Top Items:
New York Times:
Trump Ordered Mueller Fired, but Backed Off When White House Counsel Threatened to Quit — WASHINGTON — President Trump ordered the firing last June of Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel overseeing the Russia investigation, according to four people told of the matter …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Washington Post, RedState, The Atlantic, Talking Points Memo, Salon, New Republic, Fox News, Shareblue Media, Raw Story, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, CNN, Crooked Media, Vox, Mediaite, Business Insider, Roll Call, NPR, Above the Law, National Law Journal, No More Mister Nice Blog, IJR, Outside the Beltway, Just Security, theGrio, Hullabaloo, The Gateway Pundit, The Root, Shakesville, Media Matters for America, TheBlaze, The Week, Fox News Insider, HuffPost, New York Magazine, Breitbart, WTVR-TV, Reuters, Media Matters for America, AOL, Weekly Standard, bizpacreview.com, Common Dreams, Bangor Daily News, JONATHAN TURLEY, Washington Press, Politico, The Daily Caller, NewsBusters, Palmer Report, ABC News, Daily Wire, CBS New York, KQED News, The Guardian, Hit & Run, Boing Boing, Washington Monthly, Bloomberg, Politicus USA, Q13 FOX News, emptywheel, Splinter, Axios, CNBC, CANNONFIRE, Chicago's Morning Answer and The A.V. Club
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Timothy L. O'Brien / Bloomberg:
Trump Will Try to Fire Mueller. Again. — The president clearly believes he can do whatever he wants. Including obstruct justice. — Last summer, the president of the United States, who is the nation's chief law-enforcement officer, tried to fire the federal appointee overseeing …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, Taylor Marsh, Raw Story, New York Magazine, The Week, Talking Points Memo, JONATHAN TURLEY, Palmer Report, Business Insider and Mediaite
Washington Post:
Trump moved to fire special counsel Mueller in June, bringing the White House's top lawyer to the brink of quitting — President Trump sought the firing of Robert S. Mueller III last June, shortly after the special counsel took over the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election …
Discussion:
Politico, Talking Points Memo, Just Security, The Week, The Daily Beast, The Atlantic, Raw Story and Business Insider
Renato Mariotti / Politico:
It's Now Likely Mueller Thinks Trump Obstructed Justice — Thursday's explosive New York Times story that President Donald Trump ordered the firing of special counsel Robert Mueller last June renewed the public's focus on the obstruction of justice investigation against Trump, which will soon culminate in Trump's interview by Mueller.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Raw Story, Shareblue Media, Washington Post and Media Matters for America
Ed Henry / Fox News:
Trump was talked out of firing Mueller last June, source says — President Trump told top officials this past June that he wanted to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, but was talked out of doing so by White House counsel Don McGahn and other aides, a source close to the White House told Fox News late Thursday.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Media Matters for America, Washington Post, The Week, New York Times, IJR, Business Insider, Politico, Mediaite, Splinter, The Daily Beast, New Republic, Common Dreams, Roll Call, Above the Law, Palmer Report, Mother Jones, TheBlaze, Vox, The Gateway Pundit, RedState, AOL and bizpacreview.com
Lloyd Grove / The Daily Beast:
Chris Ruddy: I Was Right About Trump Wanting to Fire Mueller … Newsmax chief executive Chris Ruddy, a longtime friend of Donald Trump's, was roundly discredited by the White House communications shop last June when he went on television to warn that the president was seriously considering …
Discussion:
Vox, IJR, The Week, Raw Story, Media Matters for America, Mediaite, Politicus USA, Washington Press, The Daily Caller and Mother Jones
Rick Klein / ABC News:
The Note: Mueller controls the clock as revelations come at a dizzying pace
The Note: Mueller controls the clock as revelations come at a dizzying pace
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post, Breitbart, Axios and One America News Network
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
What Happens to Trump If He Fires Robert Mueller?
What Happens to Trump If He Fires Robert Mueller?
