Top Items:


U.S. government officials privately warn Musk's blitz appears illegal — The billionaire's DOGE team has launched an all-out assault on federal agencies, triggering numerous legal objections. — The chaotic blitz by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has triggered legal …
Discussion:
NPR and American Greatness, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:


Democrats Are Falling For Trump and Musk's Foreign Aid Trap — Three veteran strategists want their party to be more thoughtful about fighting Trump's anti-bureaucracy campaign. — After three months of soul-searching about how to revive their party, some Democrats this week believe …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Bloomberg and The Bulwark

Democrats threaten to obstruct Trump's agenda over Musk's DOGE efforts
Discussion:
HotAir, Daily Caller News Foundation, Blaze Media and The Gateway Pundit

Treasury Department Says DOGE Access Is ‘Read Only’
Discussion:
WUSA, Washington Examiner and NPR


The CIA Is About to Get a Trump Makeover — Spy agency's workforce receives buyout-style offer — WASHINGTON—The Central Intelligence Agency offered buyouts to its entire workforce Tuesday, in what officials said is a bid to bring the agency in line with President Trump's priorities, including targeting drug cartels.
Discussion:
Fox News, Townhall, Daily Mail, Raw Story, New York Post, The Gateway Pundit and The Post Millennial
RELATED:


Musk Cronies Dive Into Treasury Dept Payments Code Base — Overnight, Wired reported that, contrary to published reports that DOGE operatives at the Treasury Department are limited to “read only” access to department payment systems, this is not true. A 25-year-old DOGE operative named Marko Elez …
Discussion:
Politico, New Republic, Raw Story, Wired, CBS News, maaarine and Digby's Hullabaloo
RELATED:



Treasury defends DOGE's ‘read-only access’ to payments system
Discussion:
CNN, U.S. Department …, Bloomberg and Federal News Network

Elon Musk's Power Grab Is Lawless, Dangerous, and—Yes—a Coup
Discussion:
NBC News, CNN, Democracy Americana, Common Dreams, FOX 11 Los Angeles, Baltimore Sun and IJR

Treasury Defends Musk Team's Access to Federal Payment System
Discussion:
Associated Press, Scripps News, Daily Caller News Foundation, CBS News, WTOP News, PoliticusUSA and MarketWatch

Illegal Executive Spending Decisions Are Happening Now
Discussion:
The Independent and Raw Story


FBI turns over names of 5,000 employees who worked on January 6 cases to Trump Justice Department, as agents sue — FBI officials have complied with demands to provide the Justice Department with a list of thousands of employees who worked on investigations related to the January 6, 2021 …
RELATED:


‘Accidental’ F.B.I. Chief Builds a Following as Agency's Defender
Discussion:
Default


Trump proposes U.S. control of Gaza, permanent displacement of residents — The idea, a first indicator of Trump's approach to the conflict, was sure to inflame the region given the history of Palestinians' displacement from their territory.
Discussion:
Associated Press, HotAir, The Guardian, The Forward, Raw Story and Grabien
RELATED:


Live updates: Trump wants US to take ownership of Gaza Strip — President Donald Trump says he wants the U.S. to take ownership of the Gaza Strip and redevelop it after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere. He made the remarks in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump suggests displaced Palestinians in Gaza be ‘permanently’ resettled outside war-torn territory
Discussion:
New York Times, The Intercept, Politico, Washington Post, Reuters, Rolling Stone, freebeacon.com, NBC News, NPR, Washington Examiner, USA Today, Jewish Insider, Mediaite, Raw Story, The Daily Signal, DNyuz, Breitbart, PJ Media, Twitchy, Tennessee Star, The Gateway Pundit, CNBC, The Forward, Roll Call, New York Post, WSVN-TV, Associated Press, Foreign Policy, The Post Millennial, Scripps News, Bloomberg, Metro.co.uk and WUSA


State Department moving to evacuate USAID staff worldwide: Sources — The State Department has begun working to assist in evacuating all USAID staff who are on foreign assignments worldwide, sources familiar with the effort told ABC News. — The Department is aiming to recall all USAID employees …
Discussion:
The Atlantic, USA Today, The Floridian, Blaze Media and CBS News
RELATED:


Breaking the Law — Just weeks in, the Trump administration has violated rules, laws, and the Constitution. — “In America,” Thomas Paine wrote at the founding, “the law is king.” Amid today's governing and constitutional crisis, we are finding out whether that is still true.

Musk's USAID Shutdown: ‘This Is What the Beginning of Dictatorship Looks Like’
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Raw Story, CNN, Axios and Los Angeles Times


Federal health workers terrified after ‘DEI’ website publishes list of ‘targets’ — The site calls out workers who have been involved with DEI initiatives. A majority are Black. — Federal health workers are expressing fear and alarm after a website called “DEI Watch List” published the photos …


About 20,000 federal workers took “buyout” so far, official says — About 20,000 federal workers have accepted the “buyout” offer put forward by the Trump administration last week, a senior administration official tells Axios. … - The offer is open through Thursday, meaning the total could rise …
RELATED:


Trump and Musk demand termination of federal office leases through General Services Administration — One of the next moves in President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's sweeping effort to fire government employees and curtail operations is using the agency that manages thousands …
Discussion:
New York Times and New York Magazine


Hong Kong CNN — The US Postal Service says it has temporarily suspended the acceptance of incoming international parcels from China and Hong Kong until further notice. — It did not provide a reason for the suspension, but said in a statement Tuesday the flow of letters will not be affected.
Discussion:
Wired and The Information
RELATED:

