Top Items:
New York Times:
U.S. Says Staff Can Leave Israel, Urging Speed, as Possible Iran Strike Looms — In an email to embassy workers Friday morning, Ambassador Mike Huckabee warned them that if they wanted to leave Israel, they “should do so TODAY.” — With the threat of a U.S. strike on Iran looming …
Discussion:
HotAir, New York Post, Mediaite, The Guardian, The Washington Free Beacon, Agence France-Presse, UPI, Axios, Truthout, RedState, France 24, New York Sun, Balloon Juice, New Republic, KVIA-TV, Washington Times, Forbes, Joe.My.God., The Daily Caller, MeidasTouch News, Washington Examiner, Fox News, The Forward, IJR and NewsMax.com
RELATED:
U.S. Embassy Jerusalem:
Travel Advisory Update: Authorized Departure of Non-Emergency U.S. Government Personnel and Family Members of Personnel from U.S. Mission Israel. — Updated to reflect the authorized departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members of U.S. government personnel to leave Israel.
Reuters:
Trump Iranian missile claim unsupported by U.S. intelligence, say sources
Discussion:
Daily Mail, 19FortyFive, MeidasTouch News and Breitbart
Wall Street Journal:
Second U.S. Aircraft Carrier Approaches Middle East as Nuclear Deal With Iran Remains Elusive
Second U.S. Aircraft Carrier Approaches Middle East as Nuclear Deal With Iran Remains Elusive
Discussion:
Air & Space Forces Magazine, Straight Arrow News and NewsMax.com
Matt Gertz / Media Matters for America:
With the US on the brink of war with Iran, Fox's biggest stars are more focused on the left being mean to the US men's hockey team
With the US on the brink of war with Iran, Fox's biggest stars are more focused on the left being mean to the US men's hockey team
Discussion:
The Guardian and CNBC
The Guardian:
US urges its citizens to leave Israel immediately amid strike threat to Iran
US urges its citizens to leave Israel immediately amid strike threat to Iran
Discussion:
Associated Press, UPI, KVIA-TV and The Daily Signal
Wall Street Journal:
Iran Is Far From Building ICBMs, Experts Say, Despite Trump Warning
Iran Is Far From Building ICBMs, Experts Say, Despite Trump Warning
Discussion:
New York Post, Fox News, Breitbart, CounterPunch, Crooks and Liars, Associated Press and Reuters
Natalie Allison / Washington Post:
Vance: ‘No chance’ U.S. will be in drawn-out war in Middle East
Vance: ‘No chance’ U.S. will be in drawn-out war in Middle East
Discussion:
New York Times, CBS News, Straight Arrow News, CNBC, Slate, The Gateway Pundit, The Wrap, NewsMax.com, Fox News, The National Pulse, The Independent, New York Post, ABC News, The Forward, Mediaite, The Hill and MS NOW
Natalie Neysa Alund / USA Today:
Scouting America to end DEI efforts in deal with Pentagon — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Feb. 26 announced the Pentagon will conditionally continue to provide support to Scouting America following the youth organization's “commitment to pull all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from its program.”
Discussion:
Scouting Newsroom, Fox News, CBS News, RedState, NewsMax.com, LGBTQ Nation, HotAir, Althouse, The Post Millennial and WTOP News
RELATED:
Erin Reed / Erin In The Morning:
SecDef Hegseth Announces Trans Scouts In Scouting America Will Be Outed, Segregated — The policy is the latest in a trend of organizations capitulating to Trump over transgender people. … Nine years ago, the Boy Scouts of America announced that it would begin accepting transgender youth into the program.
Discussion:
The Independent, Washington Post, Washington Examiner, New York Sun and Blaze Media
Associated Press:
Scouting America will alter its policies to maintain support from the US military, Pentagon says — Scouting America will alter several policies at the urging of the Pentagon, including a requirement that members use “biological sex at birth and not gender identity,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday.
Joshua Keating / Vox:
A new poll shows just how quickly Israel has lost America's sympathy — For the first time, a Gallup survey found more Americans sympathize with Palestinians than Israelis in the long-running Middle East conflict, a watershed moment in relations between the US and one of its closest — but most controversial — allies.
