memeorandum: Mitt Romney Leads Donald Trump's Picks for Secretary of State (Wall Street Journal)

11:45 PM ET, November 22, 2016

Top Items:

Activists Urge Clinton Campaign to Challenge Election Results in 3 Swing States — Hillary Clinton is being urged by a group of prominent computer scientists and election lawyers to call for a recount in three swing states won by Donald Trump, New York has learned.

Discussion: Vox, The Guardian, twitchy.com, The Gateway Pundit, TheBlaze, New York's PIX11, Jezebel, Hot Air, The BRAD BLOG, Refinery29, Reveal, electionlawblog.org, Law News, The Week, Politicus USA, Balloon Juice and Althouse

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

Democratic presidential electors revolt against Trump — At least a half-dozen Democratic electors have signed onto an attempt to block Donald Trump from winning an Electoral College majority, an effort designed not only to deny Trump the presidency but also to undermine the legitimacy of the institution.

Discussion: Towleroad, RedState, Common Dreams, Mediaite, Daily Wire, TheBlaze, The Daily Caller and AOL

Harper Neidig / The Hill:
Report: Presidential electors planning to undermine Electoral College

Discussion: USA Today, RedState, Politico and Independent Journal Review

New York Times:

Trump, in Interview, Moderates Views but Defies Conventions — President-elect Donald J. Trump tempered on Tuesday some of his most extreme campaign promises, dropping his vow to jail Hillary Clinton, expressing doubt about the value of torturing terrorism suspects and pledging to have an open mind about climate change.

Daniel Victor / New York Times:

Donald Trump at The New York Times: Live on Twitter — Trump gets asked about his commitment to first amendment, says, “I think you'll be happy.” — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 22, 2016 — Open up the libel laws? Trump says someone told him, “You know, YOU might be sued a lot more.' I said …

New York Times:

Less Defiant Trump at The Times: ‘I Hope We Can All Get Along’ — On Twitter Tuesday morning, President-elect Donald J. Trump was the media-bashing firebrand many of his supporters adore, denouncing The New York Times as a “failing” institution that covered him inaccurately — “and with a nasty tone!”

David Remnick / New Yorker:

Donald Trump Personally Blasts the Press — The fantasy of the normalization of Donald Trump—the idea that a demagogic candidate would somehow be transformed into a statesman of poise and deliberation after his Election Day victory—should now be a distant memory, an illusion shattered.

Discussion: Breitbart, The Intercept, EW.com, Mediaite, Daily Wire, RedState, Washington Post, BizPac Review, Instapundit, The Guardian, neo-neocon and Politico, more at Mediagazer »

Brent Griffiths / Politico:
Trump disavows the alt-right

Discussion: Althouse, ABC News, Mother Jones, Jezebel, ThinkProgress and RedState

Clare Foran / The Atlantic: ‘An Erosion of Democratic Norms in America’

Annie Karni / Politico:

Democrat Harold Ford Jr. emerging as potential Trump pick — Former Democratic Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. is emerging as a possible contender for transportation secretary, or another Cabinet post, in Donald Trump's budding administration. — The telegenic Ford — who served five terms …

Discussion: New York Times, Law News, WREG-TV and alan.com

Alex Griswold / Mediaite:
‘BROKEN PROMISE’: Breitbart Isn't Happy About Trump's Decision Not to Charge Clinton

Discussion: Independent Journal Review, alan.com and The Week

New York Times:
Donald Trump Drops Threat of New Hillary Clinton Investigation

Discussion: RedState, Watts Up With That?, Washington Post, Breitbart, CNBC, Mother Jones, Little Green Footballs, The Week, Independent Journal Review and Outside the Beltway

David Wright / CNN:
Trump aide Kellyanne Conway: No plan to pursue charges against Clinton

Discussion: The Hill, New York Magazine, Independent Journal Review, Mediaite, Patterico's Pontifications, Daily Wire and Politico

Daniel Halper / New York Post:
Trump won't pursue charges against Clinton

Discussion: Judicial Watch, The Last Refuge, Politicus USA, Heat Street, The Guardian, Talking Points Memo, neo-neocon, Mashable, Infowars and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Jessie Hellmann / The Hill:

Gingrich: Romney, Trump not compatible on foreign policy — Newt Gingrich suggested Tuesday evening that Mitt Romney, a contender to be Donald Trump — 's secretary of State, would not be compatible with the president-elect's vision for foreign policy. — “Romney wanted to be in President …

Discussion: The Week

Wall Street Journal:

Mitt Romney Leads Donald Trump's Picks for Secretary of State — President-elect leans toward the former governor but advisers' tug of war delays decision — President-elect Donald Trump is leaning toward asking former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to be his secretary of state, according to people familiar with the deliberations.

Discussion: Political Wire, Business Insider, RedState, TheBlaze and Hot Air

Jonah Bennett / The Daily Caller:

Politico Editor RESIGNS After Publishing Home Addresses Of Alt-Right Icon Richard Spencer, Advocating For ‘Baseball Bats’ — National editor at Politico Michael Hirsh resigned after publishing the home addresses of alt-right figurehead Richard Spencer Tuesday morning and advocating for serious violence.

Discussion: CNNMoney, Vox Popoli, CNBC, Talking Points Memo, VDARE, Washington Times, twitchy.com and Washington Post, more at Mediagazer »

ThinkProgress:
ThinkProgress will no longer describe racists as ‘alt-right’

Discussion: NewsBusters, Breitbart, The Huffington Post, Mediaite, Damian J. Penny, Washington Free Beacon, Independent Journal Review, Atlanta Black Star, Hullabaloo, Advocate, The Guardian, grubstreet, Outside the Beltway and Mother Jones

Reuters:

Judge blocks Obama rule extending overtime pay to 4.2 million U.S. workers — A federal judge on Tuesday blocked an Obama administration rule to extend mandatory overtime pay to more than 4 million salaried workers from taking effect, imperiling one of the outgoing president's signature achievements for boosting wages.

