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11:55 AM ET, February 21, 2025

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
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 …
RELATED:
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 …
Joan Walsh / The Nation:
Trump's Firing Frenzy Is Hitting the GOP Where It Hurts
Discussion: ClearanceJobs and Scripps News
Qasim Nauman / New York Times:
Justice Dept. to Drop Discrimination Case Against Elon Musk's SpaceX  —  The Justice Department had sued SpaceX in 2023, accusing the company of violating federal law by refusing to hire refugees and people granted asylum in the United States.  —  The U.S. Justice Department said Thursday …
Discussion: Axios, RedState, New York Post and Bloomberg
RELATED:
CNBC:   U.S. says it will drop immigration case against SpaceX
Miranda Nazzaro / The Hill:
DOJ dropping immigration case against Musk's SpaceX
Discussion: Fox Business
Sarah Jeong / The Verge:
I cannot describe how strange Elon Musk's CPAC appearance was  —  So here's a literal transcript, instead. … Elon Musk spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday, giving a strange and often inarticulate on-stage interview to Newsmax presenter Rob Schmitt.
RELATED:
New Republic:
Bad News for Trump as Brutal New Polls Show Him and Elon Musk Sinking  —  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.
Adriana Gomez Licon / Associated Press:
Musk waves a chainsaw and charms conservatives talking up Trump's cost-cutting efforts
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.
Douglas Murray / New York Post:
Mr. President: Putin is THE dictator and 10 Ukraine-Russia war truths we ignore at our peril  —  This has been a dizzying and disorienting week in international diplomacy.  One with wild implications for Ukraine, the future of America's standing in the world and President Trump's legacy.
RELATED:
Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:
Trump's Putinization of America
Discussion: Plain Dealer
Timothy Snyder / Thinking about:
“Recoup the costs”  —  The sadism of American policy to war-torn Ukraine
Discussion: Wall Street Journal and UPI
Hanna Arhirova / Associated Press:
Trump's attempts to denigrate Zelenskyy have led to a surge in Ukrainian unity
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
RELATED:
Catie Edmondson / New York Times:
Senate G.O.P. Passes Budget Resolution, and Punts on Tough Questions  —  Approval of the Republican budget plan left major questions about tax cuts and spending reduction for another day.  —  The budget plan that Republicans pushed through the Senate early Friday was a necessary …
RELATED:
Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:   February 20, 2025  —  On Monday, James Marriott of The Times, published in London …
Catherine Rampell / Washington Post:
Why Gen Z men love Trump's reign of destruction  —  Trump's appeal to the demographic might not have to do with his policies.  —  Many Americans are disturbed by President Donald Trump's trampling of the Constitution and nuking of the federal government.  But one group seems to love what Trump is doing: young men.
RELATED:
Reuters:
Trump adviser says he expects Zelenskiy to sign minerals agreement
Rolling Stone:
Trump and Elon's ‘Pointless Bloodbath’ at the FAA Is Even Worse Than You Think  —  The Trump administration fired several FAA lawyers tasked with helping keep reckless and drunk pilots out of the skies — and officials are baffled  —  Late last week, just as Presidents' Day weekend was starting …
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 …
William Kristol / The Bulwark:
Inside DOGE's Dumbest Cut Yet  —  Andrew had meant to spend yesterday soaking in the sights and sounds at CPAC, but found himself tied up reporting our lead story below.  So he missed Vice President JD Vance's culture-war ruminations, Steve Bannon's calls for a third Trump term in 2028 …
Jakub Krupa / The Guardian:
French far-right leader cancels US speech after Steve Bannon appears to make Nazi salute at CPAC - Europe live  —  Jordan Bardella cancels speech at US conference after former Trump aide appeared to make gesture at end of his speech at event on Thursday night
RELATED:
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: UPI, Scripting News and 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: The Hill, Raw Story and Mediaite
RELATED:
Shania Shelton / CNN:
GOP congressman faces criticism and several boos at Georgia town hall
Discussion: Alaska Public Media
Associated Press:
Singer of Canadian anthem at 4 Nations Face-Off changes lyric to protest Trump's 51st state remarks  —  The anthem singer who performed the Canadian anthem prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game Thursday night changed a lyric in “O Canada” as a response to U.S. President Donald …
RELATED:
Rhianna Schmunk / CBC News:
Chantal Kreviazuk changes O Canada lyrics at hockey game against U.S. to protest Trump
Noah Berlatsky / Public Notice:
AOC shows how to fight back and stand strong  —  🗣️ 🫶 🪧 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.
Discussion: The Daily Signal and Gothamist
Sam Stein / The Bulwark:
He Took Musk's Resignation Offer.  He Was Fired Anyway.  —  A TOP-RANKING REGIONAL FEMA OFFICIAL who took Elon Musk's resignation deal was fired thirteen days later by the Trump administration, raising questions about the integrity of the program that the White House put together to off-ramp tens of thousands of federal employees.
Discussion: Mediaite, Reuters and NPR
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 …
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 …
Zeynep Tufekci / New York Times:
Here Are the Digital Clues to What Musk Is Really Up To  —  Watching Elon Musk and his band of young acolytes slash their way through the federal government, many observers have struggled to understand how such a small group could do so much damage in so little time.
Joyce Vance / Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance:
Kash Patel, Confirmed  —  The Senate bent the knee again, confirming Kash Patel for a 10-year term as director of the FBI.  The 51-49 vote was mostly along party lines, with Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joining the Democrats this afternoon.
Brianna Keilar / CNN:
Military families rocked by Trump's federal government cuts  —  The Trump administration's swift, sweeping cuts to the federal workforce is set to derail the livelihoods of potentially thousands of military families.  —  The turmoil within the military community caused by the recent firings …
 
 
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 More Items: 
Bryan Mena / CNN:
US consumer sentiment plunges over tariff and inflation fears
Discussion: Reuters, Bloomberg and Tax Foundation
Alexander Tin / CBS News:
Mental health agency loses 1 in 10 staffers to DOGE cuts, 988 hotline team impacted
Violet Jira / NOTUS:
Rep. Cory Mills Is Under Investigation for Alleged Assault, Police Say
Ian Duncan / Washington Post:
DOGE employee cuts fall heavily on agency that regulates Musk's Tesla
Brian Beutler / Off Message:
A Problem From Hell  —  Crooks who think justice might catch up to them WILL become desperate.
Washington Post:
Va. lawmakers reject gift of last Founding Father home in private hands
Reuters:
Exclusive: Russia could concede $300 billion in frozen assets as part of Ukraine war settlement, sources say
Discussion: The Kyiv Independent
 Earlier Items: 
Ryan Cooper / American Prospect:
Why Are Delaware Democrats Trying to Give Elon Musk $55 Billion?
Corbin Hiar / Politico:
‘Cowardliness at the top’: Science agency staff revolt over cuts
Washington Post:
Justice Department deletes database tracking federal police misconduct
Discussion: Axios