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Behind the scenes, GOP senators challenge legality of Trump's aid cuts — Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally who lauded the USAID cuts, quietly joined Democrats in expressing alarm. — Just now — A handful of Republican senators have joined their Democratic colleagues in expressing alarm …
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Trump's Screaming Call & G.O.P. Moderate Misery — The House has cleared a budget hurdle... barely. But the chamber's Republican lawmakers may yet be thwarted by their own internal dynamics—not to mention the Senate. — Representative Victoria Spartz, among the more chaotic …
Discussion:
Fox News, New Republic, Raw Story and Washington Examiner


Trump and GOP leaders discuss using tariffs to pay for agenda
Discussion:
Raw Story and The Daily Signal

Trump's Third-Term Talk Faces Pushback From a Democratic Congressman
Discussion:
American Prospect, NBC News, Axios and The Hill

Congress barrels toward shutdown deadline with few signs of progress on funding bill
Discussion:
Politico, Punchbowl News and Blaze Media

Republicans terrified of crossing Trump due to physical threats, Democrat says
Discussion:
The Hill


Oscar-winner Gene Hackman, wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were dead for some time, warrant shows — Oscar-winner Gene Hackman, his wife and their dog were found dead in different rooms of their Santa Fe home, and they had apparently been dead for some time, according to investigators.
Discussion:
New York Times, Santa Fe New Mexican, NBC News, PBS NewsHour, Associated Press, The Guardian, Bangor Daily News, Advocate, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart, TMZ.com, Deadline, UPI, Los Angeles Times, CBS News, OutsideTheBeltway, WCSH, USA Today, Fox Business, Washington Examiner, Daily Mail, Reuters, Digital Spy, New York Post, CityNews Toronto, One America News Network, WOWK 13 News, The Post Millennial, RedState, San Diego Union-Tribune, Deseret News, The Daily Wire, Hollywood Life, Page Six, Rolling Stone, masslive.com, Agence France-Presse, New York Daily News and NPR
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Gene Hackman, Hollywood's Consummate Everyman, Dies at 95 — The winner of two Oscars, he was hailed for his nuanced performances in films like “The French Connection,” “Unforgiven” and “The Royal Tenenbaums.” — Gene Hackman, who never fit the mold of a Hollywood movie star …
Discussion:
CNN, The Guardian, Variety, BBC, Marin Independent Journal, Washington Post, Breitbart, IndieWire, Raw Story, Patterico's Pontifications, PinkNews, New York Daily News, San Diego Union-Tribune, Fox News, Reuters, Los Angeles Times, Althouse, Rolling Stone, Voice of America, Al Jazeera, The Hollywood Reporter, CBS News, New Jersey Online, IJR, The Daily Caller, Irish Examiner, NewsNation, UPI, WAGA-TV, Daily Mail, Adweek, Digital Spy, Virtual Globetrotting, Vanity Fair, New York Post, TMZ.com, Mediaite, Hollywood Life, Gizmodo, Chicago Sun Times, Page Six and TVLine


Judge blocks Trump administration's mass firings of federal workers — A federal judge ruled that the terminations at several agencies, including the Department of Defense, were likely illegal. — SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Office of Personnel Management …
Discussion:
GovExec.com, USA Today, Associated Press, The Independent, Canon City Daily Record, Forbes and Reuters
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NOAA begins firing hundreds of staffers — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) began the process of firing hundreds of probationary workers Thursday, the latest mass job cuts within federal agencies, three sources with knowledge of internal operations told The Hill.
Discussion:
The Guardian, CBS News, Axios and E&E News


RFK Jr. Takes a Sledgehammer to Two Major Vaccine Developments — Multiple vaccine projects have been paused by the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — Kennedy paused a multimillion-dollar project to create a new Covid-19 vaccine in pill form on Tuesday …
Discussion:
San Francisco Business Times, Israpundit, The Post Millennial, CNBC, Gizmodo, Rolling Stone, The Gateway Pundit and Breitbart
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With RFK Jr. at his side, a measles outbreak could prove ‘politically perilous’ for Trump
Discussion:
The Independent, Raw Story, CNN, Daily Kos, USA Today, Rolling Stone, NPR and Daily Mail

HHS weighs rescinding Moderna bird flu vaccine contract
Discussion:
CBS News, Axios, Reuters, Bloomberg and Megyn Kelly


