Top Items:

The NIH budget is on a fast track to disaster — An NIH insider explains what Republicans are likely to do next, and what we can do … A Trump administration budget proposal leaked a few days ago specifies a massive budget cut for NIH — 44%, for over $20 billion in cuts.
Discussion:
American Prospect and CBS News
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Rough Night for Republican at Town Hall in N.Y. Swing District — Representative Mike Lawler faced shouts, groans and mockery at a high school auditorium in Rockland County. — No one was expecting a love fest when Representative Mike Lawler, Republican of New York, faced constituents in his suburban swing district on Sunday night.
Discussion:
Raw Story

I'm a Conservative Economist. Here Are 6 Reasons Trump's Plans Won't Work.
Discussion:
Associated Press
Jordain Carney / Politico:
Mike Johnson's tight megabill timeline is on a collision course with reality
Mike Johnson's tight megabill timeline is on a collision course with reality
Ben Leonard / Politico:
Energy and Commerce Republicans to huddle amid Medicaid debate
Energy and Commerce Republicans to huddle amid Medicaid debate
Discussion:
E&E News
Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Democrats Plan to Capitalize as G.O.P. Begins Outlining Spending Cuts
Democrats Plan to Capitalize as G.O.P. Begins Outlining Spending Cuts
Discussion:
CBS News, Washington Examiner, Issues & Insights and The Hill
Katelyn Cordero / Politico:
Medicaid cuts threaten to leave Hochul with political wounds
Medicaid cuts threaten to leave Hochul with political wounds
Discussion:
WBUR
Sahil Kapur / NBC News:
5 policy issues Republicans are clashing over in a massive bill for Trump's agenda
5 policy issues Republicans are clashing over in a massive bill for Trump's agenda
Discussion:
The Hill, NPR, Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal

Trump Melts Down Over Plummeting Popularity, Says Pollsters Are ‘Criminals’ — Multiple recent polls have the president's job approval rating sitting in the thirties just three months into his second term — President Donald Trump is fuming after a series of recent polls have found …
Discussion:
Business Insider, The Hill, Raw Story, New Republic, Daily Kos, The Independent, al.com, New York Post, Mother Jones and Washington Post, more at Mediagazer »
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Public sours on Musk's role, is skeptical that government is cutting waste — Thirty-five percent of Americans approve of the way Musk is handling his job in the Trump administration, while 57 percent disapprove, a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll shows.
Discussion:
Business Insider, The Hill, RedState, Fortune, The Independent, Washington Times and Washington Examiner

Why Trump's Sinking Poll Numbers Matter — The White House got an early start this morning. Minutes ago, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took to the briefing-room podium to announce a pair of executive orders: one focused on “strengthening and unleashing” American law enforcement to pursue criminals …
Discussion:
The Hill, Fox News, CNN, masslive.com, NBC News, al.com, ABC News and The Independent
Jaclyn S. Wong / ABC News:
Elon Musk approval low, reflecting opposition to Trump cuts: POLL

The group chats that changed America — THE SCOOP — Last Thursday morning, a bit before 10 am in Austin and nearly 11 pm in Singapore, Joe Lonsdale had enough of Balaji Srinivasan's views on China. — “This is insane CCP thinking,” Lonsdale, a co-founder of Palantir, wrote to a 300-member Signal group.
Discussion:
How Things Work, emptywheel, New Republic, New York Daily News and Raw Story, more at Techmeme »

‘I Run the Country and the World’ … b — efore we begin, a primer on the science of arranging an interview with a sitting American president: — In ordinary times, reporters seeking an on-the-record encounter with the commander in chief first write an elaborate proposal.
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Examiner, Politico, Axios, Telegraph, New Republic, The Independent, The Wrap, No More Mister Nice Blog, Raw Story and Mediaite
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Trump's justice department appointees remove leadership of voting unit — Donald Trump's appointees at the Department of Justice have removed all of the senior civil servants working as managers in the department's voting section and directed attorneys to dismiss all active cases …
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Atlantic and The Hill

Agriculture isn't nearing trade war tariffs crisis, ‘it is full blown crisis already’ farmers say … The clock is ticking on trade deals that the U.S. will need to strike with many nations, most notably China, to avoid what Trump's Treasury Secretary has described as an “unsustainable” tariffs war.
Discussion:
Axios

