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9:25 PM ET, February 20, 2025

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Ryan J. Reilly / NBC News:
Senate confirms Kash Patel as FBI director  —  The Trump loyalist is taking over a bureau in turmoil over firings and an effort to gather names of people who worked on Jan. 6 Capitol riot investigations.  —  WASHINGTON — Kash Patel, a longtime loyalist to President Donald Trump …
Ryan Lucas / NPR:
Senate confirms Kash Patel, fierce critic of FBI, to head the bureau  —  The Republican-led Senate voted Thursday to confirm Kash Patel as the new FBI director despite questions about whether he has the qualifications and the temperament to lead the nation's most powerful law enforcement agency.
Lindsay Whitehurst / Associated Press:
Live updates: Senate narrowly confirms Kash Patel for FBI director
Hailey Fuchs / Politico:
Senate confirms Kash Patel to lead FBI
ProPublica:
DOGE's Millions: As Musk and Trump Gut Government, Their Ax-Cutting Agency Gets Cash Infusion  —  ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.  Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published.  —  While Elon Musk and his underlings demand budget cuts …
RELATED:
Meredith Lee Hill / Politico:
The private GOP panic over the slash-and-burn DOGE firings  —  White House aides are inundated with congressional calls as Republicans fret.  —  A growing number of congressional Republicans are desperately trying to back-channel with White House officials as President Donald Trump's Department …
Wired:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology Braces for Mass Firings
Discussion: New Republic, Fortune and Axios
Jacob Bogage / Washington Post:
Trump expected to take control of USPS, fire postal board, officials say  —  The move threatens to upend trillions of dollars in ecommerce business and the 250-year-old Postal Service.
Discussion: Townhall
Justine McDaniel / Washington Post:
Trump again raises idea of running for an unconstitutional third term  —  The suggestion followed a stretch of days in which Trump referred to himself as a king and quoted a dictator in suggesting that he was immune from following laws  —  President Donald Trump on Thursday again raised …
Discussion: The Hill and Crooks and Liars
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Many of Trump's early actions are unpopular, Post-Ipsos poll finds  —  Reviews from Americans on President Donald Trump's second term are mixed to negative, and 57 percent say he has exceeded his authority since taking office.
Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Half of Trump's first month in office saw him visiting Trump properties
Discussion: HuffPost and Daily Kos
Jon Campbell / Gothamist:
Gov. Hochul says she won't remove NYC Mayor Adams from office … We rely on your support to make local news available to all  —  Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2025.  Donate today  —  Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
RELATED:
NBC News:
Gov. Kathy Hochul won't remove embattled NYC Mayor Eric Adams — for now
New York Times:
Hochul to Seek New Oversight, but Won't Remove Adams for Now
Bruce Schreiner / Associated Press:
Sen. Mitch McConnell won't seek reelection in 2026, ending long tenure as Republican power broker  —  Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell is announcing on Thursday that he won't seek reelection next year, ending a decadeslong tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes …
RELATED:
Asher Notheis / Washington Examiner:
CPAC attendees rejoice over McConnell's retirement: ‘Way past time’
Discussion: The Hill and Florida Politics
CNN:
Elon Musk's private security detail gets deputized by US Marshals Service  —  The US Marshals Service has deputized members of Elon Musk's private security detail, giving them certain rights and protections of federal law enforcement agents, three law enforcement officials familiar with the matter told CNN.
Suzanne Vranica / Wall Street Journal:
X Hinted at Possible Deal Trouble in Talks With Ad Giant to Increase Spending  —  Interpublic recently signed an advertising agreement with the platform; other agencies are also in negotiations  —  A lawyer at advertising conglomerate Interpublic Group fielded a phone call in December …
Christopher Flavelle / New York Times:
Trump Team Plans Deep Cuts at Office That Funds Recovery From Big Disasters  —  Staff at the office, a branch of the U.S. housing department that Congress uses to address the worst catastrophes, would be reduced by 84 percent.  —  The Trump administration plans to all but eliminate the office …
Chris Perez / Law & Crime:
‘Discovery will be needed’: Trump must fork over his personal financials if he follows through with Kamala Harris ‘60 Minutes’ lawsuit, CBS says  —  Lawyers for CBS say they plan to demand that President Donald Trump — who is allegedly letting DOGE pillage U.S. treasury data …
Discussion: Deadline and The Root
RELATED:
Winston Cho / The Hollywood Reporter:
Paramount Is Starting to Fight Back Against Trump in ‘60 Minutes’ Lawsuit
Discussion: HuffPost
Zoë Schiffer / Wired:
DOGE Puts $1 Spending Limit on Government Employee Credit Cards  —  The restrictions are already in place at the General Services Administration along with several other agencies.  Soon they'll roll out to most of the federal government, sources say.  —  Elon Musk's so-called Department …
Discussion: The Gateway Pundit
RELATED:
New York Times:
Trump Dismantles Government Fight Against Foreign Influence Operations  —  The Trump administration has reassigned or forced out several dozen government employees who had been working to fight foreign interference in U.S. elections at multiple agencies, according to current and former officials.
Washington Post:
Justice Department deletes database tracking federal police misconduct  —  Trump executive order ends National Law Enforcement Accountability Database, which Trump proposed creating in 2020  —  The first nationwide database tracking misconduct by federal police officers has been shut …
Discussion: Twin Cities
Scott Macfarlane / CBS News:
Acting U.S. attorney opens inquiries into Democrats alleging possible threats to DOGE, Supreme Court justices  —  Ed Martin, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, revealed he has opened inquiries into public statements of Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate …
Politico:
RFK Jr. prepares shake-up of vaccine advisers  —  The health secretary is planning to remove members of a panel that recommends vaccines if he sees conflicts of interest.  —  HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is preparing to remove members of the outside committees that advise …
Discussion: STAT, NPR and The Hill
Marc Elias / Democracy Docket:
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,
Discussion: Raw Story
David Gilmour / Mediaite:
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.
Marco Rubio / United States Department of State:
Terrorist Designations of International Cartels  —  Today, the State Department is fulfilling one of President Trump's first promises since he took office.  I'm pleased to announce the Department's designation of eight organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).
ProPublica:
Texas Banned Abortion.  Then Sepsis Rates Soared.  —  ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.  Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published.  —  Pregnancy became far more dangerous in Texas after the state banned abortion in 2021 …
Anne Applebaum / The Atlantic:
The End of the Postwar World  —  Trump's cruelty and lies about Ukraine send a dark message to America's other allies.  —  For eight decades, America's alliances with other democracies have been the bedrock of American foreign policy, trade policy, and cultural influence.
Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:
Trump's Putinization of America  —  It's not just in foreign policy that the President is turning Russia's way.  —  No matter how many times Donald Trump openly parrots the Kremlin line, it's never not going to sound wrong coming from the President of the United States.
New York Times:
Trump Administration Abruptly Clears Out Migrants It Sent to Guantánamo  —  A transfer operation on Thursday repatriated 177 Venezuelans via a handoff in Honduras, while one migrant was brought back to U.S. soil.  —  The Trump administration on Thursday transferred all of the Venezuelan migrants …
Wired:
Google Ad-Tech Users Can Target National Security ‘Decision Makers’ and People With Chronic Diseases  —  Google enables marketers to target people with serious illnesses and crushing debt—against its policies—as well as the makers of classified defense technology, a WIRED investigation has found.
Katy O'Donnell / Politico:
‘Enormous fear’: Housing industry braces for Trump tariffs, workforce cuts  —  The fallout is already being felt.  Homebuilder sentiment fell sharply in February on concern over tariffs and high mortgage rates.  —  The U.S. housing market was already struggling under the weight of high mortgage rates and a lack of supply.
Jack Dolan / Los Angeles Times:
Trump administration backtracks on eliminating thousands of national parks employees  —  Following a loud public outcry about job cuts at the National Parks Service — and a relentless media campaign from outdoors enthusiasts across the country — it looks like the Trump administration has blinked.
Discussion: Plain Dealer
Samantha Hendrickson / The Columbus Dispatch:
Ohio GOP Rep. Balderson says Trump's executive orders ‘getting out of control’  —  Republican U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson described President Donald Trump's flurry of executive orders as “getting out of control” at a Westerville Area Chamber business luncheon Thursday, saying that only Congress can do certain things.
NBC News:
Judge rules against union bid to block mass federal layoffs by Trump  —  The case was the broadest suit brought against the Trump administration over its plans to dismiss both probationary workers and thousands of other government employees.  —  A federal judge Thursday denied a bid …
CNN:
Hegseth could fire some senior generals and admirals soon, sources say  —  Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth could soon move to fire more than half a dozen generals and flag officers, according to two sources familiar with the matter, part of an effort to purge the department of senior leaders perceived …
 
