memeorandum: Columbia Is Nearing Agreement to Give Trump What He Wants (Wall Street Journal)

6:20 PM ET, March 19, 2025

Top Items:

Jasmine Mooney / The Guardian:

I'm the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped — I was stuck in a freezing cell without explanation despite eventually having lawyers and media attention. Yet, compared with others, I was lucky — There was no explanation, no warning.

Discussion: Documented and Raw Story

Sareen Habeshian / Axios:

Germany warns its travelers of tougher U.S. immigration enforcement — Germany updated its travel advisory for the United States this week, warning of stricter immigration enforcement at the border. — The big picture: Upping an advisory for visiting an ally country could be construed as a serious step …

Discussion: Reuters, The Standard, UPI and Politico

Andrew Solender / Axios:

Scoop: Schumer faces growing House Dem calls to step down — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is facing more calls to step aside than have previously been reported, with the possibility of more soon to come, Axios has learned. — Why it matters: No senators have called for Schumer to step down.

Discussion: The Guardian, USA Today, HotAir, Politico, The Daily Caller, The Washington Free Beacon, New Republic, CNN, Daily Kos, Mediaite, Blaze Media, Fox News, Washington Examiner, The Hill, The Daily Wire and HuffPost

Martin Pengelly / The Guardian:

Chuck Schumer clung to belief Republicans would ‘expel’ Trump, book says — Even as 2024 election loomed, reporters say, Democratic Senate leader was sure GOP would ‘expel the turd of Trump’ — Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate minority leader, insisted Republicans would move on from Donald …

Discussion: Axios, Politico and Breitbart

Meryl Kornfield / Washington Post:

2028 POV on 2025 Dems — Just now … Good morning, Early Birds. Allergy season seems to be starting in D.C. and especially these cities. Send tips to earlytips@washpost.com. Thanks for waking up with us. — In today's edition ... Analysis shows Republican tax cuts and benefit reductions …

Discussion: Democrats and Washington Times

Washington Post:

DOGE plays hardball in U.S. Institute of Peace takeover — DOGE, which stands for Department of Government Efficiency, took over the U.S. Institute of Peace after threatening its officials with criminal prosecution.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, USA Today, HotAir, Washington Examiner, IJR, mpdc.dc.gov, Townhall, The Hill, Washington Times, Lawyers, Guns & Money, CBS News and NPR

Ali Bianco / Politico:
Murkowski says her colleagues are ‘afraid’ of Trump and Musk: 'I'm not going to compromise my own integrity'

Discussion: ABC News, The Hill, Business Insider and The Independent

Associated Press:
DOGE official is taking a leadership role at USAID, an email obtained by AP says

Discussion: New York Times, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, Bloomberg, DNyuz, MeidasTouch News, Politico and NBC News

Associated Press:
Judge rules DOGE's USAID dismantling likely violates the Constitution

Jacob Knutson / Democracy Docket:
U.S. Institute of Peace Sues to Stop DOGE ‘Takeover By Force’

Discussion: CNN, NBC News, CBS News, The Hill, USA Today, Fox News, New York Times, The Gateway Pundit, Roll Call, Mercury News, UPI, Washington Examiner, The Daily Wire, NPR, WUSA, @amuse, JURIST, Fortune, Townhall, Washington Times, Daily Caller News Foundation, Axios, DNyuz, Simple Justice and Law & Crime

Andy Kroll / ProPublica:

Emails Reveal Top IRS Lawyer Warned Trump Firings Were a “Fraud” on the Courts — ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published. — On Feb. 20, nearly 7,000 probationary employees …

Discussion: NBC News, Talking Points Memo, The Guardian, E&E News, Washington Post, Federal News Network, USA Today and NPR

Wall Street Journal:

Columbia Is Nearing Agreement to Give Trump What He Wants — The school faces a deadline to yield to administration demands, with $400 million in federal funding at stake — Columbia University is getting close to yielding to President Trump's demands in negotiations to restore $400 million …

Discussion: The Washington Free Beacon, The Intercept, The Guardian, New York Daily News, The Independent, Associated Press and Raw Story

Christopher L. Eisgruber / The Atlantic:
The Cost of the Government's Attack on Columbia

Discussion: Roll Call, Drezner's World and Global News

New York Times:

With Orders, Investigations and Innuendo, Trump and G.O.P. Aim to Cripple the Left — The president and his allies in Congress are targeting the financial, digital and legal machinery that powers the Democratic Party and much of the progressive political world. — Executive actions intended to cripple top Democratic law firms.

