Top Items:
Michael C. Bender / Wall Street Journal:
Trump Deputy Chief of Staff to Step Down — Rick Dearborn, latest high-profile departure from West Wing, plans to pursue private sector work — WASHINGTON—Rick Dearborn, one of President Donald Trump's top aides, will step down early next year to pursue private-sector work …
Discussion:
bizpacreview.com, Political Wire, Washington Free Beacon, Business Insider, Mediaite and Washington Times
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Trump advisers vent frustrations about 2018 strategy as president listens … Within hours of celebrating President Trump's biggest legislative achievement, at the South Portico of the White House on Wednesday, his aides and outside advisers had a spirited, and at times tense …
Discussion:
Axios, Political Wire, Business Insider and ABC News
Maggie Haberman / New York Times:
Dispute Over Political Strategy Erupts Inside the White House — An Oval Office meeting involving President Trump and his top advisers on Wednesday devolved into a heated exchange between his former campaign manager and the White House political director, people briefed on the discussion said.
Discussion:
Raw Story
Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Republicans warn Trump of 2018 bloodbath — A few weeks before Alabama's special Senate election, President Donald Trump's handpicked Republican National Committee leader, Ronna Romney McDaniel, delivered a two-page memo to White House chief of staff John Kelly outlining the party's collapse with female voters.
Discussion:
The Week
Annie Karni / Politico:
Trump eyes former aides as West Wing staffers depart — Behind closed doors, the president has lately been talking up the outside advisers who helped usher him into the White House, fueling speculation about new additions in 2018. — President Donald Trump is basking in the first big legislative victory …
Discussion:
ABC News
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.
Nikki Haley / Weekly Standard:
‘We Will Remember’ — Photo Credit: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / AFP / Getty … To its shame, the United Nations has long been a hostile place for the state of Israel. Both the current and the previous secretary generals have objected to the U.N.'s disproportionate focus on Israel.
Discussion:
Power Line and usun.state.gov
RELATED:
Matthew Chapman / Shareblue Media:
Ex-CIA director Brennan goes there, compares Trump to “narcissistic, vengeful autocrats”
Ex-CIA director Brennan goes there, compares Trump to “narcissistic, vengeful autocrats”
Discussion:
Mediaite, New York Times, bizpacreview.com, IJR and twitchy.com
United Nations:
General Assembly demands all States comply with UN resolutions regarding status of Jerusalem
General Assembly demands all States comply with UN resolutions regarding status of Jerusalem
Discussion:
The Hill
Farnaz Fassihi / Wall Street Journal:
U.N. Vote Rebukes U.S. for Jerusalem Move
U.N. Vote Rebukes U.S. for Jerusalem Move
Discussion:
Just Security
Mike Allen / Axios:
Warner sees fire in Russia probe — Robert Mueller isn't the only one hot on the trail of the Russians' election interference and Facebook manipulation. — Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice chair of the Intelligence Committee, tells us that based on witness testimony and documents …
RELATED:
Robert Pear / New York Times:
Obamacare Sign-ups at High Levels Despite Trump Saying It's ‘Imploding’
Obamacare Sign-ups at High Levels Despite Trump Saying It's ‘Imploding’
David M. Drucker / Washington Examiner:
Mitch McConnell ready to defend Senate majority from Democrats — and Steve Bannon
Mitch McConnell ready to defend Senate majority from Democrats — and Steve Bannon
Discussion:
Politico
Kelsey Snell / NPR:
McConnell Ready To ‘Move On’ From Obamacare Repeal, Others In GOP Say Not So Fast
McConnell Ready To ‘Move On’ From Obamacare Repeal, Others In GOP Say Not So Fast
Discussion:
Politico, Political Wire, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, IJR, Washington Post, Balloon Juice and Axios
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 …
Discussion:
Townhall.com, RedState, The Week, IJR, Politicus USA and Mediaite
RELATED:
Ryan Struyk / CNN:
Most Americans doubt Trump on Russia probe, while Mueller approval tilts positive
Most Americans doubt Trump on Russia probe, while Mueller approval tilts positive
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, Hullabaloo, Politico and TheBlaze
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:
New York Times, Raw Story, Daily Kos, RedState, Shakesville, IJR, TheBlaze, AOL, Fox News and Hullabaloo
Washington Post:
FBI's top lawyer said to be reassigned … The FBI's top lawyer, James Baker, is being reassigned — one of the first moves by new director Christopher A. Wray to assemble his own team of senior advisers as he tries to fend off accusations of politicization within the bureau.