Discussion:
Algemeiner.com
RELATED:
Linley Sanders / Associated Press:
Americans' sympathies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have shifted dramatically, new poll shows
Discussion:
Detroit Metro Times
Benedict Vigers / Gallup:
Israelis No Longer Ahead in Americans' Middle East Sympathies
Israelis No Longer Ahead in Americans' Middle East Sympathies
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, Blaze Media and Al Jazeera
Avery Lotz / Axios:
America's slipping sympathy for Israel
G. Elliott Morris / Strength In Numbers:
New poll: Democrats' real problem isn't being too liberal — it's being seen as too weak — This article is the last in a four-part series presenting findings from the latest Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll, conducted February 18-20 among 1,566 U.S. adults. The margin of error is +/- 2.5 percentage points.
Discussion:
Off Message
New York Times:
For CNN, a Change in Ownership Means a Suddenly Uncertain Future — Paramount's apparent victory over Netflix in securing Warner Bros. Discovery has led to concerns within the CNN newsroom. — Once again, CNN is facing an uncertain fate. — Netflix's stunning surrender on Thursday …
Discussion:
New York Sun, Variety, MS NOW, Mediaite, Deadline and The Wrap, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
Oliver Darcy / Status:
CNN Braces for Ellison's Control … On Thursday afternoon, shortly after Netflix boss Ted Sarandos departed the White House following meetings with Donald Trump's chief of staff and the Justice Department, the streamer issued a statement stunning the entertainment industry.
Discussion:
CNN, The Guardian, The Wrap, NPR, Fox News, The Post Millennial, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Mediaite, Agence France-Presse, RedState and KVIA-TV, more at Mediagazer »
Mike Hixenbaugh / NBC News:
911 calls capture kids burning with fever, struggling to breathe at ICE detention center — EMS crews were called to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas at least 11 times since September for children in medical distress, records show. — ADD NBC NEWS TO GOOGLE
Discussion:
The Parnas Perspective, The Independent and ICE, more at Techmeme »
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set to Win — In a stunning twist, the streaming giant's co-CEOs say the major studio “was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price.” — In a stunning twist, Netflix is declining to raise its bid for Warner Bros. …
Discussion:
Reuters, Techdirt, ABC7, Variety, Ars Technica, About Netflix, Deadline, Breitbart, The Wrap, The National Pulse and Washington Examiner
RELATED:
David Dayen / American Prospect:
States Can Block the Paramount-Warner Deal
Discussion:
Deadline, One America News Network, NBC News, New Republic, The Hollywood Reporter, The Bulwark, The Wrap, Variety and Bloomberg, more at Mediagazer »
New York Times:
Netflix Backs Out of Bid for Warner Bros., Paving Way for an Ellison Takeover
Netflix Backs Out of Bid for Warner Bros., Paving Way for an Ellison Takeover
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Truthout, Poynter, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, New Republic, Media Matters for America, Bloomberg, Variety, Reason, No More Mister Nice Blog, New York Sun, Rolling Stone, MacRumors, Deadline, New York Post, NewsMax.com, Semafor, TechCrunch, Mediaite, Raw Story, Lawyers, Guns & Money, World of Reel, Joe.My.God., The Post Millennial, Adweek, UPI, The Verge and 9to5Mac, more at Mediagazer »
Punchbowl News:
Senate Dems ramp up pressure for tariff refunds … Two dozen Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), are sending a letter today to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent demanding that tariff refunds begin immediately. — The Supreme Court struck …
Discussion:
Raw Story
RELATED:
Sarah Davis / The Hill:
Moore demands Trump tariff reimbursements for Maryland consumers, businesses
Moore demands Trump tariff reimbursements for Maryland consumers, businesses
Discussion:
Fargo | KFGO
Associated Press:
Lawmakers say US military used laser to take down Border Protection drone — The U.S. military used a laser Thursday to shoot down a Customs and Border Protection drone, according to members of Congress, and the Federal Aviation Administration responded by closing more airspace near El Paso, Texas.
