Top Items:


“They're Scared Shitless”: The Threat of Political Violence Informing Trump's Grip on Congress — With the president smashing norm after norm, even lawmakers within his party have feared for their personal safety, and at least one has told confidants that it has swayed his decision-making.
Discussion:
New York Times, Raw Story, Reuters, The Guardian, National Review, Deseret News, Politico, Associated Press, Mediaite, Wall Street Journal and David August
RELATED:


Trump Flips the Script on the Ukraine War, Blaming Zelensky Not Putin — As he seeks to negotiate a peace deal with Moscow, President Trump is rewriting the history of Russia's invasion of its neighbor. — 2.3k — When Russian forces crashed over the borders into Ukraine …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, NPR, Politico, Daily Mail, The Hill, UPI, BBC, New Republic, Semafor, Fox News, WHDH-TV, HuffPost, The Kyiv Independent, RTÉ, Axios, Diplomatic,, The National Pulse, Deseret News, USA Today, New York Daily News, PBS NewsHour, The Independent, Reuters, Washington Times, Raw Story, Crikey, The Daily Wire, CBS News, Plain Dealer, Mediaite, Scripps News, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Daily Kos, Jewish Insider, NBC News, Blaze Media and NOTUS


DOGE Cuts 9/11 Survivors' Fund, and Republicans Join Democrats in Rebuke — After 20 percent of the World Trade Center Health Program staff was terminated last week, Democratic lawmakers were outraged. On Wednesday, Republican lawmakers joined them. — In a rare pushback against President Donald J …
Discussion:
Spectrum News NY1, Washington Examiner, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer …, abc7NY and ABC News
RELATED:


Trump's vow to preserve Medicaid collides with House GOP plan for tax cuts
Discussion:
New Republic, Daily Kos, New York Times, Americans for Tax Reform, HuffPost, NPR, NBC News, Roll Call, Axios and STAT

Republican lawmaker seeks US judge's impeachment over ruling against Trump
Discussion:
The Daily Wire and Daily Caller News Foundation


Jesse Watters Makes On-Air Plea to Trump for Veteran Friend Who Got 'DOGE'd' In Pentagon Cuts — Fox News host Jesse Watters made an on-air plea that the Trump administration be “less callous” when implementing when laying off federal employees after a military veteran friend was “DOGE'd” in Elon Musk's Pentagon cuts.
Discussion:
Bloomberg


ICE Prosecutor in Dallas Runs White Supremacist X Account — Fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids began to spread the day after President Donald Trump was inaugurated for the second time. Posts on social media and Reddit claimed that ICE had already been spotted …


Ex-NFL punter Chris Kluwe arrested over protest at Huntington Beach City Council meeting — Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe was arrested over a protest at a city council meeting in Huntington Beach, California on Tuesday. — Kluwe was protesting Huntington Beach's decision to display a plaque …
RELATED:


Ex-NFL punter Chris Kluwe calls MAGA ‘a Nazi movement’ in protest that led to his arrest — Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe was arrested Tuesday on a charge of disturbing an assembly in Huntington Beach, California, per the city's arrest log. The incident occurred at a city council meeting.


Trump's flood of false claims about Ukraine — In remarks and social media posts, the president echoed Russian talking points. … — President Donald Trump, in remarks to reporters, Feb. 18 — Subscribe for unlimited access to The Post — Save on unmatched reporting.
Discussion:
Roll Call, Foreign Policy, BBC, Associated Press, The Hill, emptywheel, New York Post, The Daily Wire, Reuters, HuffPost and New Republic
RELATED:

Is Trump about to hand Ukraine to Russia?
Discussion:
New Republic, Reuters, NBC News, The Guardian, The Kyiv Independent, Euractiv, Bloomberg, PolitiFact, The Political Insider, Politico, Metro.co.uk, RTÉ, Al Jazeera, UPI, The Hill and Washington Examiner


I.R.S. to Begin Laying Off Roughly 6,000 Employees on Thursday — The terminations will target relatively recent hires at the I.R.S., which the Biden administration had attempted to revitalize. — The Internal Revenue Service will begin laying off roughly 6,000 employees on Thursday as part …
Discussion:
Reuters, Associated Press, Politico, Axios, Mediaite, USA Today, The Independent, Federal News Network, CBS News, The Daily Wire and The Gateway Pundit
RELATED:

Majority Say System Of Checks & Balances Not Working Well, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Congressional Job Approval: Democrats Hit All-Time Low, Republicans Hit Record High — mail_outline — Less than 4 in 10 voters think the system of checks and balances between the executive …
Discussion:
HotAir, NBC News, Breitbart, Townhall, IJR, Blaze Media, New York Daily News, The Hill and PoliticusUSA
RELATED:


Why the White House insists Elon Musk is merely an ‘employee’
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Foreign Affairs, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion and The Hill

Musk underwater in public opinion, 2 polls show
Discussion:
Fox News, The Hill, ABC News, Mediaite, Pew Research Center and The Capitolist, more at Techmeme »


My Open Letter to Elon Musk — Elon Musk recently posted on his site that another lawyer and I are “undermining civilization.” He goes on to ask if we suffered childhood trauma and concludes by suggesting we are suffering from “generational trauma.” This is my response. — Mr. Musk,


