Top Items:
Adam Entous / Washington Post:
Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House — The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency, rather than just to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system, according to officials briefed on the matter.
Discussion:
Mother Jones, The Moderate Voice, Politico, Little Green Footballs, KTLA, NBC News, Taylor Marsh, Occupy Democrats, The Reality-Based Community, The Talking Dog, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, Boing Boing, Business Insider, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, The Verge, Mediaite, Politicus USA, Reuters, Daily Kos, Engadget, Diane Ravitch's blog, Scripting News, Towleroad, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Political Wire and Al Jazeera English
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New York Times:
Russia Hacked Republican Committee but Kept Data, U.S. Concludes — WASHINGTON — American intelligence agencies have concluded with “high confidence” that Russia acted covertly in the latter stages of the presidential campaign to harm Hillary Clinton's chances and promote Donald J. Trump, according to senior administration officials.
Discussion:
Politico, Mother Jones, Raw Story, Occupy Democrats, Business Insider and Techdirt
Martin Matishak / Politico:
Trump breaks with Obama, intel agencies on election hacking
Discussion:
Occupy Democrats, alan.com, Gothamist, Mediaite, Business Insider, Hot Air, Politicus USA, NBC News, Bloomberg, Christian Science Monitor, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The Verge, RedState, New York Magazine, Defense One, ABC News, BizPac Review, Townhall.com, The Atlantic, The Week, Mashable and Washington Post
Kathleen Hennessey / Associated Press:
Obama orders review of election-season hacking
Discussion:
The Resurgent and The Atlantic
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
GOP Plans Major Social Security Cuts — We'll have a story coming shortly on what I just mentioned a short time ago: that Republicans are now planning to pass major cuts to Social Security this year. Specifically, this bill is being introduced by Rep. Sam Johnson, Chairman of the House Ways …
Discussion:
Suburban Guerrilla … and Viking Pundit
RELATED:
Joseph Lawler / Washington Examiner:
Key GOP lawmaker introduces Social Security reform plan — A Republican lawmaker introduced legislation Thursday to shore up Social Security's finances and boost benefits for low-income workers without raising taxes, a conservative version of reform that could gain attention under unified GOP government next year.
Discussion:
Politicus USA and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
Tierney Sneed / Talking Points Memo:
Key House GOPer Introduces Bill With Major Cuts To Social Security — A key House Republican on the issue of Social Security introduced a bill Thursday that would impose major cuts to the program. The bill, the Social Security Reform Act of 2016, was introduced by Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) …
Discussion:
Forbes and The Mahablog
Johnson, Sam:
Sam Johnson Unveils Plan to Permanently Save Social Security — WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Sam Johnson (TX-03) introduced legislation that will permanently save Social Security, ensuring this vital program continues to work for today's workers and beneficiaries and future generations.
Discussion:
Occupy Democrats
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Going for the Big Enchilada — Republicans apparently aren't going to be satisfied with phasing out Medicare. They're going to try to pass huge cuts to Social Security this year too. Not Bush-style partial phaseout but just big, big cuts. And you're out of luck even if you're a current beneficiary.
Andrew Biggs / Forbes:
At Last: A New Social Security Reform Plan — Social Security has been a quiet subject for Republicans since the collapse of President Bush's reform efforts in 2005. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Republican Members of Congress were seemingly lining up to present new plans …
Discussion:
New York Magazine
Steve Holland / Reuters:
Exxon CEO is now Trump's secretary of state favorite -transition official — Exxon Mobil Corp Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson emerged on Friday as President-elect Donald Trump's leading candidate for U.S. secretary of state, a senior transition official said.
