memeorandum: The one question likely to decide 2018 elections (Ronald Brownstein/CNN)

10:20 AM ET, January 2, 2018

Top Items:

Eli Lake / Bloomberg:

The West Can Help Iranians Take Back Their Country — The perfect man for the job: Barack Obama. — In case anyone was wondering, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and the rest of America's political class are with the protesters in Iran. Statements have been issued. Tweets have been tweeted.

Discussion: National Review, Power Line, NBC News, peacefare.net, Common Dreams, Breitbart and IJR

CNN:

Key developments — Nine people were killed on Monday, including seven protesters, state media reports, taking the toll to 21. — 450 people have been arrested in the past three days. — Iranian President Rouhani slammed US President Donald Trump for tweeting his support for protesters.

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, BBC, Lawfare, IJR, Jihad Watch, Washington Free Beacon, CNNMoney, RedState, The Last Refuge, Washington Times, Common Dreams and TheBlaze

Michael Georgy / Reuters:

Iranian protesters attack police stations, raise stakes in unrest — DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian protesters attacked police stations late into the night on Monday, news agency and social media reports said, as security forces struggled to contain the boldest challenge to the clerical leadership since unrest in 2009.

Discussion: The Times of Israel and Shakesville

Ben Shapiro / National Review: Trump Reverses the Obama Doctrine on Iran

Washington Post:
The West should support the protesters in Iran

Discussion: New York Post, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, israpundit.org, The Moderate Voice, IJR, National Review, NBC News and CNN

Erin Cunningham / Washington Post:
Iran protests and death toll grow as tension rises

Discussion: Defense One

Wall Street Journal:
On Iran, Trump Administration Encourages Support for Protesters

Discussion: Fox News, Weekly Standard, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and IJR

Raf Sanchez / Telegraph:
Defiant Iran protesters steal Revolutionary Guard's trousers even as death toll mounts

Discussion: Washington Post, The Gateway Pundit, CNBC, Breitbart, Fox News, KTLA, NPR, Business Insider, Fox News Insider and IJR

Luke Rosiak / The Daily Caller:

Abedin Forwarded State Passwords To Yahoo Before It Was Hacked By Foreign Agents — Huma Abedin forwarded sensitive State Department emails, including passwords to government systems, to her personal Yahoo email account before every single Yahoo account was hacked, a Daily Caller News Foundation analysis …

Discussion: RedState, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Axios, Roll Call, New York Times, Scared Monkeys, IJR, Mediaite, Raw Story, Washington Times and The Gateway Pundit

Louis Nelson / Politico:
Trump suggests Huma Abedin be jailed after State Department email release

Discussion: Associated Press

Asawin Suebsaeng / The Daily Beast:

Anthony Scaramucci Is Telling Pals That Donald Trump Wants Him Back … Losing your job in a fit of self-immolation after a mere ten days may seem like the type of professional stumble that doesn't lend itself to a comeback. But Anthony Scaramucci, a.k.a. the Mooch, appears to be positioning himself to give politics another go.

Discussion: The Hill, RedState, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Mediaite, New York Magazine, Raw Story, Hullabaloo and Axios

Andrew Restuccia / Politico:
White House aides already anxious about 2018

Discussion: New York Magazine, Daily Kos and The Week

Jake Sherman / Politico: AND WE'RE BACK: Washington kicks into gear for bruising January ... ADVANTAGE DEMOCRATS?

Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:

Hoda Kotb named permanent co-host of NBC's ‘Today’ — Hoda Kotb, who has filled in on NBC's “Today” show since Matt Lauer was fired in November, is now officially replacing him. — The promotion means that Kotb and Savannah Guthrie will co-host the famed morning show.

