Top Items:

Senators receive affidavit containing new allegations against Pete Hegseth, who denies the claims — The former sister-in-law of Trump's defense secretary pick said that Hegseth made his second wife fear for her safety. Hegseth's second wife said, “There was no physical abuse in my marriage.”
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Hill, Scripps News, HuffPost, Axios, The Guardian, Roll Call, Democrats, CBS News, New Republic, Mediaite, The Independent, Forbes, Joe.My.God. and The Federalist
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Hegseth Ex-Sister-in-Law Tells Senators He Was ‘Abusive’ to Second Wife — A woman once married to the brother of Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary nominee, submitted a sworn statement to the Senate in a late-hour complication to his confirmation. His attorney denied her account.
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money

Hegseth Routinely Passed Out from Alcohol Abuse, Witness Says — Trump's Pentagon pick has denied allegations, calling them part of a ‘smear campaign’ — Pete Hegseth, President Trump's pick to run the Pentagon, regularly abused alcohol to the point that he passed out at family gatherings …
Discussion:
Mediaite

Bishop Calls Out Trump and Vance To Their Face — This stunning video highlights the first direct call out received by Trump and Vance since taking office. — This afternoon, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde fearlessly called out Donald Trump and JD Vance to their faces at a national prayer service.
Discussion:
New Republic, New York Times, Crooks and Liars, NBC News, USA Today, The Guardian, NPR, Raw Story, UPI, Advocate, Washington Examiner and New Jersey Online
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U.S. expands expedited deportations beyond border areas as part of Trump crackdown — Washington — The Trump administration on Tuesday dramatically broadened the scope of expedited deportations, enacting a nationwide expansion of an immigration policy known as “expedited removal” …
Discussion:
City Journal

Trump says ICE can arrest people at churches and schools, directs agency to use ‘common sense’
New York Times:
Bishop Tells Trump to ‘Have Mercy’ on Immigrants and Gay Children
Bishop Tells Trump to ‘Have Mercy’ on Immigrants and Gay Children
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Slate, The Independent, New Jersey Online, Fox News, The Guardian, Daily Kos, The Hill, New York Post, New York Daily News, Raw Story and Joe.My.God.
Associated Press:
Reverend at inaugural prayer service implores Trump to ‘have mercy’ on LGBTQ people and migrants
Reverend at inaugural prayer service implores Trump to ‘have mercy’ on LGBTQ people and migrants
Discussion:
Washington Post
Department of Homeland Security:
Statement from a DHS Spokesperson on Directives Expanding Law Enforcement and Ending the Abuse of Humanitarian Parole
Statement from a DHS Spokesperson on Directives Expanding Law Enforcement and Ending the Abuse of Humanitarian Parole
Discussion:
NPR, New York Daily News, Al Jazeera, The City, New Republic, IJR and Chalkbeat
Jack Jenkins / RNS:
In sermon to Trump, Bishop Budde pleads for immigrants, transgender rights
In sermon to Trump, Bishop Budde pleads for immigrants, transgender rights
Discussion:
HuffPost, Scripps News, ABC News, Raw Story and Daily Mail
April Rubin / Axios:
ICE can raid churches and schools to arrest immigrants under new policy
ICE can raid churches and schools to arrest immigrants under new policy
Discussion:
USA Today, Bloomberg, Chalkbeat and Associated Press

Trump picks fights with his party — The Scoop — As jubilant as Republican lawmakers are over Donald Trump's second term, they're facing a familiar reality: The president is back to picking fights with them and trying to bend them to his will. — From pardoning Jan. 6 offenders …
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On Capitol Hill, Only a Handful of Republicans Object to Jan. 6 Pardons
Discussion:
Politico, NBC News, Reuters, DNyuz, Los Angeles Times, HuffPost, ABC News, The Independent and New Jersey Online
NBC News:
'I just can't agree': Trump's Jan. 6 pardons face pushback from some Republican senators
'I just can't agree': Trump's Jan. 6 pardons face pushback from some Republican senators
Discussion:
DNyuz, Alternet.org, Reuters, New Republic and The Hill

Great-grandson of the man who established birthright citizenship slams Trump's new executive order — “He's feeding off the American mindset, and it's not a healthy one,” said the great-grandson of Wong Kim Ark, whose 1898 Supreme Court case helped guarantee birthright citizenship.
Discussion:
The Hill, USA Today, Associated Press, Al Jazeera, Axios, PolitiFact, Business Insider, New York Times, Washington Examiner, The Guardian, Global News, UPI, Los Angeles Times, Raw Story, Alternet.org and Slate
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Michael D. Shear / New York Times:
Change to Birthright Citizenship Would Affect Visa Holders, Too
Change to Birthright Citizenship Would Affect Visa Holders, Too
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Vox, Washington Examiner, Pluribus News, DNyuz, Roll Call, The Guardian, Marin Independent Journal and Politico, more at Techmeme »

AOC slams ADL for excusing Elon Musk's ‘awkward gesture:’ 'You're defending a Heil Hitler salute' — Musk spoke at an inauguration event for President Trump after he was sworn in on Monday — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attacked the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) …
Discussion:
The Hill, HuffPost, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, New York Post and The Forward
RELATED:
Bernard Condon / Associated Press:
Musk's straight-arm gesture embraced by right-wing extremists regardless of what he meant
Musk's straight-arm gesture embraced by right-wing extremists regardless of what he meant
Discussion:
HuffPost, New York Magazine, Townhall and Baltimore Sun

