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U.S. Punishes Russia for Election Hacking, Ejecting Operatives — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration struck back at Russia on Thursday for its efforts to influence the 2016 election, ejecting 35 Russian intelligence operatives from the United States and imposing sanctions on Russia's …
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Statement by the President on Actions in Response to Russian Malicious Cyber Activity and Harassment — Today, I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian government's aggressive harassment of U.S. officials and cyber operations aimed at the U.S. election.
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Townhall.com, mid.ru, Mashable, Post On Politics, CBS Miami, Mediaite, Reuters, CBS New York, New York Times, Sputnik International and New York's PIX11


Obama orders Russia expulsions, sanctions for interference in 2016 election — President Barack Obama on Thursday ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and sanctioned Russian intelligence officials who Washington believes were involved in hacking U.S. political groups in the 2016 presidential election.
Discussion:
Shadowproof, The Week, Fox News Insider, The Gateway Pundit and Infowars

Resource Center — Home » Resource Center » Financial Sanctions » OFAC Recent Actions » Issuance of Amended Executive Order 13694; Cyber-Related Sanctions Designations — Issuance of Amended Executive Order 13694; Cyber-Related Sanctions Designations
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Talking Points Memo, Politico, Business Insider, The Daily Caller, NoisyRoom.net and The Verge

Obama administration announces measures to punish Russia for 2016 election interference
Discussion:
The Hill, Little Green Footballs, The Moderate Voice, US Department of State, Hot Air, Techdirt and The Root



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, alan.com, Taylor Marsh, No More Mister Nice Blog and US Department of State
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Schumer: Kerry ‘emboldened extremists on both sides’
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Red Alert Politics, Washington Times, Outside the Beltway, TheBlaze, Fox News, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Post, Haaretz and New York Times

Kerry's Blunt Words for Israel Denounced by Lawmakers in Both Parties

White House On Defense After Being Exposed as Architect of Anti-Israel U.N. Action
Discussion:
Hot Air, Israel Matzav and RedState

Julie Bishop backs Israel rather than the US over UN resolution
Discussion:
The Times of Israel

How the U.S. came to abstain on a U.N. resolution condemning Israeli settlements
Discussion:
Jezebel, Haaretz and Associated Press

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:
New York Magazine, Washington Monthly, Bloomberg, Mother Jones and The Economic Collapse
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Spicer: President Trump won't be beholden to traditional media practices
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Breitbart, The Daily Caller and The Week, more at Mediagazer »

Sean Spicer On The New Administration And The Press
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Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller and Law News


Milo Yiannopoulos Strikes $250K Book Deal (Exclusive) — “They said banning me from Twitter would finish me off. Just as I predicted, the opposite has happened,” says Yiannopoulos. — Milo Yiannopoulos has parlayed his ban from Twitter — and some controversial appearances on college campuses …
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Reuters, Talking Points Memo, Politico, twitchy.com, Mashable, CNBC, Mediaite, New York Magazine and The Week, more at Mediagazer »

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:
ACASignups.net, Business Insider, Politicus USA, AOL and Project Syndicate RSS-Feed
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Obamacare Didn't Fail Because It's Timid
Discussion:
New York Magazine and Instapundit


11 A-list artists that refused to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration — If Donald Trump were still just a regular old billionaire and threw a party at Trump Tower in New York City, celebrities would be lined up out the door, and the most famous artists would be pining for a chance to perform.
Discussion:
Salon, AOL, BizPac Review, The Daily Caller, Fox News Insider and Raw Story


Gun-loving conservative columnist accidentally killed after letting teen boy hold his firearm — DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY! — M.D. Harmon, a conservative columnist who frequently wrote in favor of gun ownership rights for the Portland Press Herald, died this week after being accidentally shot by a teenage boy.
Discussion:
alan.com and The Portland Press Herald


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 …
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RedState, TheBlaze, The Daily Caller, CNBC, Vox Popoli and Infowars
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George Soros: Trump a ‘would-be dictator’
Discussion:
Zero Hedge, Raw Story and alan.com


A Preview of Obama's Post-Presidency — He's grumbling about Fox News and talk radio while feigning that he isn't partisan. — In two interviews over the holidays, President Obama signaled how he's likely to conduct himself once out of office: whiny, self-justifying and bursting with excuses.
Discussion:
Power Line
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Don't Disappear Next Year, Obama
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CBS Philly, neo-neocon, Talking Points Memo, Slate, WTVR-TV, CNBC, Washington Post, Mashable and ABC News

Report: 8 years of Obama vacations cost $85 million
Discussion:
MichelleMalkin.com


DNR purges climate change from web page — The state Department of Natural Resources recently scrubbed language from an agency web page on the Great Lakes that said humans and greenhouse gases are the main cause of climate change. — The DNR now says the subject is a matter of scientific debate.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, mprnews.org, The Verge, Esquire and New Urban Legends


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 …
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Washington Post, Jezebel, CNNMoney, Sprint, Politico, Oliver Willis, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, RedState, CNBC and Bloomberg
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Donald Trump is, once again, taking credit for jobs he had no part in creating
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Washington Monthly, CNBC, USA Today, ThinkProgress, Common Dreams, The Root and ABC News


Americans — especially but not exclusively Trump voters — believe crazy, wrong things — Many Americans believe a lot of dumb, crazy, destructive, provably wrong stuff. Lately this is especially (though not exclusively) true of Donald Trump voters, according to a new survey.
Discussion:
Cafe Hayek, AOL, emptywheel and New York Daily News

The good that could come from a Trump presidency — Gloom is a terrible way to ring out the old, and despair is of no help in trying to imagine the new. — So let us consider what good might come from the political situation in which we will find ourselves in 2017.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Daily Kos


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:
The Daily Caller and The Week


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