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Susan Collins had senators in bipartisan meetings use talking stick — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — Washington (CNN)During bipartisan talks between senators to discuss passing a funding bill to end the government shutdown, Sen. Susan Collins whose office was being used for the negotiations, figured out a civil way to create discussion.
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Congress votes to end shutdown — In a dramatic turnaround, Senate Democrats voted to reopen the government on Monday after receiving a commitment from Republicans to hold a vote on immigration legislation — paving the way to end the three-day shutdown. — The Senate voted 81-18 …


Dems Fold on This Shutdown, But the Next One Could Be Worse — Dems Fold on This Shutdown, But the Next One Could Be Worse — Chuck Schumer accepted Mitch McConnell's promise to vote on Dreamers in exchange for reopening the government. If he breaks that promise, all hell will break loose.
Discussion:
Politico, ABC News, National Review, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Shareblue Media, NBC News, Talking Points Memo and Raw Story


Democrats' Bold Fold Shifts the Pressure onto Trump and His GOP Enablers … Well, the #TrumpShutdown ended Monday with no DACA deal, and the Democratic base is understandably furious. But this is the beginning of the fight for immigration fairness and the DREAMers, not the end.
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon


'It's Morally Reprehensible': Liberals Livid With Senate Dems Over Shutdown Deal
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Week

Trump is facing a big moment of truth. And no amount of spin and lies can change it.
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Raw Story, New Republic, New York Times, Breitbart, The Federalist, CNN, Vox and Outside the Beltway

Senate ends debate, setting up vote to conclude shutdown, fund government temporarily
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Associated Press, The Root, IJR and Talking Points Memo

DEMOCRATS ARE ALLOWING REPUBLICANS TO HAVE IT BOTH WAYS ON THE DREAMERS
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CNN, Vox, The Mahablog, Politico and Eschaton

Senator using ‘talking stick’ breaks Collins' glass elephant during shutdown talks: reports
Discussion:
Fox News Insider and thecut

House votes to end government shutdown, sending legislation to Trump

'We're Back at Square One' — Pro-immigrant activists reacted …
Discussion:
Washington Post and Mother Jones

Left says Dems caved on shutdown
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NewsBusters, Townhall.com, Washington Times, The Rush Limbaugh Show and IJR


“I've Got Another Nut Job Here Who Thinks He's Running Things”: Are Trump and Kelly Heading for Divorce? — With the president and his chief of staff arguing in public, Ivanka Trump takes charge of finding a replacement. — Donald Trump's relationship with John Kelly, his chief of staff …
Discussion:
Politico, Shareblue Media, Little Green Footballs, The Root, The Week, VICE, Raw Story, Mediaite and AOL


Scoop: FBI director threatened to resign amid Trump, Sessions pressure — Attorney General Jeff Sessions — at the public urging of President Donald Trump — has been pressuring FBI Director Christopher Wray to fire Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, but Wray threatened to resign if McCabe was removed …
Discussion:
Political Wire and Splinter
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Was Lynch coordinating with Comey in the Clinton investigation?
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, The Stream, Geller Report and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion


Watchdog group files complaint against Trump campaign over reported payout to Stormy Daniels — The confidentiality settlement reportedly paid to an adult-film star who said she had an affair with Donald Trump years before he became president may have violated campaign finance laws, a watchdog group alleged Monday.
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Week, In Touch Weekly and Washington Times
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Pennsylvania Supreme Court Strikes Down State's Congressional Map, Saying It Illegally Benefits GOP — Republicans had consistently received a 13-5 advantage in the state's congressional delegation since 2012. — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the state's congressional map went …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and New York Magazine
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Pennsylvania court throws out congressional boundaries
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Washington Monthly, Booman Tribune and The Week

Pennsylvania's Supreme Court just gave Democrats a big win on redistricting
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New York Times and IJR


George Papadopoulos is the ‘John Dean’ of the Russia investigation, his fiancee says — He has been mocked by President Trump as a “low level volunteer” and “proven to be a liar.” — But the fiancee of George Papadopoulos, the former Trump campaign adviser who pleaded guilty in October …
Discussion:
Axios, Raw Story, Mediaite and Political Wire


