Top Items:
Rolling Stone:
Team Trump Is Furious Hegseth Hid Sex Assault Claim: ‘This Is the F-king Pentagon!’ — The president-elect is putting Republican senators to the test with a string of controversial administration picks … Hegseth was already facing an uphill confirmation battle to become the Secretary …
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Liam Archacki / The Daily Beast:
Now GOP Senators Want Another Trump Nominee's Full FBI File — JUST A LITTLE PEEK — An alignment between Russia and Tulsi Gabbard is worrying some Senate Intelligence Committee members. — Some Republican senators are privately eager to see Tulsi Gabbard's FBI file …
Discussion:
ABC News
Punchbowl News:
Gabbard nomination puts Senate GOP in a bind … That panel — which is responsible for processing Gabbard's nomination — is stacked with hawks on both sides of the dais. … But GOP senators are already indicating they'll be interested in probing Gabbard's controversial …
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Hill, Breitbart and The Bulwark
Wall Street Journal:
Musk Unleashes Online Army on Federal Workers. 'A Tough Way to Find Out She's Losing Her Job.' — As Trump efficiency czar, the billionaire is targeting employees by name on X—sparking pushback — As co-director of President-elect Donald Trump's nascent Department of Government Efficiency …
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Verge and Digby's Hullabaloo, more at Techmeme »
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Edith Olmsted / New Republic:
Elon Musk Is Now Cyberbullying Government Employees — Elon Musk is so excited to start his new gig ruining the federal government that he's getting an early start by goading his millions of followers to cyberbully government employees. — This week, Musk took aim at Ashley Thomas …
Kristen Holmes / CNN:
Matt Gaetz says he's not returning to Congress next year — Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general on Thursday, said Friday he will not be returning to Congress next year. — “I'm still going to be in the fight …
Discussion:
Politico, The Daily Caller, The Atlantic, Breitbart, Axios, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Washington Examiner, Daily Caller News Foundation, Twitchy, USA Today, The Post Millennial, One America News Network, Al Jazeera, BizPac Review, The Hill, Vanity Fair, New Republic, Trending Politics …, freebeacon.com, Raw Story, ABC News, CBS News, Mississippi Free Press, The Independent, New York Times, Sun-Sentinel, WFLA-TV, Florida Politics, Foreign Policy, Talking Points Memo and NBC News
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Peter Baker / New York Times:
The ‘Landslide’ That Wasn't: Trump and Allies Pump Up His Narrow Victory
The ‘Landslide’ That Wasn't: Trump and Allies Pump Up His Narrow Victory
Discussion:
Raw Story, Vanity Fair, The Root, Digby's Hullabaloo, Daily Kos, Washington Examiner and Althouse
Malcolm Ferguson / New Republic:
Trump Is Pissed at True Reports His Victory Wasn't Exactly a Landslide
Trump Is Pissed at True Reports His Victory Wasn't Exactly a Landslide
Discussion:
Raw Story and Digby's Hullabaloo
Michael Schaffer / Politico:
Trump Won Less Than 50 Percent. Why Is Everyone Calling It a Landslide?
Trump Won Less Than 50 Percent. Why Is Everyone Calling It a Landslide?
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story, PolitiFact, Punchbowl News, Axios, New York Magazine and MSNBC
Rebecca Shabad / NBC News:
Matt Gaetz says he doesn't plan to rejoin Congress after withdrawing name for attorney general
Matt Gaetz says he doesn't plan to rejoin Congress after withdrawing name for attorney general
Discussion:
RedState, CNN, New York Post, Associated Press, WFLA-TV, USA Today, CBS News, Washington Times, Fox News, Rolling Stone, Roll Call, HotAir, HuffPost, The Guardian, Florida Politics, New York Daily News, Forbes, E&E News, Washington Examiner, Politico, Mediaite, Los Angeles Times, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Democrats, TPR and ABC News
Kimberly Leonard / Politico:
Florida sets special election to fill Matt Gaetz vacancy on April Fools' Day
Florida sets special election to fill Matt Gaetz vacancy on April Fools' Day
Discussion:
Florida Phoenix, Mediaite, ABC News, Washington Examiner and The Independent
David Frum / The Atlantic:
A Good Country's Bad Choice
Kaitlan Collins / CNN:
Trump expected to offer Kelly Loeffler secretary of Agriculture — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to offer Kelly Loeffler the job of secretary of the Department of Agriculture, two people familiar with the matter told CNN. — He is set to meet with her at Mar-a-Lago Friday afternoon …
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Wall Street Journal:
Trump Picks Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary — Hedge-fund manager has been a key economic adviser to president-elect — WASHINGTON—Donald Trump has selected hedge-fund manager Scott Bessent to lead the Treasury Department, according to people familiar with the matter …
Discussion:
ABC News, CNN, New York Times, Bloomberg, USA Today, CBS News, Fox Business, The Guardian, The Hill, Politico, Washington Examiner, Heatmap News, Raw Story, Axios, Reuters, NPR, NBC News, One America News Network, Breitbart, Roll Call, Townhall, Washington Post, CoinDesk, Quartz, New York Post, Forbes, The 19th, The Post Millennial, Associated Press, NewsNation, The Japan Times, RedState and WHEC.com
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Associated Press:
Trump chooses Bessent to be treasury secretary, Vought as budget chief, Chavez-DeRemer for Labor
Trump chooses Bessent to be treasury secretary, Vought as budget chief, Chavez-DeRemer for Labor
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, USA Today, Fox News, HuffPost, CBS News, Axios, Politico, NPR, The Hill, Scripps News, Breitbart, Townhall, The Guardian, WHEC.com, Forbes, Roll Call, UPI, Associated Press, RedState, The American Conservative, Washington Times, Los Angeles Times, Reuters and Fox Business
Washington Post:
Trump plans to fire Jack Smith's team, use DOJ to probe 2020 election — The plans show how president-elect Donald Trump wants to use the Justice Department to address his own personal grievances — President-elect Donald Trump plans to fire the entire team that worked with special counsel Jack Smith …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Independent, Raw Story, Mediaite, Twitchy, Law Dork, Kevin Drum, The Gateway Pundit and Press Herald
Andrew Solender / Axios:
House Democrats prepare to make Mike Johnson's life hell … - On any GOP-only legislation, there is “going to be enormous pressure” on Republican centrists to break away, said Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.). — Morelle pointed to Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), predicting some GOP bills will be …
CNN:
Trump's intel pick was placed on government watch list for overseas travel and foreign connections — Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump's pick to lead the intelligence community, was briefly placed on a Transportation Security Administration list that prompts additional security screening …
Discussion:
The Independent and Raw Story
The Guardian:
Texas approves new Bible-based curriculum for elementary schools — Teachers can opt in, but state is offering financial incentive of $60 a student for participating school districts — The Texas board of education voted 8-7 on Friday to approve a new Bible-based curriculum in elementary schools.