Discussion:
Washington Post, New York Times, Business Insider, The Atlantic, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Daily Beast
SHennessey / Lawfare:
Trump's Effort to Fire Mueller: Reactions to the New York Times Report
Trump's Effort to Fire Mueller: Reactions to the New York Times Report
Discussion:
Political Wire, Raw Story, Politico, Business Insider and The Week
Mike Allen / Axios:
Trump's ultimate unforced error keeps coming back to bite him
Trump's ultimate unforced error keeps coming back to bite him
Discussion:
USA Today and Washington Post
Caroline Orr / Shareblue Media:
Watch Hannity urgently change the subject from Trump's constitutional crisis to a car chase
Watch Hannity urgently change the subject from Trump's constitutional crisis to a car chase
Discussion:
RedState, Mediaite and New York Times
Maggie Haberman / New York Times:
Trump's Impromptu News Conference: An Unplanned Drop-By or a Deliberate Dig?
NBC News:
Trump wanted to fire Mueller in June but backed down when White House counsel threatened to quit
Trump wanted to fire Mueller in June but backed down when White House counsel threatened to quit
Discussion:
Raw Story, New York Times, Business Insider, CNN, ThinkProgress, Media Matters for America, The Daily Beast and Washington Post
Julian E. Zelizer / The Atlantic:
Out of Control — The news that President Trump tried …
New York Times:
Hillary Clinton Chose to Shield a Top Adviser Accused of Harassment in 2008 — WASHINGTON — A senior adviser to Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign who was accused of repeatedly sexually harassing a young subordinate was kept on the campaign at Mrs. Clinton's request, according to four people familiar with what took place.
Discussion:
The Week
Eliana Johnson / Politico:
An affair with Trump? Nikki Haley on ‘disgusting’ rumors and her rise to a top foreign policy role — NEW YORK — Nikki Haley became a trusted member of Donald Trump's inner circle over the past year, but she's recently re-familiarized herself with a downside of professional success …
Discussion:
The Hill, RedState, bizpacreview.com, Towleroad, twitchy.com, Washington Free Beacon and Mediaite
Richard Deitsch / SI.com:
Jemele Hill is Leaving SC6 for The Undefeated — ESPN's SportsCenter will need a new co-host as Jemele Hill is expected to leave the show for a position with The Undefeated. — ESPN SportsCenter anchor Jemele Hill is leaving the 6:00 p.m. SC6 edition of SportsCenter to join the staff of The Undefeated …
Discussion:
Hollywood Reporter, Breitbart, AOL, Decider, NESN.com, Awful Announcing and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »
Kimberley A. Strassel / Wall Street Journal:
Operation Sabotage the Memo — What are Adam Schiff, the Justice Department and the FBI trying to hide? — Rep. Adam Schiff has many talents, though few compare to his ability to function as a human barometer of Democratic panic. The greater the level of Schiff hot, pressured air, the more trouble the party knows it's in.
Discussion:
Power Line
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Sharyl Attkisson / The Hill:
As walls close in on FBI, the bureau lashes out at its antagonists
As walls close in on FBI, the bureau lashes out at its antagonists
Discussion:
Power Line, American Greatness and Breitbart
Jonathan Swan / Axios:
The White House's immigration proposal is dead on arrival — The White House framework on immigration reform that leaked yesterday — then was released early — is a non-starter those on the left, having spoken to progressive immigration leaders in close touch with top Democrats.
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Mark Krikorian / National Review:
The Art of the Choke — The White House immigration outline …
The Art of the Choke — The White House immigration outline …
Discussion:
Daily Wire, The Mahablog, bizpacreview.com, Mother Jones and Power Line
BostonGlobe.com:
Joe Kennedy to deliver Democratic response to State of the Union address — WASHINGTON - Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III, one of the Democratic Party's rising political stars, has been tapped by top party leaders to deliver the official Democratic response to President Trump's State of the Union address next week.
