Top Items:
Eli Lake / Bloomberg:
Kushner Is Said to Have Ordered Flynn to Contact Russia — Now that the retired general has pleaded guilty, the president's son-in-law could be one of the next dominoes to fall. — Former national security adviser Michael Flynn's guilty plea Friday for lying to the FBI is alarming news for Donald Trump.
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Brian Ross / ABC News:
Flynn prepared to testify that Trump directed him to contact Russians about ISIS, confidant says — Retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn has promised “full cooperation” in the special counsel's Russia investigation and, according to a confidant, is prepared to testify that Donald Trump directed …
Discussion:
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SHennessey / Lawfare:
The Flynn Plea: A Quick and Dirty Analysis — The news that former national security adviser Michael Flynn has reached a cooperation and plea deal with Special Counsel Robert Mueller could not come as less of a surprise. Reports of Flynn's bizarre behavior across a wide spectrum …
Nancy Cook / Politico:
Trump White House caught off guard by Flynn plea — No one in the White House was prepared. — Friday began with the now-routine flurry of tweets from President Donald Trump — two about the acquittal of an undocumented immigrant accused of a 2015 killing in San Francisco, one about his tax legislation.
Discussion:
ABC News, Washington Post and Mashable
CNN:
Russia investigation ‘wearing’ on White House, despite spin — Source: White House ‘totally in a bubble’ — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump, who was already incensed by the idea that his accomplishments weren't getting the credit they deserve …
Discussion:
The Hill, Raw Story and The Atlantic
Oliver Darcy / CNNMoney:
ABC News corrects bombshell Flynn report — Trump's praise of Michael Flynn over the years — ABC News on Friday evening corrected an explosive special report that aired in the morning saying that Donald Trump, as a candidate for president, had asked Michael Flynn to make contact with Russians.
Discussion:
Mediaite and twitchy.com
BuzzFeed:
It Was Kushner Who Told Flynn To Make Calls About Israel UN Vote, Source Says — The president's son-in-law prompted the Dec. 22 call to Russia's ambassador that is the focus of Flynn's guilty plea Friday. — Reporting From Washington, DC — WASHINGTON - Jared Kushner …
Discussion:
CNBC, Washington Post, Common Dreams, New York Magazine and Vox
Joel B. Pollak / Breitbart:
‘Over By Thanksgiving’: White House Lawyer Ty Cobb Was Disastrously Wrong — Ty Cobb, the Beltway lawyer brought to the White House to handle the Russia investigation, predicted in August that Special Counsel Robert Mueller would be done with his work by Thanksgiving: “I'd be embarrassed …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:
What the Flynn Plea Means — There's less to the news than meets the eye. — Former Trump-administration national-security adviser Michael Flynn is expected to plead guilty today to lying to the FBI regarding his conversations with Russia's ambassador to the United States.
New York Times:
Flynn to Plead Guilty to Lying to the F.B.I.
Flynn to Plead Guilty to Lying to the F.B.I.
Discussion:
Business Insider, Right Wing Watch, National Review, Talking Points Memo, Politico, Democrats.com, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, ThinkProgress, Shareblue Media, Booman Tribune, East Bay Times, The Federalist, IJR, Media Matters for America, AOL, Vox, Joe.My.God., The Root, TalkLeft and Hullabaloo
Allegra Kirkland / Talking Points Memo:
Former Prosecutors Break Down What Mike Flynn's Plea Deal Really Means
Former Prosecutors Break Down What Mike Flynn's Plea Deal Really Means
Discussion:
The Guardian and Washington Post
Noah Feldman / Bloomberg:
How the Flynn Charges Box In Trump
How the Flynn Charges Box In Trump
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The Daily Caller, Politico, Washington Post, BloombergQuint, Raw Story and Mashable, more at Mediagazer »
Lachlan Markay / The Daily Beast:
Donald Trump Suspected for Weeks That Mike Flynn Would Flip
Donald Trump Suspected for Weeks That Mike Flynn Would Flip
Discussion:
Raw Story, Shareblue Media and Politicus USA
Associated Press:
The Latest: WH cancels Trump media event after Flynn plea
The Latest: WH cancels Trump media event after Flynn plea
Discussion:
AOL, CNBC, Business Insider, ThinkProgress, Raw Story and Axios
Jeff Poor / Breitbart:
Limbaugh: Timing of Flynn Charges ‘May Not Be Coincidental’ — ‘Look at All the News It Has Swept Off the Front Pages’
Carol D. Leonnig / Washington Post:
Facing mounting legal vulnerabilities, Flynn turned to a deal
Facing mounting legal vulnerabilities, Flynn turned to a deal
Discussion:
New York Times
CNN:
Sources: Kushner was the ‘very senior’ transition member mentioned in court filing
Sources: Kushner was the ‘very senior’ transition member mentioned in court filing
Discussion:
KTLA, ThinkProgress and emptywheel
Kate Brannen / Just Security:
What Does Flynn Plea Deal Mean?
What Does Flynn Plea Deal Mean?
