Top Items:
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:
89.3 KPCC, NPR, The Mahablog, Washington Times, Raw Story, Shareblue Media, Politico and Daily Kos
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Mary Jordan / Washington Post:
Hope Hicks: The quiet one in Trump's White House suddenly feels the glare … In a White House full of noise, she is the quiet one. Not the TV gladiator, not press room warrior, not a general. Certainly not the Mooch. — Hope Hicks, the discreet aide always at President Trump's side whose desk …
Discussion:
The Guardian, Business Insider, Axios, Politico and Breitbart
Michael A. Cohen / BostonGlobe.com:
John Kelly was supposed to be ‘the adult in the room.’ He's anything but
Haley Britzky / Axios:
Trump's history of defending the accused
Trump's history of defending the accused
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Shareblue Media, ABC News, RedState and Outside the Beltway
Elise Viebeck / Washington Post:
Second White House official departs amid abuse allegations, which he denies
Second White House official departs amid abuse allegations, which he denies
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams, Outside the Beltway, Business Insider, bizpacreview.com, Politicus USA, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Washington Monthly, thecut, The Guardian, Mediaite, Sputnik International, Mother Jones, CNBC, ABC News, AOL, Boing Boing, VICE News, The Root and Axios
CNN:
Dozens of Trump officials still lack full security clearance
Dozens of Trump officials still lack full security clearance
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Boing Boing and Mediaite
Wall Street Journal:
John Kelly and Hope Hicks Face Scrutiny as Trump Questions Response to Abuse Allegations
John Kelly and Hope Hicks Face Scrutiny as Trump Questions Response to Abuse Allegations
Andrew Restuccia / Politico:
White House lurches into crisis mode, again
White House lurches into crisis mode, again
Discussion:
Washington Post and Breitbart
Peter Baker / New York Times:
Amid Turmoil From Washington to Wall Street, a Surprisingly Passive President
Katie Rogers / New York Times:
White House Speechwriter Resigns Amid Abuse Accusations
White House Speechwriter Resigns Amid Abuse Accusations
Discussion:
Joe.My.God., Polipace Insider …, Politicus USA, Mediaite, Business Insider, thecut and The Guardian
CNN:
Kim Jong Un's sister is stealing the show at the Winter Olympics — (CNN)If “diplomatic dance” were an event at the Winter Olympics, Kim Jong Un's younger sister would be favored to win gold. — With a smile, a handshake and a warm message in South Korea's presidential guest book …
Discussion:
NewsBusters, The Gateway Pundit, Sarah Palin, Mediaite and The Diplomat
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Pence upstaged by 2 Koreas' efforts to warm ties — Vice President Mike Pence's efforts to keep North Korea from stealing the show at the Winter Olympics proved to be short-lived, quickly drowned out by the images of the two Koreas marching and competing together, as the South appeared …
Discussion:
ABC News, One America News Network, Shareblue Media, Breitbart and The Diplomat
Brent D. Griffiths / Politico:
Fred Warmbier criticizes North Korean Olympic spirit
Fred Warmbier criticizes North Korean Olympic spirit
Discussion:
One America News Network, Breitbart and Jezebel
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 …
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Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
The White House's broken promise on the Democratic memo
The White House's broken promise on the Democratic memo
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, New York Magazine and The Week
Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:
Grassley-Graham Memo Affirms Nunes Memo — Media Yawns
Grassley-Graham Memo Affirms Nunes Memo — Media Yawns
Discussion:
Power Line
Philip Ewing / NPR:
The Russia Investigations: Democrats Try To Counterattack But Lose A Key Weapon
The Russia Investigations: Democrats Try To Counterattack But Lose A Key Weapon
Discussion:
Politico and The Guardian
CNN:
Woodward and Bernstein: Trump's Russia response ‘eerily similar’ to Nixon's leading up to Saturday Night Massacre — Woodward and Bernstein adapted this piece from their 1976 book, “The Final Days.” This excerpt is appearing both in The Washington Post and on CNN. — (CNN)We're here again.
Discussion:
Mediaite
Lauren Gardner / Politico:
Top official departs ‘rudderless’ railroad safety agency — A top official charged with overseeing the safety of the nation's railroads has resigned “effective immediately,” the Department of Transportation said Saturday after POLITICO raised questions about whether he was simultaneously working …
Discussion:
Axios and Washington Monthly
Sarah Ruiz-Grossman / HuffPost:
ICE Set To Deport Undocumented Father Whose 5-Year-Old Son Is Battling Cancer — The agency chose not to grant the Arizonan another stay despite his child's leukemia. — Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to deport an undocumented man from Mexico whose child is battling cancer.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and Hullabaloo
Yaniv Kubovich / Haaretz:
Israel Downs Iranian Drone, Strikes Syria; Israeli F-16 Shot Down — One pilot in serious condition Israel attacks Syrian, Iranian targets in fresh strike Rocket sirens sound throughout northern Israel — An Israeli F-16 was downed Saturday morning after Israel intercepted an Iranian drone launched from Syria into Israeli territory.
Discussion:
RedState
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Isabel Kershner / New York Times:
Israel Strikes Iran in Syria, Losing Jet, as Conflict Moves Into Perilous Phase
Israel Strikes Iran in Syria, Losing Jet, as Conflict Moves Into Perilous Phase
Discussion:
Power Line, The Daily Caller, JustOneMinute and Axios
Laura M. Holson / New York Times:
How Joy Reid of MSNBC Became a Heroine of the Resistance — The daughter of immigrants, she spars fiercely with supporters of President Trump, both on the air and in the Twitter ether. — In early January, Joy-Ann Reid invited Pastor Mark Burns to be a guest on her MSNBC show …
VICE:
How One Subway Closure in Queens Wrecked a Community — In early 2019, the L train in New York City will shut down for 15 months to repair damage caused during Hurricane Sandy. Leading up to the closure, VICE will be providing relevant updates and policy proposals, as well as profiles …
Thomas Erdbrink / New York Times:
He Fought for Iran's Environment and Was Arrested. Now, He's Dead. — TEHRAN — A well-known Iranian-Canadian professor has died in prison in Tehran, a statement posted on his son's Instagram page revealed on Saturday, and his family is seeking an independent autopsy.
Edward-Isaac Dovere / Politico:
The Democrats' secret weapon to take back statehouses — Donald Trump has certainly helped. But Democrats' massive success in flipping statehouse seats in special elections this past year isn't happening by accident. — The party's dominance — it's flipped 35 seats …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
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.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Outside the Beltway and Althouse