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Live Updates: Pete Hegseth Is Confirmed as Defense Secretary By Slim Margin — Pete Hegseth has vowed to bring his “warrior” ethos to the Pentagon. Democrats had assailed him as unfit for the job, and his confirmation came down to Vice President JD Vance serving as tiebreaker.
Discussion:
CNN, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Semafor, OutsideTheBeltway, Benzinga and Daily Mail
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Hegseth Confirmation on the Line With Senate Vote Outcome Uncertain — With two G.O.P. senators opposed, Pete Hegseth, President Trump's pick for defense secretary, can afford to lose only one more. If he is confirmed, it is likely to be by the smallest margin for that post in modern times.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Politico, The Hill, Axios, Bloomberg, HuffPost, Twitchy, The Atlantic, The Gateway Pundit, Townhall, DNyuz, NBC News, Washington Post, The Guardian, Fox News and Mediaite

VP Vance breaks tie in the Senate to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary
Discussion:
Salon, Washington Examiner, The Hill, HotAir, CBS News, Rolling Stone, USA Today, RedState, New York Post, Raw Story, DNyuz, The Gateway Pundit, Breaking Defense, The Independent, Mediaite, Chicago Sun Times, Louisiana Illuminator, Washington Post, NewsNation, American Greatness, Political Wire, IJR and Fox News
Tom Bowman / NPR:
Pete Hegseth, Trump's embattled pick for defense secretary, wins Senate confirmation
Pete Hegseth, Trump's embattled pick for defense secretary, wins Senate confirmation
Discussion:
Reuters, Scripps News, Washington Post, WNYW-TV, Roll Call, CBS News, Associated Press, The Hill, KTOO and NBC News, more at Mediagazer »
Associated Press:
Senate is preparing to confirm Hegseth as defense secretary in late evening vote
Senate is preparing to confirm Hegseth as defense secretary in late evening vote
Discussion:
Bloomberg, The Hill, freebeacon.com, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Gateway Pundit, The Guardian, Deseret News, RedState, Daily Kos, IJR, DNyuz, Twin Cities, The 19th, New York Magazine, ABC News, The Post Millennial, UPI, Forbes, American Greatness, NBC News, CBS News, Associated Press, USA Today, Breitbart, Raw Story, Daily Mail, Talking Points Memo, Hollywood Life, Florida Phoenix, Washington Examiner, Axios and New York Post
Ari Berman / Mother Jones:
North Carolina's Republican Justices Signal Support for Overturning Democratic Judge's Election
North Carolina's Republican Justices Signal Support for Overturning Democratic Judge's Election
Discussion:
Slate, CNN, The Downballot, WRAL-TV, NC Newsline, Democrats and Washington Examiner
Fox News:
Pete Hegseth confirmed to lead Pentagon after VP Vance casts tie-breaking vote
Pete Hegseth confirmed to lead Pentagon after VP Vance casts tie-breaking vote
Discussion:
Politico, DefenseScoop, New York Post, Twitchy, DNyuz, Deadline, IJR, CBS News, Axios, American Greatness, Bloomberg, The Independent, Hollywood Life, The Texas Tribune, Washington Examiner and Associated Press

Trump fires at least 12 independent inspectors general in late-night purge — The dismissals could clear the way for the president to install loyalists in the crucial role of identifying fraud, waste and abuse in the government. — The White House late Friday fired the independent inspectors general …
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Trump Fires 17 Inspectors General in Late-Night Purge — The internal government watchdogs were believed to have been dismissed at several major agencies, though the Justice Department's was not said to have been among them. — President Trump fired 17 inspectors general …
Discussion:
Reuters
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Trump returns — and so does his astounding ignorance
Trump returns — and so does his astounding ignorance
Discussion:
Plain Dealer, RedState, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Daily Signal, New York Times, New Jersey Online and NOTUS

US Secret Service approached South Side school, not ICE agents, CPS officials say — Chicago Public Schools officials initially claimed they denied ICE entry to Hamline Elementary Friday morning — US Secret Service approached Hamline Elementary School in Back of the Yards …
Discussion:
Washington Post, New York Daily News and Oklahoma Voice
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Secret Service Agents — Not ICE — Denied Entry At Chicago School Despite Initial Reports, CPS Source Says — Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information correcting earlier information provided by CPS officials. — BACK OF THE YARDS - U.S. Secret Service agents …
Discussion:
Chicago Sun Times and Washington Examiner

