memeorandum: Matthews Serves Up Roughly 20-Minute Softball Interview with Clinton; Trump Talk Dominates Much of It (Ken Shepherd/NewsBusters)

2:45 PM ET, January 6, 2016

Top Items:

CNBC:

North Korea says it has the ‘H-bomb of justice’ after nuclear test — Unlikely N. Korea conducted hydrogen bomb test: Hubbard — Sources are telling Reuters the U.S. government is skeptical of the North Korea hydrogen bomb claims. Former U.S. Ambassador to S. Korea Thomas Hubbard …

Discussion: Washington Post, Business Insider, The Daily Caller, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Clayton Cramer

The New / New York Times:

Did North Korea Detonate a Hydrogen Bomb? Here's What We Know — North Korea's claim that it set off a hydrogen bomb on Wednesday — in what would be the fourth time it has tested a nuclear weapon since 2006 — has stirred concerns among governments around the world.

Discussion: ABC News, Associated Press, NK News, Business Insider, Washington Post, Bloomberg View, Towleroad, Maxim, Guardian and Shakesville

Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:

When Will China Finally Abandon the Loons in North Korea? — North Korea says that it has tested a hydrogen bomb. This seems unlikely, but it will be weeks before we know for sure. Most likely it was just another fission bomb test. — More interesting is what this says about relations between North Korea and China.

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Michael Falcone / ABC News:

The Note: What The Candidates Are Saying About North Korea

Discussion: Bloomberg Business, Bloomberg.com and abc13.com

Anna Fifield / Washington Post:
White House: No evidence to support North Korean ‘hydrogen bomb’ claim

Discussion: Tech Insider, Japan Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Boing Boing, Algemeiner.com and Guardian

Javier C. Hernández / New York Times:
North Korea's Hydrogen Bomb Claim Strains Ties With China

Discussion: Taylor Marsh

Euan McKirdy / CNN:
North Korea says it successfully conducts hydrogen bomb test

Discussion: BBC, Vox, New Atlanticist, Los Angeles Times, FOX2now.com, Hot Air, Mediaite, The Last Tradition, Fox 59, Hit & Run, The Gateway Pundit, RedState, The Daily Caller and Instapundit

Choe Sang-Hun / New York Times:
North Korea Claims It Tested Hydrogen Bomb but Is Doubted

Discussion: Mother Jones, Washington Post, Mashable, defensetech.org, Tech Insider, Business Insider and Reuters

New York Times:
North Korea Says It Has Detonated Its First Hydrogen Bomb

Discussion: Slate, Business Insider, BBC, Telegraph, Outside the Beltway, Poynter., Vox and Al Jazeera English, more at Mediagazer »

Amelia Templeton OPB / OPB:

Harney County Sheriff: Armed Occupiers Will Face Charges — In a wide ranging interview Tuesday, Harney County Sheriff David Ward urged members of the community to distance themselves from the armed men occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. — “I think if one person gives …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Little Green Footballs, NBC News, USA Today, The Free Thought Project, Raw Story, LiberalAmerica.org, Latest from Crooks and Liars and Daily Kos

CNN:
Leader of armed protesters in Oregon took out $530,000 federal loan

Discussion: Guardian, Talking Points Memo, USA Today, Washington Post, Shakesville, Salon, 89 WLS | WLS-AM and American Power

Stewart Rhodes / Oath Keepers:
URGENT Warning on OR Standoff: Military Special OP Assets Have Been Assigned for Standoff.

Discussion: BBC, Raw Story, Washington Post, The Free Thought Project, addictinginfo.org, Freedom Outpost and Right Wing Watch

Allegra Kirkland / Talking Points Memo: Sheriff: Oregon Militiamen To Face Charges For Taking Over Federal Building

Les Zaitz / Oregonian:
Sheriff says steps being taken to end militants' occupation of federal compound

Discussion: Raw Story, MSNBC, Washington Post, Balloon Juice and Guardian

New York Times:

The Hear-Nothing Gun Crowd — Sometimes in American politics it seems as if we are all talking past each other, that whatever one side says about an issue like, say, taxes zooms right past the other side. The current fight over gun control is not one of those moments.

Discussion: Speaker.gov, National Review, Guardian, The Trace, Washington Post, Scared Monkeys, Townhall.com, Hot Air, Freedom Outpost, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Banter and Associated Press

Matt Vespa / Townhall.com:

Uh, What: Obama Says Violent Felons Can Just Buy Guns Online — It's the classic facepalm moment when it comes to liberals trying to push their gun control agenda, especially the one peddled by this current administration. Katie wrote about what we could expect from President Obama's …

Discussion: Politifact.com Truth …, No More Mister Nice Blog, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The Federalist and JOSHUAPUNDIT

Rick Scott / USA Today:

Donald Trump has America's pulse: Rick Scott — Public is pushing aside time-serving politicians for outsiders seeking dramatic change — Political pundits are shocked that Donald Trump is leading in the polls. The same thing happened in 2010 when I entered the Florida gubernatorial race …