Donald Trump's Medicare Executive Order Explained — 's executive order 14087, which was put in place to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Americans. — Newsweek has reached out to the Trump transition team outside of regular working hours via email for comment. — Why It Matters
Discussion:
Fortune, PoliticusUSA and Raw Story
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Ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio expected Wednesday in Miami, family says — MIAMI - On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump issued pardons for approximately 1,500 individuals convicted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, including Enrique Tarrio …
Discussion:
New York Times, The Independent and Associated Press
RELATED:
Luke Broadwater / New York Times:
‘A Betrayal, a Mockery’: Police Express Outrage Over Trump's Jan. 6 Pardons
‘A Betrayal, a Mockery’: Police Express Outrage Over Trump's Jan. 6 Pardons
Discussion:
NPR, CBS News, NBC News, al.com, New Jersey Online, Word In Black and Alternet.org

Trump to announce up to $500 billion in private sector AI infrastructure investment — President Trump is set to announce billions of dollars in private sector investment to build artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States, CBS News has learned.
Discussion:
USA Today, freebeacon.com, Bloomberg, CNN, Scripps News, The Hill, Financial Times, ABC News, The Hollywood Reporter, RedState, Deadline, MIT Technology Review, One America News Network, NewsNation, New York Post, CoinDesk, The Verge, Futurism, Boston Herald, Semafor, Forbes, Associated Press and DNyuz, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
CNBC:
Trump announces AI infrastructure investment backed by Oracle, OpenAI and Softbank
Trump announces AI infrastructure investment backed by Oracle, OpenAI and Softbank
Discussion:
OpenAI, The Guardian, NBC News, Associated Press, Axios, Fortune, Fox News, Townhall, DNyuz, New York Times, Fox Business, TechCrunch, The Post Millennial, Bloomberg and The Information, more at Techmeme »

Trump terminates John Bolton's security detail within hours of taking office — Within hours of taking office, President Donald Trump terminated the Secret Service detail that was assigned to his former national security adviser John Bolton, Bolton confirmed to CNN on Tuesday.
Discussion:
The Hill, USA Today, MeidasTouch News, Fox News, New York Times, Washington Examiner, Raw Story, Associated Press, CBS News, Townhall, ABC News, Daily Kos, New York Post, Reason, Breitbart and Mediaite

Trump signs order seeking to rename Alaska's Denali and the Gulf of Mexico — President Donald Trump said the Gulf of Mexico will be called Gulf of America, while the Denali mountain peak will revert to its old name, Mount McKinley. — President Donald Trump on Monday issued …
Discussion:
The Hill, New York Times, Newsweek, NPR, The Guardian, Metro.co.uk, Townhall and Daily Mail
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Sheinbaum Calls for ‘Cool Head’ as Trump Sends Peso Tumbling — Trump tariff pledge reignites fears he'll target Mexico — Sheinbaum says she's focused on details rather than rhetoric — President Claudia Sheinbaum called for cool heads to prevail after Donald Trump's vow …
RELATED:
Doug Palmer / Politico:
Navarro says Trump laying foundation for tariffs to come
Navarro says Trump laying foundation for tariffs to come
Discussion:
The White House, USA Today, New York Times, Bloomberg, E&E News, DNyuz and Business Insider

‘All Americans legally female’: Trump invites mockery with sloppy executive order — President Donald Trump published two executive orders late Monday that targeted transgender people, but critics couldn't help but note that the clunky language declared all Americans legally female.

Federal Workers Sue Trump Administration Over Schedule F Executive Order — Amid a flurry of executive orders President Donald Trump signed in the first few hours of retaking the White House is one that strips employment protections for tens of thousands of federal workers.
Discussion:
GovExec.com, Bloomberg Law, The Hill, New Republic and OutsideTheBeltway
RELATED:
Alan Rappeport / New York Times:
Federal Employees Union Sues Trump Over Worker Protections
Federal Employees Union Sues Trump Over Worker Protections
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, CNN and The Guardian

Instagram hides search results for ‘Democrats’ — Meta says its working urgently to fix a problem with Instagram which results in a “results hidden” message when users search for the terms “Democrat” or “Democrats”. — Some social media users have accused the company of political bias …
Discussion:
Alternet.org and The Independent

Decentralized Social Media Is the Only Alternative to the Tech Oligarchy — If it wasn't already obvious, the last 72 hours have made it crystal clear that it is urgent to build and mainstream alternative, decentralized social media platforms that are resistant to government censorship and control …

Coast Guard Commandant terminated over border lapses, recruitment, DEI focus: official — Senior DHS official confirms to Fox News Digital Coast Guard Adm. Linda Fagan has been relieved of her post — EXCLUSIVE: The Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard has been terminated over concerns about the border …
Discussion:
Axios, Washington Post, U.S. Coast Guard, Defense One, Military Times, City Journal, USNI News, The Federalist, CBS News, Breaking Defense, The Hill, UPI, WHDH-TV and Breitbart

A Trump Executive Order Sets Out What Could Be a Road Map for Retribution — The order is titled “Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government,” but it asserts that the Biden administration might have acted illegally and directs agencies to seek evidence.
Discussion:
CNN, Power Line, LAist, The Daily Caller, Roll Call and JURIST

Trump finds a new way for foreign governments to pay him off: Crypto — Trump's crypto coin is little more than a whizbang Ponzi scheme. — The era of the Shakedown Economy has officially begun — and it started with something called a presidential “sh—coin.” — No, I am not making this up.
Discussion:
Raw Story

Trump officials pause health agencies' communications, citing review — The agencies are charged with making decisions that touch the lives of every American and are the source of crucial information to health-care providers. — The Trump administration has instructed federal health agencies …

Trump pushes Hill GOP on recess appointments, debt limit — A White House meeting on the president's first full day back in office emphasized unity. — President Donald Trump prodded congressional leaders to consider recess appointments for his top nominees and expressed interest …
Discussion:
Axios, Washington Examiner and New York Post