memeorandum: Rand Paul: Repeal all of Obamacare and replace immediately (Sen. Rand Paul/Rare)

6:25 PM ET, January 3, 2017

Top Items:

Rachael Bade / Politico:

House GOP reverses course on gutting ethics panel — Following a public outcry, and tweeted criticism from President-elect Donald Trump, House Republicans reversed course Tuesday on a proposal to gut their own ethics watchdog. — House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, USA Today, ABC News, BuzzFeed, U.S. Congressman Bob Goodlatte, CNBC, Washington Post, The Hill, alan.com, Common Dreams, Daily Kos, The Mahablog, Taylor Marsh, The Daily Beast, Talking Points Memo and Outside the Beltway

Shane Goldmacher / Politico:

Jack Abramoff slams GOP over House ethics changes — Jack Abramoff, the disgraced former lobbyist whose felony crimes eventually helped lead to the creation of the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, ripped House Republicans for their move to gut the independent watchdog.

Discussion: Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, NPR, ABC News, The Point, Washington Post, DCist, The Guardian, The Democratic Daily, ThinkProgress, TheStreet.com, Diplopundit, The Nation, Patterico's Pontifications, New York Magazine, The American Conservative and The Week

Norm Ornstein / The Atlantic:
The GOP's Ethics Disaster

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The American Conservative

Sean Sullivan / Washington Post:
House Republicans back off gutting ethics watchdog after backlash from Trump

Discussion: Vox, The Hill, BostonGlobe.com, neo-neocon, Daily Kos, IJR, New York Times, ThinkProgress, No More Mister Nice Blog, Mother Jones, Politico and Common Dreams

Louis Nelson / Politico:
Conway: GOP has ‘mandate’ to gut congressional ethics office

Discussion: Vox, New York Times, ABC News, Common Dreams, Mediaite and Daily Kos

Cristina Marcos / The Hill:
House GOP scraps plan to gut ethics watchdog after emergency meeting

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and zerohedge.com/fullrss2 …

Ben Kamisar / The Hill:
Trump slaps GOP for vote on ethics watchdog

Discussion: CNN, Salon, Washington Post, ThinkProgress, Business Insider, The Reality-Based Community, New York Times, Politicus USA, CBS New York, Raw Story, ABC News, WTKR-TV, NBC News, BizPac Review, Fox News, The Atlantic, Politico, CNBC and Shareblue

Lauren Fox / Talking Points Memo:
Paul Ryan Elected House Speaker With Just A Single Republican Defection

Discussion: Washington Post and The Week

Susan Davis / NPR:
After Backlash, Including From Trump, House GOP Drops Weakening Of Ethics Office

Discussion: Politico, The Atlantic, Washington Post, US News, Salon, Fox News, Telegraph, Vox, FiveThirtyEight, Common Dreams, TheBlaze and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Washington Post:
Republicans back off gutting of House ethics office after critical Trump tweet

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Shareblue

New York Times:
House Republicans, Under Fire, Back Down on Gutting Ethics Office

Jim Rutenberg / New York Times:

Megyn Kelly Is Said to Be Leaving Fox News for NBC — Megyn Kelly, who arrived at Fox News 12 years ago as a television news neophyte but rose to become one of its two biggest stars, has decided to leave the network to take on a broad new role at NBC News for an undisclosed amount, people briefed on the negotiations said on Tuesday.

Erika Masonhall / press.nbcnews.com:

MEGYN KELLY JOINS NBC NEWS … JANUARY 3, 2017 — Megyn Kelly, one of America's most prominent news anchors, will join NBC News, it was announced today by Andrew Lack, Chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group. — Kelly will become anchor of a new one hour daytime program that she will develop closely with NBC News colleagues.

Discussion: Mediaite, Politicus USA, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Vocativ and IJR, more at Mediagazer »

Megyn Kelly / Facebook:

Over a dozen years ago I started at Fox News in a job that would change my life. Now, I have decided to end my time at FNC, incredibly enriched for the experiences I've had. I have agreed to join NBC News, where I will be launching a new daytime show Monday through Friday, along with a Sunday evening news magazine program.

Discussion: Full Feed, The Guardian, Raw Story, Gothamist and Hot Air

Hadas Gold / Politico:
Megyn Kelly to leave Fox News for NBC

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, New York Times and Mediaite

Dylan Matthews / Vox:

Senate Republicans just introduced an Obamacare repeal plan Democrats can't stop — The new Congress was sworn in on Tuesday, and the first thing it did was prepare to repeal Obamacare. — Senate Budget Committee Chair Michael Enzi (R-WY) introduced a budget resolution Tuesday that includes …

Discussion: National Review, Mother Jones, Bloomberg, U.S. Senate Committee …, Business Insider, The Democratic Daily, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Hullabaloo, FiveThirtyEight, Instapundit and Washington Free Beacon

Nancyl / Washington Monthly:
What Republicans Have Promised on Health Care Reform

Discussion: Mother Jones, MSNBC and Politico

Burgess Everett / Politico:
Senate push for new Russia hacking probe fizzles

Discussion: Mediaite and Daily Kos

Sen. Rand Paul / Rare:
Rand Paul: Repeal all of Obamacare and replace immediately

Discussion: Morning Consult, The Hill, Daily Kos, Infowars and CNN

Yashar Ali / New York Magazine:

Bill and Hillary Clinton Will Attend the Trump Inauguration — Bill and Hillary Clinton have decided to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, according to two sources with knowledge of their plans. The Clintons will join former Presidents George W. Bush …

Discussion: The Times of Israel, Hot Air, New York Times, AOL, IJR, DCist, Mediaite and Washington Free Beacon

Ben Kamisar / The Hill:

George W. Bush to attend Trump's inauguration — Former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura Bush, will attend President-elect Donald Trump — 's inauguration this month. — In a statement Tuesday, Bush's office said the couple is “pleased to be able to witness the peaceful transfer of power …

Discussion: Politico, RedState and ABC News

Marisa M. Kashino / Washingtonian:

Ivanka Trump Will Move into a House in Kalorama — Washington Fine Properties co-owner William F.X. Moody tells Washingtonian that Ivanka Trump has completed a deal for a house in DC. A team of Washington Fine Properties agents represented Trump. The firm also represented the house's owner in the transaction.

