NYTIMES (Erica L. Green) - China’s Xi Presses Trump on Taiwan in Phone Call
Both leaders gave versions of what they discussed, but the Chinese president’s take made clear the issue of the island was front and center.
NYTIMES (Tyler Pager) - Trump Says His Unpredictable Style Gives Him Leverage. But It Has a Cost.
A year into President Trump’s second term, his threats, retreats, twists and turns appear to be wearing on allies and adversaries.
AXIOS (Stephen Neukam) - Dems embrace "law and order" in ICE shutdown fight
Facing a government shutdown fight over ICE, top Senate Democrats are doing their best to avoid getting dragged into a fight with Republicans over immigration policy. Why it matters: After handedly losing on the immigration issue in 2024, Democratic leaders are trying to keep the fight focused on "law and order" instead. - Senate Democrats in a private caucus meeting this week discussed how to beat back GOP attempts to steer the debate over ICE into one about immigration, multiple sources familiar with the meeting told Axios. - In particular, Democrats are concerned that Republican leaders, including President Trump, are injecting issues like the SAVE Act and sanctuary cities into discussions about funding for the Department of…
Facing a government shutdown fight over ICE, top Senate Democrats are doing their best to avoid getting dragged into a fight with Republicans over immigration policy. Why it matters: After handedly losing on the immigration issue in 2024, Democratic leaders are trying to keep the fight focused on "law and order" instead. - Senate Democrats in a private caucus meeting this week discussed how to beat back GOP attempts to steer the debate over ICE into one about immigration, multiple sources familiar with the meeting told Axios. - In particular, Democrats are concerned that Republican leaders, including President Trump, are injecting issues like the SAVE Act and sanctuary cities into discussions about funding for the Department of…Open
NYTIMES (Isabel Kershner) - Two Quit Human Rights Watch Over Shelved Report Criticizing Israel
Omar Shakir and Milena Ansari said they had quit over the stalled publication of a report that concludes it is a crime against humanity to deny Palestinians the ability to return to the territory that is now Israel.
AXIOS (Hans Nichols) - Scoop: Cornyn unloading $10 million in last-minute ad blitz
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and his allies are planning to spend roughly $10 million in the next four weeks. - "That's a round number," Cornyn told Axios. Why it matters: Cornyn is targeting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) to turn the three-way Texas Republican Senate primary on March 3 into a two-man showdown. - "We're gonna be in a runoff, so we got to pay attention to both of them," he said. - The expected run-off is on May 26th . That's forcing Cornyn and his allies to calculate when to start draining down his sizable cash advantage. Zoom out: $65 million has already been spent on TV advertising by Republican groups and super PACs, according to AdImpact. - But if Cornyn loses the primary, avoiding a…
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and his allies are planning to spend roughly $10 million in the next four weeks. - "That's a round number," Cornyn told Axios. Why it matters: Cornyn is targeting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) to turn the three-way Texas Republican Senate primary on March 3 into a two-man showdown. - "We're gonna be in a runoff, so we got to pay attention to both of them," he said. - The expected run-off is on May 26th . That's forcing Cornyn and his allies to calculate when to start draining down his sizable cash advantage. Zoom out: $65 million has already been spent on TV advertising by Republican groups and super PACs, according to AdImpact. - But if Cornyn loses the primary, avoiding a…Open
ABCNEWS - CIA ends publication of its popular World Factbook reference tool
The CIA is ending the publication of its popular World Factbook reference manual
ABCNEWS - What to know about the congressional fight over ICE restrictions
Democrats say they're unified in forcing the issue amid public backlash.
NYTIMES (Joseph Goldstein) - New York City Partners with W.H.O. as U.S. Withdraws From Global Effort
City health authorities are joining a network that counters new pathogens and emerging outbreaks.
NYTIMES (Vjosa Isai) - Canada’s Tate McRae Roots for Team USA in New Olympics Ad
Tate McRae’s promotional video for NBC, in which she name checks Team USA athletes, has drawn the ire of some Canadians as the country’s relationship with the United States hits new lows.
ABCNEWS - WATCH: Renting is less expensive than owning a home in every large American city: Study
A new analysis from Lending Tree shows that renting is less expensive than owning a home with homeowners paying roughly 37% more per month than renters.