Top Items:
Katherine Doyle / NBC News:
Trump orders Pentagon to begin testing nuclear weapons ‘immediately’ — The U.S. voluntarily halted nuclear explosive testing in 1992, though it has the ability to resume tests at a site in Nevada. — GYEONGJU, South Korea — President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had instructed the Pentagon to …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Guardian, Reuters, France 24, The Western Journal, HuffPost, New York Times, Mediaite, The Independent, CNN, Agence France-Presse, Sputnik News, NewsMax.com, Wall Street Journal, CBS News, UPI, The Daily Caller, Gizmodo, Raw Story, The Verge, Washington Examiner and Politico
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Washington Post:
Trump directs Pentagon to test nuclear weapons for first time since 1992
Discussion:
NBC News, New York Times, NewsMax.com, Sputnik News, Reuters, The American Conservative, NewsNation and NPR
The Hill:
Trump directs Pentagon to start testing nuclear weapons
Trump directs Pentagon to start testing nuclear weapons
Discussion:
Fox News, The Gateway Pundit, The Independent, Washington Examiner and Semafor
Jon Gambrell / Associated Press:
Trump's comments on nuclear testing upend decades of US policy. Here's what to know about it
Trump's comments on nuclear testing upend decades of US policy. Here's what to know about it
Tom Nichols / The Atlantic:
Trump Is Very Confused About Nuclear Weapons
Trump Is Very Confused About Nuclear Weapons
Discussion:
New York Times, HuffPost, Sputnik News, Reuters, Al Jazeera, El País, The Week, Washington Times, The Kyiv Independent, The Sun, KRDO, France 24, The Japan Times, Raw Story, New York Post, WUSA, Bloomberg, American Greatness and Scripps News
Dave Lawler / Axios:
U.S. will start testing nuclear bombs after three-decade hiatus, Trump says
U.S. will start testing nuclear bombs after three-decade hiatus, Trump says
Discussion:
The Post Millennial, RedState, Metro.co.uk, The Gateway Pundit, NewsMax.com, Washington Examiner, The Hill and Mediaite
New York Times:
The Art of Letting Trump Claim a Win, While Walking Away Stronger — By withholding soybean purchases and rare-earth exports, China extracted relief from U.S. tariffs and delayed export controls, without conceding much in return. — When Xi Jinping walked out of his meeting with President Trump …
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Paul Krugman:
How We Lost the Trade War
Discussion:
New York Times, Newsweek, New Jersey Online and Senator Patty Murray, more at Techmeme »
Politico:
‘Amazing meeting’: Trump touts progress on multiple fronts with China after meeting Xi
‘Amazing meeting’: Trump touts progress on multiple fronts with China after meeting Xi
Discussion:
Axios, BBC, The Hill, Associated Press, New York Sun, NewsMax.com, The Guardian, NPR, France 24, El País, The Korea Herald, RTÉ, Euractiv, Washington Examiner, New York Post, Bloomberg, The Sun, Deseret News, Bangor Daily News, Fox News, CBS News, NBC News, Reuters and Washington Post, more at Techmeme »
USA Today:
Republicans' refusal to fund SNAP will hurt their own voters most. They don't care. — Do Republicans not care enough about the people who voted them into office to feed them next month? — We're 30 days into the government shutdown, and congressional Republicans don't seem to care enough …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, CNN, Washington Post, Roll Call, Fox News, Washington Examiner, Los Angeles Times and New York Daily News
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David Gilbert / Wired:
No, SNAP Benefits Aren't Mostly Used by Immigrants
Discussion:
CBS News, USA Today, masslive.com, Media Matters for America, Al Jazeera, Tallahassee Democrat and Politico
Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:
Today is the twenty-ninth day of the government shutdown, and the House of Representatives …
Today is the twenty-ninth day of the government shutdown, and the House of Representatives …
Discussion:
NewsMax.com and Punchbowl News
Josephine Walker / Axios:
Trump purposefully halting SNAP benefits, “weaponizing hunger,” Democrats allege
Trump purposefully halting SNAP benefits, “weaponizing hunger,” Democrats allege
Discussion:
The Message Box, KGW-TV, Bloomberg, Staten Island Advance, New York Post, twitchy.com, The Atlantic, The Hill, Popular Information and JURISTnews
Brendan Ruberry / Semafor:
British newspaper spoke to the wrong de Blasio, not an ‘imposter’ — The Scoop — The man at the heart of a high-stakes mix-up that rippled through global political journalism in the final days of the New York mayoral campaign was neither “falsely claiming” to be former Mayor Bill de Blasio …
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The Bulwark:
What We Choose to Nazi — The Department of Labor is posting Heroic Realism propaganda. What, exactly, are they telling us? — Good morning to everyone, including Long Island wine importer Bill DeBlasio—who accidentally provoked a minor media scandal this week when a reporter from the Times …
Discussion:
The New World and Althouse, more at Mediagazer »
Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling / New Republic:
It Sure Looks Like Kash Patel Used the FBI's Jet to Go on a Date … FBI Director Kash Patel met his girlfriend at Penn State this past weekend to watch a wrestling match—but his travel to the university stadium appears to have been on the American public's dime.
