Senate moves ahead on shutdown votes  —  Democrats agreed to speed up consideration of the bill to allow a vote on Friday in exchange for votes on four amendments.  —  Senate leaders struck a deal on Friday to pave the way for passage of the House GOP's seven-month stopgap spending bill and avoid a government shutdown.

Trump demands admissions overhaul and control of academic department at Columbia University  —  The Trump administration has delivered an extraordinary ultimatum to Columbia University, threatening to permanently end federal funding to the Ivy League school unless it cedes control …

Trump calls his opponents ‘scum’ and lawbreakers in bellicose speech at Justice Department  —  For more than an hour, he delivered an insult-laden speech that shattered the traditional notion of DOJ independence.  —  President Donald Trump on Friday walked into the Department of Justice …

The right dominates the online media ecosystem, seeping into sports, comedy, and other supposedly nonpolitical spaces  —  A new Media Matters analysis found 9 out of the 10 top online shows assessed are right-leaning … The 2024 presidential election has been dubbed the “podcast election” …

Musk Immediately Calls for Judges to Be Impeached After DOGE Rulings  —  Elon Musk threw a tantrum after his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was dealt a series of legal setbacks, immediately calling for the impeachment of federal judges.  “Without judicial reform …

Boehler withdraws nomination as special presidential envoy for hostages affairs  —  Adam Boehler, who oversaw unprecedented direct negotiations with Hamas on behalf of President Trump, has withdrawn his nomination for the position of special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, according to two White House officials.

Kevin Drum, Influential Early Political Blogger, Dies at 66  —  Writing on his own and for Washington Monthly and Mother Jones, he earned a reputation as a serious policy thinker.  He also invented Friday cat blogging.  —  Kevin Drum, who gave up his day job in software marketing to write online …

After JD Vance is booed, Kennedy Center head urges ‘diversity and inclusion’  —  In a staff email, interim president Richard Grenell, a Trump ally, condemned a chorus of boos directed at the vice president and his wife at a concert Thursday night.  —  When Vice President JD Vance took …

Fear and Loathing in the West Wing  —  Inside the revolt against Elon Musk...  Welcome back to The Red Letter.  —  The tolerance for Elon Musk inside of the White House is wearing thin, as they deal with the fallout of his calamitous interview with Larry Kudlow when he touched the third rail - entitlements.

A Close Elon Musk Friend Joins His Effort on Social Security  —  The involvement of Antonio Gracias, an investor who has known Elon Musk for two decades, suggests that Mr. Musk has made overhauling the Social Security Administration a priority.  —  A private equity investor …

Draft List for New Travel Ban Proposes Trump Target 43 Countries  —  A draft circulating inside the administration lists three tiers of countries whose citizens may face restrictions on entering the United States.  —  The Trump administration is considering targeting the citizens …

Under Trump, AI Scientists Are Told to Remove ‘Ideological Bias’ From Powerful Models  —  A directive from the National Institute of Standards and Technology eliminates mention of “AI safety” and “AI fairness.”  —  The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) …

Office for Civil Rights Initiates Title VI Investigations into Institutions of Higher Education  —  WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) opened investigations into 45 universities under Title VI following OCR's February 14 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) …

Trump moves to close facility that helps track planet-warming pollution  —  The lab is connected to the Mauna Loa Observatory, where scientists gather data to produce the Keeling Curve, a chart on the daily status of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.

Canada reconsidering F-35 purchase amid tensions with Washington, says minister  —  Payment for first 16 aircraft already made  —  Canada is actively looking at potential alternatives to the U.S.-built F-35 stealth fighter and will hold conversations with rival aircraft makers …

Arlington Cemetery website scrubs links about Black and female veterans  —  Pentagon leaders have ordered that their websites and social media pages remove articles and images that “promote” DEI.  —  Arlington National Cemetery has scrubbed information about prominent Black …

Trump Admin Nixed Contract Helping Kidnapped Ukrainian Children  —  Even as President Donald Trump and government-demolition czar Elon Musk appear to actively favor Russia's interests amid discussions of how to end the Russia-Ukraine war, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has struck a studiously neutral posture.

David French: Trump Admits He's Violating the Constitution  —  Trump & company aren't even attempting to create a pretext for why they're punishing the free speech of political opponents.  They are basically confessing in writing to violating the First Amendment.

Mace sued for defamation by man she accused of abuse in floor speech  —  The legal action seeks to carve out an exception from the speech or debate clause of the Constitution.  —  Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is facing a defamation lawsuit filed by one of the four men she has publicly accused …