Discussion: People.com, The Root, TVNewser, theGrio, IJR, Mediaite, The Week, ABC News, thecut and Mashable

Eun Kyung Kim / TODAY.com:

Hoda Kotb joins Savannah Guthrie as co-anchor of TODAY — Hoda Kotb has been named the co-anchor of TODAY, making her official debut Tuesday just after an announcement by NBC News Chairman Andy Lack. — Kotb, 53, will join Savannah Guthrie at the anchor desk during the first two hours of the morning news program.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, AOL and TheBlaze, more at Mediagazer »

Ronald Brownstein / CNN:

The one question likely to decide 2018 elections — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — (CNN)As the 2018 election year begins, one question above all is likely to shape its outcome: Will Americans vote to constrain President Donald Trump by electing a Democrat-led Congress that will challenge and resist him …

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: Raw Story

Robin Pogrebin / New York Times:

Peter Martins Retires From New York City Ballet After Misconduct Allegations — After accusations of sexual harassment and physical and verbal abuse, Peter Martins, the powerful leader of New York City Ballet who shaped the company for more than three decades, has decided to retire.

Discussion: thecut, 89.3 KPCC and The Week

David Weigel / Washington Post:

Iowa went big for Trump, but there are signs its voters are souring on the president — DES MOINES — As Republicans celebrated their tax bill passing Congress late last month, Iowa Democrats raised a toast of their own. Candidates for Congress and governor, gathered at the annual Progress …

Discussion: Politico and No More Mister Nice Blog

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: Roll Call

A. G. Sulzberger / New York Times:

A Note From Our New Publisher — IN 1896 my great-great-grandfather left his hometown, Chattanooga, and traveled north to purchase a small, fading newspaper in New York. — The moment was not unlike our own. Technological, economic and social turmoil were upending the traditions of the country.

more at Mediagazer »

Adrian Young / To70:

01 JAN TO70'S CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY REVIEW 2017 — The past year has been another exceptionally good year for civil aviation safety. With only two fatal accidents to passenger airliners, both involving small turbo-prop planes, 2017 was much better than could reasonably (and statistically) …

Discussion: Axios, The Independent and Bloomberg

Edward-Isaac Dovere / Politico:

John Dean: Nixon 'Might Have Survived If There'd Been a Fox News' — John Dean, the former Nixon White House counsel, has a stark warning for White House lawyer Ty Cobb and the rest of President Donald Trump's defenders as they enter 2018: Believing the investigation and prosecutions will be over any time soon is “wishful thinking.”

New York Times:

The Trump Effect: Business, Anticipating Less Regulation, Loosens Purse Strings — WASHINGTON — A wave of optimism has swept over American business leaders, and it is beginning to translate into the sort of investment in new plants, equipment and factory upgrades that bolsters economic growth …

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Althouse

Gabriel Debenedetti / Politico:

Warren positions herself for potential 2020 run — Elizabeth Warren has spent the past year making a series of below-the-radar moves that would put her in prime position to run for president in 2020 if she decides to. — The liberal icon and Republican bete noire has amassed more money …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, The Week and Political Wire

Theodoric Meyer / Politico:

Tax overhaul means years of paydays for K Street — President Donald Trump just signed into law the biggest tax overhaul in a generation, but that means more work — not less — for Washington's tax lobbyists. — Rather than streamlining the tax code, Republicans have made it more complicated …

Reuters:

Pakistan summons U.S. ambassador after Trump's angry tweet — ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan summoned the U.S. ambassador in protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's angry tweet about Pakistan's “lies and deceit”, while Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif dismissed the outburst as a political stunt.

Discussion: Politico, Outside the Beltway and The Week

Benedict Carey / New York Times:

‘Fake News’: Wide Reach but Little Impact, Study Suggests — Fake news evolved from seedy internet sideshow to serious electoral threat so quickly that behavioral scientists had little time to answer basic questions about it, like who was reading what, how much real news they also consumed …

Discussion: Brendan Nyhan and Raw Story

Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:

President Trump has made 1,950 false or misleading claims over 347 days … With just 18 days before President Trump completes his first year as president, he is now on track to exceed 2,000 false or misleading claims, according to our database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president.

Discussion: Common Dreams