Top Items:
Bridget Bowman / Roll Call:
Arizona's Trent Franks to Resign Jan. 31 — Updated 7:24 pm | Arizona Republican Trent Franks said Thursday he is resigning from Congress effective Jan. 31 amid an Ethics Committee investigation into discussions he had with two female staffers about surrogacy.
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Elena Schneider / Politico:
Rep. Trent Franks to resign after discussing surrogacy with female staffers — Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) announced Thursday that he would resign from office as of Jan. 31, 2018, after discussing surrogacy issues with female staffers. — “I have recently learned that the Ethics Committee …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Talking Points Memo, Politicus USA and RedState
Mike DeBonis / Washington Post:
Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona, who asked staffers if they would bear his child as a surrogate, says he will resign — Rep. Trent Franks, an Arizona Republican who is among the most conservative members of the House, said he would resign his seat after House officials learned that he had asked …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Reuters and Raw Story
Eli Watkins / CNN:
GOP Rep. Mia Love: Farenthold should resign
GOP Rep. Mia Love: Farenthold should resign
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Hot Air, FOX2now.com, KTLA and BloombergQuint
John Bresnahan / Politico:
Ethics Committee launches investigation into Farenthold sexual harassment allegations
Ethics Committee launches investigation into Farenthold sexual harassment allegations
Discussion:
Washington Post, New York Times and Raw Story
John Parkinson / ABC News:
Paul Ryan forces GOP colleague out of Congress
Paul Ryan forces GOP colleague out of Congress
Discussion:
Associated Press and The Week
CNN:
Exclusive: Previously undisclosed emails show follow-up after Trump Tower meeting — Analyzing Donald Trump Jr.'s House testimony — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — Washington (CNN)The British publicist who arranged the June 2016 meeting with Russians and Donald Trump Jr. sent multiple emails …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, The Daily Beast, IJR, Business Insider, Mediaite, The Week, ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, Raw Story and Washington Post
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Washington Post:
Russian social media executive sought to help Trump campaign in 2016, emails show … An executive at a leading Russian social media company made several overtures to Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016 — including days before the November election — urging the candidate to create …
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Donald Trump Jr. is clamming up on Russia. Republicans may help him get away with it.
Donald Trump Jr. is clamming up on Russia. Republicans may help him get away with it.
Discussion:
Politico, Newsweek, The Slot, Business Insider, CBS News, Politicus USA and CNBC
Betsy Woodruff / The Daily Beast:
Justice Department Moves To Investigate Planned Parenthood's Fetal Tissue Practices … The Justice Department is taking steps to investigate Planned Parenthood, The Daily Beast has learned. — The head of Justice's office of legislative affairs has sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee asking …
Discussion:
The Hill, Axios, Politicus USA, TheBlaze and Raw Story
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Pew Research Center:
Stark Partisan Divisions Over Russia Probe, Including Its Importance to the Nation — Trump's style, Twitter use top ‘disappointments’ among supporters — A majority of Americans say they think senior members of Donald Trump's administration definitely or probably had improper contacts …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, Axios, CNBC, Washington Post and Pew Research Center
Yashar Ali / HuffPost:
Exclusive: Former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. Fired For Misconduct By Morgan Stanley — A woman who was interviewed as part of the company's HR probe separately told HuffPost that Ford harassed her one evening in Manhattan several years ago. — Former Democratic Congressman Harold Ford Jr …
Discussion:
Townhall.com, The Hill, NBC News, Politico, New York Times, The Root, The Rush Limbaugh Show, Business Insider, IJR, twitchy.com, TVNewser, The Daily Caller, Shakesville, Mediaite, Power Line, Axios and WREG-TV
Eric Lach / New Yorker:
Al Franken's Resignation and the Selective Force of #MeToo — On what he called the worst day of his political life, Senator Al Franken articulated two points that are central to understanding what has become known as the #MeToo moment. In an eleven-minute speech, in which Franken announced …
Discussion:
Washington Post, CNN, CNBC, The Nevada Independent, ThinkProgress and Daily Kos
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Aram Roston / BuzzFeed:
Private War: Erik Prince Has His Eye On Afghanistan's Rare Metals — BuzzFeed News is publishing the slide presentation by the founder of Blackwater to privatize the Afghan war and mine Afghanistan's valuable minerals. He pitched the proposal to the Trump administration.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, The Week, Raw Story and Business Insider
Mike Levine / ABC News:
Less-guarded Sessions spars with interns in internal DOJ video — This summer, in the midst of President Donald Trump's criticism of the Justice Department and Attorney General Jeff Sessions in particular, Sessions said during a private event that the U.S. legal system must be …
Discussion:
Power Line, The Hill, IJR, Splinter, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, The Root, Axios and Mediaite
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Washington Post:
Trump's richest friends are asking for changes to the GOP tax plan, and he's listening … Some of President Trump's wealthiest New York friends have launched a last-minute campaign to pressure him for changes to the GOP tax bill, telling the president personally that the current plan would drive up their taxes and hurt his home state.
