Top Items:
New York Times:
Intercepted Russian Communications Part of Inquiry Into Trump Associates — WASHINGTON — American law enforcement and intelligence agencies are examining intercepted communications and financial transactions as part of a broad investigation into possible links between Russian officials …
New York Times:
A Trump Administration, With Obama Staff Members Filling In the Gaps — WASHINGTON — Donald J. Trump arrived in Washington the day before his inauguration as the nation's 45th president in a swirl of cinematic pageantry but facing serious questions about whether his chaotic transition …
Discussion:
Political Wire, The Week, New York Magazine, The Verge and Gizmodo
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David Fahrenthold / Washington Post:
Trump to be sworn in, marking a transformative shift in the country's leadership — Donald John Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States at noon on Friday, on a day that is expected to offer less ceremony and flourish than previous inaugurations …
Edward-Isaac Dovere / Politico:
‘None of us knows what is going to happen’ — No one knows. — Everything in Washington is a question—what kind of bills are going to come through Congress, how radically Republicanism and conservatism are going to be reshaped, what the Democratic Party is going to do in an attempt to be relevant again …
Jessica Schulberg / The Huffington Post:
Trump Sought Military Equipment For Inauguration, Granted 20-Plane Flyover — “It's very Red Square,” said Stephen Kerrigan, who oversaw the past two inaugurations. — Foreign Affairs Reporter, The Huffington Post — WASHINGTON Part of being a great president is showing off America's …
Discussion:
Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, Occupy Democrats and Politicus USA
Camille Dodero / Hollywood Reporter:
Robert De Niro, Alec Baldwin Address Crowd at Anti-Trump Rally in NYC — Baldwin assured the crowd that “there is hope. Trump and Pence think you're going to lay down. That's one thing about New Yorkers: You don't lay down.” — The anti-Trump demonstration held just a half-mile from Trump Tower kicks off Thursday.
Discussion:
RedState and The Daily Caller
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Brooke Seipel / The Hill:
Michael Moore leads massive anti-Trump protest in NYC — Documentary director Michael Moore held a massive protest Thursday night outside Trump's New York City International Hotel featuring speeches from public figures including actors Robert De Niro and Mark Ruffalo.
Discussion:
Hollywood Life and MichelleMalkin.com
Cyra Master / The Hill:
Report: Trump has given up personal cellphone — Less than 24 hours before his inauguration, the Associated Press reports President-elect Donald Trump — has given up his personal cellphone. — Trump apparently told a friend on Thursday that he has given up the phone on the advice of security agencies.
Discussion:
RedState
Claudia Koerner / BuzzFeed:
Trump's Inaugural Concert Didn't Fill The National Mall — Here's the crowd outside the Lincoln Memorial on Thursday for a concert celebrating President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration. … The National Park Service declined to estimate how many people attended the concert.
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Week and Politicus USA
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New York Times:
Trump Calls for Unity at Opening Concert as Inaugural Festivities Begin
Trump Calls for Unity at Opening Concert as Inaugural Festivities Begin
Discussion:
Althouse, The Nation, AOL and The Week
Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Trump begins inaugural festivities as he prepares for the presidency
Trump begins inaugural festivities as he prepares for the presidency
Discussion:
Politico and New York Times
Hugh Hewitt / Washington Post:
It's time to relax about Trump — Hugh Hewitt hosts a nationally syndicated radio show and is author of the forthcoming “The Fourth Way: The Conservative Playbook for a Lasting GOP Majority.” — My wife and I welcomed Mike and Debbie for dinner at our California home Tuesday night.
New York Times:
Washington Hotel Presents Trump With a ‘Minefield’ of Potential Scandal — WASHINGTON — With sirens blaring, a fleet of limousines and security personnel raced down Pennsylvania Avenue twice in less than the last 24 hours to deliver Donald J. Trump to inauguration events.
Discussion:
TMZ.com
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Aaron Rupar / ThinkProgress:
Trump press secretary turns press conference into infomercial for Trump's D.C. hotel
Trump press secretary turns press conference into infomercial for Trump's D.C. hotel
Discussion:
Real Clear Politics, NPR, Common Dreams and Occupy Democrats
Matthew Nussbaum / Politico:
Spicer on Trump going to hotel: 'Shouldn't be a shocker'
Spicer on Trump going to hotel: 'Shouldn't be a shocker'
Discussion:
Shareblue, Washington Post, Raw Story, Washingtonian, alan.com, NPR, Talking Points Memo and New York Times
Shane Goldmacher / Politico:
Trump aides jockey for best White House real estate — In the two months since Donald Trump won the most coveted office in the United States, his aides have quietly jostled for the next most valuable workspace—the short corridor just down the hall from the Oval Office.
