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Elon Musk's Blitz Shakes U.S. Government as He Sweeps Through Agencies — The billionaire is creating major upheaval as his team sweeps through agencies, in what has been an extraordinary flexing of power by a private individual. — The billionaire is creating major upheaval …
Discussion:
CNN, Today's Edition Newsletter, Associated Press, Mediaite, Forbes, DNyuz, Mashable and The Daily Wire, more at Techmeme »
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A 25-Year-Old With Elon Musk Ties Has Direct Access to the Federal Payment System — The Bureau of the Fiscal Service is a sleepy part of the Treasury Department. It's also where, sources say, a 25-year-old engineer tied to Elon Musk has admin privileges over the code that controls Social Security payments, tax returns, and more.
Discussion:
Politico, Paul Krugman, Agence France-Presse, ABC News, Baltimore Sun, Talking Points Memo and The Independent, more at Techmeme »

DOGE's access to federal data is ‘an absolute nightmare,’ legal experts warn — The latest moves at Treasury have already triggered a lawsuit, with a fight over the dissolution of USAID looming. — Elon Musk's headlong rush to take control of crucial federal agencies and functions …
Discussion:
American Prospect

Elon Musk Suggests Getting Rid Of All Regulations In Midnight Call — “If it's not possible now, it'll never be possible,” Musk said of his proposal to simply ignore all federal regulation as a baseline. — LOADING — President Donald Trump's “government efficiency” …
Discussion:
Fortune, The Daily Wire, The Information, USA Today, The Lens, Politico and Associated Press, more at Techmeme »

The ‘Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly’ of the United States Government — Elon Musk's bureaucratic coup is underway. — Elon Musk is not the president, but it does appear that he—a foreign-born, unelected billionaire who was not confirmed by Congress—is exercising profound influence …
Discussion:
Boston.com, Al Jazeera, Raw Story, MPR News, Americans for Financial Reform, Techdirt, The Post Millennial, USA Today, Advocate and Bloomberg

Elon Musk Is President — He did not receive a single vote. He did not get confirmed. He does not receive a government paycheck. — The world's richest man has declared war on the federal government and, in a matter of days, has moved to slash its size and reach, while gaining access to some of its most sensitive secrets.
Discussion:
The UnPopulist, Letters from an American, Axios, Reuters, RedState, Daily Mail, New York Magazine, USA Today and E&E News

Elon Musk Installs Illegal Server to Seize All Federal Workers' Data — Elon Musk has taken control of government employees' private data by having his cronies illegally install a commercial server at the Office of Personnel Management. — Musk and his handpicked associates at the fake …
Discussion:
Business Insider, American Greatness, Washington Examiner and NBC News

CONSTITUTIONAL STANDOFF — *Special Alert from The Contrarian* — Public opposition to the most wholesale and jaw-dropping violation of Americans' privacy and President Trump's unilateral outsourcing of the executive branch's operation to a private individual, Elon Musk, has taken hold.
Discussion:
New York Times, FedScoop and Mediaite
Politico:
Unions sue to block Musk team's access to Treasury payments
Unions sue to block Musk team's access to Treasury payments
Discussion:
The Hill, Axios, The Verge, UPI, Townhall, PoliticusUSA, Tumblr, The Post Millennial, MeidasTouch News, Wall Street Journal and Financial Times
Miles Klee / Rolling Stone:
Musk, Trump Prosecutor Targeting People Who Divulge Identities of DOGE Staff
Musk, Trump Prosecutor Targeting People Who Divulge Identities of DOGE Staff
Discussion:
DNyuz, New Republic, USA Today, Axios, New York Post, Associated Press and Daily Mail
Denise Cana / Slate:
I'm a Federal Worker. Elon Musk's Government Data Heist Is the Entire Ballgame.
I'm a Federal Worker. Elon Musk's Government Data Heist Is the Entire Ballgame.
Discussion:
Vox
Ryan Broderick / Garbage Day:
Musk's superteam of former iPad babies