DOGE released data about federal contract savings. It doesn't add up — A new online tracker on the Department of Government Efficiency's website puts a dollar amount on the estimated savings from the DOGE effort to slash federal government spending at $55 billion. — But an NPR analysis finds the numbers don't add up.
Discussion:
Wired, HuffPost, Al Jazeera, The Hill, Gizmodo, Bloomberg, Rolling Stone, CBS News, Washington Examiner, USA Today, New Republic, al.com and The National Pulse
RELATED:

It's Easy To Save Billions In Taxpayer Funds When Everything Is Made Up
Discussion:
HuffPost, The Independent, New York Magazine, The Daily Beast, Raw Story, New York Times and CBS News


DOGE Now Has Access to the Top US Cybersecurity Agency — DOGE technologists Edward Coristine—the 19-year-old known online as “Big Balls”—and Kyle Schutt are now listed as staff at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. — Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old engineer …
Discussion:
Nextgov/FCW, more at Techmeme »

Trump can't end birthright citizenship, appeals court says, setting up Supreme Court showdown — An appeals court will not allow the Trump administration to end birthright citizenship for certain children of immigrants, in a ruling that could propel the issue to the Supreme Court.
Discussion:
Axios, The Guardian, NBC News and UPI
RELATED:

Appeals court won't immediately revive Trump's birthright citizenship order
Discussion:
CNN, Reuters, CBS News, Fox News, Townhall, Raw Story, The Independent, Washington Examiner, Scripps News and Grabien


Elite lawyers sell out the rule of law — Sullivan & Cromwell enlist in Trump's assault on the justice system. … ⚖️ 📜 🏛️ — As Trump moves forward with his assault on the rule of law and our nation's democracy, lawyers must decide if they will stand …
Discussion:
Associated Press


Trump receives widespread backlash to social post calling himself ‘king’ — US president made comparison after administration rescinded New York City's congestion pricing plan — Donald Trump is receiving widespread backlash after he likened himself to a “king” on social media following …
Discussion:
Rolling Stone, RedState, New York Post, PinkNews, New York Times, abc7NY, NBC News, Associated Press, The Daily Wire, The Hill, The City, The Independent, Gizmodo and Politico


USDS Engineering Director Resigns: ‘This Is Not the Mission I Came to Serve’ — “I do not believe that DOGE can continue to deliver the work of USDS, based on their actions so far,” wrote Anne Marshall in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday. — The director of data science and engineering …
Discussion:
New Republic


US figures do not support Trump claims on Ukraine spending — President Donald Trump on Wednesday repeated a claim that the United States has spent $350 billion on Ukraine's war — a figure that far eclipses the amount recorded by the Department of Defense and the interagency oversight group that tracks U.S. appropriations to Ukraine.
Discussion:
The Atlantic, UPI and Politico


Cal Fire captain found stabbed to death inside of her San Diego County home — A Cal Fire captain was found stabbed to death inside of her San Diego County home on Monday and authorities are still searching for the suspect. — Deputies were dispatched to a home in the 20200 block …
Discussion:
New York Post, Los Angeles Times and KFOR-TV


These feds took Trump's ‘fork’ deal. Then they got fired — creating a government ‘mess.’ — The Trump administration is racing to fix mistakes after some agencies fired probationary employees who had accepted the deferred resignation offer for federal workers.


‘Stagflation’ fears haunt US markets despite Trump's pro-growth agenda — Stubborn inflation and President Donald Trump's hard-line trade policies have rekindled fears of stagflation, a worrying mix of sluggish growth and relentless inflation that haunted the U.S. in the 1970s, even as markets remain upbeat on his pro-growth agenda.


Trump administration orders Pentagon to plan for sweeping budget cuts — The directive, detailed in a memo dated Tuesday, exempts a handful of programs, including the president's expanded military mission along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Discussion:
CNN, New York Times, USA Today, The Guardian, The Hill, Defense One, The Independent, Breaking Defense, UPI, Fox News, New York Post, SpaceNews, Forbes, New Republic, Raw Story, IJR, CNBC, Twitchy, Washington Examiner and Associated Press, more at Techmeme »


D.C. U.S. attorney probing Democrats over alleged threats, documents show — Analysts say Ed Martin's ‘Operation Whirlwind,’ which targets statements by Democrats and others about Elon Musk, justices and government workers, is meant to stifle criticism. — D.C.'s top prosecutor escalated …
Discussion:
Esquire, Rolling Stone and New York Times


Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared. — ProPublica's first-of-its-kind analysis is the most detailed look yet into a rise in life-threatening complications for women experiencing pregnancy loss under Texas' abortion ban. — Life of the Mother: How Abortion Bans Lead to Preventable Deaths


Andrew Cuomo supporter prepares reception ahead of likely mayoral bid — A “save the date” notice for a March 4 event is being planned for the ex-governor as he weighs a run for mayor. — NEW YORK — Supporters of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo are mobilizing to boost him as he prepares to run for New York City mayor.


Trump Team Finds Loophole to Defy Spirit of Court Orders Blocking Spending Freezes — Officials cite other legal authorities — not Mr. Trump's court-blocked directives — to keep withholding foreign aid and domestic grant money. — The Trump administration is systematically exploiting loopholes …
Discussion:
Politico


A judge in Mississippi orders newspaper to remove editorial, so we're publishing it — At Scioto Valley Guardian, Ohio's leading news website, we stand unwaveringly for the freedom of the press—a cornerstone of democracy enshrined in the First Amendment. Today, we are reprinting an editorial …
Discussion:
Associated Press, New York Times, Raw Story, Twitchy and The Independent, more at Mediagazer »