Discussion:
The Atlantic
Bloomberg:
Wright Under Consideration as Trump's Antitrust Chief, Source Says — Ex-FTC commissioner said in running for Justice Department job — Courts have countered Wright dissents in FTC enforcement cases — The Trump team is considering giving a top antitrust post to a former U.S. trade …
Devin Henry / The Hill:
Dems blast Trump plans for deep spending cuts — Several Democratic senators harshly criticized spending cuts planned by the Trump administration during a confirmation hearing Thursday for Rick Perry, who is nominated to lead the Energy Department. — “This is absolutely nuts in terms …
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Ariane de Vogue / CNN:
Trump on Supreme Court pick: ‘I think in my mind I know who it is’ — Washington (CNN)President-elect Donald Trump suggested to an audience on Thursday that he has a good sense of who he plans to nominate to the Supreme Court. — “I think in my mind I know who it is,” …
Discussion:
Hot Air and Talking Points Memo
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Meghan Keneally / ABC News:
First on ABC: George W. Bush's Inauguration Day Letter to Barack Obama — Writing a letter to the next commander-in-chief has been a tradition for outgoing presidents. — As Barack Obama prepares to hand the baton to Donald Trump, ABC News has obtained an exclusive look at the missive …
Discussion:
The Week, Politico, Mediaite and Associated Press
Paul Mirengoff / Power Line:
Jim Brown backs Donald Trump — Who are the most formidable and iconic male African-Americans of the 1960s? Martin Luther King and Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali are surely the top two. — Who is third? For me, it's Jim Brown (and not John Lewis). — Brown is as great an athlete as I've ever seen.
Discussion:
Washington Post and USA Today
Matt Pearce / Los Angeles Times:
Protests already underway in Washington ahead of Trump's inauguration — This video contains graphic content and language. Protests erupt outside Thursday's “DeploraBall,” a Washington event celebrating Donald Trump's election. — As the nation's capital prepares to welcome Donald …
Ted Barrett / CNN:
Wyden objection to Pompeo could push vote to Monday — Trump CIA pick backs intel on Russian hacking — (CNN)Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, a Democratic member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a vocal privacy advocate, has formally objected to the Senate voting Friday on CIA director nominee …
Lauren Fox / Talking Points Memo:
Cornyn: No One Covered Under Medicaid Expansion Will Lose Coverage — A group of Republican governors met with Republican members of the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday, and some expressed concerns about the number of people who could lose insurance once GOP lawmakers repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Discussion:
ACASignups.net and Mother Jones
John Ziegler / Mediaite:
A Final Reminder: Here's Who ‘Owns’ the Trump Presidency and Who Will Get the Blame/Praise — As we all brace for the official start to a Donald Trump presidency which most of us never thought would happen, it is important to set down some markers. Specifically, who will get the credit/blame …
Ernesto Londoño / New York Times:
Malia Obama's Secret Trip to Bolivia and Peru — The Bolivian guides were convinced it was the blonde. It had to be the blonde. American Embassy officials in November had told three brothers who led guided hikes across Bolivia's majestic Cordillera Real mountain range that they would soon be hosting an important American dignitary.
Joshua Green / Bloomberg:
Trump's K Street Office Is Open for Business — Corey Lewandowski rebrands himself as a D.C. fixer peddling access to the White House. — by — Subscribe Reprints — “You see that window right there? The one right next to the big arch?” says Corey Lewandowski, pointing at the second floor of the White House two blocks away.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Right Wing Watch and Joe.My.God.
Los Angeles Times:
Op-Ed How to stop Trump: Lessons from the tea party — Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin speaks to a crowd during the kickoff of the nationwide Tea Party Express bus tour in Reno, Nev. on Oct. 18, 2010. (Scott Sady / Associated Press) — Gonzalo Martínez de Vedia, Jeremy Haile and Sarah Dohl
Discussion:
Common Dreams