Elon Musk says upgrade of FAA's air traffic control system is failing and SpaceX needs to take over Verizon's contract — New York CNN — Elon Musk said Thursday that Verizon's efforts to provide a critically needed upgrade to the FAA's air traffic control system is failing.
Discussion:
The Post Millennial, Fox News and Rolling Stone
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FAA targeting Verizon contract in favor of Musk's Starlink, sources say
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Reuters, Rolling Stone, The Daily Wire, U.S. Constitution.net, @amuse, RedState, Gizmodo, The UnPopulist, Skift, IJR, New Jersey Online, Daily Kos, MeidasTouch News, The Independent, The Verge, New Republic, Mediaite, The Register, The Information and Digby's Hullabaloo, more at Techmeme »

Elon Musk urges retired air traffic controllers to come back
Discussion:
New York Times, New Republic, Daily Kos, Raw Story, New York Post and Fox Business


She hoped Trump's victory would change her life, but not like this — Ryleigh Cooper is normally more focused on motherhood than politics. Then came DOGE. — BALDWIN, Mich. — Ryleigh Cooper exhaled as she slid onto the couch after nine hours of work for the U.S. Forest Service …
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money, Raw Story and The Hill


Who Is in DOGE? Tracking Its Staffers and Allies in the Federal Government — The New York Times identified 45 people within the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, a group formed by Elon Musk that in a short few weeks has radically upended federal agencies. Few members have formal Washington experience.
Discussion:
RedState, The Gateway Pundit and Raw Story
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Inside Kash Patel's Whirlwind Start at the FBI — The new FBI director ordered officials to undertake a $100 million restructuring with no clear way to fund it—and took on a second job — WASHINGTON—FBI officials from regional field offices gathered on a video call this week to hear …
Discussion:
New York Times, Raw Story and Reuters
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Judge orders Trump administration officials to give sworn testimony on DOGE — The Justice Department fought the effort to put staffers involved in the controversial cost-slashing effort under oath. — A federal judge has ordered Trump administration officials involved in Elon Musk's …
Discussion:
New York Times, Reuters, Business Insider, NBC News, Bloomberg and Raw Story


Andrew Tate and brother Tristan, who face human trafficking charges in Romania, arrive in the U.S. — London — Self-proclaimed misogynist social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan arrived in the U.S. Thursday despite facing rape and human trafficking charges that are still pending in Romania.
Discussion:
HuffPost, IJR, The Intercept, Mediaite, Gizmodo, Fox News, Digby's Hullabaloo, USA Today, Bloomberg, Metro.co.uk, New York Post and The Gateway Pundit
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Andrew Tate, who faces rape and trafficking charges in Romania, has left for the US
Discussion:
The Hill, Vox, BBC, New York Times, HuffPost, USA Today, Sky News, New Jersey Online, The Floridian, NBC News, UPI, The Guardian, Reuters, New York Post, CNN, Los Angeles Times, New Republic, The Dispatch, Breitbart, Washington Post, Raw Story, The Independent, The 19th, NPR, Florida Politics, Associated Press, The Daily Caller, PinkNews, Al Jazeera, Mediaite, Axios, MeidasTouch News, Rolling Stone, Politico, WAGA-TV, CityNews Toronto, WFLA, New York Daily News, The Daily Wire, Deadline and i💚terf


Dems are icing out Tesla lobbyists over Elon Musk's Trump ties — Tesla's campaigns to sell its electric vehicles directly to consumers, bypassing traditional dealerships, face more challenges in Democratic statehouses as Musk's national clout grows. — ALBANY, New York …
Discussion:
Raw Story
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How the Bezos-Trump alliance began … - It wasn't until late October — three months later — that Bezos spiked the Post editorial page's planned endorsement of Kamala Harris for president, and his outreach to Trump came into focus. … - The move was praised by Trump allies such as Elon Musk …
Discussion:
CNN, The Message Box, The Washington Free Beacon, Politico, Daily Mail, Mediaite, JONATHAN TURLEY, Raw Story, American Greatness, Townhall, Zeteo, The Atlantic and CNBC, more at Mediagazer »


Here's what on the Jeffrey Epstein list that the Trump DOJ is set to release later today — WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is preparing to release notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein's personal address book Thursday, The Post has learned. — A source who has reviewed the files …
Discussion:
Fox News, Scripps News, Washington Examiner, CBS News, The Independent, The Post Millennial, Twitchy, Reuters, The Federalist, Daily Mail, RedState, The Daily Caller, The Hill, Florida Politics, UPI, Blaze Media, HotAir, The Maine Wire, Hollywood Life, NewsNation, USA Today, The Gateway Pundit, FOX 32 Chicago and Instapundit