USPS temporarily suspends some inbound parcels from China amid Trump trade war


EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Penny Gets Hired by Andreessen Horowitz — “Daniel acted with courage in a tough situation,” said partner David Ulevitch in a statement explaining the hire. — In less than two months, Daniel Penny has gone from facing a potential 20 years in prison to landing a role …
Discussion:
Fox Business, New York Post, New York Times, RedState and The Information, more at Techmeme »


White House preparing executive order to abolish the Department of Education — The planned order follows years of campaign promises from President Donald Trump to abolish the federal Education Department. — The White House is preparing an executive order to eliminate the Department of Education …
Discussion:
CNN, Advocate, ABC News, The National Pulse, The Daily Caller, Breitbart, Truthout, NOTUS, UPI and Raw Story


Doge staffers enter Noaa headquarters and incite reports of cuts and threats — Members reportedly sought access to IT systems at agency that Project 2025 has called ‘harmful to US prosperity’ — Staffers with Elon Musk's “department of government efficiency” (Doge) reportedly entered …


Biden signs with Hollywood agency — Former President Joe Biden is signing with a Hollywood agency in one of the first major indicators of what the 82-year-old will do after his presidency. — Biden previously signed with the Creative Artists Agency from 2017 to 2020 after leaving office as vice president.
Discussion:
PJ Media, Twitchy, The Hollywood Reporter, The Independent, The Daily Caller, The Daily Wire, Fox News, HuffPost, ABC7, The Gateway Pundit, CBS News, Breitbart and Los Angeles Times

When It's Not Just A Coup But A CFAA Violation Too — The hazard with landing upon a legal solution that seems too good to be true is that it often is. So as you read this post it is important to keep in mind that I may have overlooked something, and there can always be defenses.


‘Things Are Going to Get Intense:’ How a Musk Ally Plans to Push AI on the Government — Thomas Shedd, a Musk-associate and now head of the General Services Administration's Technology Transformation Services (TTS), told government tech workers in a meeting this week that the administration plans …


USAID to put nearly all staff on leave Friday; overseas missions shuttering — Washington — Nearly all staff for the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, will be placed on leave Friday night, the agency announced on its website Tuesday night.
Discussion:
Politico, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Reuters, NPR, WXIA-TV, Wired, Daily Mail and GovExec.com
RELATED:


‘Beyond betrayal.’ Venezuelans in Florida are angry at Trump immigration policy — MIAMI — Venezuelan migrants in South Florida say they feel betrayed by a Trump administration decision to end legal protections for hundreds of thousands of people who fled dictatorships and sought refuge in the U.S.
Discussion:
NBC News, Federal Register, Florida Politics, Raw Story and The Daily Wire


Federal Workers Sue to Disconnect DOGE Server — Two federal workers, citing reports that Elon Musk's associates are operating an illegally connected email server at OPM, seek a restraining order. — Federal employees are seeking a temporary restraining order as part of a class action lawsuit accusing …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Raw Story and FedScoop


Trump Administration Live Updates: Committee Votes to Advance Tulsi Gabbard's Bid for Intelligence Post — Where Things Stand — Nominees: The Senate Intelligence Committee voted on Tuesday to advance to nomination of one of President Trump's most contentious nominees, Tulsi Gabbard, as his director of national intelligence.
Discussion:
NBC News, STAT, USA Today, Politico, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Lawyers, Guns & Money, CBS News, Breitbart, Axios, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Examiner, Raw Story, Los Angeles Times, Blaze Media, New York Magazine, NOTUS, The Independent, DNyuz, Fox News, The Hill, WSVN-TV, New York Daily News, MSNBC, ABC News and Bangor Daily News


How Trump Gutted America's $40 Billion Aid Agency in Two Weeks — Dismantling of USAID appears to be a test case for new administration — WASHINGTON—The cuts came so fast that one dismissed employee had to be rehired to process other employees' time sheets.


Multiple ICE impersonation arrests made during nationwide immigration crackdown — Editor's note: This story contains profane and hateful language. — Authorities in at least three states have arrested individuals allegedly impersonating Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers …
Discussion:
NBC News, Baltimore Sun and New York Daily News


Judge blocks Trump's executive order on transgender prisoners — The judge blocked the government from enforcing the aspect of that order that could require transgender women to be transferred to men's prisons. — A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from moving transgender women prisoners …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Washington Post, WUSA, Associated Press, CBS News and Law & Crime


Negotiations stall ahead of shutdown deadline as Democrats slam Trump for subverting spending laws — Democrats are eying the March 14 deadline to push back on Trump's recent unilateral actions, saying he needs to follow the law on government funding. — WASHINGTON — Government funding negotiations …
Discussion:
New York Times


Science funding agency threatened with mass layoffs — National Science Foundation staff heard the plans at a meeting Tuesday. — One of the United States' leading funders of science and engineering research is planning to lay off between a quarter and a half of its staff in the next two months …
Discussion:
Washington Post and Federal News Network


Scoop: Senate Dems plot USAID revenge on Trump … - Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told Axios on Tuesday that he's willing to place holds on Trump nominees on the Senate Judiciary Committee. — Blumenthal said the caucus is proceeding as if there is a blanket hold on Trump nominations.
Discussion:
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz … and New Republic


Family member condemns use of armored vehicle, stun grenades in Phoenix ICE arrest — A family member is speaking out against an ICE operation in northwest Phoenix on Sunday, calling it an unnecessary use of force that involved an armored vehicle, flash bang grenades and several dozen ICE agents …
Discussion:
Daily Mail