Discussion:
The Independent and Raw Story
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Washington Post:
Most Americans oppose East Wing demolition for Trump ballroom, poll finds — Fifty-six percent say they oppose President Donald Trump's decision to tear down part of the White House to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom building. — Just now — Americans oppose President Donald Trump's demolition …
Discussion:
Straight Arrow News, ABC News, CBS News, Syracuse Post-Standard and New Jersey Online
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Jacob Wendler / Politico:
Americans oppose Trump's White House ballroom by 2-to-1 ratio, new poll finds
Americans oppose Trump's White House ballroom by 2-to-1 ratio, new poll finds
Discussion:
Forbes and New Jersey Online
CNN:
National Guard orders in DC extended through February 2026 — National Guard troops deployed in Washington, DC, will remain mobilized in the city at least through February 2026, according to people familiar with the guard's orders. — The troops' orders had been expected to lapse at the end …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, NewsMax.com and Raw Story
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Paul McLeary / Politico:
Trump's National Guard DC deployment extended into 2026
The Atlantic:
Top Trump Officials Are Moving Onto Military Bases — Stephen Miller, Marco Rubio, Kristi Noem, and others have taken over homes that until recently housed senior officers. — The former white house adviser Katie Miller—mother of three young children, and wife of the presidential right-hand man Stephen …
Discussion:
The Parnas Perspective
New York Times:
Florida Universities to Stop Hiring Foreign H-1B Workers Under DeSantis Plan — The governor's announcement follows a Trump administration plan to charge institutions $100,000 to bring in workers from other countries using the visas. — Gov. Ron DeSantis directed Florida education officials to …
CNN:
Exclusive: Three-star general pushed out amid tensions with Hegseth — A three-star general serving on the Pentagon's Joint Staff has been pushed out of his position following months of sustained tensions with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, according to people familiar with the matter.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and The Independent
Joe Perticone / The Bulwark:
SCOOP: Trump Swaps Decorated Admiral With 33-Year-Old DOGEr — The highly unorthodox personnel change affects a critical government research role. — ∙ Paid — THE EXPERIENCED HEAD OF A CRITICAL OFFICE that helps organize important technical research and disburse billions of dollars …
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Barbara Moens / Financial Times:
Liberal leader poised to become next Dutch prime minister — Rob Jetten seeks quick agreement with centrist partners, but rightwing ructions could delay coalition — Liberal Dutch leader Rob Jetten is tipped to become the next prime minister in the Netherlands after voters rejected …
Discussion:
Reuters, Los Angeles Times, France 24, The New World, The Guardian, RTÉ, Politico, Bloomberg, Euractiv, Associated Press and Breitbart
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Sarah Owermohle / CNN:
Confirmation hearing delayed for Trump's surgeon general nominee as she goes into labor with her first child — The Senate hearing for President Donald Trump's nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Casey Means, is postponed as the nominee goes into labor with her first child, according to a Senate Health …
Discussion:
NBC News, Washington Post, Washington Examiner, The Hill, CBS News, The Guardian, Scripps News, Bloomberg, MSNBC, UPI, Raw Story, Wall Street Journal, MPR News, NewsMax.com, NPR, Associated Press, New York Post and Mediaite
Doug Bock Clark / ProPublica:
“Biblical Justice, Equal Justice, for All”: How North Carolina's Chief Justice Transformed His State and America — In early 2023, Paul Newby, the Republican chief justice of North Carolina's Supreme Court, gave the state and the nation a demonstration of the stunning and overlooked power of his office.