CNN Fact-Checker Floored By Trump Cabinet Meeting: ‘There Was Just So Much’ — Daniel Dale picked apart the president's statements during the first meeting of his new administration's department heads. — President Donald Trump's first Cabinet meeting Wednesday of his new administration …
Discussion:
CNN, Mediaite, Raw Story, Washington Post and USA Today


Elon Musk's Attacks On Judges Are Getting More Racist and More Dangerous — In recent weeks, federal judges across the country have blocked several of President Donald Trump's more ambitious attempts to treat following the law as optional. Elon Musk, who is leading the administration's efforts …
Discussion:
The Daily Wire and Washington Post


Trump Education Department Opens Snitch Line Against Diversity — The snitch portal was launched in association with the extremist group Moms for Liberty … Tiffany Justice, of Moms for Liberty, touted the launch of the portal, highlighting it as an opportunity for parents to push back against …
Discussion:
The Guardian, U.S. Department of Education, Washington Examiner, The Daily Wire, New York Post and The Hill


Iowa Lawmakers Pass Bill to Eliminate Transgender Civil Rights Protections — If signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, the Republican-backed measure would eliminate state civil rights protections for transgender Iowans. — Iowa lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill on Thursday …
Discussion:
Des Moines Register, Associated Press, The Hill, Scripps News, The Gateway Pundit, Advocate and Blaze Media


Trump administration struggles to rehire fired bird flu employees — USDA supervisors are being asked to justify rehires and some employees still haven't gotten their laptops back. — The Trump administration touted a nearly $1 billion plan Wednesday to combat the spread of avian flu …
Discussion:
New Republic, Times-Standard, Associated Press, USA Today and FOX 32 Chicago


Trump's biggest power grab just reached the Supreme Court — On Wednesday night, Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily halted a lower court order, which would have required the Trump administration to make approximately $2 billion in foreign aid payments that it had stopped as part …
Discussion:
One First, CBS News, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Washington Examiner, Law and Chaos, UPI and Bloomberg


White House official threatens to redraw Canadian border — Peter Navarro is pushing negotiators to discuss reworking country's boundaries, The Telegraph can reveal — A top White House official has threatened to redraw the Canadian border amid Donald Trump's ambition to turn the country in America's “51st state”.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller


Inside the Collapse at the NIH — Administration officials pressured the NIH to avoid clear advice from the agency's own lawyers to restart grant funding now. — For decades, the National Institutes of Health has had one core function: support health research in the United States.
Discussion:
NPR


Pentagon directs removal of trans service members from military — The Pentagon has directed that service members and recruits with gender dysphoria be separated from the U.S. military in accordance with an executive order issued a month ago by President Trump.
Discussion:
The Guardian, Washington Post, Fox News, Associated Press, Law Dork, CNN, UPI, Reuters, Politico, HotAir, Daily Mail, The Hill, Washington Examiner, IJR, Erin In The Morning, Daily Caller News Foundation, PinkNews, Raw Story, Metro.co.uk and Axios


Neo-Nazis targeted a majority-Black town. Locals launched an armed watch. — Residents of Lincoln Heights, Ohio, are guarding their streets with rifles after criticizing the police response to a neo-Nazi rally. — For weeks, men carrying rifles have guarded the roads leading into Lincoln Heights …


How many Trump voters regret their votes? — Anecdotes aside, polls show little sign of significant Trump-voter backlash. But some warning signs of discontent loom. — If you're on social media these days, you might have noticed a growing volume of posts about Trump supporters who, to paraphrase, effed around and found out.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, HotAir and American Greatness


Former defense chiefs denounce Trump's ‘reckless’ Pentagon firings — The five former leaders urged Congress to hold the president accountable for what they called his unjustified removal of the Joint Chiefs chairman and other top military officers. — Five former defense secretaries …
Discussion:
Political Wire


Elon Musk Claims Ebola Containment Efforts Were Restored. USAID Officials Say Otherwise. — The contracts financed Ebola screening at airports and protective gear for health workers, among other measures. Work had been held up for weeks, contrary to Elon Musk's claim on Wednesday.
Discussion:
PBS NewsHour, NPR, Techdirt, Daily Kos, New Republic, Semafor, The Independent and Lawyers, Guns & Money


Cruel and Usual: Republicans Prepare to Gut Medicaid — West Virginia is a very red state; Donald Trump received more than two thirds of its votes last year. — It's also a poor state, left behind by the 21st century economy. Because incomes are low, it pays very little in federal income taxes …
Discussion:
Brian Tyler Cohen, Politico, New York Times, WPR and Business Insider