Top Items:
Michael D. Shear / New York Times:
Trump Picks Mick Mulvaney, South Carolina Congressman, as Budget Director — WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald J. Trump has selected Representative Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, a conservative Republican member of the House and a fierce advocate of deep spending cuts, to be his budget director.
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Daily Caller and Washington Free Beacon
RELATED:
Martin Pengelly / The Guardian:
Donald Trump accuses China of ‘unpresidented’ act over US navy drone — Shortly after China's foreign ministry said it was negotiating with the US over an unmanned American submarine seized by the Chinese navy, President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday used Twitter to accuse China of an “unpresidented [sic] act”.
Discussion:
The Week, American Thinker and The National Interest
Adam Entous / Washington Post:
FBI backs CIA view that Russia intervened to help Trump win election — FBI Director James B. Comey and Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. have backed a CIA assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election in part to help Donald Trump win the presidency, according to U.S. officials.
Discussion:
BarbWire.com, The Root, Business Insider, Weasel Zippers, TalkLeft, The Atlantic, New York Magazine, Townhall.com, AOL, emptywheel, NPR, Daily Kos, NBC News, Hullabaloo, Washington Times, Mediaite, Jezebel, CNBC, Politico, Raw Story, Politicus USA, Boing Boing, Talking Points Memo, Independent Journal Review, The Right Scoop, Cyberscoop, New Century Times, The Week, Hot Air, TheBlaze, Mother Jones, Engadget, Gizmodo, The Verge, Political Wire, The Daily Caller, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Balloon Juice, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
New York Times:
A Dangerous Choice for Ambassador to Israel — In appointing David Friedman as the next ambassador to Israel, Donald Trump voiced a desire to “strive for peace in the Middle East.” Unfortunately, his chosen representative would be far more likely to provoke conflict in Israel and the occupied territories …
RELATED:
David Remnick / New Yorker:
Trump's Daily Bankruptcy and the Ambassador to Israel — Every morning since November 9th, you wake up and read the news and think, This has got to be an issue of The Onion. Because, while so much of the media, in ways subtle and broad, attempts to normalize the Trump ascendancy …
Discussion:
WNYC News and Arutz Sheva
Evelyn Rupert / The Hill:
Trump mocks media as he recounts Election Day win — recounted his Election Day victory for a large crowd in Florida Friday night, mocking the media for its Nov. 8 coverage. — Trump has been detailing his wins state by state as he travels around the country on his “thank you” tour, which he continued in Orlando.
Discussion:
The Week and Political Wire
Sam Kriss / Slate:
The Rise of the Alt-Center — Why did establishment liberals fall in love with a deranged Twitter thread? It's time for some game theory. — You might remember a time, back before the election, when we all still lived in the real world and Donald Trump was an unhinged conspiracy theorist.
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money
Mark Hensch / The Hill:
GOP senator: ‘This has been a difficult eight years’ — Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey says Republicans like himself are ready to improve upon shortcomings from President Obama's two terms in office. — “This has been a difficult eight years,” he said in the GOP's weekly address Saturday.
Rebecca Hersher / NPR:
North Carolina Governor Signs Law Limiting Power Of His Successor — Pat McCrory, North Carolina's outgoing Republican governor, has signed a law stripping executive powers from his successor, Democrat Roy Cooper. — The law removes the State Board of Elections from the governor's control …
Discussion:
Mediaite
RELATED:
Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Now you can fact-check Trump's tweets — in the tweets themselves — On Friday morning, President-elect Donald Trump took a new tack in his war on the Russia hacking issue. … As our Dave Weigel noted, this isn't really accurate. There was nothing illegal at play, and Donna Brazile …
Discussion:
Salon, AOL, Boing Boing, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, Gizmodo, Engadget, Business Insider and New Century Times, more at Mediagazer »
Chris Massie / CNN:
GOP congressman on Russian hacking: ‘Terrific’ that voters got more truthful information — (CNN)Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said Thursday that it was “terrific” that voters got more truthful information about Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, regardless of whether the hackers were Russian.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post and Daily Kos
RELATED:
Avery Jackson / Fusion:
‘National Geographic’ just made history with its new cover — As part of its January 2017 issue exploring our evolving understandings and definitions of gender, National Geographic is featuring nine-year-old transgender rights activist Avery Jackson on its cover—the first time a trans person has made the cover of the magazine.
Discussion:
Human Rights Campaign, The Huffington Post and Refinery29
John Hinderaker / Power Line:
Donald Trump, Butterfly? — Many Republicans (like me) were unimpressed by Donald Trump during the primary season, got behind him once he won the nomination, and now are blown away by his appointments as president-elect. Paul wrote a great post about Trump's nominations of successful people …
Discussion:
Michael P. Ramirez
Norman Eisen / Africa in the news:
The Emoluments Clause: Its text, meaning, and application to Donald J. Trump — Norman Eisen, Richard Painter, and Laurence H. Tribe Friday, December 16, 2016 — For media inquries, contact: — Governance Studies Main Line 202.797.6090 — DOWNLOAD — Foreign interference …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
Russell Goldman / New York Times:
‘I Cannot Lie,’ Rodrigo Duterte Says, Confirming He Did Kill People as Mayor — President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines confirmed on Friday that he had personally pulled the trigger and killed three people as mayor of Davao City, doubling down on boastful comments he made this week, which loyalists had tried to deny.
Hadas Gold / Politico:
Kushner: We struck deal with Sinclair for straighter coverage — Donald Trump's campaign struck a deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group during the campaign to try and secure better media coverage, his son-in-law Jared Kushner told business executives Friday in Manhattan.
Discussion:
Media Matters for America, more at Mediagazer »
Paul Mirengoff / Power Line:
You voted for Trump? No heat for you this winter — President Obama denounces “hyper-partisanship,” so maybe our commentator-in-chief will have something to say about this story: … You almost have to admire the courage of Turner's conviction. According to Edmund Kozak of PoliZette …
Discussion:
LifeZette
Media Matters for America:
Former Russia Today Anchor: “There Really Isn't A Better Mouthpiece For The Kremlin” Than Trump — CHRIS JANSING: I want to bring in Liz Wahl, former anchor for state owned TV network Russia Today, who famously quit on air because she said she didn't want to be “part of the Russian propaganda machine.”