memeorandum: How President Obama Has Protected Our Sacred Land for Future Generations (Russell Begaye/The White House)

10:50 AM ET, December 29, 2016

Top Items:

Obama Calls Trump After Twitter Complaint About ‘Roadblocks’ — Detente strained between the outgoing and incoming presidents — Republican angered by UN resolution on Israel, election remark — U.S. President Barack Obama phoned his successor, Donald Trump, after the Republican accused Obama …

Discussion: Politico, alan.com, Political Wire, The Economic Collapse and USA Today

Josh Dawsey / Politico:

What's really bugging Trump about Obama — Donald Trump can't decide whether he thinks the transition of power is going well or not. — But he knows he doesn't like how much attention Barack Obama is getting and is also bothered by what Trump and his closest advisers see as an active effort …

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:

Bibi Netanyahu Makes Trump His Chump — For those of you confused over the latest fight between President Obama and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of Israel, let me make it simple: Barack Obama and John Kerry admire and want to preserve Israel as a Jewish and democratic state in the Land of Israel.

Discussion: Tikun Olam and No More Mister Nice Blog

Peter Martin / Sydney Morning Herald:
Julie Bishop backs Israel rather than the US over UN resolution

Discussion: The Times of Israel

Bloomberg:
Obama's Betrayal of Israel at the UN Must Not Stand

Discussion: neo-neocon and Instapundit

New York Times:
Is Israel Abandoning a Two-State Solution?

Discussion: The Times of Israel, Jezebel, Politico and Political Wire

Elliott Abrams / Weekly Standard:
John Kerry's Final, Harmful Insult to Israel

Discussion: Power Line and Washington Free Beacon

Fox News:
Kerry rips ‘settler agenda’ in speech defending UN vote, Israeli PM fires back

Discussion: NoisyRoom.net, Jerusalem Post, The Daily Caller and Patterico's Pontifications

David Remnick / New Yorker:
The Obama Administration's Final Warning on the Middle East Peace Process

Discussion: Power Line, The Week, Josh Blackman's Blog and New York Times

John Kerry / US Department of State:
Remarks on Middle East Peace

Discussion: Washington Post, Power Line, Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, New York Times and Politicus USA

Tracy Wilkinson / Los Angeles Times:
John Kerry, tireless in his diplomatic efforts, often came up empty-handed

Discussion: RedState and Associated Press

Carmel Dagan / Variety:

Debbie Reynolds, ‘Singin’ in the Rain' Star and Carrie Fisher's Mother, Dies at 84 — Debbie Reynolds, the Oscar-nominated singer-actress who was the mother of late actress Carrie Fisher, has died at Cedars-Sinai hospital. She was 84. — “She wanted to be with Carrie,” her son Todd Fisher told Variety.

Discussion: TMZ.com, Page Six, Refinery29, The Root, Independent Journal Review, Mediaite, Althouse and GuideLive

TMZ.com:

Debbie Reynolds — DEAD AT 84 — Debbie Reynolds — who rose to stardom in “Singin' in the Rain” and quickly became a staple among Hollywood royalty — died Wednesday as a result of a stroke, TMZ has learned ... just one day after her daughter Carrie Fisher passed away ... this according to her son Todd.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, New York Magazine, Mashable, RedState, CBS Los Angeles, WSPA-TV, FOX6Now.com, Jezebel, Mediaite and Deadline

TMZ.com:
Debbie Reynolds Rushed to Hospital for Possible Stroke (AUDIO + VIDEO)

Discussion: Mediaite, Associated Press, Washington Post, New York Magazine, Deadline, Page Six, Mashable, RedState, Independent Journal Review, TheBlaze, myfox8.com, AOL, Telegraph, CBS Chicago and alan.com

Mike Barnes / Hollywood Reporter:
Debbie Reynolds, Mother of Carrie Fisher and Star of ‘Singin’ in the Rain,' Dies at 84

Discussion: AOL and Suburban Guerrilla …

New York Times:

Trump Takes Credit for Sprint Plan to Add 5,000 Jobs in U.S. — By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ and MICHAEL J. de la MERCEDDecember 28, 2016 — President-elect Donald J. Trump took credit on Wednesday for a decision by Sprint to add 5,000 jobs in the United States, as he tried to deliver on his promise …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, RedState and Business Insider

Jacob Pramuk / CNBC:
Trump takes credit for Sprint plan to keep 5,000 jobs in the US

Discussion: Post On Politics and The Gateway Pundit

Sprint:
Sprint Announces Commitment to Create or Bring Back to America 5,000 Jobs

