memeorandum: Long Live City Paper (Alexa Mills/Washington City Paper)

6:40 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, 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, No More Mister Nice Blog, CANNONFIRE, Hullabaloo, Mediaite, AOL, IJR, Business Insider, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 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, AOL, Fox News, Hullabaloo and No More Mister Nice Blog

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

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

Discussion: RedState and Mediaite

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

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

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, Bloomberg, Mediaite and Townhall.com

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, Talking Points Memo, ABC News, The Week, The Nevada Independent, NBC News, xpostfactoid, ThinkProgress, 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: The Hill, Talking Points Memo, IJR, Politico, Washington Post, Balloon Juice and Axios

Paul Demko / Politico:
Obamacare sign-ups surge, despite Trump's declaration on ‘repeal’

Discussion: ACA Signups

cms.gov:
Weekly Enrollment Snapshot: Week Seven

Discussion: ACA Signups, Balloon Juice and Vox

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

Aaron Gregg / Washington Post:

Local businessman Mark Ein to buy Washington City Paper for undisclosed sum — The District's alt-weekly Washington City Paper is to be purchased by D.C. businessman and Washington Kastles owner Mark Ein, the paper announced in a blog post Thursday, putting an end to weeks of speculation …

Discussion: Washingtonian and Politico

Alexa Mills / Washington City Paper:
Long Live City Paper

more at Mediagazer »

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 »

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: 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

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

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 …

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

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

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

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

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.

Cristiano Lima / Politico:

Pence makes unannounced visit to Afghanistan — Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan, where he met with military officials and government leaders, then addressed American troops at Bagram Airfield, reaffirming U.S. commitment to the 16-year-old war.

Discussion: ABC News and Axios