Discussion:
RedState
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
Exxon's Rex Tillerson Is Top Candidate for Secretary of State
Discussion:
Business Insider and Mother Jones
Shane Goldmacher / Politico:
Giuliani pulls name from contention for secretary of state
Discussion:
Associated Press, No More Mister Nice Blog and twitchy.com
Kristin Salaky / Talking Points Memo:
Trump Hits Early Voting: Who Knows What Happens When Polls Are ‘Locked’ — It's been more than a month, but President-elect Donald Trump is still raising questions about the presidential election. — In what was supposed to be a stump speech for Republican Louisiana Senate candidate John Kennedy …
Discussion:
TheBlaze
RELATED:
Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:
Trump blasts early voting: ‘Many things can go wrong’ — Donald Trump on Friday expressed support for restricting voting rights. — Stumping for Louisiana Senate candidate John Kennedy, Trump urged supporters to help elect the Republican state treasurer to the U.S. Senate …
Bloomberg:
Trump Team's Memo Hints at Broad Shake-Up of U.S. Energy Policy — Advisers seeking to identify staff involved in climate policy — Advisers to President-elect Donald Trump are developing plans to reshape Energy Department programs, help keep aging nuclear plants online and identify staff …
RELATED:
Darius Dixon / Politico:
Trump team's demands fuel fear of Energy Department ‘witch hunt’
Discussion:
ABC News, twitchy.com, Common Dreams, Little Green Footballs and Jezebel
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Expected to Pick Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers to Run Interior — If confirmed by the Senate, she would lead administration's efforts to open up federal lands and waters to fossil-fuel development — WASHINGTON—President-elect Donald Trump is expected to tap Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Political Wire, Hot Air, The Week, Politico, RedState, Morning Consult and New York Times
RELATED:
Robby Soave / Hit & Run:
Leftist Students Shouted ‘F*ck You B*itch’ at the Gay Director of a Pro-Trans Movie, Boys Don't Cry — There was a time not so long ago when the people shouting “f**k you bitch” at a gender-fluid gay filmmaker would have been bigoted right-wing conservatives.
Discussion:
John Hawkins' Right Wing News
Jim Geraghty / National Review:
Obama's Second Term Was a Complete Failure — There's no other way to describe it. — Every December, Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post picks the biggest political loser of the past year. — In 2013, Cillizza's selection was Barack Obama. He cited the botched rollout of Healthcare.gov …
Ben Weyl / Politico:
Government shutdown averted as Democrats cave — They went right up to the brink, but Senate Democrats said on Friday night that they never intended to shut down the federal government over a dispute about coal miners' benefits. — Though they took a hard line against a GOP proposal to fund …
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Signal, TheBlaze, The Resurgent, Hot Air and Washington Post
RELATED:
Andrew Restuccia / Politico:
McConnell, Cramer met to discuss potential Senate run
Discussion:
Say Anything, The Hill, Hot Air, Political Wire and Althouse
Harper Neidig / The Hill:
Report: Trump wants as many as 5 generals in Cabinet — is considering tapping as many as five generals for his Cabinet, Politico reported Friday. — Trump has already selected three retired top military officers for his administration — Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn for national security adviser …
Discussion:
Business Insider and Politico
RELATED:
Edward Morrissey / The Fiscal Times:
Trump's Cabinet: A Conservative About Face Toward Growth and Change
Discussion:
John Hawkins' Right Wing News, ewg.org and New York Magazine
Jonathan Oosting / Detroit News:
Michigan Supreme Court denies Stein's recount appeal — Lansing — The Michigan Supreme Court on Friday denied Green Party candidate Jill Stein's appeal to restart a partially completed presidential election recount, meaning President-elect Donald Trump's 10,704-vote victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton stands.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Philly.com, Law News and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
TMZ.com:
T.J. Miller — Arrested for Uber Fight Over Trump ... 'Tis the Season?? — “Silicon Valley” star T.J. Miller got arrested in Hollywood for allegedly making his Uber driver see stars, and not the good rating kind either. — Law enforcement sources tell us T.J.'s driver picked him up from the GQ Men …
Discussion:
LAist, East Bay Times, The Guardian, SFist and Washington Times
WTTG-TV:
Prince George's Co. liquor board chairman charged with DUI after MGM grand opening — NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The chairman of the Prince George's County liquor board is facing DUI and reckless driving charges after an accident that took place as he was leaving the grand opening …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Joy-Ann Reid / The Daily Beast:
Hey, White Working Class, Donald Trump Is Already Screwing You Over — You're probably going to read this as sour grapes, and I certainly am sour about a family of kleptocrats moving into the White House because 80,000 of your votes in states that get more federal tax dollars than they put …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog
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