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Secret Memo Hints at a New Republican Target: Rod Rosenstein — WASHINGTON — A secret, highly contentious Republican memo reveals that Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein approved an application to extend surveillance of a former Trump campaign associate shortly after taking office last spring …
Discussion:
Fox News, RedState, The Daily Beast, The Atlantic, Weekly Standard, Washington Monthly, The Hill, Washington Post, BostonGlobe.com, Talking Points Memo, ThinkProgress, Washington Examiner, Politico, The Last Refuge, Breitbart, New York Daily News, Business Insider, Balloon Juice, New Republic, emptywheel, Media Matters for America, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story, Daily Kos, The Daily Caller, The Week and Axios
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On Flight to Davos, Trump Erupted Over DOJ Role in Russia Probe — President is said to be angered by Justice Department warning — Kelly reproached officials in meetings, calls last week — President Donald Trump's frustrations with the Russia investigation boiled over on Air Force …
Discussion:
Raw Story


Mark Warner: 'We've Had New Information That Raises More Questions' — Congress late last year received “extraordinarily important new documents” in its investigation of President Donald Trump and his campaign's possible collusion with the 2016 Russian election hacking …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, IJR, The Daily Caller, Hullabaloo, Raw Story and Political Wire


THE MORNING PLUM: — The Sunday shows confirmed an alarming development: Republicans in Congress do not feel any urgency to protect special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation, even though it has now been confirmed that Trump tried to fire Mueller — and that the possibility …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Daily Kos, The Week and The Daily Caller


An Article of Impeachment Against Donald J. Trump
Discussion:
The Week

NYT: GOP Memo Reveals Rosenstein Approved Surveillance Of Carter Page
Discussion:
RedState, Booman Tribune, Shakesville, Balloon Juice and Politico

House Intel committee could vote on Nunes memo as soon as Monday
Discussion:
Just Security, The Hill and TheBlaze


FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe stepping down — WASHINGTON — FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe stepped down Monday, multiple sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. — McCabe will remain on the FBI payroll until he is eligible to retire with full benefits in mid-March, the sources said.
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New Book: McCabe Initiated White House Meeting That Led To Leak — The FBI's top brass initiated conversations with a White House official that were quickly leaked to CNN, according to a new book. — Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe asked to speak privately with White House chief …
Discussion:
RedState, Conservative Review, CNBC and The Gateway Pundit


Andrew McCabe steps down as deputy FBI director amid pressure — FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is retiring from the FBI, CBS News' Pat Milton has confirmed. According to Milton, a source familiar with the matter confirms that McCabe was urged to step down. He is currently on leave and will official retire in March.
Discussion:
RedState, Mother Jones and Shakesville


FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is stepping down, effective today, multiple sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. McCabe will “remain on the FBI payroll until he is eligible to retire with full benefits in mid-March,” NBC reports. — There were reports last month that McCabe …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, ABC News, Politico, New York Magazine, Little Green Footballs, Raw Story and THE WARREN (HENRY) REPORT


FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe ‘removed’ from the bureau — Top FBI official Andrew McCabe has been “removed” from his post as deputy director, Fox News is told, leaving the bureau after months of conflict-of-interest complaints from Republicans including President Trump.
Discussion:
twitchy.com and Business Insider


CNN's Jeffrey Toobin: ‘I regret my role’ in Hillary Clinton false equivalence … So long as President Trump continues disgracing the Oval Office, thoughtful people will probe their own role in helping him get there. — Such appeared to be the motivation behind a mea culpa issued …
Discussion:
Political Wire, Mediaite and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Statement of Representative Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (NJ-11) — “Today as I announce my retirement at the end of this session of Congress, I want to use the opportunity to strongly encourage the many young people I meet to consider public service. Public service is an incredible way to turn …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Shareblue Media and Daily Kos
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House GOP chairman in competitive district announces retirement
Discussion:
TheBlaze and Joe.My.God.

