Top Items:
Washington Post:
A second White House aide has resigned amid past domestic abuse allegations, which he denies — The abrupt departure of speechwriter David Sorensen comes after his former wife claimed that he was violent and emotionally abusive during their turbulent two-and-a-half-year marriage — allegations that he vehemently denied.
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Elise Viebeck / Washington Post:
Second White House official departs amid abuse allegations, which he denies … A White House speechwriter resigned Friday after his former wife claimed that he was violent and emotionally abusive during their turbulent two-and-a-half-year marriage — allegations that he vehemently denied, saying she was the one who victimized him.
Discussion:
Politicus USA, ABC News, Mother Jones, Axios, The Guardian, CNBC, New York Times, Boing Boing, Business Insider, VICE News, The Root, AOL, Mediaite, ThinkProgress, Vox, Jezebel, Talking Points Memo and thecut
New York Times:
Trump Praises Top Adviser Accused of Abusing Ex-Wives — WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday praised Rob Porter, the White House staff secretary who resigned on Wednesday amid spousal abuse allegations, saying it was a “tough time” for the disgraced former aide and noting that Mr. Porter had denied the accusations.
Jonathan Karl / ABC News:
Sources: Chief of Staff John Kelly expressed to President Trump willingness to resign — President Donald Trump, furious over the handling of domestic abuse allegations involving one of his closest aides, has spoken to confidantes about the possibility of replacing embattled Chief of Staff John Kelly …
Discussion:
Associated Press, CNN, New York Magazine, Breitbart, The Root, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Business Insider, BloombergQuint, Splinter, Mediaite and PolitiFact
Washington Post:
As Jared Kushner's security clearance is delayed, White House hesitates to act on others with possible problems … White House Counsel Donald McGahn and other Trump administration officials have been so vexed by Jared Kushner's months-long inability to obtain a permanent security clearance …
Discussion:
Politico, Political Wire, Daily Kos, Shareblue Media, Mediaite, Shakesville, emptywheel and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Washington Post:
Kelly offers account of Porter exit that some White House aides consider untrue … White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly on Friday morning instructed senior staff to communicate a version of events about the departure of staff secretary Rob Porter that contradicts the administration's previous accounts …
Discussion:
Politico, CNN, Breitbart, The Week, The Daily Caller, CNBC, KTLA, Splinter, Talking Points Memo, The Atlantic, Axios, Common Dreams, Mother Jones, Daily Kos, Business Insider, Raw Story and AOL
CNN:
Dozens of Trump officials still lack full security clearance — Source: Kelly knew of abuse claims for months — Washington (CNN)Thirty to 40 White House officials and administration political appointees are still operating without full security clearances, including senior adviser …
Discussion:
Boing Boing and Washington Post
Jeremy Diamond / CNN:
Top White House official to leave West Wing to become drug czar — WH: We all could have done better with Porter — (CNN)White House deputy chief of staff Jim Carroll, who has served in that role for nearly three months, is expected to leave the White House to helm the Office …
Discussion:
Raw Story
CNN:
Trump frustrated with Hicks' role in Porter scandal
Trump frustrated with Hicks' role in Porter scandal
Discussion:
ABC News, BBC, Fortune, Talking Points Memo, twitchy.com, Jezebel, Washington Post, The Root, Mediaite, Common Dreams, New Republic, Washington Free Beacon, Vox, CNBC, Outside the Beltway, Mother Jones, KTLA, The Daily Caller, Eschaton, Axios, Daily Kos, The Guardian and The Week
Thomas Gibbons-Neff / New York Times:
White House Chief of Staff Is a Longtime Defender of the Accused
White House Chief of Staff Is a Longtime Defender of the Accused
Discussion:
Vox
Katie Rogers / New York Times:
As Other Aides Face Trump's Ire Over Rob Porter's Departure, Hope Hicks Is Praised
Stephen L. Miller / Fox News:
John Kelly needs to go
Thomas Burr / Salt Lake Tribune:
Mormon bishops told ex-wives of former Hatch, White House staffer to consider his 'career ambitions …
Mormon bishops told ex-wives of former Hatch, White House staffer to consider his 'career ambitions …
Discussion:
Religion News Service
Washington Post:
‘Very turbulent’: Trump and White House consumed with turmoil amid abuse allegations
‘Very turbulent’: Trump and White House consumed with turmoil amid abuse allegations
Discussion:
Vox, Politico, VICE News, Balloon Juice, Talking Points Memo, Breitbart, The Week, Splinter, Mediaite and Weekly Standard
Jonathan Swan / Axios:
Trump has floated 3 potential Kelly replacements
Trump has floated 3 potential Kelly replacements
Discussion:
Breitbart, New York Magazine, No More Mister Nice Blog, Raw Story, The Week and ABC News
Matthew Rosenberg / New York Times:
American Spies Paid $100,000 to Russian Who Wanted to Sell Material on Trump — BERLIN — After months of secret negotiations, a shadowy Russian bilked American spies out of $100,000 last year, promising to deliver stolen National Security Agency cyberweapons in a deal that he insisted …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, The Atlantic, Raw Story, Mediaite and Political Wire
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James Risen / The Intercept:
U.S. Secretly Negotiated With Russians to Buy Stolen NSA Documents — and the Russians Offered Trump-Related Material, Too — The United States intelligence community has been conducting a top-secret operation to recover stolen classified U.S. government documents from Russian operatives, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
Katie Benner / New York Times:
No. 3 Official at the Justice Department Is Stepping Down — WASHINGTON — Rachel L. Brand, the No. 3 official at the Justice Department, plans to step down after nine months on the job as the country's top law enforcement agency has been under attack by President Trump, according to two people briefed on her decision.