Discussion: The New Civil Rights Movement and The Week

Michael A. Memoli / Los Angeles Times:

Texas judge blocks Obama administration's new overtime rule from taking effect — A Texas judge blocked President Obama's bid to expand overtime pay protections to millions of Americans on Tuesday, thwarting a key presidential priority just days before it was set to take effect.

Discussion: Mother Jones, Bloomberg, The Root and Balloon Juice

TMZ.com:

Kanye West — Dr. Says He Tried to Assault Staff ... Warned of Violence Against Cops — EXCLUSIVE — Kanye West's personal physician is the one who called 911, warning the dispatcher Kanye was not violent but would become violent when police arrived to help him.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Black Star, Mediaite and theGrio

Mark Bergen / Bloomberg:

Major Advertising Technology Company Bars Breitbart News for Hate Speech — AppNexus takes a stand as bigger rivals, Google and Facebook, face scrutiny over their handling of ‘fake news’ — AppNexus Inc., a major advertising technology provider, has barred Breitbart News from using …

Discussion: Raw Story, Mashable, Little Green Footballs, The Verge and Engadget, more at Mediagazer »

Guy Faulconbridge / Yahoo:

Britain to Trump: ‘No vacancy’ for Farage as ambassador — LONDON (Reuters) - Britain on Tuesday dismissed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's unprecedented expression of support for Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage to be made British ambassador to Washington, saying pointedly that there is no vacancy for the job.

Discussion: Telegraph and Daily Wire

Nigel Farage Mep / Breitbart:
FARAGE: I Am Prepared to Help Britain Work with President Trump

Discussion: Washington Post, The Guardian, New York Magazine, New York Times, ABC News and Hot Air

Edmund Kozak / LifeZette:

CNN Guest Drops ‘N’ Word in Live, On-Air Smear of Bannon — The mainstream media's transparent quest to tarnish President-Elect Trump's image by insisting his adviser and former Breitbart executive Stephen Bannon is a bigot has reached absurd new levels. — CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin asserted …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

David A. Fahrenthold / Washington Post:

Trump Foundation admits to violating ban on ‘self-dealing,’ new filing to IRS shows — President-elect Donald Trump's charitable foundation has admitted to the IRS that it violated a legal prohibition against “self-dealing,” which bars nonprofit leaders from using their charity's money to help themselves …

Discussion: ABC News, Politico, Law News, USA Today, Daily Wire, RT, Politicus USA, Mediaite, New York Times, NPR, Media Matters for America, The Atlantic, RedState, Towleroad, Daily Kos, The New Civil Rights Movement, Talking Points Memo and Rewire

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:

Donald Trump says that if the president does it, it's not illegal — Keep on draining that swamp. — Since Election Day, President-elect Donald Trump encouraged foreign diplomats to stay at his hotels, pressed British politicians to oppose a wind farm that could block the view from his golf course …

Discussion: Raw Story, Politico, Bloomberg, Hot Air, Washington Post and Daily Kos

ABC News:
House Republican Criticizes Donald Trump Over Potential Business Conflicts of Interest

Discussion: Politico

Mike Isaac / New York Times:

Facebook Said to Create Censorship Tool to Get Back Into China — SAN FRANCISCO — Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive, has cultivated relationships with China's leaders, including President Xi Jinping. He has paid multiple visits to the country to meet its top internet executives.

Discussion: VentureBeat, The Verge, Mashable and Engadget, more at Mediagazer »

WNDU-TV:

Notre Dame football team placed on academic probation; 2012, 2013 wins vacated — The Notre Dame football team has been placed on probation by the NCAA, and the team's wins from the 2012 and 2013 seasons will be vacated. — It all stems from an academic scandal involving a student athletic trainer.

Discussion: ABC News, The Root and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Steven Bertoni / Forbes:

Exclusive Interview: How Jared Kushner Won Trump The White House — It's been one week since Donald Trump pulled off the biggest upset in modern political history, and his headquarters at Trump Tower in New York City is a 58-story, onyx-glassed lightning rod. Barricades, TV trucks and protesters frame a fortified Fifth Avenue.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, ABC News, Refinery29, The Real Deal New York, Liberal Values, Taylor Marsh, Politico, Business Insider, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and CNBC, more at Mediagazer »

New York Daily News:

NYC woman may lose arm after hit with grenade at Dakota Access pipeline protest site — The sobbing father of a Dakota Access Pipleline protester described Tuesday how his daughter's arm was torn to pieces by a concussion grenade tossed at the unarmed woman.

Discussion: Associated Press, The Guardian, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Gothamist, USA TODAY College and Common Dreams

Gary Shteyngart / New Yorker:

Living in Trump's Soviet Union — I grew up in a dystopia—will I have to die in one, too? — When my parents lived in the Soviet Union, having a Jewish-looking “physiognomy,” as it was called, proved a daily liability. Standing in line for eggs or milk or ham, one could feel the gaze …

Michael Sullivan / NPR:

Who's The New Philippine Envoy? The Man Building Trump Tower Manila — Audio will be available later today. — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has had a strained relationship with the U.S. since taking office in June, mainly because of U.S. criticism of his controversial — and often brutal — war on drugs.

Discussion: Sputnik International, RedState and The Week

Sari Horwitz / Washington Post:

Obama grants 79 more commutations to federal inmates, pushing the total past 1,000 — President Obama granted commutations to another 79 federal drug offenders Tuesday, pushing the number of inmates he has granted clemency to past 1,000. — Obama's historic number of commutations was announced …