Top Items:
CNN:
Exclusive: Two key answers from Trump to Mueller — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump told special counsel Robert Mueller in writing that Roger Stone did not tell him about WikiLeaks, nor was he told about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting between his son, campaign officials …
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New York Post:
Trump says pardon for Paul Manafort still a possibility … He's never discussed a pardon for Paul Manafort, President Trump said Wednesday — but it's “not off the table.” — “It was never discussed, but I wouldn't take it off the table. Why would I take it off the table?” …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, CNBC, Raw Story, Political Wire and Mediaite
The Daily Beast:
Trump and Jerome Corsi Have a Defense Agreement, Giuliani Says — The president and the birther are on the same side—and it's not the first time either. — President Donald Trump, who built his political rise on promoting far-right birther claims against President Barack Obama …
Discussion:
Vox, Political Wire, Axios, Law & Crime, Mediaite and CNN, more at Mediagazer »
New York Times:
Manafort's Lawyer Said to Brief Trump Attorneys on What He Told Mueller — WASHINGTON — A lawyer for Paul Manafort, the president's onetime campaign chairman, repeatedly briefed President Trump's lawyers on his client's discussions with federal investigators after Mr. Manafort agreed …
Discussion:
Politico, USA Today, Bloomberg, Washington Post, Daily Wire, Washington Press, Hullabaloo, Mediaite, Law & Crime, Fox News Insider, The Hill, The Intellectualist, Salon, NPR, CNBC, Axios, RT, Raw Story, Just Security, Conservative News Today, VICE News, Breitbart, Talking Points Memo, CNN, Boing Boing, POLITICUSUSA, JONATHAN TURLEY, The Guardian, HuffPost, Vox, No More Mister Nice Blog, Roll Call, ABC News, FOX News Radio, The Daily Beast and Crooked Media, more at Mediagazer »
Ken Dilanian / NBC News:
Cooperation between Trump, Manafort camps raises specter of obstruction of justice — “If you are trying to corruptly influence his testimony by dangling a pardon, that could be witness tampering,” said one former prosecutor. — WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's lawyer has acknowledged …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Law & Crime and Mediaite
Ken Meyer / Mediaite:
Dan Abrams: Starting to Feel Like Manafort ‘Was on a Fact-Finding Mission for the Trump Team’ — ABC News chief legal analyst and Mediaite founder Dan Abrams says Paul Manafort might be trying to pull a double bluff with his plea deal with Robert Mueller and his apparent coordination with President Trump's legal team.
Discussion:
Law & Crime and CNBC
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
If Manafort is counting on a pardon, he shouldn't — On Tuesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told the White House press corps that she's was “unaware” of any conversations about a pardon for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, whose plea deal broke down Monday amid claims …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
Giuliani's bizarre bragging about the Manafort-Trump alliance raises new obstruction questions
Giuliani's bizarre bragging about the Manafort-Trump alliance raises new obstruction questions
Julie K. Brown / miamiherald:
How a future Trump Cabinet member gave a serial sex abuser the deal of a lifetime — On a muggy October morning in 2007, Miami's top federal prosecutor, Alexander Acosta, had a breakfast appointment with a former colleague, Washington, D.C., attorney Jay Lefkowitz.
Discussion:
Raw Story, New Republic, twitchy.com and Political Wire
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Julie K. Brown / miamiherald:
Cops worked to put serial sex abuser in prison. Prosecutors worked to cut him a break
Cops worked to put serial sex abuser in prison. Prosecutors worked to cut him a break
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money
John Santucci / ABC News:
Exclusive: Ivanka Trump defends use of private email, brushes aside Mueller probe — Ivanka Trump, the eldest daughter and a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, defended her use of a private email account while transitioning to an administration job, insisting to ABC News …
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Matt Fuller / HuffPost:
Nancy Pelosi Wins Democratic Speaker Nomination — Challenges remain for the California Democrat as she faces a floor vote in January to secure the position. — WASHINGTON Despite a group of Democrats vowing to block her, Nancy Pelosi cruised through an internal House Democratic Caucus vote Wednesday …
Discussion:
Politico and Washington Post
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Matt Fuller / HuffPost:
Hakeem Jeffries Wins Contested House Democratic Caucus Chair Race
Hakeem Jeffries Wins Contested House Democratic Caucus Chair Race
Discussion:
Townhall, The Daily Caller and Vox
Sarah D / Los Angeles Times:
California Rep. Barbara Lee falls short in bid to become the first black woman in House leadership
California Rep. Barbara Lee falls short in bid to become the first black woman in House leadership
Discussion:
twitchy.com
John Bresnahan / Politico:
Hakeem Jeffries defeats Barbara Lee in battle for Dem Caucus chair
Hakeem Jeffries defeats Barbara Lee in battle for Dem Caucus chair
Discussion:
Political Wire
Matthew Yglesias / Vox:
Nancy Pelosi is going to be speaker again. What Democrats need now is a TV talking head.
Nancy Pelosi is going to be speaker again. What Democrats need now is a TV talking head.