Frelinghuysen won't seek reelection
Discussion:
New York Times, Axios and NPR


Indians Will Abandon Chief Wahoo Logo Next Year — The Cleveland Indians will stop using the Chief Wahoo logo on their uniforms beginning in 2019, according to Major League Baseball, which said the popular symbol was no longer appropriate for use on the field.
Discussion:
Mother Jones, ThinkProgress, NPR, Vox, ProFootballTalk, Washingtonian, NESN.com, Mashable, AOL, Mediaite, myfox8.com and The Week


Melania Trump's Military Flights Before Her Move to Washington Cost More Than $675,000 — First lady flew 21 flights in three-month period while living in New York after President Donald Trump's inauguration — First lady Melania Trump took 21 flights in a three-month period on Air Force jets …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, AOL, Raw Story, The Week and Politicus USA


The Steele Dossier Fits the Kremlin Playbook — The likely objective was to undermine Republicans, Democrats—and American democracy. — When the “Steele dossier” was first published a year ago, it looked like a bombshell. The document, drawn up by the British ex-spy Christopher Steele …
Discussion:
Power Line
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Sanders Backs Out of Interview After Failing to Dictate Conditions — Congressman Peter Welch and Sen. Bernie Sanders at a press conference Monday morning at Burlington International Airport — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) backed out of an interview with Seven Days Monday morning …
Discussion:
Political Wire


Jared Kushner Played a Role in Guy Fieri's Restaurant Closure — His company was the landlord for the Times Square grill — Turns out President Trump son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner was Guy Fieri's landlord at the now-shuttered Guy's American Kitchen & Bar …


TV Ratings: 2018 Grammys Tumble From Recent Years — The CBS telecast is down a steep 21 percent from 2017 in early numbers, potentially spelling an all-time low. — Sunday's Bruno Mars-loving Grammy Awards took a steep ratings spill by the first-available metrics.
Discussion:
Variety, The Daily Caller, NewsBusters and Mediaite
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Grammy Ratings Hit All-Time Demo Low; Draws 19.8M Viewers - Update
Discussion:
Conservative Review, bizpacreview.com, Breitbart and Hit & Run


'He's not God': In the wake of porn-star allegations, most evangelicals stand by Trump … When news first broke this month about President Trump's alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, it seemed the kind of story that would devastate a group of voters once known as “The Moral Majority.”
Discussion:
Raw Story


Omarosa Manigault Newman: From the White House to the ‘Big Brother’ house … Historically, White House aides often land impressive jobs after they finish working for a president. Some become corporate executives, others join law firms and quite a few work as well-paid television pundits.
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon and CBS Los Angeles
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Omarosa Goes From White House to Cast of ‘Celebrity Big Brother’
Discussion:
bizpacreview.com, twitchy.com and Raw Story


Beto O'Rourke outraises Cruz again, taking in $2.4M in latest quarter — Updated at 10:50 p.m. to include the latest fundraising figures from Sen. Ted Cruz. — WASHINGTON — The Texas Democrat hoping to oust Sen. Ted Cruz is posting his largest campaign fundraising haul yet: $2.4 million.
Discussion:
IJR and Weekly Standard


Few U.S. adults report bonuses, raises from Republican tax law — WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two percent of U.S. adults said they had gotten a raise, bonus or other additional benefits due to the Republican tax law enacted a month ago by President Donald Trump, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, New York Magazine, Daily Kos and AOL

If Pelosi brings ‘Dreamers’ to the State of the Union, Trump should bring ICE agents — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and a number of other Democrats plan to fill the House gallery with illegal aliens when President Trump delivers his first State of the Union address on Tuesday.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and No More Mister Nice Blog


Trump is winning — Trump is making us a little more like him, and politics a little more like the tribal clash he says it is. — There are two Trump presidencies. — One of them is the official presidency of Donald Trump, leader of the Republican Party, driver of the legislative agenda, head of the executive branch.