Top Items:
Spencer Kimball / CNBC:
Trump White House East Wing ballroom project got $22M boost from YouTube legal settlement … Tech giant Alphabet is contributing $22 million to help build the White House ballroom under a legal settlement reached with President Donald Trump last month over his being banned …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, The Hill, New Jersey Online, New Republic, New York Magazine and Washington Times
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Jonathan V. Last / The Bulwark:
We Will Tear Down the Trump Palace Ballroom and Casino — Thinking like a dissident movement. — ∙ Paid — 1. Demolition — I know we talked about this yesterday. And Mona has a very fine piece on it today. But I'm obsessed with Donald Trump's demolition of the East Wing of the White House.
Discussion:
New York Times, MSNBC, Talking Points Memo, twitchy.com, Mediaite, CBS News, ABC News, France 24, Political Wire, Grabien, Al Jazeera and Bloomberg
Politico:
White House demolition sends shock waves, spurs calls for pause
Discussion:
The Hill, Scripps News, Washington Post, Breitbart, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Reuters, Blaze Media, Megyn Kelly, Raw Story, NewsMax.com, Straight Arrow News, New York Sun and HuffPost
Jennifer Rubin / The Contrarian:
Demolishing the Presidency — A White House teardown ordered by a reckless child is the perfect metaphor
Demolishing the Presidency — A White House teardown ordered by a reckless child is the perfect metaphor
Discussion:
MSNBC, Gizmodo, Associated Press, Washington Examiner, Newsweek, New Jersey Online and Mediaite
Reuters:
White House says it will submit ballroom plans for review, with demolition already under way
White House says it will submit ballroom plans for review, with demolition already under way
Eleanor Watson / CBS News:
U.S. strikes 8th alleged drug vessel, this time on the Pacific side — The U.S. struck another alleged drug vessel Tuesday night, this time on the Pacific side of South America, according to two U.S. officials. — In what is the eighth known U.S. attack on a boat since Sept. 2, two to three individuals aboard the vessel were killed.
RELATED:
New York Times:
U.S. Strikes Boat in Pacific, Expanding Operation Against Drug Running Suspects — It was the eighth known strike, and the first outside of the Caribbean, in the Trump administration's campaign against what it says are boats carrying drugs bound for the United States.
Discussion:
Washington Post, CBS News, Reuters, Associated Press and Mediaite
Hugo Lowell / The Guardian:
US military destroys alleged drug-trafficking boat in Pacific for first time
US military destroys alleged drug-trafficking boat in Pacific for first time
Discussion:
CBS News, Los Angeles Times and The Transom
Alan Greenblatt / Politico:
My Bosses Were Afraid of Crossing Trump. So, I Quit. … The censorship you never hear about may be the worst, or at least the most insidious. Thankfully, many journalists are speaking out at a crucial moment for the press. … And there have been several other examples just in recent days …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Washington Post:
Pentagon announces a new right-wing press corps after mass walkout — A new crop of conservative media and influencers — including the Gateway Pundit, the Post Millennial, Human Events and the National Pulse — signed an agreement with the Defense Department.
Discussion:
The Wrap and The Gateway Pundit, more at Mediagazer »
Paige Winfield Cunningham / Washington Post:
Health insurance sticker shock begins as shutdown battle over subsidies rages — Many states have shown rising premiums ahead of open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans. Congress is deadlocked over extending covid-era subsidies that bring costs down.
Discussion:
The Hill, New York Times, Straight Arrow News, Roll Call, Townhall, NewsMax.com, RedState, Bloomberg, The Daily Caller, WBUR, Fox News and USA Today
Matthew Yglesias / The Argument:
Bigots in the tent — What did you think winning meant? vibes? papers? essays? losers. — Read → — Top first — Longestaffe — 4h — I hope the people who are always attacking you (Matt) from the left will read this piece in good faith: attentively, all the way through, registering the arguments on their merits.
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Russell Contreras / Axios:
Most Americans say U.S. on wrong track on economy, immigration and more: poll — Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction, fueled by dissatisfaction with President Trump's impact on the economy, immigration, race relations and the nation's global standing …
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William Kristol / The Bulwark:
Don't Cry for Me, Argentina. Here's $40B Trump's Giving You. — A little bookkeeping at the top: Tonight, our Sam Stein will be moderating an hour-long conversation between human rights activist Kerry Kennedy and Sen. Chris Murphy at an online event hosted by BigTentUSA …
Discussion:
Daily Kos, American Enterprise Institute, Raw Story, The Independent, CBS News, The Daily Boulder and MSNBC
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Judd Legum / Popular Information:
Taxpayer bailout of Argentina may grow to $40 billion
Taxpayer bailout of Argentina may grow to $40 billion
Discussion:
CNN, Reuters, Foreign Policy, Bloomberg, NewsMax.com, El País and Jacobin
Nathaniel Weixel / The Hill:
Average cost of a family health insurance plan now nearly $27,000 — The cost of employer-sponsored health insurance rose for the third year in a row in 2025, approaching an average of almost $27,000 for a family plan, according to an annual survey from KFF released Wednesday.