Discussion:
Althouse and Shareblue Media
Associated Press:
Russian hackers targeted more than 200 journalists globally — PARIS (AP) — Russian television anchor Pavel Lobkov was in the studio getting ready for his show when jarring news flashed across his phone: Some of his most intimate messages had just been published to the web.
David Harsanyi / New York Post:
A deafening media silence on the Obama-Hezbollah scandal — Politico published a jaw-dropping, meticulously sourced investigative piece this week detailing how the Obama administration had secretly undermined US law-enforcement agency efforts to shut down an international drug-trafficking ring run by the terror group Hezbollah.
Discussion:
Washington Post
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Judge dismisses suits claiming Trump violated emoluments clause — A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a pair of lawsuits claiming that President Donald Trump's failure to divest himself of his real estate empire and other business holdings violated the Constitution's provision banning receipt of foreign …
Discussion:
Political Wire, Washington Post, RedState and The Week
RELATED:
Sharon LaFraniere / New York Times:
Judge Dismisses Suit Against Trump Over Business Dealings
Judge Dismisses Suit Against Trump Over Business Dealings
Discussion:
CNNMoney and New York Magazine
Matt Zapotosky / Washington Post:
Sessions rescinds Justice Dept. letter asking courts to be wary of stiff fines and fees for poor defendants — Attorney General Jeff Sessions is rescinding an Obama-era Justice Department letter that asked local courts across the country to be wary of slapping poor defendants with fines …
Discussion:
bizpacreview.com and BuzzFeed
Caroline Orr / Shareblue Media:
Trump just gave a bigger Christmas gift to Putin than corporate America — while no one was watching — In a move that went largely unnoticed last week, Donald Trump quietly handed Russian President Vladimir Putin the best Christmas gift he could possibly ask for — an invitation …
Andrea Fuller / Wall Street Journal:
Hundreds of People Made Gifts of Stock With Great Timing — Michael Milken is among investors who gave shares near peak prices or before drops, a WSJ analysis shows — When Michael Milken donated $27 million of stock to charity in September 2013, the former junk-bond financier's timing scarcely …
Fred Barnes / Weekly Standard:
Feeble Resistance — Look at what the Democrats haven't accomplished. — Charles Schumer Photo Credit: Win McNamee / Getty — Shocked by Donald Trump's election, Democrats adopted a strategy of resistance that's simple and blunt: Anything Trump is for, they're against.
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:
NewsBusters and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »
New York Times:
Trump Administration Considers Separating Families to Combat Illegal Immigration — The Trump administration is considering a new policy that would separate parents from their children when families are caught entering the country illegally, according to officials who have been briefed on the plans.
Discussion:
The Week, Splinter and New York Magazine
Alexa Mills / Washington City Paper:
Long Live City Paper — Darrow MontgomeryI am overjoyed to report that local venture capitalist and philanthropist Mark Ein has reached an agreement to purchase Washington City Paper from SouthComm, Inc. The news hit us in the middle of our annual holiday potluck.
RELATED:
Aaron Gregg / Washington Post:
Local businessman Mark Ein to buy Washington City Paper for undisclosed sum
Local businessman Mark Ein to buy Washington City Paper for undisclosed sum
Discussion:
Washingtonian and Politico
Callum Borchers / Washington Post:
Breitbart editor now says he believed Leigh Corfman and thought Roy Moore was ‘terrible’ — In the final weeks of the U.S. Senate race in Alabama, Breitbart News strained to discredit Leigh Corfman, who accused Republican Roy Moore of sexually touching her when she was 14 and he was 32.
Discussion:
Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »
Joseph Pisani / Associated Press:
Papa John's Founder To Step Down As CEO After Backlash Over NFL Comments — NEW YORK (AP) — Papa John's founder John Schnatter will step down as CEO next month, about two months after he publicly criticized the NFL leadership over national anthem protests by football players — comments for which the company later apologized.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller and Balloon Juice
Philip Pullella / Reuters:
Callista Gingrich becomes Trump's envoy to pope as differences mount — VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Callista Gingrich, wife of the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, on Friday became U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, which is at odds with Washington over immigration, climate change and Jerusalem.