Top Items:
Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:
“I Have Power”: Is Steve Bannon Running for President? — On a whirlwind tour around the globe, Trump's former aide and alter ego reveals what really went down in the White House, his unfettered thoughts on Javanka, his complicated relationship with his erstwhile boss—and his own political ambitions.
New York Times:
Defying Trump, U.N. General Assembly Condemns U.S. Decree on Jerusalem — UNITED NATIONS — A lopsided majority of United Nations members rebuked the United States on Thursday, denouncing its decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and ignoring President Trump's threats to retaliate …
Discussion:
National Review
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Washington Post:
U.N. resoundingly rejects U.S. decision on Jerusalem in pointed rebuke … The U.N. General Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a measure rejecting the Trump administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, which was repeatedly criticized as undermining prospects for peace.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Guardian, Just Security and Al Jazeera English
Peter Beaumont / The Guardian:
UN votes resoundingly to reject Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as capital
UN votes resoundingly to reject Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as capital
Cora Lewis / BuzzFeed:
Five Women Are Accusing A Top Left-Leaning Media Executive Of Sexually Harassing Them — Don Hazen, the executive editor of AlterNet, was placed on “indefinite leave” after BuzzFeed News asked his oversight board about accusations that he inappropriately touched employees, sent lewd emails, and showed them explicit photographs.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller and NewsBusters, more at Mediagazer »
Kelsey Snell / NPR:
McConnell Ready To ‘Move On’ From Obamacare Repeal, Others In GOP Say Not So Fast — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants 2018 to be a year of bipartisanship, even if that means moving on from GOP dreams of cutting welfare and fully rolling back the Affordable Care Act.
Discussion:
The Hill, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, Axios, Politico, IJR and Balloon Juice
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Paul Demko / Politico:
Obamacare sign-ups surge, despite Trump's declaration on ‘repeal’
Obamacare sign-ups surge, despite Trump's declaration on ‘repeal’
Discussion:
ACA Signups and Balloon Juice
Avery Anapol / The Hill:
Trump praises ‘Fox & Friends’ for being named ‘most influential’ because he watches it — on Thursday praised “Fox & Friends” after a media website named it the “most influential” because he watches it. — “Was @foxandfriends just named the most influential show in news?” Trump tweeted.
Discussion:
IJR, Raw Story, Washington Times, Reuters, Washington Free Beacon, Deadline, Mediaite and RedState
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Christina Wilkie / CNBC:
Congress races to fund the government and avert a shutdown — Congress races to pass a short-term spending bill aimed at averting a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday. — The measure also contains a provision that would allow President Trump to sign the GOP tax bill immediately …
Discussion:
New York Times, NPR, Hot Air, National Review, Washington Post, The Atlantic, ThinkProgress, The Daily Caller, AOL, IJR and Washington Free Beacon
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Dylan Scott / Vox:
This Congress's clear priorities: corporations, not children
This Congress's clear priorities: corporations, not children
Discussion:
Politico, Splinter, New York Times, New York Magazine, Politics K-12, Denver Post, Washington Post and The Daily Beast
Sharon LaFraniere / New York Times:
Judge Dismisses Suit Against Trump Over Business Dealings — WASHINGTON — In a legal victory for the Trump administration, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit on Thursday that accused President Trump of violating the Constitution by continuing to own and profit from his business empire.
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Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Judge dismisses suits claiming Trump violated emoluments clause
Judge dismisses suits claiming Trump violated emoluments clause
Discussion:
Washington Post
Ryan J. Reilly / HuffPost:
All 6 Defendants Not Guilty In Key Felony Trial Of Trump Inauguration Protesters — The case could determine the fate of many of the nearly 200 people arrested during the inauguration. — All six defendants in a crucial trial involving demonstrators arrested during President Donald Trump's inauguration …
Discussion:
New York Magazine and The Stranger …, more at Mediagazer »
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Zoe Tillman / BuzzFeed:
Inauguration Protesters Found Not Guilty On All Charges In Jury Trial
Inauguration Protesters Found Not Guilty On All Charges In Jury Trial
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs
NBC News:
Prosecutors ask FBI agents for info on Uranium One deal — On the orders of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Justice Department prosecutors have begun asking FBI agents to explain the evidence they found in a now dormant criminal investigation into a controversial uranium deal that critics …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, The Hill, ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Axios, RedState, bizpacreview.com, The Daily Caller, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Project Republic, New Republic, IJR, The Gateway Pundit, Business Insider, Raw Story, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mediaite, No More Mister Nice Blog, Law & Crime, New York Magazine and Politico
Bloomberg:
Mueller Is Looking Into a U.S. Foundation Backed by Russian Money — Foundation got $500,000 in undisclosed Russian donations — Representatives attended meeting with Trump campaign officials — Sara Peterson flew to Moscow in 2012 to take home two Russian orphans just as the Kremlin …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, U.S. Department … and Towleroad
Ryan Struyk / CNN:
Most Americans doubt Trump on Russia probe, while Mueller approval tilts positive — Berman: Trump wrong to claim collusion ‘disproven’ — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — 56% of Americans think Trump's public statements on the Russia probe have been mostly or completely false
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Trump visits US troops at Walter Reed — is visiting wounded U.S. soldiers on Thursday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center just outside Washington, D.C. — “We'll be over there for a while, but we're just going to wish them a merry Christmas,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House.