Reported ICE visit to Chicago school was actually Secret Service, officials say
Discussion:
Chalkbeat, Wirepoints and New York Daily News
Vi Nguyen / NBC Chicago:
ICE agents ‘showed up’ at Chicago school amid heightened concerns of raids
ICE agents ‘showed up’ at Chicago school amid heightened concerns of raids
Discussion:
DNyuz, New York Times, WUSA, LAist, Payday Report, Axios, The Hill and Raw Story

Mexico refuses to accept a U.S. deportation flight — The Mexican government has criticized President Donald Trump's unilateral immigration actions, and the landing would have required Mexico's assistance. — WASHINGTON — Mexico denied a U.S. military plane access to land Thursday …
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Fox News, HotAir, Reuters, Breitbart, Forbes, Alternet.org, Daily Mail, New York Post, Instapundit, American Greatness, The Hill and Townhall

Donald Trump in fiery call with Denmark's prime minister over Greenland — US president insisted he wants to take over Arctic island — Donald Trump insisted he was serious in his determination to take over Greenland in a fiery telephone call with Denmark's prime minister, according to senior European officials.

State Department issues immediate, widespread pause on foreign aid — The “stop-work orders” appear to apply to US aid for all countries except Israel and Egypt. — Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday issued new guidance halting spending on most existing foreign aid grants for 90 days.
Discussion:
Financial Times, Associated Press, Townhall, The Gateway Pundit, NPR, Reuters, Raw Story, Rewire News Group, UPI, DNyuz, Forbes and Washington Blade
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Trump Pauses Disbursements to Program Supplying H.I.V. Treatment Worldwide
Discussion:
Al Jazeera and Twitchy
Camilla Schick / CBS News:
Rubio orders freeze of new funding for nearly all U.S. foreign aid programs
Rubio orders freeze of new funding for nearly all U.S. foreign aid programs
Discussion:
The Hill, NBC News and New Republic

Wall Street Banks Prepare to Sell Billions of Dollars of X Loans — Banks are hoping to sell the X debt at around 90 to 95 cents on the dollar — Banks are getting ready to sell billions of dollars in debt borrowed by Elon Musk's X, bringing Wall Street a step closer to exiting …
Discussion:
The Verge, TechCrunch, Benzinga, Reuters and Futurism, more at Techmeme »

The Logoff: The truth about “mass deportations” — The Logoff is a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. — Welcome to The Logoff — the newsletter that gives you the Trump news …
Discussion:
Alternet.org, Bloomberg and KOKH
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Trump recommends ending FEMA ahead of California fire site visit
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NPR, New York Times, Raw Story, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Daily Kos, Washington Examiner, The Gateway Pundit, CBS News, Bloomberg, Associated Press, Semafor, Forbes, DNyuz, WNYW-TV, The Independent, Scripps News, USA Today, UPI, Saywhat Politics and Salon

Trump's Obscene Jan. 6 Pardons Will Live in Infamy — As Inauguration Day neared, Donald Trump and his associates put out a reassuring message: while the new president would pardon many Jan. 6 rioters, as he had promised supporters, he would do so in a responsible and prudent way.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Washington Post, Fox News, The Dean's Report and ABC News
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Trump signs anti-abortion policies after speaking to March for Life — Those impacted include overseas health organizations that distribute contraception and help combat HIV. — President Donald Trump's campaign-trail promise to leave abortion regulation to the states lasted just a few days into his presidency.
Discussion:
The Hill, UPI, Washington Examiner, The 19th, DNyuz, The Guardian, Roll Call, The Daily Signal, Associated Press, Michigan Advance, NOTUS, New York Times, New York Post, NBC News, Axios and KFF
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Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Trump Reinstates Longstanding Republican Anti-Abortion Policy
Trump Reinstates Longstanding Republican Anti-Abortion Policy
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Fox News, The Hill, Associated Press, Raw Story, Axios, DNyuz, Bloomberg, Twin Cities and LifeNews.com

