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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 …
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Examiner, Forbes, Raw Story, New Republic, Patterico's Pontifications, Deadline, New York Daily News, WDAY Radio and Semafor
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Trump Administration Live Updates: Senate Confirms Kash Patel as F.B.I. Chief — Where Things Stand — F.B.I. leader: The Senate confirmed Kash Patel, a Trump loyalist with a long history of attacking the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to oversee the bureau on a 51-49 vote.
Discussion:
USA Today, Bloomberg, The Hill, The National Pulse, Washington Examiner and New York Post


Live updates: Senate narrowly confirms Kash Patel for FBI director

Senate confirms Kash Patel, fierce critic of FBI, to head the bureau
Discussion:
Politico, CNN, The Hill, Rolling Stone, Nextgov/FCW, RTÉ, Blaze Media, FOX8 WGHP, UPI and CBS News


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.
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Trump's honeymoon is over — New polling shows Trump's approval declining — and a number of major warning signs appearing.
Discussion:
Raw Story and The Japan Times

Warning signs for Trump in new polling
Discussion:
The Independent, Reuters, FOX8 WGHP and The Hill

CNN Poll: Americans worried by Trump's push to expand power
Discussion:
Bloomberg, New Jersey Online, The Hill and Mediaite


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 …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Fox News, CBS News, New Republic, freebeacon.com, Roll Call, The Daily Caller, The Hill, Semafor, NBC News, Raw Story, NPR, UPI, USA Today, New York Daily News, Breitbart, The Guardian, WAGA-TV, Bloomberg, The Independent, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Townhall, Forbes, Hollywood Life, New York Post, Mediaite, One America News Network, RedState, Daily Kos, The Political Insider, NOTUS, RTÉ, E&E News, The Gateway Pundit, Daily Mail, Washington Times, The American Conservative and Grabien
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McConnell to announce retirement from the Senate — Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the former majority leader and the most consequential Republican senator of his generation, will announce Thursday he will not seek reelection next year, according to people briefed on his plans.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Axios, The Hill, CBS News, Fox News, Breitbart and IJR

Sen Mitch McConnell announces he will not run for re-election
Discussion:
Axios, ABC News, New York Post, Ace of Spades HQ and The Hill


Gov. Hochul won't remove NYC Mayor Adams from office, sources say … 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
Discussion:
NPR, Associated Press and New York Daily News
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Hochul to Seek New Oversight, but Won't Remove Adams for Now — Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York is said to be planning to announce that she will not remove Mayor Eric Adams at this time, but she will seek to increase the state's supervision of New York City's affairs.


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
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DOGE released data about federal contract savings. It doesn't add up
Discussion:
Fox News, HuffPost, OutsideTheBeltway, The Intercept, CNN, Reuters, emptywheel, Al Jazeera, Rolling Stone, The Hill, Bloomberg, Washington Examiner, USA Today and The Independent


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 …
Discussion:
Twitchy, New Republic, ClearanceJobs, E&E News, Washington Times and Reuters


US objects to calling out ‘Russian aggression’ in G7 statement on Ukraine — Trump administration splits with allies on holding Moscow responsible for war — The US is opposing calling Russia the aggressor in a G7 statement on the third anniversary of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine …
Discussion:
Vox, The Guardian, The Kyiv Independent, Euromaidan Press, spiked, Bloomberg and Semafor
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Exclusive: US refusing to co-sponsor UN motion backing Ukraine — The U.S. is refusing to co-sponsor a draft U.N. resolution marking three years since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine that backs Kyiv's territorial integrity and condemns Russian aggression, three diplomatic sources told Reuters …
Discussion:
Sky News Australia, The Hill, Digby's Hullabaloo, Daily Mail and The Kyiv Independent


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 …
Discussion:
New Republic, Bloomberg and Raw Story


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.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, more at Techmeme »
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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


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 …
Discussion:
Business Insider, Gizmodo and The Information, more at Mediagazer »


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:
HuffPost, Business Insider, The Independent, New Republic and Eschaton


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 …
Discussion:
New Republic, The Independent and Lawyers, Guns & Money


Critics Worry Kash Patel Will Purge the FBI. Would He Even Need To? — “An unnervingly large percentage of the agency will be sympathetic to what Patel wants to do,” a former FBI agent tells Rolling Stone — At the first rally to kick off his 2024 campaign, Donald Trump played …
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Kash Patel, Trump Media Board Member and QAnon Conspiracy Theorist, Confirmed as FBI Director
Discussion:
Fox News, The Hill, New York Magazine, Hollywood Life and NBC News


Trump ends federal leadership program, cutting off key talent pipeline — The decades-old Presidential Management Fellows Program was axed as part of the president's workforce purge. — The Trump administration ended the Presidential Management Fellows Program in a late-night executive order Wednesday …
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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 …


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.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, CNN, University of Manchester and The Guardian, more at Mediagazer »


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.
Discussion:
HuffPost, Fox News, Raw Story, The Hill, New York Daily News, WDAY Radio, The Guardian, IJR, MeidasTouch News, Louder With Crowder, New York Times, New Republic, al.com, Plain Dealer, New York Times, New York Post, Daily Mail, NBCSports.com, TMZ.com, San Diego Union-Tribune, The Daily Caller and Blaze Media


Nearly One in 10 U.S. Adults Identifies as L.G.B.T.Q., Survey Finds — New data shows a rapid increase in recent years, driven by the young. The Trump administration has recently been rolling back L.G.B.T.Q. initiatives. — Nearly one in 10 adults in the United States identifies as L.G.B.T.Q. …


AP's Back-Channel Press — News outlets across the political spectrum have united behind the AP, signing a WHCA-backed letter urging the White House to reverse its press ban, a copy of which Status has obtained. — On Wednesday, Julie Pace boarded a plane to Florida for a high-stakes meeting.
Discussion:
The Hill, NPR, Deadline, Adweek, The Nation, Mediaite and The Reporters Committee …, more at Mediagazer »


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.
Discussion:
Mostly signs, more at Mediagazer »


Freshman Congressman tells constituent he is powerless to stop Musk's budget cuts — At an open house in Fairbanks on Monday, Alaskan Congressman Nick Begich (R) told constituents that there was nothing he could do to stop agency budget cuts being implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk.
Discussion:
KTUU and Anchorage Daily News


Statement by Performing the Duties of Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert G. Salesses — President Trump's charge to the Department is clear: to achieve peace through strength. We will do this by putting forward budgets that revive the warrior ethos, rebuild our military, and reestablish deterrence.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Fox News, USA Today, The Daily Wire, Washington Times, Axios and Defense One


‘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 …


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 …
Discussion:
The Hill, New York Times, Daily Caller News Foundation, ABC News and The Daily Wire, more at Techmeme »


Elite lawyers sell out the rule of law — 🏛️ 📜 ⚖️ With corporate outlets obeying in advance, supporting independent political media is more important right now than ever. Public Notice is possible thanks to paid subscribers.


IRS lays off 6,700 employees, torpedoing Democratic enforcement boost — The IRS fired 6,700 employees on Thursday, a government official told NewsNation, the sister television network of The Hill. — The employees were designated as probationary, meaning they were working for the agency …
Discussion:
Reuters, Federal News Network and The Independent


Trump's rapid obliteration of the First Amendment is fit for a king — On Jan. 26, reporters for radio station KCBS showed up for work to do what American journalists have been doing mostly unfettered since the 1791 ratification of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment …
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review and Washington Times