Discussion: Post On Politics, Naked Politics and Florida Politics

Robert Costa / Washington Post:
Trump says Cruz's Canadian birth could be ‘very precarious’ for GOP

Allegra Kirkland / Talking Points Memo:
Ann Coulter Now Suggests Ted Cruz Isn't A ‘Natural Born Citizen’

Discussion: Joe.My.God., Washington Post, New York Times, NBC News and Politico

New York Post:

The Clintons are in denial about Bill's sex scandals — Even though Donald Trump had already warned that Bill Clinton's past indiscretions would be “fair game” in the presidential race, the ex-president seemed surprised to face the issue as he began to take a prominent role in his wife's campaign.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Scared Monkeys and BuzzFeed

Kirsten Powers / USA Today:

Kirsten Powers - A tale of two Bills: Cosby, Clinton and predatory men — “Bimbo eruptions” no more. Today's sexual assault accusers given presumption of truth. — Much has changed since Bill and Hillary Clinton were swept into the White House amidst sordid tales about the Arkansas governor's extra-marital sex life.

Discussion: New York Magazine, Vox and City Journal

Meredith Shiner / Yahoo Politics:

After 608 days, the Benghazi panel by the numbers — Democrats have long charged that the special committee established by House Republicans to investigate the 2012 attacks on an American consulate in Benghazi, Libya was designed to harm the party's frontrunner, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton …

Discussion: Politico, The Hill and Washington Post

Sarah Ferris / The Hill:

House poised to pass ObamaCare repeal — For the first time, Republicans on Wednesday are expected to send a bill to President Obama's desk that would repeal most of his signature healthcare law. — While the bill faces a certain veto, the vote in the House brings Republicans closer …

Discussion: Bloomberg Business, Politico, CNN and Washington Post

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:

UK parliament to debate banning Trump — The British parliament will formally debate later this month whether to prevent Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump from entering the United Kingdom, the government said Tuesday. — The U.K. parliament on Jan. 18 will debate …

Discussion: BuzzFeed, The Real Deal New York, Boing Boing, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Progressives Today, Washington Post, Mediaite, Vox, Business Insider and Mashable

Christopher Snyder / Fox News:
Trump Organization says proposed UK ban over Muslim remarks ‘a dangerous precedent’

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Jessica Roy / New York Magazine:

A Vote for Marco Rubio Is a Vote for Men's High-Heeled Booties — Fancy. — Pin It — Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio and One Direction bandmember Harry Styles have something in common. Well, two things, actually: an appreciation for the 1D song “What Makes You Beautiful,” and a love of heeled booties.

Discussion: RedState, ELLE, Washington Post, FITSNews and Drudge Retort

Eliza Collins / Politico:
Cruz camp mocks Rubio's ‘high-heeled booties’

Discussion: Yahoo Politics, Vanity Fair, Balloon Juice, Mediaite and The Daily Caller

Daily Mail:

Teenage victim of Cologne ‘African and Arab’ sex mob reveals how she and her friends were surrounded by 30 men and groped as officials admit the city is a ‘no-go’ area for women — An 18-year-old victim of the sex attacks in Cologne has described being surrounded by a group of 30 ‘angry’ men …

Lauren Fox / Talking Points Memo:

Law Enforcement Confirms Militiamen Are Free To Come and Go From Refuge — Their supplies look to be dwindling and militia men who overtook the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon have pleaded with sympathizers to send food, but law enforcement tell TPM that the men are free to resupply on their own.

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Joseph Rose / Oregonian:
Best snacks to send to an Oregon militia with the munchies? (poll)

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Kate Connolly / Guardian:

Cologne attacks: mayor lambasted for telling women to keep men at arm's length — Henriette Reker urges women to avoid being in close proximity to strangers to prevent sexual harassment — Cologne's mayor has been widely criticised for suggesting that women “keep at an arm's length” …

Discussion: Mediaite, The Independent, Hot Air, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Telegraph and Althouse

Deutsche Welle / DW.COM:
A ‘new dimension’ of sexual assault in Cologne

Discussion: The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, Pamela Geller, Breitbart, Jihad Watch, BBC and Spiegel Online

Ana Marie Cox / New York Times:

Debbie Wasserman Schultz Thinks Young Women Are Complacent — After the Bernie Sanders campaign improperly accessed voter data, the Democratic National Committee was swift with its punishment, suspending his campaign from having access to the database. How did you come up with that sanction?

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Ken Shepherd / NewsBusters:
Matthews Serves Up Roughly 20-Minute Softball Interview with Clinton; Trump Talk Dominates Much of It

Discussion: RedState and Hot Air

William D. Cohan / Vanity Fair:

Is Huma Abedin Hillary Clinton's Secret Weapon or Her Next Big Problem? — The loyal aide has spent decades at the presidential contender's side with unparalleled access. But with a powerful Republican senator raising questions about her role in the Clinton-era State Department …

Discussion: NBC News, New York Times and Washington Free Beacon