Top Items:
Ruth Marcus / Washington Post:
Matthew Whitaker is a crackpot — The acting attorney general of the United States is a crackpot. — Matthew G. Whitaker, installed in the job by President Trump to replace Jeff Sessions, was asked in 2014, during an ill-fated run in the Republican senatorial primary in Iowa, about the worst decisions in the Supreme Court's history.
Discussion:
Politico, Law & Crime, Grist, LGBTQ Nation, ThinkProgress, Wall Street Journal and Real Clear Politics
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CNN:
Whitaker backlash prompts concern at the White House — (CNN)There is a growing sense of concern inside the White House over the negative reaction to Matthew Whitaker being tapped as acting attorney general after Jeff Sessions' abrupt firing. — Whitaker, who was Sessions' chief of staff …
Discussion:
Raw Story, KAJ-TV, Axios, HuffPost, Hot Air, POLITICUSUSA, Law & Crime, Politico and Mediaite
Jonathan Swan / Axios:
Pressure mounts over acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker — Matt Whitaker has been acting attorney general for just one full day but he's already under extreme pressure. — Why it matters: President Trump, who shocked even some of his senior most staff with the hasty timing of his firing …
Discussion:
Politico, Political Wire, NBC News, New York Times and Washington Post
Ben White / Politico:
Sessions' job is hard to fill. Enter Chris Christie. — The shadow of special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation is complicating President Donald Trump's search for a new attorney general. — Labor Secretary Alex Acosta has told associates he is unlikely to accept the job …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Axios, CNN, The Atlantic, Breitbart and Raw Story
The Daily Beast:
Matthew Whitaker, Mueller's New Boss, Said There Was ‘No Collusion’ With Russia — The new attorney general spent a few years in right-wing media repeatedly making that claim. — A year-and-a-half before he took responsibility for overseeing the investigation into Russia's interference …
New York Times:
Acting Attorney General Sat on Board of Company Accused of Bilking Customers
Acting Attorney General Sat on Board of Company Accused of Bilking Customers
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, BloombergQuint, Raw Story, israpundit.org, The Week, Feeds and themarketswork
Ryan J. Foley / Associated Press:
Acting AG faced criticism for case against gay Iowa Democrat
Acting AG faced criticism for case against gay Iowa Democrat
Discussion:
St George News, LewRockwell and Las Vegas Review-Journal
New York Times:
Mueller Inquiry Faces New Uncertainty With Skeptic Atop Justice Dept.
Mueller Inquiry Faces New Uncertainty With Skeptic Atop Justice Dept.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Hill Reporter, CNN, Vox, Raw Story and The National Memo
New York Times:
Trump's Appointment of the Acting Attorney General Is Unconstitutional
Trump's Appointment of the Acting Attorney General Is Unconstitutional
Discussion:
The Atlantic, CNN, Washington Post, Hullabaloo, POLITICUSUSA, Law & Crime, Just Security, Raw Story, Axios, Bedford + Bowery, ABC News, CBS News, The National Memo, CANNONFIRE, Politico, The Week, Mediaite, Los Angeles Blade, Hot Air, TheBlaze, Washington Blade, HuffPost, DeSmogBlog, BuzzFeed News, Instapundit, Breitbart, emptywheel, Spectator USA, Vox, Discourse.net, Balkinization, Right Wing Watch, VICE News, Hill Reporter, IJR, The Mahablog, Political Wire, Lawfare and Talking Points Memo
WPLG-TV:
Broward County elections supervisor explains why it's taking so long to count ballots — 'Don't try to turn it around to make it seem like I'm making comedy out of this' — FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - As Broward County appears to be at the epicenter of another recount, Supervisor of Elections …
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Will Sommer / The Daily Beast:
Republicans Freak Out as New Ballots Threaten Florida Senate Win — New ballots in Broward County have conspiracy theorists — including the state's top elected officials — calling for an investigation of Democrats. — As the Republican margin in the Florida Senate race narrowed …
Discussion:
CNN, The Gateway Pundit and Sun-Sentinel
Ali Vitali / NBC News:
Gillum statement stokes intrigue as Florida vote margin tightens — The Democratic governor candidate is less than 43,000 votes behind Republican Ron DeSantis and ballots are still being tallied. — TALLAHASSEE, Florida — All eyes were on Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum on Thursday …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, TheBlaze and Rewire.News
Patricia Mazzei / New York Times:
Rick Scott Cites Rampant Fraud in Florida, as Senate and Governor Races Tighten
Rick Scott Cites Rampant Fraud in Florida, as Senate and Governor Races Tighten
Steve Contorno / Tampa Bay Times:
Recount Live Blog: Gov. Rick Scott is suing South Florida election officials as his Senate lead shrinks
Recount Live Blog: Gov. Rick Scott is suing South Florida election officials as his Senate lead shrinks
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Politico, Breitbart, Miami New Times, Conservative News Today, Daily Kos and Splinter
Deb Riechmann / Associated Press:
Michelle Obama rips Trump in new book — WASHINGTON (AP) — Former first lady Michelle Obama blasts President Donald Trump in her new book, recalling how she reacted in shock the night she learned he would replace her husband in the Oval Office and tried to “block it all out.”