Discussion: HotAir and Washington Examiner

The Hill:

Trump proposes US ownership of Ukraine's nuclear plants — President Trump proposed a takeover of Ukrainian power plants as a form of protection, suggesting the U.S. could deter Russian attacks, amid a push for a partial ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow covering energy facilities and infrastructure.

Discussion: Washington Times, One America News Network, DNyuz, Daily Mail, The Kyiv Independent, WHDH-TV, New York Post, Associated Press, Al Jazeera, Reuters, American Greatness, New York Times and CNN

Jonathan Lemire / The Atlantic:
Trump Gets a Taste of Putin's Tactics

Telegraph:
Putin bombs energy plants hours after telling Trump he would halt attacks

Discussion: The Guardian, Associated Press, CBS News, The Moscow Times, Breitbart, The Kyiv Independent, Bloomberg, Reuters, The Hill, Kyodo News+, The Independent and Washington Post

Greg Sargent / New Republic:

Trump-Musk Scandal on Ukrainian Kids Stolen by Russia Just Got Darker — For days now, the State Department has remained mum about the news that it terminated a contract with a humanitarian group that was tracking the fate of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia after the Russian invasion.

Discussion: CNN, Washington Examiner, NPR, USA Today, Reuters, NOTUS, New York Times, Euromaidan Press, Fox News and The Kyiv Independent

NBC News:

Trump-appointed prosecutor's office drops assault case against Enrique Tarrio — Ryan J. Reilly and Ted Oberg — The U.S. Attorney's for the District of Columbia has dropped an assault case against Enrique Tarrio, the Proud Boys member who was serving 22 years in federal prison following …

Discussion: WUSA

Dan Lamothe / Washington Post:

Trump team makes plans for military to hold migrants at border — If enacted, miles of buffer zone would become a temporary military installation, giving U.S. troops their most direct role yet in the president's enforcement mission. — The Trump administration is evaluating plans …

Politico:

Hill Republicans already hated the ‘idiotic’ call to impeach judges. Then Trump jumped in. — The speaker has to deal with a new Trump-driven demand just as he moves to put the GOP's policy agenda into overdrive. — Hard-right House Republicans have a new project …

New York Times:
Musk Donates to G.O.P. Members of Congress Who Support Impeaching Judges

Discussion: Axios, Zeteo, Washington Post, PolitiFact, One America News Network and Daily Mail

Adrian Carrasquillo / The Bulwark:

Kari Lake Accosted Ruben Gallego at a Posh D.C. Club — INSIDE NED'S CLUB WASHINGTON, DC—the swanky new private members' club featuring vintage gold and green furnishings, a renowned chef and mixologist, and a rooftop with views of the White House—cable news figures can often …

Discussion: Raw Story

The Guardian:

Greenpeace says Dakota Access pipeline defamation verdict risks ‘destroying right to peaceful protest’ - live — Organisation was ordered to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to energy giant in ruling that threatens to bankrupt its US operation — Independent trial monitors condemn verdict in Greenpeace trial

Karen Zraick / New York Times:
Jury Finds Greenpeace Liable for More Than $660 Million in Damages

Discussion: Washington Post, KDFX-TV, Associated Press, Twin Cities, DNyuz and MPR News

Stuart Anderson / Forbes:

Trump's Sister Declared The Immigration Law He Used Unconstitutional — Stuart Anderson writes about immigration, business and globalization. — SaveComment — In a historical twist, Donald Trump's sister was the federal judge who ruled unconstitutional the immigration law …

Washington Post:

Trump aides prep new tariffs on imports worth trillions for ‘Liberation Day’ — The administration has already unnerved investors with duties on Canada, Mexico and China. Advisers are readying a bigger move. — White House aides are preparing to impose new tariffs on most imports on April 2 …

Discussion: New York Times, Time, The Hill, NPR, masslive.com, Washington Examiner, New Republic and CNN

Pieter Haeck / Politico:

Europe looks to poach US researchers as Trump cuts funding — Twelve EU capitals want programs to bring over American scholars. — A group of European countries is devising a strategy to poach researchers in the United States in response to American government cuts in education and research.

