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:
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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, The Atlantic, Raw Story, Just Security, The Week and Business Insider
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:
The Week, Washington Post, New York Times, Media Matters for America, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, CNN, Politico, The Daily Beast, Mediaite, Splinter, Vox, Roll Call, The Gateway Pundit, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Palmer Report, Mother Jones, RedState, IJR, Common Dreams, Business Insider, bizpacreview.com, Politicus USA, Washington Press, Joe.My.God. and The Daily Caller
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.
Rick Klein / ABC News:
The Note: Mueller controls the clock as revelations come at a dizzying pace — The war on and over Robert Mueller just got very real. And Mueller has tools to fight with, too. — The revelation, as reported by The New York Times, that President Donald Trump tried to fire the special counsel …
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post, Axios and One America News Network
SHennessey / Lawfare:
Trump's Effort to Fire Mueller: Reactions to the New York Times Report — The New York Times reported Thursday evening that President Trump ordered the firing of Special Counsel Robert Mueller in June and was only dissuaded when White House Counsel Don McGahn threatened to resign rather …
Discussion:
Political Wire, Washington Post, Raw Story, The Daily Beast, Politico 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
CNN:
8 times since June the White House denied Trump was considering firing Mueller
8 times since June the White House denied Trump was considering firing Mueller
Discussion:
Business Insider
Julian E. Zelizer / The Atlantic:
Out of Control — The news that President Trump tried …
Out of Control — The news that President Trump tried …
Discussion:
Raw Story and Media Matters for America
Kaili Joy Gray / Shareblue Media:
White House doesn't deny it: Trump tried to fire Mueller and failed
White House doesn't deny it: Trump tried to fire Mueller and failed
Discussion:
New York Times, The Daily Beast and JONATHAN TURLEY
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.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, The Week, twitchy.com and Breitbart
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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:
bizpacreview.com, Power Line, Daily Wire and Mother Jones
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:
Breitbart, Joe.My.God., NBC News, Coffee House, The Guardian, NPR and The Week
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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 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:
The Daily Caller, Washington Times, ABC News, American Thinker, NPR, Roll Call, The Week, Splinter and Axios
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:
Roll Call
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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:
Towleroad
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
Jeff Cox / CNBC:
Soros: Trump has US ‘set on a course towards nuclear war’ — Billionaire investor and political activist George Soros said President Donald Trump has the U.S. set on a course for nuclear war with North Korea. — Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Soros said Trump is trying to establish a …
Discussion:
The Guardian, bizpacreview.com, BuzzFeed, Washington Press, Bloomberg and Daily Wire
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Fred Imbert / CNBC:
Trump says dollar will get ‘stronger and stronger,’ Mnuchin was misinterpreted
Trump says dollar will get ‘stronger and stronger,’ Mnuchin was misinterpreted
Discussion:
The Week, Breitbart, WGNO, Bloomberg, RealityChek, Politico and Business Insider
Paul Schwartzman / Washington Post:
The Trumps asked to borrow a Van Gogh for the White House. The Guggenheim offered an 18K gold toilet instead. — The emailed response from the Guggenheim's chief curator to the White House was polite but firm: the museum could not accommodate a request to “borrow” a painting by Vincent Van Gogh …
Discussion:
The Guardian, Conservative Tribune, Common Dreams, CBS New York, Breitbart, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, Washington Press, Vox, CNN, The Express Tribune, New York Times, bizpacreview.com, Politico, The A.V. Club, The Week, Addicting Info, Geller Report, AOL, IJR, Boing Boing, KTLA, Splinter, thecut, VICE, The Daily Caller, Raw Story, The Root, Talking Points Memo and theGrio
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, Washington Press and Balloon Juice
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:
NESN.com and The Big Lead
The Times of Israel:
Trump: No more aid unless Palestinians talk peace; Jerusalem is ‘off the table’ — Sitting next to Netanyahu in Davos, US president says Israel ‘wants to make peace,’ Palestinians ‘disrespected’ US in refusing to meet Pence — DAVOS, Switzerland — In unscripted remarks to the press on Thursday …
Discussion:
The Times of IsraelEric …, Breitbart, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Conservative Tribune, Elder Of Ziyon and Politico
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Dell Cameron / Gizmodo:
Kris Kobach's Office Leaks Last 4 Social Security Digits of Nearly Every Kansas Lawmaker and Thousands of State Employees, Including Kris Kobach — This is starting to just get sad. — Prior to receiving notice from Gizmodo this morning, Kris Kobach's office was leaking sensitive information belonging …
Discussion:
Mother Jones and New York Magazine
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:
AOL, IndieWire, Mashable, Jezebel, Pakistan Today, New York Magazine and 444
CNN:
Sen. Johnson backs off ‘secret society’ claim — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — Washington (CNN)The chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee acknowledged Thursday that a reference made between two FBI employees of a “secret society” could have been said in jest as opposed to evidence of an anti-Donald Trump plot.
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Amy Chozick / New York Times:
Cecile Richards on Her Life After Planned Parenthood — According to Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood for over a decade, protesters who wave anti-abortion signs outside one of the organization's clinics will sometimes return — a week, a month or a year later — for an annual medical exam.
Discussion:
Rewire and American Greatness
Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
CNN reinstates Ryan Lizza — CNN is reinstating Ryan Lizza, the Washington political reporter who was fired from the New Yorker for alleged sexual misconduct. “Upon learning of The New Yorker's decision to sever ties with Ryan Lizza in December, CNN pulled him from future on-air appearances …
Discussion:
Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
Emily Tamkin / Foreign Policy:
Enemy of the State — Bill Browder helped craft U.S. policy toward Russia. Was it for the better? — On June 6, 2016, Bill Browder, a London-based billionaire, sent an email to Kyle Parker, a congressional staffer, with the subject line “Veselnitskaya house.”
Michael S. Rosenwald / Washington Post:
Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky and the Starr Report's aspirations as literary bodice ripper — Twenty years ago, on Jan. 26, 1998, President Bill Clinton stood at a White House podium and told the world, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”