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7:55 AM ET, February 4, 2025

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RELATED:
Politico:
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
Matt Shuham / HuffPost:
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” …
Charlie Warzel / The Atlantic:
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 …
Jonathan Lemire / The Atlantic:
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.
Hafiz Rashid / New Republic:
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 …
Jennifer Rubin / The Contrarian:
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
Joan Westenberg / The Index:   Elon Musk Is an Existential Threat to Big Tech
Makena Kelly / Wired:
Elon Musk Ally Tells Staff ‘AI-First’ Is the Future of Key Government Agency
Discussion: DNyuz, more at Techmeme »
Denise Cana / Slate:
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
Alexander Ward / Wall Street Journal:
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 …
RELATED:
Andrew Solender / Axios:
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 and NCJA
Peter Baker / New York Times:
How Trump Is Reshaping U.S. Government, Just 2 Weeks Into His Presidency
Discussion: Axios
Erin Doherty / Axios:
Trump's obsession: He can't quit bashing Biden
Discussion: Bangor Daily News and Reuters
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Hints at Curbs on Musk's Powers After Billionaire Shakes Up Washington
Discussion: Tennessee Star, Bloomberg and Reuters
Jack Blanchard / Politico:
Playbook: China bites back  —  With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine  —  Good Tuesday morning.  This is Jack Blanchard, celebrating the end of the (brief) North American Tariff War of 2025 with a bowl of poutine and a large tequila.  Drop me a line.  —  DRIVING THE DAY
Discussion: Deadline, DNyuz and The Independent
RELATED:
The Hill:   Morning Report — Trump pauses tariffs on Mexico, Canada as China retaliates
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Blinks on North American Tariffs
New York Times:
What Does Trump Really Want From Canada and Mexico?
Tony Romm / Washington Post:
CFPB halts work after Trump appoints Bessent as acting head
John Paul Tasker / CBC News:
Trump to pause promised tariffs for 30 days after speaking with Trudeau
Washington Post:
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 …
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
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 …
Juan Perez Jr / Politico:
Trump administration finalizing plans to shutter Education Department
Discussion: Forbes
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 …
New York Times:
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 …
RELATED:
NBC News:
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 …
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.
RELATED:
Associated Press:
China counters with tariffs on US products. It will also investigate Google
NBC News:
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 …
RELATED:
Courtney Cohn / Democracy Docket:
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.
RELATED:
Elena Moore / NPR:
Federal judge issues restraining order blocking federal spending freeze
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
RELATED:
Al Weaver / The Hill:
GOP's Susan Collins to back Tulsi Gabbard confirmation
The White House:
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
Brad Plumer / New York Times:
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 …
 
 
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 More Items: 
Axios:
Trump's other immigration strategy: Looking tough for the cameras
Discussion: Fox News and Bloomberg
Associated Press:
Rubio views a deportation flight in Panama as Trump prioritizes an immigration crackdown
Judd Legum / Popular Information:
Affirmative action for white men
Discussion: Mediaite
Stephen Robinson / Public Notice:
President-unelect Musk pushes US democracy to the brink
Josh Fiallo / The Daily Beast:
Unmasked: Elon's Secret DOGE Goon Squad—Every One Under 26
Discussion: Daily Mail, Raw Story and Twitchy
 Earlier Items: 
Andrea Margolis / Fox News:
Trump announces new picks including deputy director of the CIA, chief Pentagon spokesman
afsa.org:
Statement by AFSA on Decision to Dismantle USAID
Discussion: Fox News
Nandika Chatterjee / The Daily Beast:
Musk Says He's ‘Deleted’ Popular Free IRS Tax Filing Program
Clara Jeffery / Mother Jones:
Nobody Voted for Elon Musk
Discussion: Slate
Cathy Gellis / Techdirt:
Musk's Takeover Of The Government's Computer Systems Needs To Be Understood As A Cyberattack, Or Worse
Reuters:
Trump orders creation of US sovereign wealth fund, says it could buy TikTok
 

 
From Techmeme:

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Meta plans major investment in AI-powered humanoid robots, with an initial focus on household chores, and has formed a new team within Reality Labs

Brody Ford / Bloomberg:
Sources: Dell nears a $5B deal to provide servers with Nvidia's GB200 chips for xAI's supercomputer project in Memphis

Scharon Harding / Ars Technica:
In an AMA, Steve Huffman says Reddit is planning to roll out paid subreddits in 2025 and is “laying the foundation” to monetize commerce within subreddits
 
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