Top Items:
Richard Johnson / Page Six:
Russia probe grand jury looks like ‘a Black Lives Matter rally,’ says witness — The federal grand jury handing down indictments for special counsel Robert Mueller doesn't appear to include any supporters of President Donald Trump, according to one witness who recently testified before the panel.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Politicus USA, Political Wire, The Gateway Pundit and Raw Story
Mandy Mayfield / Washington Examiner:
Roy Moore's Jewish lawyer voted for Doug Jones, raised money for his campaign — The Jewish attorney who Roy Moore's wife touted employing in an attempt to fight off claims of anti-Semitism is actually a longtime friend and supporter of Senator-elect Doug Jones, who defeated Moore last month.
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Mediaite, The Stranger … and The Week
Jonathan Martin / New York Times:
Orrin Hatch, Utah Senator, to Retire, Opening Path for Mitt Romney — Orrin G. Hatch, the longest-serving Senate Republican, will announce that he will retire at the end of the year, clearing a path for Mitt Romney to run. — January 2, 2018 — Trump Accuses Former Clinton Aide of Failing to Follow Security Protocols
RELATED:
Mitt Romney:
I join the people of Utah in thanking my friend, Senator Orrin Hatch for his more than forty years of service to our great state and nation. As Chairman of the Senate Finance and Judiciary Committees and as the longest-serving Republican Senator in U.S. history, Senator Hatch has represented …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Business Insider, TheBlaze, KTLA, The Daily Caller, NBC News, FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV, IJR and twitchy.com
Callum Borchers / Washington Post:
Utah could be Steve Bannon's next battleground, especially if Mitt Romney runs
Utah could be Steve Bannon's next battleground, especially if Mitt Romney runs
Discussion:
Axios, New York Magazine and Roll Call
Sahil Kapur / Bloomberg:
Romney Changes Location on Twitter as Utah Senate Seat Opens
Romney Changes Location on Twitter as Utah Senate Seat Opens
Discussion:
The Daily Caller
Jason Samenow / Washington Post:
Monster storm to blast East Coast before polar vortex uncorks tremendous cold late this week — Unforgiving cold has punished the eastern third of the United States for the past 10 days. But the most severe winter weather conditions will assault the area late this week.
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
How bad is the Republican coverup on Trump and Russia? We may soon find out. — THE MORNING PLUM: — As we head into 2018, one big, looming unknown is this: Just how far will congressional Republicans go to prevent a full accounting of Russia's interference in our election and any possible Trump campaign conspiracy with it?
Discussion:
Politico, Raw Story, The Hill, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Hullabaloo, Washington Times, IJR, ABC News, Business Insider, emptywheel, The Gateway Pundit, Roll Call, Shakesville, USA Today, CNN, Washington Free Beacon, theGrio, The Daily Caller, Salon, The Week, Little Green Footballs, Fox News Insider, Talking Points Memo, NBC News, Mediaite, RedState and Deadline
RELATED:
Maegan Vazquez / CNN:
Michele Bachmann eyeing run for Franken's Senate seat — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — (CNN)Former GOP congresswoman and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann says she is considering running for Democratic former Sen. Al Franken's Minnesota seat. — Bachmann, who was a member …
Discussion:
Fox News Insider and FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV
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Kyle Mantyla / Right Wing Watch:
Michele Bachmann Is Asking God Whether She Should Run For Al Franken's Senate Seat
Michele Bachmann Is Asking God Whether She Should Run For Al Franken's Senate Seat
Discussion:
Washington Blade, AOL, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, thecut, Daily Kos, Axios, Washington Times, The Week, Mediaite, TheBlaze and Political Wire
Mark Zdechlik / mprnews.org:
Al Franken officially resigns Senate seat
Al Franken officially resigns Senate seat
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Democrats.com
Mariam Khan / ABC News:
Al Franken marks last day as US senator after sexual misconduct accusations
Al Franken marks last day as US senator after sexual misconduct accusations
Discussion:
Breitbart and Associated Press
Max Greenwood / The Hill:
US to hold reception for countries that didn't vote to approve UN Jerusalem resolution — The U.S. will hold a reception for countries that did not vote to approve a United Nations resolution last month condemning the Trump administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money
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Anita Kumar / miamiherald:
Foreign governments are finding ways to do favors for Trump's business — WASHINGTON — In Indonesia, a local government plans to build a road to shorten the drive between the main airport on the island of Bali and the new high-end Trump resort and golf course.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Shareblue Media, Common Dreams and Daily Kos
Emily Chang / Vanity Fair:
“Oh My God, This Is So F—ed Up”: Inside Silicon Valley's Secretive, Orgiastic Dark Side — Some of the most powerful men in Silicon Valley are regulars at exclusive, drug-fueled, sex-laced parties—gatherings they describe not as scandalous, or even secret, but as a bold, unconventional lifestyle choice.
Discussion:
naked capitalism and Longreads, more at Techmeme »
Justin Baragona / Mediaite:
MSNBC Guest Rips Bill Kristol's Support of Iran Protests: 'You've Been Advocating Killing Iranians' — Things got a bit tense today on MSNBC when neo-conservative commentator and Weekly Standard editor-at-large Bill Kristol was directly challenged over his hawkish Middle East policy positions as they relate to Iran.