Discussion:
Splinter, Chicago Tribune and Roll Call
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The ITV Hub:
Donald Trump says sorry to Britain — Piers Morgan has frequently spoken about his friendship with Donald Trump - and now Piers has finally interviewed the US President in what was his first international interview since taking office. — This unmissable interview took place in Davos …
Discussion:
Joe.My.God., Breitbart, NBC News, Coffee House, The Guardian, NPR and The Week
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Kim Willsher / The Guardian:
Paris zoo shut after 50 baboons escape — Visitors to Paris Zoological Park evacuated as workers try to lure animals back to enclosures — The Paris Zoological Park has been evacuated and closed after dozens of baboons escaped their enclosure. — As zookeepers raced to round up the animals …
Chris Gardner / Hollywood Reporter:
James Franco Was Scrubbed From Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue Cover — “We made a decision not to include James Franco on the Hollywood cover once we learned of the misconduct allegations against him,” a Vanity Fair spokesperson says. — Vanity Fair debuted its anticipated Hollywood Portfolio today …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Breitbart, VICE, The A.V. Club, AOL, The Guardian, New York Magazine, Mashable, IndieWire, Glamour, Jezebel, Sky News and Pakistan Today
Jonathan Tamari / Philly.com:
Rep. Pat Meehan will not seek reelection after sexual harassment furor — Rep. Pat Meehan will not seek reelection amid a furor over his use of taxpayer dollars to settle a sexual harassment claim against an aide, and the national response to his describing the woman as his “soul mate.”
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, ABC News, American Thinker, NPR, Washington Times, Roll Call, The Week and Splinter
Jacqueline Thomsen / The Hill:
Trump: Nobody wants to take care of DACA more than me — Watch CNBC's full interview with President Trump from Davos from CNBC. — President Trump — said Friday that he and Republicans want to find a way to extend protections for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Discussion:
RedState
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Washington Post:
U.S. economic growth slowed in 2017's fourth quarter, missing Trump's targets — The U.S. gross domestic product, a broad measure of the economy, increased by 2.3 percent in 2017. GDP growth slowed in the year's fourth quarter to an annualized rate of 2.6, breaking a two-quarter streak of growth of more than 3 percent.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and New York Times
Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Deep in Clinton country, voters stand by their candidate — The pilings of long-gone piers still jut out of the murky Hudson River in New York County, N.Y., reminders of a shipping industry that's all-but-vanished from the region. There's almost no manufacturing left in the towering buildings …
New York Times:
Scientists Rebel Over a Trump Ally at the Natural History Museum — Rebekah Mercer, a supporter of President Trump and an influential donor to conservative causes — including groups that deny climate science — is under renewed pressure to step down from the board of New York City's …
Discussion:
The Natural History Museum, BuzzFeed and The Guardian
Huib Modderkolk / De Volkskrant:
Dutch agencies provide crucial intel about Russia's interference in US-elections — Hackers from the Dutch intelligence service AIVD have provided the FBI with crucial information about Russian interference with the American elections. For years, AIVD had access to the infamous Russian hacker group Cozy Bear.
Discussion:
Mother Jones and Washington Press
Russell Brandom / The Verge:
Exclusive: ICE is about to start tracking license plates across the US — The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has officially gained agency-wide access to a nationwide license plate recognition database, according to a contract finalized earlier this month.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Week and CBS San Francisco
Frank Phillips / BostonGlobe.com:
Baker has 61 times as much campaign money as all of his Democratic opponents — combined — As the 2018 gubernatorial contest crawls to a start, it is not just the polls showing Governor Charlie Baker hugely popular with voters but also the fund-raising numbers that paint a bleak picture for Democrats.
Edward-Isaac Dovere / Politico:
Ellison exploring Minnesota AG run — Keith Ellison, the progressive congressman and deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, is exploring a run for Minnesota attorney general, according to four people he's discussed the possibility with. — Lori Swanson, the current attorney general …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Political Wire