Discussion:
Task & Purpose, CBS News, Reuters, Axios, KVIA-TV, Washington Post, NewsNation, Fortune, Raw Story, Straight Arrow News, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera, Newsweek, UPI, VINnews, FOX 10 Phoenix, Bloomberg, Washington Examiner, Roll Call, Mediaite, The Japan Times, Lawyers, Guns & Money, WEB OF EVIL, Just An Earth-Bound Misfit, I and Associated Press, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Sara Braun / The Guardian:
Kansas revokes driver's licenses from trans residents in latest assault on rights — Law demanding IDs match ‘sex at birth’ also includes bathroom ban provision for trans people in public buildings — Transgender Kansas residents have begun receiving letters from the state's department …
Discussion:
Kansas City Star, The Status Kuo, American Greatness, Erin In The Morning, Washington Times, Slate, The Bulwark, UPI, Fox News, New Republic and NewsMax.com
RELATED:
Matt Heilman / KBSL-TV:
2 transgender Kansans suing state over law invalidating driver's licenses, enforcing restroom change
2 transgender Kansans suing state over law invalidating driver's licenses, enforcing restroom change
Discussion:
STAT, New York Times, The 19th, Joe.My.God., Topeka Capital-Journal, WUSA and The Hill
Josh Halliday / The Guardian:
Green party wins Gorton and Denton byelection, pushing Labour to third place — Hannah Spencer elected as party's first MP in northern England as vote share for Keir Starmer's party plummets — The Green party has pulled off a landmark victory in the Gorton and Denton byelection …
Discussion:
BBC, Times of India, HuffPost, Byline Times, The American Conservative, PinkNews, LabourList, Metro.co.uk, Zeteo, spiked, Politico, UPI and Breitbart
RELATED:
ACLU:
New ACLU Report Reveals How the Trump Administration is Using Local Police to Build a National Deportation-Policing Force Through the 287(g) Program — Report Finds At Least 77.2 Million People Live in Counties Where Local Law Enforcement Participates in the Program
Discussion:
Charleston City Paper
RELATED:
Ashley Splawinski / Can We Still Govern?:
A Federalism Bottleneck? — Across America, officials in small government offices are reviewing …
A Federalism Bottleneck? — Across America, officials in small government offices are reviewing …
Discussion:
BizPac Review
Kaelan Deese / Washington Examiner:
Bill Clinton denies knowledge of Epstein's crimes: ‘I saw nothing’ — Former President Bill Clinton said he had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein's criminal conduct and “did nothing wrong,” according to opening remarks released publicly on Friday as he appeared for a closed-door deposition before the House oversight committee.
Discussion:
The Hill, Associated Press, Axios, Scripps News, The Guardian, MS NOW, New York Post, CNBC, Fox News, Breitbart, RedState, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Metro.co.uk, Daily Mail, Washington Times, DNYUZ, New York Sun, The Daily Signal, KUSA-TV, Newsweek, The Post Millennial, BBC, Bloomberg, CBS News, WTOP News, Forbes, Mediaite, NewsNation and The Independent
Christine Wang / Axios:
Trump Media & Technology Group in talks to spin off Truth Social — Trump Media & Technology Group said Friday it is in talks to spin off Truth Social into a new publicly traded company. … - TMTG businesses including Truth Social would merge with a blank-check company called Texas Ventures Acquisition III Corp.
Discussion:
Mother Jones, CBS News and Forbes, more at Mediagazer »
New York Times:
Elon Musk's Secret Web of Companies in Texas — The megabillionaire was tied to about 90 companies in the state, which he uses for everything from paying nannies to buying land to supporting Donald Trump's re-election, according to a Times examination. — In 2020, Elon Musk announced …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Kyle Cheney / Politico:
‘ICE will comply’: Top Minnesota judge threatens criminal contempt for continued defiance … “The Court is not aware of another occasion in the history of the United States in which a federal court has had to threaten contempt — again and again and again — to force the United States government …
Washington Post:
Republicans are boosting Jasmine Crockett ahead of critical Senate primary — In today's edition ... The effort to remake elections ... We feature many of your reflections on the U.S. men's hockey team ... but first ... Republicans in Texas, and nationwide, are looking to boost Rep. Jasmine Crockett …
Discussion:
The Hill, NBC News, Newsweek, Strength In Numbers and Washington Examiner
Hailey Fuchs / Politico:
Democrats say they have the votes to subpoena Lutnick in Epstein probe — Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee have the votes to force Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify before their panel about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein …
Vivian Nereim / New York Times:
How a Call From Trump Ignited a Bitter Feud Between Two U.S. Allies — A request made to President Trump about the war in Sudan is at the heart of a diplomatic dispute between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. — Behind the scenes, tensions had simmered for years between Saudi Arabia …
Discussion:
DNYUZ, New Republic, The Independent and Council on Foreign Relations

