memeorandum: Ethics committee expands Rep. Farenthold probe (John Bresnahan/Politico)

7:40 AM ET, December 22, 2017

Top Items:

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: Wall Street Journal, 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

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

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.

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.

Discussion: ABC News, The Hill, CANNONFIRE, No More Mister Nice Blog, Hullabaloo, Mediaite, AOL, IJR, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Business Insider, Washington Monthly, The Week, New Republic, Raw Story, Axios and Lawyers, Guns & Money, more at Mediagazer »

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

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

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

Discussion: New York Times, Raw Story, Daily Kos, RedState, Shakesville, IJR, TheBlaze, Fox News, AOL and Hullabaloo

Matthew Chapman / Shareblue Media:

Ex-CIA director Brennan goes there, compares Trump to “narcissistic, vengeful autocrats” — Foreign relations have been in a tailspin since Donald Trump upended decades of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and declared America would recognize Jerusalem solely as the capital of Israel.

Discussion: IJR, twitchy.com, Raw Story, RedState and Mediaite

Washington Post:
U.N. resoundingly rejects U.S. decision on Jerusalem in pointed rebuke

Discussion: DCReport.org, Booman Tribune, The Guardian, Al Jazeera English and Just Security

Nicole Gaouette / CNN:
Despite Haley threat, UN votes to condemn Trump's Jerusalem decision

Discussion: Al Jazeera English, RedState and Mediaite

Colin Dwyer / NPR:
U.N. Votes Overwhelmingly To Condemn U.S. Decision On Jerusalem

Discussion: Eschaton

New York Times:
Defying Trump, U.N. General Assembly Condemns U.S. Decree on Jerusalem

Discussion: bizpacreview.com, National Review, Mediaite, Townhall.com and Bloomberg

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

Sharon LaFraniere / New York Times:
Judge Dismisses Suit Against Trump Over Business Dealings

Discussion: CNNMoney and New York Magazine

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

Julie Jargon / Wall Street Journal:
Papa John's Founder to Step Down as CEO

Discussion: Shareblue Media, IJR and The Daily Caller

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: New York Magazine

Robert Pear / New York Times:

Obamacare Sign-ups at High Levels Despite Trump Saying It's ‘Imploding’ — WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Thursday that 8.8 million people had signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act's federal marketplace, a surprisingly large number only slightly lower …

Discussion: ACA Signups, Political Wire, Talking Points Memo, ABC News, The Week, cms.gov, The Nevada Independent, NBC News, xpostfactoid, ThinkProgress, Vox, Mother Jones, Daily Kos, Shareblue Media and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Kelsey Snell / NPR:
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

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 »

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 …

Thomas Kaplan / New York Times:

Congress Passes Stopgap Bill to Avoid Government Shutdown Against a Friday Deadline — WASHINGTON — Congress gave final approval on Thursday to legislation to keep the government funded into January, averting a government shutdown this weekend but kicking fights over issues like immigration …

Discussion: New York Magazine, JustOneMinute, TheStreet, The Atlantic and IJR

Mike DeBonis / Washington Post:
Senate passes stopgap spending bill, allowing Congress to avert partial government shutdown

Discussion: IJR, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, ThinkProgress and The Daily Caller

Christina Wilkie / CNBC:
Congress races to fund the government and avert a shutdown

Discussion: Hot Air, National Review, The Daily Caller, NPR, Business Insider, Washington Free Beacon and IJR

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: Shareblue Media

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: BuzzFeed

Ryan J. Reilly / HuffPost:
All 6 Defendants Not Guilty In Key Felony Trial Of Trump Inauguration Protesters

Discussion: New York Magazine and The Stranger …, more at Mediagazer »

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.

more at Mediagazer »

Aaron Gregg / Washington Post:
Local businessman Mark Ein to buy Washington City Paper for undisclosed sum

Discussion: Washingtonian and Politico

ODNI Newsroom:

Joint Statement from DNI Coats, AG Sessions, CIA Director Pompeo, FBI Director Wray, and NSA Director Rogers on FISA Section 702 Reauthorization — Reauthorizing Section 702 before it expires is vital to keeping the nation safe. Let us be clear: if Congress fails to act …

Discussion: RedState, emptywheel and Washington Post

CBS News:

Commentary: Democrats may wish they'd supported Trump's tax cut — Why is a plan to cut taxes for working families, enact an Obama-style approach to corporate taxes and increase child-friendly spending the subject of such partisan passion? It's not policy. It's not math. — It's Trump.

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.