Discussion: Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Financial Times

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

BREAKING: DOGE Strong-Armed USIP Security Contractors to Switch Sides … Each time we hear more about the unfolding situation with the takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace, the story gets darker and involves greater abuses of power. My colleague Kate Riga is, as I write …

Discussion: Politico

Marcia Brown / Politico:

USDA halts millions of dollars worth of deliveries to food banks — The halt in deliveries comes after the Trump administration separately slashed $1 billion for schools and food banks to buy food from farms. — The Agriculture Department has halted millions of dollars worth of deliveries …

Discussion: Eater

The Atlantic:

Stephen Miller Has a Plan — During the first Trump administration, when Stephen Miller's immigration policy proposals hit obstacles in federal court, rumors would circulate about his plans to dust off arcane presidential powers. Government lawyers were wary of overreach …

Discussion: Washington Post

Curtis Bunn / NBC News:

Jackie Robinson's Army career wiped from military website in DEI purge — Robinson trained as an officer and was assigned to a tank regiment during World War II. — The military story of Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball after serving as a 2nd lieutenant in the Army …

Discussion: KSBW, USA Today, Raw Story, The Independent, Axios, The Guardian, masslive.com and HuffPost

Meg Kinnard / Associated Press:

A list of the Social Security offices across the US expected to close this year — Dozens of Social Security Administration offices across the country are slated to close this year due to actions taken by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency as part of the Trump administration's …

Discussion: The Hill and New Jersey Online

Matina Stevis-Gridneff / New York Times:

Menaced by Trump, Canada Prepares to Join E.U. Military Industry Buildup — Canada's draft deal to participate in Europe's defense industry will bring contracts to Canadian manufacturers and help lessen dependence on the United States. — Canada is in advanced talks with the European Union …

Discussion: Politico, Breaking Defense, Associated Press, Reuters, The New European, DNyuz and Radio Free Europe/Radio …

MSNBC:

Voice of America journalist speaks out as China and Russia celebrate Trump silencing news outlet — The Trump administration is silencing government-funded news outlets, including Voice of America. Voice of America chief national correspondent Steve Herman joins Ana Cabrera to speak …

Discussion: The Contrarian, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Al Jazeera, CBS News, BBC, Committee to Protect …, The Hill and New York Times, more at Mediagazer »

John Leland / New York Times:

Hold My Snacks: Pirate's Booty Founder Attempts a Seaside Coup — A snack food magnate declared himself mayor of the Village of Sea Cliff, on Long Island. The voters said otherwise. — The little village of Sea Cliff, on Long Island's north shore, re-elected its mayor on Tuesday.

Discussion: New York Post

The Budget Lab at Yale:

Illustrative Distributional Effects of Policies Consistent with the House Concurrent Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2025 … The Resolution contains reconciliation instructions for various House committees to recommend policy changes for programs under their respective jurisdictions in order …

Discussion: Raw Story

Jamelle Bouie / New York Times:

Trump Has Gone From Unconstitutional to Anti-Constitutional — Most of us know what it means for something to be unconstitutional. An unconstitutional act is one that violates some aspect of the Constitution as understood by the courts, although the public and its representatives are also free …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money

Steven T. Dennis / Bloomberg:

Crypto's Clout in Washington Is Soaring — Democrats warm to industry amid flood of crypto donations — New York senator has influential new post as campaign chair — The crypto industry is on a roll in Washington and it's not just because of Donald Trump.

Discussion: City Journal

Freddy Martinez / 404 Media:

Facial Recognition Company Clearview Attempted to Buy Social Security Numbers and Mugshots for its Database — Controversial facial recognition company Clearview AI attempted to purchase hundreds of millions of arrest records including social security numbers, mugshots …

McKenzie Funk / ProPublica:

An ICE Contractor Is Worth Billions. It's Still Fighting to Pay Detainees as Little as $1 a Day to Work. — GEO Group, whose stock is valued at $4 billion, says that state minimum wage laws don't apply to the cleaning services that it's asked detained migrants to perform at facilities where they're kept.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat / Lucid:

Erdogan Arrests Top Opposition Politician — On CNN Int at 2:30pmET to talk about Turkey; My WIRED Video on Dictators — Welcome back to Lucid, and hello to all new subscribers. Our next Q&A will be on Friday, March 21, 1-2pmET. Our guest will be Margaret Sullivan.

Discussion: BBC and Human Events

Miami Herald:

Miami Beach mayor drops proposal to evict O Cinema for screening ‘No Other Land’ — Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner on Wednesday withdrew a controversial proposal to evict O Cinema from a city-owned building for screening an Oscar-winning documentary about the West Bank.

Discussion: New York Times, Reason, The Forward, Axios, NPR, Associated Press, IndieWire, The Wrap, Los Angeles Times, Variety, Fox News, Deadline and Mondoweiss

Brian Beutler / Off Message:

The Trump Administration Goes To War With Health-Care Quality — Inside its plan to destroy a small agency that keeps you safe. — ∙ Paid — On March 14, the same day Senate Democratic leaders cast their fateful votes to fund the government, other Democrats were bracing for Donald …

Jess Piper / The View from Rural Missouri:

You Are Going to Have to Tell Them the Truth — Speaking in the Heartland — Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. — Let me say this upfront...I never meant to be a public speaker. — I was an American Literature teacher for a long time.