Discussion:
Washington Post, New Republic and IJR
RELATED:
Spencer Ackerman / The Daily Beast:
The Iran Nuclear Deal Could Be Dead in 11 Days
The Iran Nuclear Deal Could Be Dead in 11 Days
Discussion:
Politico, Hot Air, CNN, Associated Press, ThinkProgress and Breitbart
Salena Zito / Washington Examiner:
GOP Rep. Bill Shuster to retire, spend final year working with Trump on massive infrastructure bill — Rep. Bill Shuster, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, will not seek re-election in November, telling the Washington Examiner that he wants to focus exclusively on working …
Discussion:
RedState, The Atlantic, The Hill, Politico, Roll Call, Axios, Shareblue Media and Washington Free Beacon
Toronto Star:
Joshua Boyle, Canadian hostage in Afghanistan, arrested and faces list of charges in Ottawa — Boyle appears in court Wednesday to face 15 charges, including sexual assault and forcible confinement. — OTTAWA—Joshua Boyle, the Canadian man who was held hostage with his American wife …
Discussion:
FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV and Business Insider
RELATED:
Rob Gillies / Associated Press:
Ex-hostage Boyle charged with sex assault, confinement
Ex-hostage Boyle charged with sex assault, confinement
Discussion:
RedState
Jake Tapper / CNN:
Sheriff David Clarke temporarily blocked on Twitter after violating terms of service — Clarke plagiarized portions of thesis (May 2017) — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — Washington (CNN)Former Milwaukee Sheriff David A. Clarke, Jr., a vocal surrogate for President Donald Trump on the campaign trail …
Discussion:
Mashable, Deadline, Talking Points Memo, twitchy.com, ThinkProgress, Mediaite and USA Today, more at Mediagazer »
Zach Johnson / E! Online:
Matt Lauer Reacts to Hoda Kotb Replacing Him on Today — No one is happier for Hoda Kotb's career advancement than Matt Lauer. — Hours ago, Kotb was named Lauer's successor as co-anchor of Today. She will join Savannah Guthrie for two hours a day, starting at 7 a.m. …
Discussion:
Business Insider, TVNewser and AOL
RELATED:
Eun Kyung Kim / TODAY.com:
Hoda Kotb joins Savannah Guthrie as co-anchor of TODAY
Hoda Kotb joins Savannah Guthrie as co-anchor of TODAY
Discussion:
People.com, NBC News, Page Six, Talking Points Memo, IJR, AOL, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and TheBlaze, more at Mediagazer »
Dean Baker / cepr.net:
The Trump Investment Boom: Is It Really His Fault Oil Prices Jumped by 40 Percent — The NYT had an article touting the fact that businesses are investing more under Donald Trump than before he was elected. It notes that non-residential investment has risen at an annual rate of 6.2 percent in the first three quarters of 2017.
Discussion:
The Nation and Hullabaloo
RELATED:
Susan B. Glasser / Politico:
Donald Trump's Year of Living Dangerously — When President Donald Trump sat down for dinner on September 18 in New York with leaders of four Latin American countries on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly, anxieties were already running high.
Discussion:
WBUR, Washington Monthly, Mother Jones, Business Insider, Raw Story and Mediaite
Washington Post:
The NSA's top talent is leaving because of low pay and flagging morale … The National Security Agency is losing its top talent at a worrisome rate as highly skilled personnel, some disillusioned with the spy service's leadership and an unpopular reorganization, take higher-paying, more flexible jobs in the private sector.
Discussion:
Axios
Jon Ostrower / CNNMoney:
Flying in 2017 was safer than it's ever been — Five new planes you'll be flying soon — By nearly all measures, flying in 2017 was safer than ever. — Last year, there were 10 fatal commercial passenger and cargo air crashes that killed 44 passengers and crew members.
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Hill, ThinkProgress, New York Times, Forbes, Raw Story, NBC News, The Atlantic, IJR, New York Magazine, The Daily Caller, RedState, Mediaite, Mother Jones, Business Insider and AOL
RELATED:
John Bowden / The Hill:
2017 was safest year ever for commercial air travel, with zero deaths
2017 was safest year ever for commercial air travel, with zero deaths
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, Reuters, Mother Jones, Politico, NPR, Common Dreams, Vox, IJR, The Independent and The Week
Tyisha Fernandes / WSB-TV:
Dozens arrested at a house party over less than an ounce of marijuana, police say — Ten of the nearly 100 people arrested during a 21st birthday party over the weekend spoke exclusively to Channel 2 Action News for the first time since the incident. — Cartersville police said officers responded …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, WXIA-TV and The Daily Tribune News
The Weather Channel:
Arctic Outbreak Setting Record Lows as Dangerously Cold Wind Chills Infiltrate Plains, Midwest and East — Story Highlights — Arctic cold air will keep the eastern half of the nation shivering through the first week of January. — A reinforcing shot of bitter, Canadian air is expected to arrive late this week.
Discussion:
Mother Jones and Breitbart
Elaine Godfrey / The Atlantic:
The Future of Trumpism Is on Campus — In August of 2016, Michael Straw had just gaveled in the year's first meeting of the Penn State College Republicans. The classroom was packed, with students filling every seat and lining the walls. Many were returning members, and some were brand new.
Discussion:
Breitbart and The Daily Caller
Wall Street Journal:
About That Trump ‘Autocracy’ — Remember all those progressive predictions of looming fascism? — As Donald Trump heads into his second year as President, we're pleased to report that there hasn't been a fascist coup in Washington. This must be terribly disappointing to the progressive elites …
Discussion:
New York Magazine
Alex Daugherty / miamiherald:
Republicans can't generate buzz for Ros-Lehtinen's seat, and some say it's unwinnable — WASHINGTON — The GOP's inability to find top-shelf candidates to run for Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's U.S. House seat has some Republicans ready to write off the race and shift money and attention to more winnable contests.
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Roll Call