Discussion: Tech Times, The Last Refuge and Fox News Insider

Jennifer Epstein / Bloomberg:
Trump Says Billionaire Masa Son Adds U.S. Jobs at Sprint, OneWeb

Discussion: MSNBC, ABC News, Washington Post, Politico, Engadget, The Week, Mother Jones and Talking Points Memo

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Trump takes credit for new domestic jobs at Sprint

Discussion: Politicus USA, ABC News, BizPac Review, Infowars and Washington Times

Russell Begaye / The White House:

How President Obama Has Protected Our Sacred Land for Future Generations — I am very proud to be both Navajo and American. As the President of the Navajo Nation, I've dedicated my life to ensuring that, as a Najavo, my story—and our stories—are part of our collective American history.

Discussion: Hot Air, The White House, BizPac Review, twitchy.com, New York Magazine, Los Angeles Times, The Daily Caller and KTLA

Juliet Eilperin / Washington Post:
With new monuments in Nevada, Utah, Obama adds to his environmental legacy

Discussion: Suburban Guerrilla …, The Week and Mother Jones

The White House:
Statement by the President on the Designation of Bears Ears National Monument and Gold Butte National Monument

Discussion: The Verge and Politicus USA

Richard Johnson / Page Six:

DC private schools giving Kellyanne Conway the brush-off — MORE FROM: — Kellyanne Conway is worried establishment elites in Washington, DC, are so prejudiced against President-elect Trump that she won't be able to get her kids into private school in the nation's capital.

Discussion: The Resurgent, BizPac Review, The Daily Caller and Raw Story

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:

Trump on Russian hacking: ‘Computers have complicated lives very greatly’ — on Wednesday said he thinks computers have made people's lives much more complex when asked about Russian hacking. — “I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly,” the president-elect said Wednesday …

Discussion: alan.com

John Wagner / Washington Post:
Trump on alleged election interference by Russia: ‘Get on with our lives’

Discussion: Politico, The Root, The Week, New York Magazine, The Hill, Recode and The Guardian, more at Mediagazer »

Sahil Kapur / Bloomberg:

GOP Readies Swift Obamacare Repeal With No Replacement in Place — Senate will start in early January to repeal health-care law — Republicans split over how long to delay replacement plan — The first major act of the unified Republican government in 2017 will be a vote in Congress to begin tearing down Obamacare.

Discussion: Politicus USA and Project Syndicate RSS-Feed

Megan McArdle / Bloomberg:
Obamacare Didn't Fail Because It's Timid

Discussion: Instapundit

Ryan Browne / CNN:

US military could carry out first execution in over 50 years — (CNN)A former US Army soldier who has been on death row since 1988 for raping and murdering several women could now face execution after a judge denied his bid for another stay of execution. — Judge J. Thomas Marten …

Discussion: alan.com

CNN:

Syria ceasefire deal reached between regime and rebels, Russia says — Istanbul, Turkey (CNN)The Syrian government and opposition rebels have agreed terms for a ceasefire in the country's long-running civil war, Vladimir Putin announced. — According to Russian state media TASS …

Discussion: The Hill, Independent Journal Review, The Week and Althouse

Betsy Woodruff / The Daily Beast:

Scam Pastor to Pray With Trump At Inauguration — In 2007, TV preacher Paula White got investigated by the U.S. Senate for her shady fundraising practices. — Ten years later, she will pray at Trump's inauguration. — Yes, really. — White is a televangelist with a huge audience and a knack for stirring controversy.

Discussion: Politicus USA and Raw Story

George Soros / Project Syndicate RSS-Feed:

Open Society Needs Defending — Open societies are in crisis, and various forms of closed societies - from fascist dictatorships to mafia states - are on the rise. Because elected leaders failed to meet voters' legitimate expectations and aspirations, electorates have become disenchanted …

Discussion: Vox Popoli and Infowars

Mark Robison / Reno Gazette-Journal:

Nevada's voter-OK'ed gun background checks blocked — Final update — The expansion of gun background checks approved by Nevada voters last month will not happen as expected, based on an opinion released Wednesday by the Nevada Attorney General's Office.

Discussion: Bearing Arms and Hot Air

Seth Barrett Tillman / THE NEW REFORM CLUB:

Ed Kilgore, At NY Mag's Daily Intelligencer, Asks President Obama To Use Recess Appointments: Kilgore's Strategy Won't Work & This Is Why — Ed Kilgore, at NY Mag's Daily Intelligencer column, argues that President Obama should use his recess appointment power in the waning days of his administration.

Discussion: Hot Air, Washington Post and New York Magazine