Discussion:
Washington Post, New York Times, NBC News, Raw Story, Business Insider, Roll Call and Balloon Juice
David French / National Review:
There Is No Evidence of ‘Collusion’ in Michael Flynn's Offense Statement
There Is No Evidence of ‘Collusion’ in Michael Flynn's Offense Statement
Discussion:
New York Times, The Guardian, BloombergQuint, Mother Jones, The Atlantic and Daily Kos
Josh Delk / The Hill:
Flynn to testify Trump ‘directed him to make contact with the Russians’: report
Flynn to testify Trump ‘directed him to make contact with the Russians’: report
Discussion:
Washington Post, Politico, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, New Republic, RedState, Axios, ABC News and The Week
Sarah Westwood / Washington Examiner:
Trump lawyer: ‘Nothing’ in Michael Flynn's guilty plea implicates Trump or White House
Trump lawyer: ‘Nothing’ in Michael Flynn's guilty plea implicates Trump or White House
Discussion:
IJR
Matt Egan / CNNMoney:
Wall Street rocked by Michael Flynn, tax debate
Wall Street rocked by Michael Flynn, tax debate
Discussion:
CNN, The Daily Beast, New York's PIX11 and myfox8.com
BuzzFeed:
She Says She Quit Her Campaign Job After He Harassed Her. Now He's In Congress. — Last year, a 25-year-old woman left her job on Democratic Rep. Ruben Kihuen's campaign because of what she says were repeated unwanted propositions for dates and sex. Responding to these allegations …
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post, The Nevada Independent, USA Today, New York Magazine, Roll Call, Daily Kos, KTLA, The Gateway Pundit, Axios, Washington Free Beacon and Mediaite
Rachael Bade / Politico:
Lawmaker behind secret $84K sexual harassment settlement unmasked — Rep. Blake Farenthold used taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment claim brought by his former spokesman — the only known sitting member of Congress to have used a little-known congressional account to pay an accuser …
Discussion:
Dallas Morning News, NBC News, Townhall.com, Washington Post, The Texas Tribune, New York Times, RedState, The Daily Beast, ABC News, Allied Progress, IJR, ThinkProgress, New York Magazine, The Guardian, Daily Kos, The Slot, Talking Points Memo, PinkNews, TheBlaze, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mediaite, Roll Call, The Daily Caller, Joe.My.God., Washington Times, AOL, NY State of Politics, Axios, twitchy.com, The Root, Raw Story, Washington Free Beacon, The Week and New Republic
Bloomberg:
Kushner Is Leaving Tillerson in the Dark on Middle East Talks, Sources Say — Tillerson worries secret plan could plunge region into chaos — White House rejects accusation State Department isn't informed — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is increasingly alarmed by what he sees …
Discussion:
RedState, IJR, Raw Story and BloombergQuint
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Elise Viebeck / Washington Post:
Gowdy, Benghazi panel settled wrongful firing suit with $150,000 in public funds — Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C. (Alex Brandon/AP) — As chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) used $150,000 in taxpayer dollars to settle with a former aide who alleged …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, The Hill and Business Insider
Jeff Stein / Washington Post:
GOP eyes post-tax-cut changes to welfare, Medicare and Social Security — High-ranking Republicans are hinting that, after their tax overhaul, the party intends to look at cutting spending on welfare, entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, and other parts of the social safety net.
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Emily Smith / Page Six:
The ‘Today’ show was a ‘total boys’ club' during Lauer's tenure — Top NBC News execs received complaints about Matt Lauer's alleged sexual misconduct long before he was fired for harassment — but chose to protect him, current and former staffers told The Post on Thursday.
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Washington Post, CNN, IJR, NBC News, Vox, TVNewser and TMZ.com, more at Mediagazer »
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John Bowden / The Hill:
Clinton on Matt Lauer: ‘Every day I believe more in karma’
Clinton on Matt Lauer: ‘Every day I believe more in karma’
Discussion:
PhillyVoice, Washington Free Beacon, TheBlaze and The Daily Caller
New York Times:
Former N.S.A. Employee Pleads Guilty to Taking Classified Information — BALTIMORE — A former National Security Agency employee admitted on Friday that he had illegally taken from the agency classified documents believed to have subsequently been stolen from his home computer by hackers working for Russian intelligence.
Discussion:
Reuters, Business Insider, KTLA and The Week
Max Greenwood / The Hill:
DOJ issues arrest warrant for undocumented immigrant acquitted in Kate Steinle killing — A federal warrant has been issued for the arrest of a Mexican immigrant acquitted Thursday evening of murder charges in the 2015 killing of Kate Steinle. — Steinle's death has been taken up by opponents of so-called sanctuary cities.
Discussion:
CBS San Francisco, IJR and Washington Free Beacon
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Lee Fang / The Intercept:
Special Giveaways in Tax Cut Bill Benefit Family Members, Colleagues of Key GOP Senators — The tax plan before Congress, though sold as broad legislation to reduce rates and end favoritism in the tax code, contains targeted provisions designed to benefit special interest groups …
Discussion:
Joe.My.God.