Democratic Senator Says He Will Stall Trump Nominees Until USAID Is Back — Schatz said he would hold up Trump's diplomatic confirmations — WASHINGTON—Sen. Brian Schatz (D., Hawaii) said he would place a “blanket hold” on all of President Trump's State Department nominees until …
Discussion:
NBC News, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Inside Climate News, American Prospect, Bloomberg, The Daily Caller, New York Daily News, Washington Examiner, The Status Kuo, Mother Jones, Blaze Media, Raw Story, RedState, OutsideTheBeltway, CBS News, Al Jazeera, NPR, The Gateway Pundit, Digby's Hullabaloo, Breitbart, Forbes, Axios, Eschaton and The Guardian
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Democrats flood the zone with acts of anti-Trump resistance … - “That's not a thing. … - House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) unveiled a 10-part plan for countering Trump that includes using the federal funding process to thwart his efforts to “defund programs important to everyday Americans.”
Discussion:
Daily Kos, NCJA and Washington Post

Progressive Democrats accuse Trump and Musk of ‘a plutocratic coup’
Discussion:
Reuters, Raw Story and Talking Points Memo
David Edwards / Raw Story:
‘What is happening here is illegal’: Dem senator confronts security at USAID headquarters
‘What is happening here is illegal’: Dem senator confronts security at USAID headquarters
Discussion:
Townhall, Lawyers, Guns & Money, DNyuz, Politico, GovExec.com, Mediaite, MPR News, NOTUS and Business Insider

Trump preps order to dismantle Education Dept. as DOGE probes data — Closing the agency would require congressional approval, so the new administration hopes to diminish it in the meantime. — President Donald Trump is preparing an executive order aimed at eventually closing the Education Department and …
Discussion:
New York Times, Forbes, DNyuz, Chalkbeat, Fox News, The Independent, USA Today, The Post Millennial and Reuters
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Trump Advisers Weigh Plan to Dismantle Education Department — Administration officials are discussing executive order that could shut down key functions of the agency — Trump administration officials are weighing executive actions to dismantle the Education Department as part of the campaign …
Discussion:
Reuters, Semafor, MPR News, New York Post, USA Today, RedState, The Guardian, Washington Examiner, Jewish Insider, Scripps News, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story, Politico and Townhall

Trump Hints at Curbs on Musk's Powers After Billionaire Shakes Up Washington
Discussion:
Tennessee Star, Bloomberg and Reuters

Morning Report — Trump pauses tariffs on Mexico, Canada as China retaliates — Editor's note: The Hill's Morning Report is our daily newsletter that dives deep into Washington's agenda. To subscribe, click here or fill out the box below. [sailthru_widget name="Sailthru Widget Block" …
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John Paul Tasker / CBC News:
Trump to pause promised tariffs for 30 days after speaking with Trudeau
Trump to pause promised tariffs for 30 days after speaking with Trudeau
Discussion:
CNBC, Reuters, Politico, New York Times, Detroit Free Press, New York Post, DNyuz, Business Insider, USA Today, Daily Mail, The Guardian, Breitbart and Bloomberg
Politico:
Trump backs off tariff threat with Mexico, digs in on Canada
Trump backs off tariff threat with Mexico, digs in on Canada
Discussion:
Bloomberg, The Guardian, New York Post, NBC News, New York Daily News, Kyodo News+, UnHerd, The Gateway Pundit, Global News, West Virginia Watch, Blaze Media, DNyuz, CNBC, American Greatness, Al Jazeera, UPI, WNYW-TV, Daily Kos, Texas Standard, New Republic, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, Boston Herald, Semafor, Scripps News, E&E News, CBS News, HotAir, The Verge, Washington Post, Raw Story, Grabien, New York Times and NPR
Meredith Lee Hill / Politico:
Republicans eye bigger farm bailout amid Trump trade wars
Republicans eye bigger farm bailout amid Trump trade wars
Discussion:
The Wrap, Washington Post, Tennessee Star, DNyuz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Raw Story, Axios and E&E News
Politico:
The trade war in Trump's mind
The trade war in Trump's mind
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Gateway Pundit, Axios, freebeacon.com, Breitbart and DNyuz
Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
A Coup Is In Progress In America — A coup is underway in the United States, and we must stop pretending otherwise. The signs are unmistakable and accelerating: in just the past 48 hours, Elon Musk's DOGE commission has seized control of Treasury payment systems and gained unauthorized access …

