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9:30 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: Mediaite and 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 …
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
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
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:
Winston Cho / The Hollywood Reporter:
Paramount Is Starting to Fight Back Against Trump in ‘60 Minutes’ Lawsuit  —  The CBS News owner's legal strategy has revolved around arguments challenging the President's insistence that it should stay in federal court in Texas, in addition to raising the specter of discovery and arbitration.
Discussion: HuffPost
RELATED:
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
Discussion: Deadline and The Root
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.
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 …
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).
Matthew Chapman / Raw Story:
‘Stand up for us!’  Republican shouted down as he defends DOGE cuts at town hall  —  Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) tried to tout massive federal spending cuts proposed by tech billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency task force at a town hall in his heavily Republican district …
Discussion: Popular Information and CBS News
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.
ProPublica:
Education Department “Lifting the Pause” on Some Civil Rights Probes, but Not for Race or Gender Cases  —  ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.  Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published.  —  The U.S. Department of Education …
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
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 …
 
 
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 More Items: 
Samantha Hendrickson / The Columbus Dispatch:
Ohio GOP Rep. Balderson says Trump's executive orders ‘getting out of control’
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
Norman Ornstein / The Contrarian:
Just Another Example of Trump's Reckless, Punitive, and Narcissistic actions
 Earlier Items: 
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