memeorandum: Trump transition lawyer: Mueller improperly obtained documents in Russia probe (Fox News)

8:20 AM ET, December 17, 2017

Top Items:

Mike Allen / Axios:

Scoop: Mueller obtains “tens of thousands” of Trump transition emails — Special Counsel Robert Mueller has obtained “many tens of thousands” of Trump transition emails, including sensitive emails of Jared Kushner, transition team sources tell Axios. — Trump officials discovered Mueller …

Discussion: Raw Story, Daily Kos, Business Insider, Shareblue Media, The Right Scoop, Mediaite, Splinter and The Gateway Pundit

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:

Key Officials Push Back Against Trump Campaign's Claim That A Federal Office Illegally Turned Over Emails To Special Counsel — A lawyer for the Trump transition team on Saturday accused a federal agency of illegally and unconstitutionally turning over thousands of emails to the Special Counsel's Office.

Discussion: The Guardian

Fox News:

Trump lawyer: Mueller improperly obtained transition documents in Russia probe — A lawyer for the Trump presidential transition team is accusing Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office of inappropriately obtaining transition documents as part of its Russia probe, including confidential …

Discussion: CNN, The Daily Caller, RedState, TheBlaze, The Gateway Pundit and The Right Scoop

Carrie Johnson / NPR:

3 Ways Trump Or His Allies Might Try To Disrupt The Mueller Russia Probe — From the airwaves of conservative media to the hearing rooms of the House of Representatives, Republican allies of the White House are attacking the Department of Justice investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:

How Fox News and President Trump create an anti-Mueller ‘feedback loop’ — Bernstein: Fox hosts are abetting a cover-up — An anti-Robert Mueller, anti-FBI fervor is intensifying among Trump supporters — partly thanks to a campaign by Fox News and other conservative media sources.

Discussion: Mediaite and Fox News

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

Trump transition lawyer accuses Mueller of unlawfully obtaining emails — A lawyer for President Donald Trump's transition team is accusing special counsel Robert Mueller of unlawfully obtaining tens of thousands of private emails during its investigation into Russian meddling in last year's presidential election.

Discussion: Al Jazeera English and The Week

Steve Holland / Reuters:
Trump allies say Mueller unlawfully obtained thousands of emails

Discussion: The Hill

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
GOP lawmaker: Top FBI officials will be subpoenaed

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

John Bowden / The Hill:
Trump lawyer denies rumors of Mueller's impending firing

Discussion: RedState

Fox News:
Trump transition lawyer: Mueller improperly obtained documents in Russia probe

Discussion: bizpacreview.com

Amber Athey / The Daily Caller:

NBC Made Payment To Staffer After Sexual Harassment Claim Against Chris Matthews — An NBC spokesman confirmed Saturday the company made a separation-related payment to one of Chris Matthews employees after the woman complained about sexual harassment. — Two sources familiar …

Discussion: NBC News, The Gateway Pundit, NewsBusters, IJR and Mediaite

John Bowden / The Hill:

NBC paid out severance to staffer who accused Chris Matthews of sexual harassment — A former MSNBC employee who accused host Chris Matthews of sexual harassment in 1999 was given a separation payment by the network, according to a Daily Caller report. — Two sources told the Caller …

Discussion: RedState

Washington Post:

Words banned at multiple HHS agencies include ‘diversity’ and ‘vulnerable’ … The Trump administration has informed multiple divisions within the Department of Health and Human Services that they should avoid using certain words or phrases in official documents being drafted for next year's budget.

Discussion: Business Insider, Raw Story and The Guardian

New York Times:
Uproar Over Purported Ban at C.D.C. of Words Like ‘Fetus’

Discussion: Raw Story

Jessica Ravitz / CNN:
Word ban at CDC includes ‘vulnerable,’ ‘fetus,’ ‘transgender’

Josh Keefe / International Business Times:

Senator Bob Corker Said He Hasn't Read The Tax Bill, Denies Changing His Vote In Exchange For Personal Tax Breaks — In an exclusive interview with International Business Times, U.S. Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn, denied knowing about a controversial last-minute provision slipped …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Raw Story, The Atlantic and IJR

New York Times:

Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program — WASHINGTON — In the $600 billion annual Defense Department budgets, the $22 million spent on the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program was almost impossible to find. — Which was how the Pentagon wanted it.

Discussion: Reuters, Washington Examiner, Instapundit, RedState, TheBlaze, twitchy.com, Mashable, Business Insider, Balloon Juice, Vox and Gizmodo

Bryan Bender / Politico:
The Pentagon's Secret Search for UFOs

Discussion: New York Magazine, Mediaite, bizpacreview.com and Axios

Caroline Orr / Shareblue Media:

Watch: Intel Dem warns of Trump plot to fire Mueller on Christmas weekend — Rep. Jackie Speier is sounding the alarm about a potential “Saturday massacre 2.0.” — California Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier warned on Friday that Donald Trump may be plotting to fire special counsel Robert Mueller …

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The Right Scoop, bizpacreview.com, Washington Times and The Nation

Josh Delk / The Hill:
Democrat: Rumor is Trump could fire Mueller before Christmas

Discussion: IJR and Hullabaloo

Adam Schiff / KQED News:
White House Lawyer Denies ‘Rumor on the Hill’ of Trump Plan to Fire Mueller

Discussion: Mediaite, Politicus USA, CANNONFIRE and RedState

Gary Martin / Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Kihuen, accused of sexual harassment, says he won't seek re-election — Rep. Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev., speaks during a DACA anniversary event at the Consulate of Mexico in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017. Bridget Bennett Las Vegas Review-Journal @bridgetkbennett

Discussion: The Nevada Independent, IJR, Washington Free Beacon and Mediaite

Elena Schneider / Politico:
Kihuen will not seek reelection

Discussion: The Nevada Independent, ABC News, The Right Scoop and Axios

Michelle Rindels / The Nevada Independent:
Woman in D.C. says Congressman Kihuen made unwanted overtures toward her this fall

Discussion: Roll Call, NPR, Washington Post, New York Times, The Guardian, Business Insider, BuzzFeed and Washington Free Beacon

Vivian Wang / New York Times:

Lincoln Plaza Cinema, Renowned Art House Theater, to Close — Much that has been written about the Lincoln Plaza Cinema on the Upper West Side of Manhattan includes the words “legendary,” “renowned” or “celebrated.” — Soon, another adjective may need to be added: closed.

Discussion: Deadline

New York Times:

The Winners and Losers in the Tax Bill — President Trump has called the $1.5 trillion tax cut that Republican lawmakers are on the verge of passing a Christmas present for the entire nation. — But the fine print reveals that some will get a much nicer gift than others …

Caroline Orr / Shareblue Media:

So much losing: Trump is least popular first year president ever, down 49 points from Obama — Donald Trump's plunging approval rating has officially made him the most unpopular first-year president in the history of presidential polling, according to the latest figures from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Associated Press