Discussion:
City & State Pennsylvania
Wall Street Journal:
Binance Boosted Trump Family's Crypto Company Ahead of Pardon for Its Billionaire Founder — Giant crypto exchange facilitated $2 billion purchase of World Liberty's stablecoin and built its technology; clemency for Changpeng Zhao surprised some in administration
Discussion:
Popular Information and New York Post, more at Techmeme »
Ellen Mitchell / The Hill:
Pentagon orders ‘quick reaction force’ of 500 troops per state: Reports — The National Guard is building a “quick reaction force” (QRF) of some 23,500 troops trained in crowd control and civil disturbance that can be ready to deploy to U.S. cities by early next year, according to a leaked memo reported by multiple outlets Wednesday.
Discussion:
Task & Purpose and The Guardian
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Meredith Lee Hill / Politico:
Farm-state Republicans finally reach their breaking point … So far, the burst of objections has not generated a U-turn from the administration, which is going ahead with a beef import plan that Trump officials argue will both lower steak and hamburger prices for American consumers …
Discussion:
Hopium Chronicles, Hackwhackers and Raw Story
Washington Post:
Trump nominee at U.S. export bank withdraws amid scrutiny of Russia ties — Bryce McFerran is a former senior executive at a steel-trading business co-owned by one of Russia's richest oligarchs and is married to a member of a Russian family with extensive ties to the Kremlin. — Just now
Discussion:
The Hill and Patterico's Pontifications
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Punchbowl News:
Ohio Republicans cut redistricting deal with Dems … Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. Political ads courtesy of AdImpact. — PUNCHBOWL NEWS PRESENTS — Our new weekly show, Fly Out Day, brings you inside the most consequential decisions shaping Congress with the people at the center of the story.
Discussion:
New York Times, Semafor, Washington Times and New York Sun
Joe Sommerlad / The Independent:
JD Vance says only ‘really terrible’ people mistreat dogs - apparently forgetting his cabinet colleague shot hers dead — Vice President overlooks Homeland Security Secretary Krisi Noem's notorious execution of her puppy, Cricket in a discussion on animal cruelty and personal morality
Discussion:
New York Post, The Independent, HuffPost and Raw Story
Wired:
Federal Workers Are Barely Making It Through the Government Shutdown — The US government shut down 30 days ago. WIRED spoke with more than a dozen federal workers who have struggled to pay bills, worked side gigs, and relied on free food programs to get by.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Guardian and Washington Blade
Petter Törnberg / arXiv.org:
Shifts in U.S. Social Media Use, 2020-2024: Decline, Fragmentation, and Enduring Polarization — View a PDF of the paper titled Shifts in U.S. Social Media Use, 2020-2024: Decline, Fragmentation, and Enduring Polarization, by Petter T\"ornberg — Using nationally representative data …
Camille Mumford / Emerson Polling:
New York City Mayor and New Jersey Governor 2025 — New Jersey Voters Give Sherrill Slight Edge; Mamdani Holds 25-Point Lead over Cuomo in NYC — The final Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill surveys of the New Jersey election for Governor and the New York City election for Mayor find …
J.D. Wolf / MeidasTouch News:
Jack Ciattarelli Called for ‘New Constitution’ to Bypass Courts, Legislators — Ciattarelli: “I really don't believe we can afford to allow the courts to decide our public policy anymore” — In a pair of 2020 interviews, Jack Ciattarelli called for a New Jersey constitutional convention to …
NBC News:
Assemblies of God churches shielded accused predators — and allowed them to keep abusing children — NBC News uncovered a 50-year pattern of sex abuse, silence and cover-up in the world's largest Pentecostal denomination. — A children's pastor was caught filming girls in a church bathroom in Arkansas.
Discussion:
Deseret News
