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White House Envisions Tillerson Ouster From State Dept., to Be Replaced by Pompeo, Within Weeks — WASHINGTON — The White House has developed a plan to force out Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, whose relationship with President Trump has been strained, and replace him with Mike Pompeo …
Discussion:
The Atlantic, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, CNN, Joe.My.God., Politico, The Hill, Axios, Wall Street Journal, Vox, Roll Call, ThinkProgress, Business Insider, Mother Jones, ABC News, RedState, National Review, The Root, Bloomberg, On Point with Tom Ashbrook, The Last Refuge, No More Mister Nice Blog, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Washington Monthly, The American Conservative, Washington Free Beacon, Weekly Standard, Common Dreams, The Gateway Pundit, The Mahablog, Climate Home, israpundit.org, Hit & Run, bizpacreview.com, NPR, IJR, Shakesville, Outside the Beltway, CNBC, Shareblue Media, NBC News, WTVR-TV, KTLA, New York Magazine, FOX31 Denver, CBS New York, The Slot, The Daily Caller, twitchy.com and Right Wing Watch
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Interrogators Blast Trump's ‘Clueless’ CIA Pick Tom Cotton … The Central Intelligence Agency is set to receive an advocate of waterboarding, sweeping surveillance powers, jailing journalists, and conflict with Iran as its next director. — A combat veteran and first-term Arkansas GOP senator …
Discussion:
Business Insider, Raw Story, Mother Jones, bizpacreview.com and Axios


Pompeo has already been preparing to take over the State Department
Discussion:
Political Wire, Common Dreams, Vox and Business Insider

The Rex situation is simple
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Washington Post, Vox, The Atlantic, IJR, The Daily Caller and ABC News

White House maintenance orders reveal cockroaches, ants and mice infestations
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The Week

Corker: Report of Tillerson ouster ‘bogus’
Discussion:
Politico, RedState and Fox News Insider

We'll take Pompeo over Tillerson, frustrated diplomats say
Discussion:
John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Political Wire

White House bars one of few black journalists from attending Christmas party
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and bizpacreview.com

Trump Plays Musical Chairs in the Cabinet Room
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, Business Insider and Politico


Army veteran says Franken groped her during USO tour in 2003 — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — (CNN)An Army veteran says Sen. Al Franken groped her in December 2003, telling CNN that while she was deployed in Kuwait, the Minnesota Democrat cupped her breast during a photo op.
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TheBlaze, Axios, Business Insider, The Daily Caller, bizpacreview.com, Washington Post, NPR and AOL
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New England Elected Official Says Al Franken Tried to Give Her A ‘Wet, Open-Mouthed Kiss’ Onstage — A former elected official in New England who has requested anonymity tells Jezebel that Al Franken attempted to give her a “wet, open-mouthed kiss” onstage at an event in 2006, shortly before he ran for Senate.
Discussion:
Axios, The Daily Caller, TheBlaze, Rewire, Washington Times, RedState, Business Insider, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Mediaite

Top House Democrat calls on Franken to resign
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Washington Post, CBS News, Axios, ThinkProgress, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller, KTLA and twitchy.com


Graphic, Disturbing Details of Matt Lauer's Alleged Sexual Misconduct — A bombshell Variety report alleges Lauer gave one female colleague a sex toy, and more. — Shocking new allegations have emerged about the sexual misconduct scandal that is quickly enveloping Matt Lauer.
Discussion:
Variety, New York Times, Page Six, Washington Post, Indianapolis Star, Mashable, TheBlaze, Fox News Insider, Politico, New York Magazine, The Daily Caller, Chicago Boyz, Media Matters for America, AOL, Business Insider, The Week, RedState, bet.com, Talking Points Memo, Townhall.com, Hot Air and bizpacreview.com, more at Mediagazer »
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Matt Lauer had ‘huge bag of sex toys’ in his office, Meredith Vieira jokes in resurfaced video
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Washington Examiner, The Gateway Pundit, TMZ.com, Advocate and bizpacreview.com

Read Matt Lauer's full apology
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Business Insider, Deadline and bizpacreview.com, more at Mediagazer »

Matt Lauer Offers Apology (With a Caveat)
Discussion:
Jewish Telegraphic Agency and NY State of Politics

Writer Jenny Lumet: Russell Simmons Sexually Violated Me (Guest Column) — The screenwriter of ‘Rachel Getting Married’ and ‘The Mummy’ (and the daughter of filmmaker Sidney Lumet) details a terrifying encounter with the legendary music producer, who says he is stepping down from his businesses in the wake of the new claims.