Discussion:
Political Wire
Los Angeles Times:
Heavy winds and dry air could prolong Ventura County wildfire for weeks, officials say — Gusty Santa Ana winds and bone-dry conditions continued to stoke major wildfires in Southern California on Thursday as Ventura County fire officials said the battle there could last well over a week.
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Michael Tomasky / The Daily Beast:
Here's Why Democrats Forced Al Franken to Do the Right Thing—And Why They May Come to Regret It … So Al Franken is out. It was the right thing for him to do. I guess. What he did was wrong. It wasn't asking-a-14-year-old-girl-to-take-her- clothes-off wrong, but it was wrong.
Discussion:
ABC News, The Hill, Star Tribune, NPR and Refinery29
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Matthew Yglesias / Vox:
We need a healthier conversation about partisanship and sexual assault
We need a healthier conversation about partisanship and sexual assault
Discussion:
Politico
Dylan Farrow / Los Angeles Times:
Op-Ed Dylan Farrow: Why has the #MeToo revolution spared Woody Allen? — Director Woody Allen attends a special screening of “Wonder Wheel” in New York City on Nov. 14. (Evan Agostini / Invision / Associated Press) … We are in the midst of a revolution.
Discussion:
Washington Post, IndieWire and AOL
Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:
Fox's pro-Trump hosts are working overtime to discredit Robert Mueller — This is why Trump loves ‘Fox & Friends’ — What's President Trump hearing when he watches Fox News? — He's hearing that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation is “illegitimate and corrupt.”
Associated Press:
Trust no one: Scholar risked all to document Islamic State — The historian carried secrets too heavy for one man to bear. — He packed his bag with his most treasured possessions before going to bed: the 1 terabyte hard drive with his evidence against the Islamic State group …
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
The Steele Dossier on Trump and Russia Is Looking More and More Real — When news surfaced at the beginning of the year that British intelligence agent turned private investigator Christopher Steele had compiled a report on Donald Trump's ties to Russia, news reports immediately treated its findings as radioactive.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
Marc Fisher / Washington Post:
On eve of Trump visit, Mississippi blacks say he's brought back troubles of the past — JACKSON, Miss. — The president is coming to America's poorest, blackest state to open a civil rights museum on Saturday, and people in the neighborhoods surrounding that gleaming tribute to the past …
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon and Common Dreams
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Cristiano Lima / Politico:
Rep. John Lewis to skip Trump visit to Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
Rep. John Lewis to skip Trump visit to Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
Discussion:
The Hill, Axios, New York Magazine, ThinkProgress, Hullabaloo, Shareblue Media, ABC News and The Root
Jenna Lifhits / Weekly Standard:
Cory Gardner: The NRSC ‘Will Never Endorse’ Roy Moore — As Donald Trump and the RNC move to support the Alabama Senate candidate, one group stands firm. — A protester holds up a sign as Roy Moore, not pictured, speaks during a campaign rally in Fairhope, Alabama, on Tuesday.
New York Times:
Congressional Democrats Left Out of White House Hanukkah Party — WASHINGTON — The latkes were fried and the kosher lamb chops were prepared on Thursday, just as in past years, for the first White House Hanukkah party of the Trump era. But there was one prominent break with tradition …
Discussion:
The Hill and No More Mister Nice Blog
CNN:
Lindsey Vonn: I won't be representing US President at Winter Olympics — St Moritz, Switzerland (CNN)A number of US athletes have spoken out against Donald Trump during his presidency — and skier Lindsey Vonn has become the latest to have her say. — Targeting Olympic gold …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, The Hill, Mediaite, IJR, WCMH-TV, NewsBusters, Washington Free Beacon, NewsCut and The Daily Caller
Ben Lefebvre / Politico:
Zinke booked government helicopters to attend D.C. events — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke spent more than $14,000 on government helicopters this summer to take himself and staff to and from official events near Washington, D.C., in order to accommodate his attendance at a swearing-in ceremony …
Discussion:
Business Insider and Raw Story
Sarah Frier / Bloomberg:
Silicon Valley Is Sneaking Models Into This Year's Holiday Parties — “Ambiance and atmosphere models” contractually obligated to pretend they're party guests are in record demand from local agencies. — Along with a seemingly endless string of harassment and discrimination scandals …
Discussion:
The Week and The Daily Caller
Blair Miller / TheDenverChannel.com:
Former Colorado GOP chairman Steve Curtis found guilty of voter fraud, forgery — republican found guilty of voter fraud | DENVER - Steve Curtis, the former chairman for the Colorado Republican Party, was found guilty Thursday by a Weld County jury of voter fraud and forgery.
Discussion:
Politicus USA
Jonathan Martin / New York Times:
Ex-Governor's Run Gives Democrats a Bit More Hope of Retaking the Senate — WASHINGTON — Former Gov. Phil Bredesen, the last Democrat to win statewide office in Tennessee, announced on Tuesday that he would run for the seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker, handing his party a conceivable …