Discussion: The Hill, The Daily Caller, Washington Post, Mediaite, Raw Story, IJR, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, DCist, New York Magazine and The Week

Eugene Scott / CNN:

Schumer: I wish we hadn't triggered ‘nuclear option’ — Washington (CNN)Sen. Chuck Schumer lamented Tuesday the Democrats' move to diminish the number of senators needed to confirm Cabinet picks from 60 votes to 51, because the new rule now hurts his party. — “I argued against it at the time.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Outside the Beltway

CNNMoney:

Ford cancels Mexico plant. Will create 700 U.S. jobs in ‘vote of confidence’ in Trump — Ford CEO: U.S. plant expansion is ‘vote of confidence’ in Trump — Ford is canceling plans to build a new plant in Mexico. It will invest $700 million in Michigan instead, creating 700 new U.S. jobs.

Discussion: The Atlantic, Fox News, CNBC, USA Today, Washington Monthly, New York Times, The Verge, RedState, New York Magazine, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, FOX40, Washington Free Beacon and The Week

Ylan Q. Mui / Washington Post:
Trump targets General Motors in latest attack on automakers, while Ford cancels plans for a Mexico plant

Discussion: Power Line, Bloomberg, The Hill, NPR and Cafe Hayek

CNBC:

Omarosa Manigault joining Trump's White House staff to focus on public engagement: AP — Omarosa Manigault is getting hired. — A memorable contestant in the first season of “The Apprentice,” Manigault is expected to join President-elect Donald Trump's White House staff, according to two people familiar with the decision.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Political Wire, Raw Story, IJR and Fox News Insider

Kaitlin Menza / Marie Claire:

Rockette Management Tells Dancers to “Tolerate Intolerance” — In the wake of more inauguration backlash, Madison Square Garden executive chairman James Dolan calls a meeting with the Rockettes to make his stance clear. — There's been an unusual amount of turmoil behind the scenes at Radio City Music Hall this Christmas season.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Mediaite, portal.liberalamerica.org, New York Times, Mashable, AOL, CNBC and New York Magazine

Aleksandra Sandstrom / Pew Research Center:

Faith on the Hill — The religious composition of the 115th Congress — The share of U.S. adults who describe themselves as Christians has been declining for decades, but the U.S. Congress is about as Christian today as it was in the early 1960s, according to a new analysis …

Discussion: The Atlantic, New York Times, Washington Post, The Times of Israel, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, NPR, The Daily Caller and Religion News Service

Russell Adams / Wall Street Journal:

Americans Eat 554 Million Jack in the Box Tacos a Year, and No One Knows Why — The fast-food chain's gooey, deep-fried beef envelope has been on the menu since the 1950s, inspiring legions of fans; ‘vile and amazing’ — More than 1,000 times a minute, someone bites into what has been described …

Discussion: AOL

Chris Sommerfeldt / New York Daily News:

SEE IT: Donald Trump appears alongside convicted felon with mobster ties at New Year's Eve party — President-elect Donald Trump rang in the new year together with Joseph “Joey No Socks” Cinque — a convicted felon with ties to notorious Gambino crime family boss John Gotti, a recently released video has revealed.

Discussion: Political Wire, Post On Politics, Mediaite and The Guardian

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

Inside Trump's strategy to remodel the Supreme Court — Donald Trump has narrowed his short list for his first Supreme Court pick down to roughly a half-dozen finalists but the president-elect and his top advisers are already thinking about a second selection, as they seek to quickly remodel …

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Ricky Shoff / Facebook:

I've been a little hesitant to post this. But I feel it's not only to bring awareness, but it is also incredible. We are so grateful for the bond that these twin brothers share. We know Bowdy was not alone in moving the dresser off of Brock. And feel blessed that he is ok.

Discussion: IJR and BizPac Review

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:

The 2018 Senate map just keeps getting better for Republicans — No one outside of Nevada noticed, but last week, Sen. Dean Heller (R) announced that he would run for reelection rather than seek the open governorship in 2018. But it was a big deal — not just in Nevada …

Discussion: IJR

Prashant Gopal / Bloomberg:

Wall Street, America's New Landlord, Kicks Tenants to the Curb — Private equity firms snapped up homes after real estate bust — In Atlanta, companies up to twice as likely to file evictions — On a chilly December afternoon in Atlanta, a judge told Reiton Allen that he had seven days …

Discussion: Engadget and Raw Story

Max Greenwood / The Hill:

GOP senators offer bill to move US Embassy to Jerusalem — Three GOP senators on Tuesday unveiled legislation that would recognize Jerusalem as Israel's official capital and move the U.S. Embassy to that city from Tel Aviv. — Republican Sens. Ted Cruz — (Texas), Dean Heller — (Nev.) and Marco Rubio

Discussion: RedState and Israel Matzav

Judy Kurtz / The Hill:

Celebs call on Congress to ‘Stand Up’ to Trump — #StandUpForUS from Art Not War on Vimeo. — A slew of high-profile stars — including Sally Field, former “The View” co-host Rosie Perez, “Westworld's” Jeffrey Wright, Keegan-Michael Key and “Boardwalk Empire” actor Steve Buscemi …

Discussion: MichelleMalkin.com, RedState, Hit & Run, The Daily Caller, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and BizPac Review