Trump says income tax cuts, and perhaps elimination, coming due to tariffs — ‘Focus will be on people making less than $200,000 a year,’ he noted — President Donald Trump said that some people's income taxes will be lowered or perhaps even completely eliminated due to tariffs.
Discussion:
Breitbart, Townhall, Bloomberg and Washington Examiner
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Exclusive: Trump to Sign Order Ensuring Truckers Speak English — President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Monday that ensures truckers are adept at speaking English, America's official language, Breitbart News can reveal. — A White House document on the expected executive order …
Discussion:
Raw Story
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Trump to Sign Order Requiring Nationwide List of Sanctuary Cities and States
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and The Post Millennial

Pritzker Thunders Against ‘Do Nothing’ Democrats as He Stokes 2028 Talk — In a fiery speech in New Hampshire, the Illinois governor railed against both President Trump and what he called the “simpering timidity” among some Democrats. — Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois strode into a ballroom filled …
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JB Pritzker implores Democrats to fight Trump as the potential 2028 candidate visits New Hampshire
Discussion:
HotAir, The Independent, Fox News, The Daily Caller, Associated Press and Washington Examiner
Matthew Yglesias / Slow Boring:
What's the plan to win the Senate?

Scoop: Trump staff puts immigrants' mug shots on White House lawn — Trump administration officials late Sunday began placing dozens of posters of arrested unauthorized immigrants along the White House driveway. — It's a provocative, sure-to-be-controversial move aimed …
Discussion:
USA Today, New York Post, Washington Examiner, Blaze Media, New Jersey Online, Fox News, The Independent and IJR, more at Mediagazer »

Queer intel officers targeted by top secret chat leak get their chance to speak — Chris Rufo published the chats. Staffers say a new “lavender scare” is upon us. … As soon as Donald Trump was declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election, Moon knew the threat was imminent.
Discussion:
The Independent

Connolly to step down as top Dem on Oversight, paving the way for generational change — Rep. Gerry Connolly, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, will step down from his leadership post on the panel and not run for reelection.
Discussion:
CBS News, The Hill, Axios, NOTUS, Fox News, Federal News Network, RedState, Daily Caller News Foundation, The Gateway Pundit and Ace of Spades HQ

‘60 Minutes’ Calls Out Paramount for Executive Producer's Exit in Rare On-Air Rebuke — All seemed normal in the first 98% of Sunday's broadcast of “60 Minutes” on CBS. But the remaining 2% may have shocked viewers. — In the show's “Last Minute” segment, correspondent Scott Pelley told …

Did Peter Navarro Save Democracy? — Economic failure has given us a chance to stop Trump's authoritarianism — Just a few short weeks ago the prospects for American democracy looked bleak. Donald Trump was elected despite the events of January 6th and his clear threats of retribution …

FCC chair says 'all options" open in CBS ‘60 Minutes’ news distortion review — The chair of the Federal Communications Commission said Monday “all options remain on the table” in the agency's ongoing investigation into a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times

Arresting judges is a 5-alarm escalation — 🏛️ ⚖️ 👩⚖️ With corporate outlets obeying in advance, supporting independent political media is more important right now than ever. … 🏛️ ⚖️ 👩⚖️
Discussion:
Tangle, The Post Millennial, Newsbusters, The Daily Wire, The Daily Caller, Urban Milwaukee, Raw Story, WisPolitics and Civil Discourse …
Politico:
UK and EU to defy Trump with ‘free and open trade’ declaration — BRUSSELS — Britain and the European Union are set to sign a formal declaration committing to “free and open trade” in defiance of Donald Trump's tariff agenda. — A leaked draft seen by POLITICO promises a “new strategic partnership” …
Discussion:
Reuters

A Road Map of Trump's Lawless Presidency, According to 35 Legal Scholars — In his first hours back as president, Donald J. Trump did an extraordinary thing: He made a direct assault on the Constitution. He declared that his government would no longer treat U.S.-born children …
Discussion:
BBC, Balkinization and Washington Post

The bubble that created Trump is the reason he's stumbling — The White House is now a bubble where loyalty, not ability, defines success. — Consider Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. — No one should be surprised that Hegseth is flailing in his new role, one of the most arduous …

Trump's second term will be the worst presidential term ever — Tragically, the president's second term is already more lawless and more authoritarian than any in US history — In his first 100 days back in office, Donald Trump has made a strong case that his second term will be by far the worst presidential term in US history.

Elon Musk's conflicts of interest: $2.37 billion in potential federal penalties, report says — Elon Musk and his companies faced at least $2.37 billion in potential federal fines and penalties the day President Trump took office, according to a congressional report released Monday that highlights …
Discussion:
Musk Watch