Britain furious, Trump unapologetic as fallout swells from anti-Muslim videos … LONDON — The British backlash to President Trump picked up steam Thursday with parliament members openly deriding him and Britain's prime minister standing by her denunciations of Trump's retweets of a fringe anti-Muslim group.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, American Prospect, Business Insider, Common Dreams and New York Magazine
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'I'm just waiting for a call from the White House with an apology.' Britain's ‘wrong’ Theresa May speaks out.
Discussion:
RedState, Mother Jones, The Independent, Business Insider, CNN, Breitbart, Hullabaloo, BBC, NPR, The Hill, Jihad Watch and The Guardian, more at Mediagazer »

Here's Where That False Anti-Muslim Video Trump Retweeted Came From
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New York Times, Media Matters for America, The Guardian and Snopes.com


Rep. Joe Barton: I will not seek re-election — WASHINGTON — Rep. Joe Barton, whose private life came under national scrutiny after sexual images he shared in an extramarital relationship were made public, won't seek re-election. — The Ennis Republican announced his retirement in an interview …
Discussion:
Vox, RedState, ThinkProgress, The Hill, Washington Post, Washington Times, Daily Kos, Washington Free Beacon, The Week, IJR and Axios


Woman's effort to infiltrate The Washington Post dated back months … The failed effort by conservative activists to plant a false story about Senate candidate Roy Moore in The Washington Post was part of a months-long campaign to infiltrate The Post and other media outlets in Washington and New York …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, more at Mediagazer »


The Trump Administration Is Mulling A Pitch For A Private “Rendition” And Spy Network — A private company has proposed that the US government pay it millions to undertake intelligence and covert operations. — Reporting From Washington, DC — WASHINGTON — The White House and CIA …

Rubio: Offset Tax Cuts By Reducing Social Security, Medicare Benefits — Tax reform is only one piece of the overall puzzle needed to revitalize the American economy, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told a group of Washington, D.C., lobbyists and policy analysts this morning at a Politico Playbook …
Discussion:
Vox and Talking Points Memo
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Collins: Health-care fix will pass before tax bill
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Politico, FOX6Now.com, The Federalist and The Daily Caller


Senate GOP tax bill would add $1 trillion to the deficit, Congress' analysts conclude — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) … The Republican plan for a massive tax overhaul steamed toward Senate passage on Thursday, even as a nonpartisan congressional scorekeeper …
Discussion:
Mother Jones and New York Magazine
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I'm a Depression historian. The GOP tax bill is straight out of 1929.
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Balloon Juice

The Winner of the 1st Annual Fake News Trophy Is ... Voters agree with President Trump that so-called “fake news” is a serious problem in America today. If a Fake News Trophy were to be awarded this year, the winners should be Fox News or CNN depending on which political party you're in.
Discussion:
The Hill, ThinkProgress, AOL and Joe.My.God.


Four men allege sexual misconduct by Senate president's husband — He was a policy advocate who made his living trying to persuade legislators on Beacon Hill to help nonprofit groups. He was exhausted after a working dinner with a group of senators and their spouses on that fall night in 2015.
Discussion:
Political Wire


John Conyers Hospitalized For Stress-Related Illness Amid Sex Scandal — DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - U.S. Congressman John Conyers is hospitalized for a stress-related illness. — Family spokesperson Sam Riddle confirmed Thursday morning that the 88-year-old Detroit Democrat is seeking treatment …
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Paul Manafort Reaches Bail Deal With Mueller — A month after turning himself in for charges he faces connected to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort reached a bail deal with Mueller's team, according to court documents filed by Manafort's lawyers Thursday.
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Ahead of Vote, Promised Treasury Analysis of Tax Bill Proves Elusive — WASHINGTON — In pitching the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul, Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, has said repeatedly that the plan will pay for itself through a surge of economic growth and that over 100 people in Treasury are …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, The Hill, New York Magazine, Vox, Axios, Washington Post, mccain.senate.gov, IJR, Common Dreams, Daily Kos, Splinter and Shareblue Media


Congress secretly paid near $100,000 to settle harassment claims against disgraced congressman — The Congressional Office of Compliance secretly paid close to $100,000 in taxpayer funds to settle sexual harassment claims from at least two young male staffers who worked for disgraced former …
Discussion:
Political Wire and The Gateway Pundit


The White House expects Trump to get even more outrageous — Exhausted by the Trump presidency? Brace yourself: White House officials expect Trump to be even more outrageous and cocksure in coming months. — What we're hearing: Officials tell us Trump seems more self-assured …


Nine Women Accuse Israel Horovitz, Playwright and Mentor, of Sexual Misconduct — In 1986, Maddie Corman was a 16-year-old actress performing Off Broadway as her mother lay dying in a hospital bed, hours after having a stroke. Backstage, Ms. Corman was consoled by Israel Horovitz, the show's 47-year-old playwright and her mentor.
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Consequence of Sound and Jewish Telegraphic Agency


Why Alabamians Should Vote For Roy Moore — I am going to argue for the very unpopular, even shocking, view that, even if Roy Moore did what he is accused of doing, Alabamans are within their rights to vote for him, and they shouldn't let Democrats and Never Trumpers shame them into not voting.
Discussion:
National Review, Hit & Run, Washington Post, Mediaite, Weekly Standard and RedState, more at Mediagazer »


White House Considering Plan for Relocating Embassy in Israel — Administration plan may provide for a move in the future — WASHINGTON—The Trump administration is considering a plan to formally recognize Jerusalem as the “undivided” capital of Israel and to move the U.S. Embassy there in the future …
Discussion:
Axios, ABC News and The Daily Caller
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Report: Trump to recognize Jerusalem as capital, staff to prepare embassy move
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IJR