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Krissah Thompson / Washington Post:
In revealing new memoir, Michelle Obama candidly shares her story — As Michelle Obama's highly anticipated memoir “Becoming” arrives, it's clear that the former first lady is occupying a space in the culture beyond politics. With an arena book tour featuring A-list special guests …
Discussion:
Mediaite, CNN, Politico, Essence, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Balloon Juice, Joe.My.God., Glamour, Jezebel, Political Wire, TheBlaze and FOX 61
Laurie Kellman / Associated Press:
Michelle Obama had miscarriage, used IVF to conceive girls
Michelle Obama had miscarriage, used IVF to conceive girls
Discussion:
Axios
Katie Kindelan / ABC News:
Michelle Obama opens up about her miscarriage, going through IVF and Donald Trump in ABC News prime …
Michelle Obama opens up about her miscarriage, going through IVF and Donald Trump in ABC News prime …
Discussion:
Axios
Amy Walter / The Cook Political Report:
Why Aren't Democrats More Excited About the 2018 Results — For a party that had a great night on Tuesday, Democrats aren't really acting like it. Yes, they lost at least three Senate incumbents, but given the exposure they were up against, this is not such a bad result.
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Gabriel Debenedetti / New York Magazine:
There's a New Electoral Map in Town
There's a New Electoral Map in Town
Discussion:
New Republic and FiveThirtyEight
Kansas City Star:
Inside Kris Kobach's losing Kansas campaign: ‘Check logic and reason at the door’ — Kris Kobach blamed money. He blamed history. He didn't blame himself for losing a race for governor in a state where Republicans outnumber Democrats nearly 2 to 1. — “Obviously, if we'd had more money …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Katie Benner / New York Times:
Sessions, in Last-Minute Act, Sharply Limits Use of Consent Decrees to Curb Police Abuses — WASHINGTON — Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions has drastically limited the ability of federal law enforcement officials to use court-enforced agreements to overhaul local police departments accused …
Discussion:
Hit & Run
CBS Los Angeles:
Thousand Oaks Gunman's High School Coach Speaks About Sexual Assault — NEWBURY PARK (CBSLA) — The Thousand Oaks shooter's high school track coach says that he assaulted her. — “I turned on the news and I was watching it and when they said his name my jaw just dropped,” said Dominique Colell.
Discussion:
Shakesville, POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story and Jezebel
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Timothy Cama / The Hill:
Judge blocks Keystone XL pipeline — A federal judge blocked the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline Thursday, saying the Trump administration's justification for approving it last year was incomplete. — In a major victory for environmentalists and indigenous rights groups …
Discussion:
Axios, One America News Network, Washington Times, Daily Wire and Front Page Magazine
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Yvonne Wingett Sanchez / Arizona Republic:
McSally vs. Sinema ballot update: About 2,000 votes separate the candidates, with Sinema in the lead — Hundreds of thousands of votes are still left to be counted. Here's how the Arizona Republic ended up at that number. — CONNECT — Suspense and uncertainty now hang over the U.S. Senate race …
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Associated Press:
Expert: Acosta video distributed by White House was doctored — NEW YORK (AP) — A video distributed by the Trump administration to support its argument for banning CNN reporter Jim Acosta from the White House appears to have been doctored to make Acosta look more aggressive than he was during …
Discussion:
The Week
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Shane Goldmacher / New York Times:
Fresh Off Re-Election, Gillibrand Says She Is Giving ‘Long, Hard Thought’ to 2020 Run — Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on Thursday gave her strongest public indication yet that she was contemplating a run for president in 2020, telling the late-night show host Stephen Colbert she would “give it a long, hard thought of consideration.”
Discussion:
Political Wire
Associated Press:
The Latest: Fire captain says wildfire destroys Calif. town — OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on California wildfires (all times local): — A fire official says the Northern California town of Paradise has been “pretty much” destroyed. — CalFire Capt. Scott McLean …
Discussion:
Gizmodo, Splinter, Chico Enterprise-Record, Los Angeles Times and CBS San Francisco
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Will Oremus / Slate:
No, It's Not OK That Leftists Threatened Tucker Carlson's Family at His D.C. Home — On Wednesday evening, about 20 protesters from the leftist group Smash Racism D.C. gathered in the dark outside the home of Fox News host Tucker Carlson. They rang his doorbell and chanted threats such as “Tucker Carlson, we will fight!
Discussion:
New York Post, Breitbart and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »
Wesley Pruden / Washington Times:
Doesn't anybody here respect us journalists? — ANALYSIS/OPINION: — The snowflake disease is catching. Donald Trump, of all people, tried to teach a couple of White House reporters a little needed manners this week and you might have thought he had repealed the First Amendment with an executive order.
Joe Tacopino / New York Post:
Florida teacher finds ‘provisional ballot box’ in storage area — A teacher in Florida found a container labeled “Provisional Ballot Box” in a storage area of her elementary school on Thursday. — Lakeisha Williams, of Broward County, said she discovered the ballot box two days after Election …
Discussion:
The Federalist