Top ‘60 Minutes’ Producer Says He Will Not Apologize Over Trump Lawsuit — Bill Owens, the show's executive producer, addressed his staff as CBS's parent company, Paramount, pursues a legal settlement with the president. — The head of “60 Minutes” told the show's staff on Monday …
Discussion:
RedState, Fox News and DNyuz, more at Mediagazer »
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Brian Stelter / CNN:
The FCC's battle with CBS over its Harris interview is raising red flags
The FCC's battle with CBS over its Harris interview is raising red flags
Discussion:
New York Post, Daily Mail, Newsbusters and Washington Examiner

USAID personnel told to stay away from headquarters after Elon Musk's shutdown comments — Marocco held several national security positions during the first Trump administration, including at USAID, where he tried to consolidate power and slash funding. — WASHINGTON — Secretary …
Discussion:
BBC, DNyuz, The Daily Caller, Mercury News, The Independent, Forbes, The Gateway Pundit, The Root, Daily Mail and Wall Street Journal
Washington Post:
China strikes back at Trump's tariffs with levies on U.S. imports — The world's two largest economies did not cut a deal to avert sweeping U.S. tariffs, which came into effect after midnight. Beijing immediately retaliated.
Discussion:
Financial Times, Politico, Raw Story, New York Post, TechCrunch, Bloomberg, The Independent, Axios, ABC News, YouGov /Research Reality, 19FortyFive and MSNBC
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Al Weaver / The Hill:
Gabbard, RFK Jr. face make-or-break moment after perilous hearings — Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are staring down crucial tests on Tuesday as Senate committees will decide whether to advance their nominations to the floor amid increasing pressure from allies of President Trump.
Discussion:
Fox News and Washington Examiner
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DOJ Says Trump Administration Doesn't Have to Follow Court Order Halting Funding Freeze — The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) argued Monday that a federal court order blocking President Donald Trump's federal funding freeze doesn't halt the administration's efforts.
Discussion:
WTTG-TV and Washington Examiner
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Federal judge issues restraining order blocking federal spending freeze
Discussion:
MSNBC, Raw Story, American Prospect, The Independent, RedState, Ohio Capital Journal, Washington Examiner, Reuters, Scripps News, Advocate, Roll Call and WUSA
Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Judge Further Blocks White House Spending Freeze
Judge Further Blocks White House Spending Freeze
Discussion:
E&E News, Politico, Raw Story, Civil Discourse …, Axios, Bloomberg, USA Today, Law & Crime and DNyuz

Jan. 6 conspiracy theory promoter named to a top State Department job — Darren Beattie, who's claimed the FBI was responsible for the 2021 attack on the Capitol, has been named acting undersecretary of state for public diplomacy. — A conservative author who has spread conspiracy theories …
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Forward, Digby's Hullabaloo, Revolver News and ABC News
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Texas National Guard to make immigration arrests under agreement with Trump administration, Abbott says — Gov. Greg Abbott said that the agreement was effective immediately. — Texas National Guard soldiers now have the authority to make immigration arrests and help detain …
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Barbed Wire, American Greatness, The Daily Wire, Daily Caller News Foundation, The Gateway Pundit, Axios and Breitbart
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At USAID, Waste and Abuse Runs Deep — Here are only a few examples of the WASTE and ABUSE: — $1.5 million to “advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business communities” — $70,000 for production of a “DEI musical” in Ireland — $2.5 million for electric vehicles for Vietnam
Discussion:
CBS News and Blaze Media

Chris Wright Is Confirmed to Be Secretary of Energy — The former fracking executive said in confirmation hearings that his top priority would be to “unleash” American energy production. — The Senate confirmed Chris Wright to lead the U.S. Department of Energy on Monday …