The immigrant crackdown has begun. Its first target might surprise you. — Trump is not just going after foreigners who break the law. — Donald Trump promised to crack down on illegal immigration, a vow many Americans support. But so far, his administration has been much more fixated …
Discussion:
Baltimore Sun and CBS News

Supreme Court to weigh whether states can allow religious public schools — The Supreme Court agreed Friday to consider whether the state of Oklahoma may fund a proposed religious charter school, the first of its kind in the country — The Supreme Court agreed Friday to consider whether …
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Lawrence Hurley / NBC News:
Supreme Court to hear church-state fight over Oklahoma bid to launch first publicly funded religious school
Supreme Court to hear church-state fight over Oklahoma bid to launch first publicly funded religious school
Discussion:
The Hill, Reuters, Bloomberg, Associated Press, Raw Story, The Independent, Oklahoma Voice, USA Today, Politico, New York Times, Alaska Beacon and Reason

Idaho Lawmakers Want Supreme Court to Overturn Same-Sex Marriage Decision — A state legislative committee has advanced a resolution asking that the power to regulate marriage be returned to the states. — Since 1793, when the U.S. Supreme Court declined a request by President George Washington …

Dems Worry Sen. Whitehouse Considering Vote for RFK Jr — Wanted to share some information on the RFK Jr. nomination before the Senate. — It probably won't surprise you that RFK Jr., along with Tulsi Gabbard, are among the few Trump nominees who might actually not get confirmed.
Discussion:
WPRI-TV, The Hill, The Independent, Lawyers, Guns & Money, New Republic and Digby's Hullabaloo

Trump has pulled Fauci's security detail, source says — President Donald Trump has terminated Dr. Anthony Fauci's security detail that was being provided and paid for by the National Institutes of Health, a source familiar with the situation tells CNN. It was pulled on Thursday night.

Experts saw Samoa's plunging vaccination rates as a crisis. RFK Jr. saw an opportunity. — New details show how Robert F. Kennedy Jr., then chair of an anti-vaccine group and now Trump's pick for health secretary, sought to exploit a deadly vaccine accident.
Discussion:
Politico, Raw Story, New Republic and DNyuz

Facing FBI investigation that Trump could halt, Andy Ogles proposes allowing third term for president — The Tennessee congressman, who was effusive in his praise of President Trump, faces an FBI investigation over allegations of fraud in reporting a $320,000 personal loan to his campaign.

RFK Jr. skipped meeting where officials planned fight against a future pandemic — The session between Trump and Biden administration officials is required of transitions and included other Trump Cabinet nominees. — As Biden officials packed up the White House last week …

Trump Officials Pause Programs to Let In Immigrants, Including Ukrainians — The pause on several initiatives that allowed immigrants to enter the country temporarily will block the entrance of people fleeing some of the most unstable and desperate places in the world.
Discussion:
Reuters, Idaho Capital Sun, The Hill, ABC News and Politico

Madison and Nashville School Shooters Appear to Have Crossed Paths in Online Extremist Communities — A month after a student opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School, another killed a classmate at Antioch High School. Both were active in an internet subculture that glorifies mass shooters …
Discussion:
ABC News, Nashville.gov, DNyuz, New York Post and Raw Story
U.S. Department of Education:
U.S. Department of Education Ends Biden's Book Ban Hoax — The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today announced that it has dismissed 11 complaints related to so-called “book bans.” The complaints alleged that local school districts' removal of age-inappropriate …
Discussion:
Fox News, New York Post, The Hill, Twitchy and New York Times

Team Trump Says Mark Zuckerberg Has ‘More Ass-Kissing’ to Do — Trump's aides and allies aren't ready to buy the Facebook chief's right-wing conversion. “He can't just snap his fingers and make the past not happen” … The Meta CEO and Facebook co-founder reportedly promised the administration …
Discussion:
Raw Story, more at Techmeme »

Inside the room: Where House Republicans are looking to slash … We got our hands on the presentations that House committee chairs made during a closed-door Republican conference meeting this week. — They lay out a road map of where the GOP's hunt for spending cuts is heading right now.
Discussion:
New York Magazine, The Daily Caller, Axios and DNyuz