 
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 More Items: 
Francis Fukuyama / Persuasion:
The Ultimate Betrayal  —  America just switched sides in the Ukraine war.
Stephanie Nolen / New York Times:
Emergency Food, TB Tests and H.I.V. Drugs: Vital Health Aid Remains Frozen Despite Court Ruling
Nate Brought / Nate Brought on LinkedIn:
This evening I did something that would have been unthinkable just 4-5 months ago, and submitted my resignation to NIH Acting Director Dr. Matthew Memoli to be effective February 28, 2025. …
Axios:
Scoop: U.S. to pull delegation from UN climate science meeting
Discussion: Reuters, IPCC and Watts Up With That?
Alaric DeArment / New Republic:
Americans Are Heading for the Exits
 Earlier Items: 
Norman Ornstein / The Contrarian:
Just Another Example of Trump's Reckless, Punitive, and Narcissistic actions
Salvador Rizzo / Washington Post:
Judge rejects unions' request to pause Trump administration firings
Discussion: HotAir and New York Times
Will Bunch / The Philadelphia Inquirer:
Trump's rapid obliteration of the First Amendment is fit for a king
Radley Balko / Rolling Stone:
Critics Worry Kash Patel Will Purge the FBI. Would He Even Need To?
Reid J. Epstein / New York Times:
A Leading Anti-Trump Voice Returns to Democrats' Top Think Tank
Discussion: Semafor
The White House:
Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy
 

 
From Techmeme:

Bill Toulas / BleepingComputer:
An Interpol-led law enforcement action in 26 countries disrupted infostealer operations, leading to takedowns of 20K+ malicious IPs and domains and 32 arrests

Sara Fischer / Axios:
Filing: Disney and NBCUniversal sue Midjourney in California, accusing it of direct and secondary copyright infringement; they say talks with Midjourney failed

Ryan Whitwam / Ars Technica:
Android 16 review: live updates and Advanced Protection are nice, but features like desktop mode and Material 3 Expressive design won't come until later in 2025

 
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