Discussion:
IJR
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Jenna Johnson / Washington Post:
Pence pays surprise visit to Kabul
Pence pays surprise visit to Kabul
Discussion:
ABC News, Politico and Shakesville
Alexander Mallin / ABC News:
Vice President Mike Pence makes surprise trip to troops in Afghanistan in first trip to a war zone
Vice President Mike Pence makes surprise trip to troops in Afghanistan in first trip to a war zone
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit
CNN:
Top FBI official grilled on Comey, Clinton in Hill testimony — Washington (CNN)FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe faced numerous questions this week about his interactions, conversations and correspondence with his one-time boss, former FBI Director James Comey, spanning both the FBI's Russia investigation …
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Natasha Bertrand / Business Insider:
A trio of House Republicans lobbing attacks on Mueller have been in touch with the White House
A trio of House Republicans lobbing attacks on Mueller have been in touch with the White House
Discussion:
RedState, Raw Story, Daily Kos, TheBlaze, AOL, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Shakesville, Hullabaloo, Fox News Insider, The Hill, ABC News and The Gateway Pundit
Luke Nozicka / Des Moines Register:
President Trump commutes sentence of Sholom Rubashkin, ex-Iowa slaughterhouse executive — President Donald Trump on Wednesday commuted the prison sentence of former Iowa slaughterhouse executive Sholom Rubashkin, who was sentenced to 27 years for bank fraud and money laundering, the White House said.
Discussion:
The Atlantic, Washington Post, 24Ahead, Associated Press, The Daily Caller, The Week and Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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Mitch Smith / New York Times:
President Commutes Sentence of Iowa Meatpacking Executive
President Commutes Sentence of Iowa Meatpacking Executive
Discussion:
The White House, Hit & Run, Fox News, The Daily Caller, ImmigrationProf Blog and Business Insider
mypalmbeachpost:
EXCLUSIVE: Trump's Mar-a-Lago tax deal veiled from IRS review — PALM BEACH POST INVESTIGATION … Donald Trump stands in the living room at Mar-a-Lago, 1992. Photo by Katie Deits / Zuma Press — PALM BEACH — Donald Trump's deal with the town of Palm Beach to turn Mar-a-Lago …
Discussion:
Mother Jones and Raw Story
John Judis / Talking Points Memo:
The Politics of the Republican Tax Bill: A Dissenting View — I am not a fan of the new tax bill that the Republican Congress passed. It will widen the gap between the wealthy and everyone else and increase the likelihood over a decade or so of another crash.
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, Washington Monthly, Booman Tribune, No More Mister Nice Blog and Mother Jones
Zack Ford / ThinkProgress:
Sore loser Roy Moore lashes out at Doug Jones' gay son — He's blaming everyone but himself. — Republican Roy Moore has still not conceded his loss in the Alabama Senate race, and in recent days, has seemed to pin the blame at minority groups he is known for despising.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Newsroom, Washington Examiner, New York Daily News and The Montgomery Advertiser
Jordan Pascale / Virginian-Pilot:
Virginia officials will randomly pick winner of tied House of Delegates race on Dec. 27 — Politicos, mark your calendars for Wednesday Dec. 27. — That's the day the Virginia Board of Elections will randomly pick the winner of the high stakes and tied 94th House District race. — The impact?
Discussion:
Vox, NBC News, Business Insider, Refinery29, Shakesville, NPR, The Atlantic and Washington Post
Thomas B. Edsall / New York Times:
You Cannot Be Too Cynical About the Republican Tax Bill — The rush to enact the tax bill was designed to mask — as a break for the middle class — what is in fact a $1.4 trillion package of benefits for key donors and lobbyists, the richest members of Congress, President Trump, his family and other families like his.
Discussion:
Balkinization, Rewire, IJR, Bloomberg, MarketWatch, Althouse, Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine and Mother Jones
Manohla Dargis / New York Times:
Review: In ‘The Post,’ Democracy Survives the Darkness — THE POST - NYT Critic's Pick - Directed by Steven Spielberg - Biography, Drama, History, Thriller - PG-13 - 1h 55m — Steven Spielberg's exhilarating drama “The Post” is about a subject that's dear to the heart of journalists: themselves!
Discussion:
Splinter
Ben Riley-Smith / Telegraph:
Exclusive: US making plans for ‘bloody nose’ military attack on North Korea — America is drawing up plans for a “bloody nose” military attack on North Korea to stop its nuclear weapons programme, The Telegraph understands. — The White House has “dramatically” stepped up preparation …
Discussion:
Shakesville, New York Post, Washington Post, Business Insider, AOL, IJR, USA Today and Bloomberg
David Crook / DCReport.org:
Deducting a CEO's Jet, But Not a Cop's Uniform — What the Republicans' Tax Bill Really Means for People Like Us — Donald Trump often declares his support, even love, for police, firefighters and other first responders. That isn't stopping him, however, from nicking their wallets …
John Bresnahan / Politico:
Cochran's future in the Senate in doubt — Sen. Thad Cochran, chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, hasn't presided over a hearing since early September. The Mississippi Republican has not given a speech on the Senate floor all year, and he's introduced only two bills during that time, both of them minor.
Discussion:
TheBlaze, New York Magazine, Outside the Beltway and Daily Kos
Wall Street Journal:
Baseball's Rainmaker Forced Out After Alleged Misconduct — Major League Baseball forced out the architect of its multibillion-dollar digital-media business last month, after years of troubling workplace behavior that former baseball executives were said to be made aware of at least a decade ago.
Discussion:
Crain's Detroit Business, Deadline and CNBC, more at Mediagazer »