Health Update  —  With a heavy heart, I have to tell you that after a long battle with cancer my husband Kevin Drum passed away on Friday, March 7, 2025.  —  No public memorial services are planned.  —  In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity or political cause of your choice.

Trump says a transition period for the economy is likely: 'You can't really watch the stock market' … WATCH NOW  —  President Donald Trump and other senior White House officials have spent the past several days bracing Americans for a potential economic slowdown that they say will then lead to stronger growth ahead.

Top ‘Washington Post’ columnist resigns, accusing publisher of killing piece  —  A top political columnist for The Washington Post resigned today, accusing Post chief executive and publisher Will Lewis of killing her column that criticized owner Jeff Bezos's drive to overhaul the opinion pages to focus on his libertarian priorities.

Deleted tweets show top State Department official spread false rumor about Rubio's sexuality, called him ‘low IQ’  —  A top acting State Department official deleted at least half a dozen tweets that ridiculed his now boss, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, including ones calling him “low IQ” …

Trump, With More Honey Than Vinegar, Cements an Iron Grip on Republicans  —  In his second term, President Trump is cultivating warm relationships with G.O.P. lawmakers — and using the implicit threat of ruining them if they stray — to keep them in line behind his agenda.

Immigration agents arrest Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University protests  —  Federal immigration authorities arrested a Palestinian activist Saturday who played a prominent role in Columbia University's protests against Israel, a significant escalation in the Trump administration's pledge …

Kash Patel inquires about private security detail, direct phone line to WH  —  FBI Director Kash Patel has inquired about replacing his FBI security detail with private guards, and has also asked about maintaining a direct phone line to the White House, including in his car, two FBI officials familiar with the matter told NBC News.

Will Dems Pick Up Their Sword? … (Ed. Note: I go into a lot of detail below.  The bottom line is Democrats have about 48 hours to convince D senators to clip Elon's wings.  It's still totally doable.  But it has to happen in the next 48 hours.)  —  We're now down to the wire with the so-called “continuing resolution” fight.

X down: Twitter not working amid major outage  —  Your support helps us to tell the story  —  From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing.  Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC …

Trump-appointed judge quits judicial group over warning about threats  —  A prominent conservative U.S. appeals court judge resigned from the largest association of federal judges over its decision to speak out against a rise in criticism, threats and violence directed at the judiciary …

Transcript: Fiasco for Musk as Trump Advisers Erupt in anti-DOGE Panic … Greg Sargent: This is The Daily Blast from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR network.  I'm your host, Greg Sargent.  —  The rift between Elon Musk and Republicans is about to get worse.

Musk Blames a ‘Massive Cyberattack’ on X for Series of Outages … Elon Musk blamed widespread disruptions on his social media platform X on a “massive cyberattack,” which he speculated was orchestrated by a “large, coordinated group” or country.  —  Tens of thousands of users globally …

Firm Targeted by Trump Over Clinton Campaign Work Hires Top Litigators  —  President Trump stripped Perkins Coie of access to federal buildings and personnel, citing its work for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign.  The firm hired Williams & Connolly, which is skilled in fighting the government, to represent it.

Trans punk star Laura Jane Grace sings at Bernie Sanders rally, infuriating right-wingers  — Written by Amelia Hansford Share Save for later  —  Trans punk rock star Laura Jane Grace made a surprise appearance at a Bernie Sanders rally recently, infuriating the usual anti-trans …

DOGE hunts for ‘wins’ amid tensions with Trump administration, backlash  —  As turmoil spills into public view, Elon Musk's DOGE is racing to finish slashing federal bureaucracy and move on to the more constructive work of building digital tools for the government.

Utah to Become First State to Ban Fluoride in Public Water  —  Most public-health experts say the mineral additive is crucial protector against tooth decay  —  Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he would sign a bill that bans the use of fluoride in public water systems, rejecting the practice …

Amazon to begin streaming Trump's ‘The Apprentice’  —  The show will be available on Prime Video for the first time, highlighting the close link between Trump's time as a reality TV personality and his two-time presidency.  —  Amazon has announced it will begin streaming “The Apprentice” …

Democratic media leader dating US senator  —  The News  —  One of the Democratic Party's most notable digital media leaders is dating one of the party's most media-friendly lawmakers, according to a Washington Democrat and a pointed Instagram post.  —  Tara McGowan, the CEO of the network …

Former Social Security official describes hostile takeover by Musk team  —  DOGE officials also put millions of taxpayers' private data at risk and refused to say why they needed access to it, the official says.  —  Just now  —  They came in aggressively, a former official …

The Road from ‘Citizens United’ to Trump, Musk, and Corruption  —  WHAT HAPPENS WHEN a greedy geezer with the most powerful job in the world cements himself to a greedy grabber who is the richest man in the world?  You get Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and a superpower emeritus about ready to be stripped for parts.

Veterans Administration therapists forced to provide mental health counseling in open cubicles  —  As part of the Trump administration's frenzied push to end remote work arrangements for federal government workers, the Veterans Administration (VA) is forcing therapists to provide mental health counseling in open cubicles.

New Data: Republican Voters Want Authoritarianism  —  1. Values Voters  —  Why did a plurality of voters choose Trump?  —  The question is a Rorschach.  The most complete answer is that voters chose him for all the reasons.  Seventy-seven million people voted for the guy.

US added to international watchlist for rapid decline in civic freedoms  —  Civicus, an international non-profit, puts country alongside Democratic Republic of Congo, Italy, Pakistan and Serbia  —  The United States has been added to the Civicus Monitor Watchlist, which identifies countries …

US Said to Drop Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against Migrant Child Shelter  —  The Justice Department plans to drop a Biden-era lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by employees of a company that houses thousands of unaccompanied migrant children and has received billions of dollars in federal grants to operate the facilities.

Vivek Ramaswamy's allies tout Trump endorsement in $3 million Ohio ad blitz  —  An outside super PAC backing Ramaswamy, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, says it raised $15 million in his first two weeks as a candidate.  —  CLEVELAND — A super PAC backing Vivek Ramaswamy …

EU social media law isn't censorship, tech chief tells US critic  —  Henna Virkkunen tells U.S. member of Congress that the EU is ‘deeply committed’ to protecting free speech.  —  The European Union's social media law “does not regulate speech,” EU tech boss Henna Virkkunen told a key U.S. lawmaker …

Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Law Banning Conversion Therapy  —  Colorado, like more than 20 other states, bars licensed therapists from trying to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of minors in their care.  —  The Supreme Court said on Monday that it will hear …

Elon Musk seeks Italian presidential meeting to salvage Starlink deal  —  Domestic political opposition to $1.5bn deal for secure communications has mounted amid transatlantic diplomatic tensions  —  Elon Musk has asked to meet Italy's President Sergio Mattarella, amid growing doubts in Rome …

Capitol agenda: Johnson's shutdown dare for Schumer  —  Mike Johnson to Chuck Schumer on government funding: Your move.  House Republicans are pushing a not-so-clean spending patch through September that would add billions of dollars for deportations, veterans' health care and the military …