Discussion:
New York Times, KFF, STAT, Chicago Tribune, Fortune and NewsMax.com
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Slate:
Why So Many Racist Group Chats? — From the chats to the policy proposals, no one's hiding that the goal is a whiter America. — Choose your preferred player: — Apple Podcasts — Spotify — Amazon Music — TuneIn — Pocket Casts — RSS Feed — Get Your Slate Plus Podcast
David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:
How Does Mike Davis Know Who a New Federal Grand Jury Will Target? — The Retribution: Mar-a-Lago Edition? — This gets a little convoluted, but it's potentially quite important so stick with me for a moment here. — Bloomberg News has sleuthed out a federal grand jury in Florida …
Discussion:
Bloomberg
Avery Lotz / Axios:
Trump's multi-million request puts DOJ integrity to the test, legal scholars say — Legal scholars told Axios that if the Justice Department hands President Trump the millions in damages he requested in past administrative claims, it would present an egregious breach of ethical safeguards.
Discussion:
Fox News, MSNBC, New Jersey Online, al.com and New Republic
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Andrew Solender / Axios:
Jasmine Crockett “strongly” considering U.S. Senate bid — Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) said Wednesday she “will strongly be considering” a run for U.S. Senate, citing polling that suggests she would be a frontrunner in the Democratic primary. … - The second-term lawmaker is known …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Hill, Daily Caller News Foundation, PoliticusUSA, Associated Press and Newsweek
Mary Radcliffe / State Navigate:
State Navigate Poll Shows Spanberger with 13-Point Lead in Virginia Governor Race — “The rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated.” - Ticket-Splitting Voters, apparently — Abigail Spanberger has reached a new zenith in the race for Virginia Governor.
Discussion:
Cardinal News and Blue Virginia
C.J. Ciaramella / Reason:
Homeland Security Won't Stop Lying About Who Immigration Enforcers Are Arresting — In case after case, Homeland Security's Public Affairs Office releases incorrect information about arrests carried out by federal immigration officers. — If you've spent any time reading the Department …
New Republic:
Trump Is Screwing His Voters So Badly That It Shocked This MAGA Farmer — Not long after President Trump floated a $20 billion bailout for Argentina, he proposed importing beef from Argentina to bring prices down in the United States. This angered American beef producers and sparked a backlash from farm-state Republicans.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Associated Press, Colorado Politics, Daily Kos, MSNBC, Newsweek and UPI
New York Times:
Federal Agents Stage Raid on Canal Street in New York City — Dozens of federal officers descended on the sidewalks of Lower Manhattan on Tuesday, detaining several people and drawing protests. — More than 50 federal agents fanned out in the heart of Lower Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Gothamist, The Hill, Hell Gate, Newsweek, Fox News, The Virginian-Pilot and NewsMax.com
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Associated Press:
Maine Senate candidate Platner says tattoo recognized as Nazi symbol has been covered — Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share — His U.S. Senate campaign under fire, Maine Democrat Graham Platner said Wednesday that a tattoo …
Discussion:
New Republic, The Hill, Axios, Washington Examiner, MSNBC, Vanity Fair, Townhall, Mediaite, Bangor Daily News, The National Pulse, The Wrap, Straight Arrow News, Blaze Media, New York Magazine, twitchy.com, New York Times, Politico, Breitbart, Washington Times, IJR, The Independent, The Western Journal, The Times of Israel, VINnews, Fox News, The Guardian, The Daily Caller, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Washington Post, WTOP News, The Forward, The Washington Free Beacon, The Portland Press Herald, UPI, NOTUS and New York Post
Will Neal / The Daily Beast:
Giuffre's Ghostwriter Reveals She Knows Who's in the Epstein Files — BOMBSHELL — Author Amy Wallace says she's carefully hidden recordings of her conversations with one of the late sex trafficker's most prominent victims. — The ghostwriter behind the late Virginia Giuffre's memoir …
Discussion:
New York Post, The Guardian, Raw Story, The Daily Boulder and France 24
New York Times:
The Real Lesson of the Shutdown: We Need Term Limits — A government shutdown grips Washington, leaving Americans frustrated once again with partisan squabbling. The endless stalemates and inability to find common ground are reflective of a deeper problem: The House and the Senate are dominated …
Discussion:
NewsMax.com, New Jersey Online, The Daily Caller, Florida Politics and The Hill
Riley Herron / Student Life:
Arts & Sciences Dean says WashU will not sign Trump's higher ed compact as-is — Dean of WashU's College of Arts & Sciences, Feng Sheng Hu, told faculty at a meeting on Tuesday that Chancellor Andrew D. Martin does not plan to sign the Trump administration's compact for higher education in its current form …
Discussion:
Washington Post
BBC:
Largest study of its kind shows AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time - regardless of language or territory — An intensive international study was coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC — New research coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union …
Discussion:
Al Jazeera, more at Mediagazer »
David Gardner / The Daily Beast:
Michael Wolff Launches Bombshell Lawsuit Against Melania Trump Over Epstein — SLAPP BACK! — Michael Wolff is launching an unprecedented legal case against the First Lady. — The best-selling author Michael Wolff is suing Melania Trump in an unprecedented court case—after she threatened to sue him for $1 billion.