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Antonio Planas / Associated Press:
Texas Board of Education votes to approve Bible curriculum in elementary schools
Texas Board of Education votes to approve Bible curriculum in elementary schools
Discussion:
KVUE-TV, ABC News, CBS News, UPI, The Hill, New York Times, USA Today, Daily Caller News Foundation, New Republic and WHEC.com
John Kruzel / Reuters:
US Supreme Court to decide Federal Communications Commission fund's legality — The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday to decide the legality of a congressionally authorized fund operated by the Federal Communications Commission to expand access to telecommunications services …
Discussion:
CNN, Washington Post, Daily Caller News Foundation, New York Times and CBS News
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Christiaan Hetzner / Fortune:
Walmart just leveled with Americans: China won't be paying for Trump's tariffs, in all likelihood you will — Donald Trump told voters tariffs are a tax on a foreign country. But it's Americans that will pay the price, Walmart's finance chief warned. — Voters who returned Donald …
Discussion:
Fox Business, Raw Story and Quartz
Ellen Nakashima / Washington Post:
Top senator calls Salt Typhoon 'worst telecom hack in our nation's history' — The severity of the Chinese breach highlights the need for more telecommunications regulation, lawmakers say. — The Chinese government espionage campaign that has deeply penetrated more than a dozen U.S …
Discussion:
HotAir, Talking Points Memo, New York Times, Breitbart, IJR, Washington Examiner, Defense One, Reuters and emptywheel
Erin Reed / Erin In The Morning:
Nancy Mace's Federal Trans Bathroom Ban Would Apply To Major Airports, Hindering Travel — Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who has targeted Congresswoman Sarah McBride with a bathroom ban in the capitol, is now pushing a sweeping federal bathroom ban for trans people.
Discussion:
Washington Post, them. and Inqorporeal
Katy O'Donnell / Politico:
Trump selects former NFL player Scott Turner to lead housing agency — The one-time Texas lawmaker works at a Trump-allied think tank. — President-elect Donald Trump selected motivational speaker Scott Turner of the America First Policy Institute to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development …
Discussion:
New York Times, Fox News, USA Today, Bloomberg, NPR, The Hill, The Texas Tribune, Washington Times, Raw Story, Georgia Recorder, Roll Call, Deseret News, Daily Mail and WHEC.com
NBC News:
Trump's transition team turns to Project 2025 after disavowing it during the campaign — Transition officials have used Project 2025's extensive personnel database to identify potential hires for the incoming administration, a person familiar with the plans said.
Discussion:
Forbes, Raw Story, America Transformed, New Republic and Politico
CBS News:
Trump nominates Marty Makary, who opposed COVID vaccine mandates, to head FDA — President-elect Donald Trump nominated Dr. Marty Makary Friday to lead the Food and Drug Administration, selecting a surgeon and author who opposed vaccine mandates and some other public health measures during the coronavirus pandemic.
Theodore Schleifer / New York Times:
Elon Musk Gets a Crash Course in How Trumpworld Works — The world's richest person, not known for his humility, is still learning the cutthroat courtier politics of Donald Trump's inner circle — and his ultimate influence remains an open question. — For the first 53 years of his life …
Discussion:
Business Insider
Kyle Cheney / Politico:
‘Is she on our side?’: Jan. 6 defendants and allies puzzle over Bondi nomination — Trump's new nominee for attorney general has been largely silent about the Jan. 6 riot. — Everyone knew where Matt Gaetz stood on the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. He promoted conspiracy theories …
Elizabeth Weise / USA Today:
More details about JFK assassination keep emerging, even 61 years later — Sixty-one years ago, on November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, in a shocking tragedy that still echoes. — The JFK assassination sent the nation into mourning and shook it to its core …
Discussion:
KVUE-TV, Twitchy, Washington Examiner, LewRockwell, Associated Press and New Jersey Online