Top Items:
New York Times:
The Republicans' Fake Investigations — A generation ago, Republicans sought to protect President Richard Nixon by urging the Senate Watergate committee to look at supposed wrongdoing by Democrats in previous elections. The committee chairman, Sam Ervin, a Democrat, said that would be …
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:
Raw Story, Politicus USA, The Gateway Pundit, ThinkProgress and Breitbart
New York Times:
Trump Says His ‘Nuclear Button’ Is ‘Much Bigger’ Than North Korea's — WASHINGTON — President Trump again raised the prospect of nuclear war with North Korea, boasting in strikingly playground terms on Tuesday night that he commands a “much bigger” and “more powerful” arsenal of devastating weapons than the outlier government in Asia.
Discussion:
New Republic, Raw Story, CNN, CNBC, Business Insider, RedState, Washington Post, The Verge, The Guardian, ABC News, NBC News, Washington Press, IJR, NewsBusters, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, Fox News Insider, CBS New York, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, The Daily Caller, NPR, Mashable, Associated Press, No More Mister Nice Blog, TheBlaze, Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite, Little Green Footballs, Washington Times, TMZ.com and The Week
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CNN:
North Korea calls hotline to South Korea in diplomatic breakthrough
North Korea calls hotline to South Korea in diplomatic breakthrough
Discussion:
Axios, ABC News, KTLA, Washington Press, LewRockwell, New York Times, The Gateway Pundit, Business Insider, Mashable and IJR
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.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, thecut and Mashable
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, The Stranger …, Mediaite, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Week
Sahil Kapur / Bloomberg:
Romney Changes Location on Twitter as Utah Senate Seat Opens — Mitt Romney was mum on whether he plans to run for Senate after Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah announced he'll retire after 2018. But Romney's Twitter profile may give a hint about his thinking.
Discussion:
Politico, Axios, The Week and The Daily Caller
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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
Reuel Marc Gerecht / New York Times:
The Worst Thing for Iran's Protesters? U.S. Silence — We are now six days into the Iran protests, and the questions that seized Washington during the 2009 pro-democracy movement have now once again come to the fore. Should the United States try to help Iran's protesters? Can we help them?
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Bloomberg and Patterico's Pontifications
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Justin Baragona / Mediaite:
MSNBC Guest Rips Bill Kristol's Support of Iran Protests: 'You've Been Advocating Killing Iranians'
MSNBC Guest Rips Bill Kristol's Support of Iran Protests: 'You've Been Advocating Killing Iranians'
Discussion:
New Republic, IJR and Washington Post
Eliana Johnson / Politico:
Iran protests could move Trump to kill nuclear deal
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:
Hot Air, CNN, Associated Press, ThinkProgress, Breitbart, Politico, IJR, KTLA and NPR
John Solomon / The Hill:
Congressional investigators find irregularities in FBI's handling of Clinton email case — Republicans on key congressional committees say they have uncovered new irregularities and contradictions inside the FBI's probe of Hillary Clinton — 's email server.
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, RedState, JustOneMinute 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
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
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Rob Gillies / Associated Press:
Ex-hostage Boyle charged with sex assault, confinement — TORONTO (AP) — A Canadian man recently freed with his American wife and children after years being held hostage in Afghanistan has been arrested and faces at least a dozen charges including sexual assault, his lawyer said Tuesday
Discussion:
RedState
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, FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV, Axios and Washington Times
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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:
Breitbart, Washington Blade, thecut, Daily Kos, AOL, Mediaite, TheBlaze, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, The Week and Political Wire
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 »
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, Daily Kos, Common Dreams and Shareblue Media
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:
The Hill, RedState, The Atlantic, Politico, Axios, Roll Call, Shareblue Media and Washington Free Beacon
Cristiano Lima / Politico:
Trump floats cutting payments to Palestinians — President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that the U.S. should consider cutting payments to the Palestiniana, saying their officials “don't even want to negotiate a long overdue peace treaty with Israel.” — “[W]e pay the Palestinians HUNDRED …
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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:
WXIA-TV and ThinkProgress
Amir Ahmadi Arian / New York Times:
Why Iran Is Protesting — This is the third mass uprising in Iran in my lifetime. In July 1999, the peaceful protest of students over freedom of speech spread into a considerable uprising. In June 2009, people took to streets to demand a recount of disputed votes in the presidential election, which began the Green Movement.
Thomas Erdbrink / New York Times:
Hard-Liners and Reformers Tapped Iranians' Ire. Now, Both Are Protest Targets. — TEHRAN — Antigovernment protests roiled Iran on Tuesday, as the death toll rose to 21 and the nation's supreme leader blamed foreign enemies for the unrest. But the protests that have spread to dozens …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Week and The Gateway Pundit
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:
The Week, The Daily Caller, CNN, Fox News, Power Line, The Guardian, Raw Story, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, Talking Points Memo, ABC News, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Breitbart, Business Insider, Hullabaloo, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Politico, IJR, Salon, Roll Call, emptywheel, USA Today, Washington Free Beacon, Shakesville and Little Green Footballs