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6:40 AM ET, February 4, 2025

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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” …
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
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
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, NCJA and Washington Post
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Hints at Curbs on Musk's Powers After Billionaire Shakes Up Washington
Discussion: Tennessee Star, Bloomberg and Reuters
The Hill:
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" …
RELATED:
Tony Romm / Washington Post:
CFPB halts work after Trump appoints Bessent as acting head
Politico:
Trump backs off tariff threat with Mexico, digs in on Canada
Dan Mangan / CNBC:
Trump pauses tariffs on Canada imports for 30 days after doing the same for Mexico
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 and NBC News
Josh Kovensky / Talking Points Memo:
Trump II Punishes Fed Workers For Attending Trump I Diversity Training
Discussion: ABC News
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 …
RELATED:
Sean Seddon / BBC:
What is USAID and why is Trump reportedly poised to close it?
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 …
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.
Discussion: WTTG-TV and Washington Examiner
RELATED:
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:
Alejandro Serrano / The Texas Tribune:
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 …
RELATED:
CNN:
Trump appoints speechwriter fired for attending conference with White nationalists to top State Department role  —  Darren Beattie, a former Donald Trump speechwriter who was fired in 2018 after CNN revealed he spoke at a conference attended by White nationalists, has been elevated to a top job …
RELATED:
Al Weaver / The Hill:
GOP's Susan Collins to back Tulsi Gabbard confirmation  —  Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced on Monday that she will support Tulsi Gabbard to become director of national intelligence (DNI), giving her a key boost in her confirmation push.  —  Collins was considered a crucial swing vote …
RELATED:
Connor O'Brien / Politico:
Collins, Lankford back Gabbard for top Intel job ahead of committee vote
Discussion: Fox News
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.
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: 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: 
Josh Fiallo / The Daily Beast:
Unmasked: Elon's Secret DOGE Goon Squad—Every One Under 26
Discussion: Daily Mail, Raw Story and Twitchy
Andrea Margolis / Fox News:
Trump announces new picks including deputy director of the CIA, chief Pentagon spokesman
Wall Street Journal:
The 24-Hour Blitz That Flipped One Senator's Vote from No to Yes on Hegseth
afsa.org:
Statement by AFSA on Decision to Dismantle USAID
Discussion: Fox News
Grace Yarrow / Politico:
Trump's USDA pick sails through committee
Discussion: Roll Call and Fox News
 Earlier Items: 
New York Times:
State Dept. Fires About 60 Contractors Working on Democracy and Human Rights
Discussion: NOTUS
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
Rob Golum / Bloomberg:
Former President Joe Biden Signs With Talent Agency CAA
Reuters:
Trump orders creation of US sovereign wealth fund, says it could buy TikTok
 

 
From Mediagazer:

Sara Fischer / Axios:
The White House says it will bar AP from events in the Oval Office and on Air Force One over AP's refusal to use “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico”

McKay Coppins / The Atlantic:
James and Kathryn Murdoch detail the succession battle that has pitted James and Lachlan Murdoch against each other, leaving the family empire's future unclear

Todd Spangler / Variety:
YouTube TV says it has “reached a short term extension” to keep Paramount's content, including CBS and Nickelodeon, “as we work toward a deal”
 
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