Discussion:
Vox, FOX40, Raw Story, Mother Jones, BuzzFeed, Washington Post, Breitbart, NPR, CNBC, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, VICE News, Business Insider, Above the Law, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, The Atlantic, CNN, New York Magazine, twitchy.com, Axios, Joe.My.God., Washington Times, The Last Refuge and The Guardian
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Nicholas Fandos / New York Times:
Trump Blocks Release of Memo Rebutting Republican Claims — WASHINGTON — President Trump blocked on Friday the release of a classified Democratic memo rebutting Republican claims that top federal law enforcement officials had abused their surveillance powers in spying on a former Trump campaign aide …
Discussion:
Just Security, Bloomberg, The Daily Beast, The Moderate Voice and The Hill
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Bret Stephens / New York Times:
The Smearing of Woody Allen — Soon after Rolling Stone published a sensational — and, as it turned out, false — account of a gang rape at a University of Virginia fraternity, Richard Bradley, the editor of Worth magazine, suspected that something was amiss.
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Roger Cohen / New York Times:
One Honorable American's Love of Trump
TMZ.com:
‘House of Cards’ Star Reg E. Cathey Dead From Cancer at 59 — ‘House of Cards’ Star — Reg E. Cathey Dead at 59 — EXCLUSIVE — Reginald E. Cathey, who had huge roles in “House of Cards” and “The Wire,” has died ... TMZ has learned. — The beloved actor passed away at his home in New York, surrounded by friends and family.
Discussion:
Variety, The Root and Q13 FOX News
Roll Call:
Minnesota Rep. Rick Nolan Won't Seek Re-Election — Minnesota Rep. Rick Nolan announced Friday he won't run for re-election, opening up a top targeted seat for Republicans in 2018. — “There is a time and a purpose for everything and now is the time for me to pass the baton to the next generation,” Nolan said in a statement.
Discussion:
Inside Elections and Washington Free Beacon
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Rob Delaney:
I have very sad news. My two and a half year year old son Henry has passed away. Henry had been diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016, shortly after his first birthday, following persistent vomiting and weight loss. He had surgery to remove the tumor and further treatment through the early part of 2017.
Discussion:
Press Association, IndieWire, AOL, WPIX 11 New York and The Daily Caller
Washington Post:
Breaking with tradition, Trump skips president's written intelligence report and relies on oral briefings … For much of the past year, President Trump has declined to participate in a practice followed by the past seven of his predecessors: He rarely if ever reads the President's Daily Brief …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, MSNBC, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, Splinter, RedState, ThinkProgress, NewsBusters, Hullabaloo, VICE News, Daily Kos, Joe.My.God., New York Magazine, Axios, Mediaite, The Week, Raw Story and Balloon Juice
Josh Feldman / Mediaite:
Fox News Host Questions Why Rubio's ‘Covering for’ Mark Warner: ‘How Deep Is the Deep State?’ — As Fox News' The Five discussed the Democratic rebuttal memo and Christopher Steele this afternoon, guest host Rachel Campos-Duffy questioned Marco Rubio's defense of a Democratic colleague.
Discussion:
Fox News
Michael Lewis / Bloomberg:
Has Anyone Seen the President? — Michael Lewis goes to Washington in search of Trump and winds up watching the State of the Union with Steve Bannon. — Back when he was president, Barack Obama told me that only two people treated any interaction with him as a zero-sum game.
Discussion:
CNBC, BloombergQuint, Front Page Magazine, Axios and Politico
Oliver Darcy / CNNMoney:
Bannon: ‘Anti-patriarchy movement’ will ‘undo ten thousand years of recorded history’ — The ups and downs of the Bannon insurgency — Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist, is quoted in a new edition of the book “Devil's Bargain” as sharply criticizing what he terms the …
Discussion:
Mediaite
Jeremy Barr / Hollywood Reporter:
Fox News Removes Exec's “Darker, Gayer” Olympics Column After Uproar — Three gay rights organizations had criticized the piece. — Fox News has removed an online column by executive vp and executive editor John Moody following intense criticism online and from gay rights activists, who roundly attacked the piece.
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, The Hill, CNNMoney, Washington Post, Business Insider, Breitbart, ThinkProgress, Splinter, Mediaite, Boing Boing, Washington Blade, Politico, The Week, theGrio, Joe.My.God., LGBTQ Nation, Sarah Palin, Media Matters for America and Fox News, more at Mediagazer »
Maxwell Tani / The Daily Beast:
Newsweek Editors Blast Exec to His Face: 'What You're Doing Is Bulls**t. You Don't Understand Journalism.' … During a private meeting with editors this week, a top Newsweek executive blamed his own journalists for the magazine's recent turmoil and refused to answer whether the company committed financial crimes.
Discussion:
CNNMoney, Splinter and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
2018 Winter Games:
The Latest: Official: Pence, Kim's sister did not interact — PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) — The Latest on the Pyeongchang Olympics (all times local): — A White House official says Vice President Mike Pence and the sister of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un did not interact despite …
Discussion:
twitchy.com, New York Times, ThinkProgress, USA Today and The Week
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Ashley Parker / Washington Post:
Pence's Olympic mission: Countering North Korean propaganda
Pence's Olympic mission: Countering North Korean propaganda
Discussion:
AOL, Axios and Washington Examiner