Discussion:
Axios
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
An Insider Book Tries to Praise Trump, But Instead Exposes His Corruption — Trumponomics is a damning exposé of the corrupt bargain between Donald Trump and the party's wealthy insiders. The odd thing is that the book is not intended as an exposé at all …
Discussion:
Hullabaloo
Mike Pompeo / Wall Street Journal:
The U.S.-Saudi Partnership Is Vital — We don't condone Jamal Khashoggi's murder. But the kingdom is a powerful force for Mideast stability. — The Trump administration's effort to rebuild the U.S.-Saudi Arabia partnership isn't popular in the salons of Washington …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, CNN, The Daily Beast, Politico, The American Conservative, The Nation, Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and New Republic
RELATED:
Caitlin Oprysko / Politico:
Pompeo and Mattis say no direct evidence Saudi crown prince ordered Khashoggi death
Pompeo and Mattis say no direct evidence Saudi crown prince ordered Khashoggi death
Discussion:
ABC News
Jack Crowe / National Review:
Graham Vows to Block GOP Agenda Until CIA Briefs Congress on Khashoggi Murder
Graham Vows to Block GOP Agenda Until CIA Briefs Congress on Khashoggi Murder
Discussion:
Weekly Standard
Matthew Singer / Willamette Week:
Did a Rave Review Really Shut Down Portland Burger Bar Stanich's? Maybe It Was the Owner's Legal Troubles. — The personal life of the owner had been spiraling into chaos long before his restaurant landed on the national radar. — For almost a year, the sudden and unexplained closure …
Discussion:
Jezebel, more at Mediagazer »
Detroit News:
Oakland University to fight shooters with hockey pucks — It's a potential faceoff between bullets and thousands of hockey pucks at Oakland University. — The Auburn Hills university began equipping its faculty and some students with hockey pucks this month as a “last resort” …
Discussion:
WDIV-TV, Breitbart, Daily Wire and TheBlaze
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Ann Zaniewski / Detroit Free Press:
Oakland University using hockey pucks to protect against active shooters
Oakland University using hockey pucks to protect against active shooters
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Raw Story, NPR, Hit & Run and KFOR-TV
Daniel Payne / The College Fix:
Michigan university gives professors hockey pucks to fight off shooters
Michigan university gives professors hockey pucks to fight off shooters
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog
Alexandra Petri / Washington Post:
You are in Melania Trump's nightmare forest. Keep to the path. — Listen to me. The trees in the White House were all green when I got here. They were all green as recently as Monday. But the trees have turned. — Walk faster. — Don't be afraid. The trees would smell it.
Kathleen Gray / Detroit Free Press:
Michigan Senate guts minimum wage hike, paid sick leave — LANSING — Republicans in the state Senate voted Wednesday to gut two initiatives that would raise the minimum wage to $12 per hour and require employers to provide paid sick time to employees. — The Senate passed the bills …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media
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The Charlotte Observer:
What we know - and need to know soon - about the Board of Elections 9th District bombshell — What's going on in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District? An election certification is being held up. The person behind the delay is being a bit coy about it. The public is in the dark.
Discussion:
Political Wire, The Resurgent, Roll Call and Conservative Review
USA Today:
Senate again blocks Senate bill that would protect special counsel Robert Mueller — WASHINGTON - The Senate again blocked an expedited vote on legislation that would protect special counsel Robert Mueller from being fired. — Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.; Chris Coons, D-Del., and Cory Booker …
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Shannon Vavra / Axios:
Vote on Mueller protection bill blocked by Senate Republicans
Vote on Mueller protection bill blocked by Senate Republicans
Discussion:
NBC News
Alexandra A. Chaidez / The Harvard Crimson:
John Kerry Offers Sharp Rebuke of Trump at Harvard IOP — And Says He Isn't Ruling Out a Presidential Run — Former Secretary of State John F. Kerry offered sharp criticism of President Donald Trump's policies on climate change and diplomacy during his Tuesday visit to the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum …
Discussion:
Political Wire
Jonah Goldberg / National Review:
The Ugly Departure of Max Boot — Since Max Boot was reborn in the age of Trump, he's decided that conservatism — pretty much all of it — was corrupt from the start. — Max Boot and I agree on quite a few things with regard to Donald Trump and even a couple of things about today's GOP.
Discussion:
twitchy.com
Anna Palmer / Politico:
Exclusive: Trump threatens government shutdown over border wall funding — For the past two years, congressional Republicans have persuaded President Donald Trump to delay the fight to fund his border wall, convincing him he would pay a steep political price for such a high-stakes legislative brawl.
Andrew Desiderio / The Daily Beast:
Meet the Double Agent Who Now Controls House Conservatives — He fooled them all. — The spy's mission was simple: Gain their trust, become one of them, and eventually take them over. — In Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), the House Freedom Caucus (HFC) found a perfect mole.
Meghan Murphy / Quillette:
Twitter's Trans-Activist Decree — On November 15, I woke up to find my Twitter account locked, on account of what the company described as “hateful conduct.” In order to regain access, I was made to delete two tweets from October. Fair enough, you might think.
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
The true depths of Trump's cruelty are about to be exposed — The House GOP's near-total abdication of any oversight role has done more than just shield President Trump on matters involving his finances and Russian collusion. It has also resulted in almost no serious scrutiny of the true depths of cruelty …
Discussion:
Townhall, Middle East Eye, Los Angeles Times and TheStreet
Burgess Everett / Politico:
Republicans fear they're squandering lame duck — Shortly after winning reelection this month, Ted Cruz implored his Republican colleagues at a private lunch to use the GOP's last days of unified control in Washington to ram through a boatload of conservative priorities.
Amie Parnes / The Hill:
Obama World lovefest for O'Rourke is growing — Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) is inspiring aides and allies of former President Obama, who say they could support him if he decides to run for president in 2020. — The Obama allies are quick to point out similarities between O'Rourke, 46 …
Discussion:
RedState, POLITICUSUSA, RRH Elections and Political Wire