Top Items:
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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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 …
Peter Baker / New York Times:
The ‘Landslide’ That Wasn't: Trump and Allies Pump Up His Narrow Victory — The latest vote count shows that Donald J. Trump won the popular vote by one of the smallest margins since the 19th century. But Mr. Trump claims a “powerful mandate.” — On the night he won a second term …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Vanity Fair, The Root, Digby's Hullabaloo, Washington Examiner, Daily Kos, Althouse and Los Angeles Times
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 Atlantic, The Daily Caller, New York Times, Breitbart, The Hill, Al Jazeera, Axios, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Washington Examiner, Daily Caller News Foundation, Mississippi Free Press, Twitchy, USA Today, The Post Millennial, One America News Network, Vanity Fair, BizPac Review, Trending Politics …, New Republic, Raw Story, freebeacon.com, ABC News, The Independent, CBS News, Sun-Sentinel, WFLA-TV, Florida Politics, Foreign Policy, Talking Points Memo and NBC News
Malcolm Ferguson / New Republic:
Trump Is Pissed at True Reports His Victory Wasn't Exactly a Landslide — Donald Trump is upset with the media for accurately reporting that his election night victory wasn't exactly a “landslide.” — Trump transition team spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt on Friday took aim at Politico …
Discussion:
Digby's Hullabaloo and Raw Story
Michael Schaffer / Politico:
Trump Won Less Than 50 Percent. Why Is Everyone Calling It a Landslide? — Right and left have bought the narrative of a crushing triumph. They're wrong. — Is it newsworthy that Donald Trump's share of the 2024 presidential vote has fallen below 50 percent?
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story, PolitiFact, New York Magazine and MSNBC
The Hill:
Trump expected to name Kelly Loeffler for Agriculture secretary
Trump expected to name Kelly Loeffler for Agriculture secretary
Discussion:
Daily Mail and Democrats
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:
CNN, RedState, WFLA-TV, New York Post, Roll Call, Associated Press, USA Today, CBS News, Washington Times, Fox News, Rolling Stone, HotAir, HuffPost, The Guardian, New York Daily News, Florida Politics, Washington Examiner, Forbes, E&E News, 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:
ABC News, Washington Examiner, Florida Phoenix, Mediaite and The Independent
David Frum / The Atlantic:
A Good Country's Bad Choice
Zachary Basu / Axios:
Chaos reigns supreme in Trump's Washington
Chaos reigns supreme in Trump's Washington
Discussion:
The Guardian, Raw Story, The DSR Network, Wall Street Journal, Townhall and HuffPost
Amanda Marcotte / Salon:
Resistance is not futile: Matt Gaetz's implosion shows how MAGA's chaos can be turned against Trump
Resistance is not futile: Matt Gaetz's implosion shows how MAGA's chaos can be turned against Trump
Discussion:
LGBTQ Nation, No More Mister Nice Blog, Raw Story and New Jersey Online
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:
The Hill, Raw Story and The Bulwark
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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
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.
Discussion:
CBS News
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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:
CBS News, ABC News, USA Today, UPI, KVUE-TV, The Hill, New York Times, Daily Caller News Foundation, New Republic and WHEC.com
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:
The Gateway Pundit, Kevin Drum, Mediaite, Raw Story, Law Dork and The Independent
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, Quartz and New York Times
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, America Transformed, Raw Story, New Republic and Politico
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
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:
Raw Story
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
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:
New Republic, The Verge, Digby's Hullabaloo and Raw Story, more at Techmeme »
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:
Bloomberg, USA Today, CBS News, The Hill, Scripps News, Washington Examiner, Axios, Reuters, NBC News, Politico, NPR, The Guardian, Breitbart, Roll Call, Washington Times, Fox Business, Townhall, Washington Post, CoinDesk, Quartz, New York Post, The 19th, Raw Story, Forbes, Associated Press, The Post Millennial, NewsNation, RedState and WHEC.com
Jason Wilson / The Guardian:
Trump's Pentagon pick Hegseth wrote of US military taking sides in ‘civil war’ — Defense secretary pick said in 2020 that should Democrats win election the military ‘will be forced to make a choice’ — Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, has written in a book …
Discussion:
New Republic, Raw Story, The Independent and The Atlantic
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
Katy O'Donnell / Politico:
Trump selects motivational speaker Scott Turner to lead housing agency — The one-time Texas lawmaker works at a Trump-allied think tank. — President-elect Donald Trump has selected motivational speaker Scott Turner of the America First Policy Institute to lead the Department of Housing …
Discussion:
Daily Mail and WHEC.com
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, emptywheel, IJR, New York Times, Breitbart, Defense One, Washington Examiner and Reuters
Juliann Ventura / The Hill:
Bird flu confirmed in child for first time in US: CDC — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that bird flu was found in a child in California, according to a press release issued Friday. — The case is the first reported infection in a child in the U.S., according to the release.
Discussion:
WAGA-TV, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion and Florida Phoenix
New York Times:
Trump Picks Key Figure in Project 2025 for Powerful Budget Role — Russell Vought, who would lead the Office of Management and Budget, has spent years building plans to rework the American structure of government in ways that would enhance presidential power.
Discussion:
Axios, The Hill, Politico, Bloomberg, RedState, Associated Press and Washington Examiner