC7, New York Sun, Jewish Insider, The Times of Israel, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, JNS.org, Daily Kos, The National Pulse, IJR, Raw Story, Mediaite, Task & Purpose, One America News Network, The Independent, Mercury News and Washington Examiner
The Tennessean:
Some killed in explosion at Hickman County plant felt miles away — everything we know — Kirsten Fiscus Vivian Jones Craig Shoup Angele Latham Liz Schubauer Austin Hornbostel Hadley HitsonNashville Tennessean — Hickman County emergency services are warning people to stay away …
Marisa Kabas / The Handbasket:
DHS top lawyer says ‘no legal barrier’ to actions officers can take to defend federal property — In a memo obtained exclusively by The Handbasket, Federal Protective Service (FPS) officers were given free rein. … Staffers at a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law enforcement agency received …
Discussion:
NPR
Chicago Sun Times:
Neighbor shielded 7-year-old during South Shore federal raid: 'I didn't want them to take her' — During the Sept. 30 raid, one tenant protected a terrified girl and her mom. Remnants at the complex, including a detailed map of all the units, offer clues to what authorities may have known before that night.
MSNBC:
Criminal charges against Bolton expected as early as next week — Federal prosecutors could charge Trump's former national security adviser as early as next week, sources told MSNBC exclusively. — The acting U.S. Attorney in Maryland is moving forward quickly to seek criminal charges …
Discussion:
RedState, The National Pulse, Raw Story, NewsMax.com and Mediaite
Le Monde:
Nobel-winning economists Duflo and Banerjee will leave US for Switzerland — The University of Zurich said that Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, known for their work in development economics, will move from the US to Switzerland, amid Donald Trump's attacks on universities.
Washington Post:
Maine Gov. Janet Mills to run for Senate, seeking to dislodge Susan Collins — Mills, a two-term governor, will join an already crowded field of Democratic candidates hoping to challenge the Republican who has held the seat for nearly three decades. — Maine Gov. Janet Mills …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Bangor Daily News, The Hill, CBS News, Axios, The Maine Wire, Lewiston Sun Journal, NewsMax.com, Newsweek and WBUR
Amee Vanderpool / SHERO:
“Less Than a Ham Sandwich” — SHERO is a reader-supported publication that makes most articles free and available to the public. Please support independent journalism for everyone by becoming a paid subscriber today. — Federal prosecutors dismissed charges on Wednesday against three …
Discussion:
New York Times, MSNBC and Above the Law
Mark Lee Greenblatt / New York Times:
The Tom Homan Affair Has More Red Flags Than a May Day Parade — The accusations are explosive: That in 2024, Tom Homan, now President Trump's border czar, met with some businessmen who handed him $50,000 stuffed into a bag from Cava, the fast-casual restaurant chain; in exchange …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Sarah Ewall-Wice / The Daily Beast:
Melania Has Been Secretly Working With Putin for Months — KREMLIN WHISPERER — The first lady has been engaged in talks with the Russia leader over the war in Ukraine. — First Lady Melania Trump made a rare formal announcement from the White House on Friday where she revealed …
Discussion:
Reuters, The Hill, Scripps News, Deseret News, elhayat-life.com, New York Times, Politico, Fox News, Blaze Media, CBS News and NewsNation
Axios:
1 big thing: The 22 states close to (or in) recession … - Their problems are driven largely by a mix of slowing immigration, increasing tariffs and federal job cuts, Zandi argues. — The analysis is based on Zandi's calculation of where things stood in the economy at the end of August …
Discussion:
MSNBC, PennLive, masslive.com and Raw Story
Wall Street Journal:
Americans Are Falling Behind on Their Car Payments — Delinquency rates on subprime auto loans are at records — One of the cylinders in the U.S. economic engine is causing some sputtering. — Since the pandemic, buyers on auto-dealer lots have encountered surging sticker prices …
Discussion:
NewsMax.com
Kayla Steinberg / NBC News:
UPS is ‘disposing of’ U.S.-bound packages over customs paperwork problems — Shifting Trump tariffs have created a nightmare for UPS, as thousands of packages from overseas pile up at its hubs while they await customs clearance. — Thousands of U.S.-bound packages shipped by UPS are trapped …
Discussion:
Gizmodo and Fox Business

