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7:40 AM ET, February 21, 2025

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
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 …
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: Deadline, HuffPost and Law & Crime
NBC News:   Georgia Republican faces town hall backlash over DOGE's ‘chainsaw approach’ to government cuts
Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Justice Department broadens Trump's Jan. 6 clemency as it moves to drop gun cases  —  In court papers, DOJ revealed a newly expansive interpretation of the president's Jan. 6 pardons.  —  The Justice Department now says that President Donald Trump's clemency for Jan. 6 rioters covers unrelated crimes …
RELATED:
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 …
New York Times:
Trump Administration Live Updates: Senate Confirms Kash Patel as F.B.I. Chief
Lindsay Whitehurst / Associated Press:
Live updates: Senate narrowly confirms Kash Patel for FBI director
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: Raw Story, The Hill and Grabien
RELATED:
Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Half of Trump's first month in office saw him visiting Trump properties
Discussion: HuffPost and Daily Kos
Larry Diamond / The UnPopulist:   Trump's America Is in a Free Fall—Not a Slippery Slope—to Tyranny
NBC10 Philadelphia:
Hundreds of Philly IRS workers laid off on Thursday, union says  —  Around 400 Philadelphia IRS workers are expected to be laid off on Thursday, Feb. 20, union leader Alex Jay Berman confirmed  —  Hundreds of Philadelphia IRS employees were laid off on Thursday as part of the Trump administration's efforts …
Helen Branswell / STAT:
HHS orders CDC to halt some vaccine ads, saying RFK Jr. wants message focused on ‘informed consent’  —  Experts fear effort to recalibrate tone could dampen vaccine uptake  —  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was ordered to shelve promotions it developed for a variety of vaccines …
RELATED:
Politico:
RFK Jr. prepares shake-up of vaccine advisers
Discussion: Senator Patty Murray and NPR
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.
Discussion: CBS News
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.
Discussion: Mediaite
RELATED:
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: Axios
William Vaillancourt / The Daily Beast:
Steve Bannon Mimics Elon Musk's VERY Controversial Salute  —  Former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon whipped up Friday's Conservative Political Action Conference crowd by talking about the possibility of the President Donald Trump staying in office for a third term in 2028 …
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
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 …
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 …
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.
Discussion: Plain Dealer
CNBC:
U.S. says it will drop immigration case against SpaceX  —  The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday said it would drop a case accusing Elon Musk's space technology company SpaceX of refusing to hire certain immigrants.  —  The Justice Department last month signaled it could back away from the case …
Discussion: New York Times
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 …
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.
Politico:
Judge warns Trump administration not to dodge court order unfreezing foreign aid  —  Officials avoid contempt of court, but can't implement any broad holds on payments, a judge ruled.  —  A federal judge delivered a stern warning to the Trump administration that it must abide by a court order …
New Republic:
Trump Suddenly Slips in 3 Brutal New Polls—and Musk Looks Even Worse … Three new national polls—from CNN, Gallup, and The Washington Post—show that President Donald Trump's job approval is decidedly underwater.  Importantly, the polls also show majorities rejecting Trump's authoritarian governance.
New York Times:
Musk and His Millions Enter Wisconsin Supreme Court Race  —  Elon Musk's super PAC has spent $1 million on canvassing operations supporting the conservative candidate in the race, his first election spending after the 2024 campaign.  —  Elon Musk's super PAC is back.
Francis Fukuyama / Persuasion:
The Ultimate Betrayal  —  America just switched sides in the Ukraine war. … Even though anyone with eyes could see this coming, Donald Trump's recent moves with regard to Ukraine and Russia come as a huge blow.  We are in the midst of a global fight between Western liberal democracy …
Meredith Deliso / ABC News:
Grand jury recommends Alabama police department be ‘immediately abolished’  —  Five officers were indicted amid a probe into the Hanceville Police Department.  —  Cody Alan Kelso, Jason Scott Wilbanks, Jason Shane Marlin, William Andrew Shelnutt, and Eric Michael Kelso are shown …
Corbin Hiar / Politico:
‘Cowardliness at the top’: Science agency staff revolt over cuts  —  At an emotional meeting, foundation officials announced layoffs for about 10 percent of their workforce and warned of more firings to come.  —  The National Science Foundation went beyond the staff cuts demanded …
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 …
Marc Caputo / Axios:
Zelensky's five moves that set off Trump … - “President Trump is obviously very frustrated right now with President Zelensky,” National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said Thursday at the White House press briefing. … - Today, Trump is finding it more difficult than expected …
Josh Peter / USA Today:
Chris Kluwe isn't backing down after arrest for MAGA protest.  'Somebody's got to step up'  —  HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe wore a T-shirt, shorts and flip flops when he showed up to talk about his arrest Tuesday night during the Huntington Beach City Council meeting.
 
 
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 More Items: 
Danny Nguyen / Politico:
Neera Tanden is returning to the Center for American Progress. She thinks Democrats have work to do.
Discussion: New York Times and Semafor
Jacob Bogage / Washington Post:
Treasury agrees to block DOGE's access to personal taxpayer data at IRS
Discussion: Politico and The Hill
April Ehrlich / OPB:
Trump's firing of Forest Service workers raises concerns about wildfires in Oregon, the West
New York Times:
Is That Legal? A Guide to Trump's Big Moves So Far.
Josh Barro / Very Serious:
Democrats Need Their Own DEI Purge
 Earlier Items: 
Stephanie Nolen / New York Times:
Emergency Food, TB Tests and H.I.V. Drugs: Vital Health Aid Remains Frozen Despite Court Ruling
Asher Notheis / Washington Examiner:
CPAC attendees rejoice over McConnell's retirement: ‘Way past time’
Axios:
Scoop: U.S. to pull delegation from UN climate science meeting
Discussion: Reuters and Watts Up With That?
Alaric DeArment / New Republic:
Americans Are Heading for the Exits
Wired:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology Braces for Mass Firings
Discussion: New Republic, Fortune and Axios
NBC News:
Judge rules against union bid to block mass federal layoffs by Trump
Zoë Schiffer / Wired:
DOGE Puts $1 Spending Limit on Government Employee Credit Cards
Discussion: The Gateway Pundit