The immigration negotiations Congress just gave itself 3 weeks to do, explained — Democrats know what they want. Republicans have no idea. — Congress just gave itself three weeks to solve US immigration policy. — Ostensibly, they agreed to a deal that would reopen the federal government and keep it funded through February 8.
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Are Democrats becoming more like Republicans?
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The Atlantic, ABC News, The Daily Signal, Townhall.com, Washington Post and Politico


Trump voting commission bought Texas election data flagging Hispanic voters — President Trump's voting commission asked every state and the District for detailed voter registration data, but in Texas's case it took an additional step: It asked to see Texas records that identify all voters …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, New York Magazine, Axios, IJR, Splinter, Talking Points Memo and Raw Story


Trump Taxes Solar Imports in Biggest Blow to Renewables Yet — President approves four years of tariffs starting at 30% — Tariffs set to gradually decline to 15 percent in fourth year — In the biggest blow he's dealt to the renewable energy industry yet, President Donald Trump decided …
Discussion:
Grist, Political Wire and Axios
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Bank of America: No More Free Checking for Customers With Low Balances — eBanking customers switched into accounts that typically require direct deposit or a minimum balance to avoid $12 monthly fee — Bank of America Corp. BAC .69% has eliminated a free checking account popular …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and The Charlotte Observer


Budweiser falls off the list of America's three favorite beers — Tapping into craft beer's online potential — Budweiser is no longer one of America's three most popular beers. — Before 2001, Budweiser was the top-selling U.S. beer, but it relinquished that crown to Bud Light.
Discussion:
Business Insider and WTVR-TV

A Jewish journalist is confronting Trump's immigration advisers with their own immigrant histories — NEW YORK (JTA) — During a combative news conference in early August, White House adviser Stephen Miller told reporters that the United States should prioritize immigrants who speak English.


‘Defiance Disorder’: Another new book describes chaos in Trump's White House — In late July, the White House had just finished an official policy review on transgender individuals serving in the military and President Trump and his then-chief of staff, Reince Priebus, had agreed to meet …
Discussion:
Fortune, Politico, Hullabaloo, ABC News, Salon, Raw Story, The Daily Beast, Mediaite and Joe.My.God., more at Mediagazer »
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Howard Kurtz book to offer another look at White House “disorder”
Discussion:
RedState and Washington Post


ICE detains a Polish doctor and green-card holder who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 40 years — Lukasz Niec was 5 years old when his parents brought him and his sister to the United States from Poland. With two suitcases in tow, his parents — both doctors — left behind a country on the verge of social turmoil.


Scoop: Read the draft White House infrastructure plan — Below is a leaked draft document with plans for the White House infrastructure plan, a key campaign priority of President Trump. — Comment from White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters: “We are not going to comment on the contents …


There's a Surprise in the Government Funding Bill: More Tax Cuts — WASHINGTON — Congress is apparently not done cutting taxes, even after passing a $1.5 trillion tax overhaul last year. — The deal struck by Democrats and Republicans on Monday to end a brief government shutdown contains $31 billion …
Discussion:
twitchy.com


Montana Governor Signs Order to Force Net Neutrality — WASHINGTON — Most efforts underway to restore so-called net neutrality face big obstacles and would take many months, if not years, to succeed. — But in Montana, the governor has used the stroke of a pen to bring the rules to broad parts of his state.
Discussion:
Governor Steve Bullock …, Engadget, The Verge and Mashable, more at Techmeme »


Naomi Parker Fraley, the Real Rosie the Riveter, Dies at 96 — Unsung for seven decades, the real Rosie the Riveter was a California waitress named Naomi Parker Fraley. — Over the years, a welter of American women have been identified as the model for Rosie, the female war worker …
Discussion:
CBS Los Angeles and thecut


Inside The Fight For The Soul Of Kaspersky Lab — Kaspersky Lab is under fire in the US over concerns that it could provide its clients' private — and at times secret — information to the Russian government. A new investigation by Russian news site Meduza, published here exclusively in English …