Discussion:
Raw Story, TMZ.com, The New World, Breitbart, Boston Herald, The Daily Boulder and The Wrap
Carol Quillen / @SavingPlaces:
Statement in Response to the Proposed Construction of the White House Ballroom … Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation sent a letter to the National Capital Planning Commission, the National Park Service, and the Commission of Fine Arts regarding proposed construction of the White House ballroom.
Discussion:
The Hill, CNN, The Populist Times, The Federalist and Deadline
Adam Wren / Politico:
Indiana Republicans don't have votes to back Trump's redistricting, Senate leader spox says … A person briefed on the talks said Indiana Gov. Mike Braun was inclined to call a special session to redo the state's maps as early as next week. A spokesperson for Braun did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Discussion:
New York Sun
Dan Froomkin / Heads Up News:
Boycott the White House vandals! — The resistance is growing. — As many as 7 million Americans took to the streets in small towns and big cities alike on Saturday, which would be an approximately 40 percent increase over the 5 million Americans that organizers said attended the last No Kings events in June.
Discussion:
The Guardian and Off Message
Jane C. Timm / NBC News:
North Carolina lawmakers pass new map designed to give GOP an extra House seat — North Carolina becomes the third state where Republicans have heeded Trump's call and approved new district lines ahead of the next year's midterms. — North Carolina's Republican-controlled Legislature passed …
Discussion:
The Hill, Associated Press, Sabato's Crystal Ball, CNN, Talking Points Memo, Democracy Docket, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, NPR, WTOP News, One America News Network, NewsMax.com, Instapundit, WBUR, Washington Times, The Guardian, CBS News, MSNBC, Mother Jones, Roll Call, Washington Examiner, New York Sun, Washington Post and New Republic
Quinnipiac University Poll:
Who Is More Responsible For The Government Shutdown? Voters Blame Republicans Slightly More Than Democrats, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Trump Numbers Spike On Handling Of Israel - Hamas Conflict, Hit New Low On Economy — mail_outline
Discussion:
Newsweek
Liz Dye / Public Notice:
Lindsey Halligan's humiliation continues apace — Public Notice is supported by paid subscribers. Become one ⬇️ — ✊ Subscribe to PN ✊ — Monday was a rough one for Lindsey Halligan, who proved herself bad at media and law.
Discussion:
MSNBC and Civil Discourse …
Jennifer Smith Richards / ProPublica:
This Is Ground Zero in the Conservative Quest for More Patriotic and Christian Public Schools — Rightward Shift: Long before the Trump administration began pushing patriotic curricula and expanding private school choice, Oklahoma experimented with many of those conservative ideas.
Discussion:
Chalkbeat and Diane Ravitch's blog
Gabe Fleisher / Wake Up To Politics:
Trump Has Withdrawn a Record Number of Nominees This Year — In the first week of the second Trump administration, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was confirmed despite allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking, and financial mismanagement. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was approved …
Discussion:
GovExec.com, Associated Press, BBC, New Republic, MSNBC, Newsweek, UPI, NewsMax.com, Washington Times, New York Sun, Washington Post, Roll Call, Axios and The Forward
Novi Zhukovsky / New York Sun:
Harvard Dean Posted About Wanting Trump Dead, Called All Cops Evil and Racist — and the University Hired Him Anyway — A university watchdog uncovers years of incendiary posts from a residential advisor responsible for student wellbeing. — A Harvard University watchdog group is calling …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller
