memeorandum: Italy's M5S sacks entire board of health experts, sparking political interference concerns (Angela Giuffrida/The Guardian)

8:10 AM ET, December 4, 2018

Top Items:

Michael Isikoff / Yahoo News:

Mueller preparing end game for Russia investigation — WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert Mueller's prosecutors have told defense lawyers in recent weeks that they are “tying up loose ends” in their investigation, providing the clearest clues yet that the long-running probe into Russia's interference …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, The Week, Taylor Marsh, KBZK, POLITICUSUSA and Axios

Benjamin Weiser / New York Times:

Why Michael Cohen, Trump's Fixer, Confessed to It All — Of all of President Trump's former associates who have come under scrutiny in the special counsel's Russia investigation, his former personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, has undertaken perhaps the most surprising and risky legal strategy.

Deanna Paul / Washington Post:

Trump's latest tweets cross clear lines, experts say: Obstruction of justice and witness tampering — President Trump took to Twitter Monday morning, haranguing special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and witnesses to his ongoing Russia investigation. His tweets have become a common morning occurrence, particularly in recent weeks.

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story, Mother Jones, Law & Crime, The Guardian, Hot Air and The Week

Elie Honig / CNN:

Mueller is about to have his say — in a big way — Elie Honig, a former federal and state prosecutor, is a CNN legal analyst and a Rutgers University scholar. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion articles on CNN. — (CNN)Throughout his investigation …

USA Today:

Maybe now we know why Donald Trump won't criticize Vladimir Putin: Today's talker — President Donald Trump called for ex-lawyer Michael Cohen to receive a long prison sentence for his admitted crimes. Trump also accused special counsel Robert Mueller of seeking “lies” from witnesses.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Guardian and HuffPost

John Ziegler / Mediaite:

Here's What Trump's ‘Cult 45’ Refuses to Understand About the Michael Cohen Revelations — Whenever there is a new “bombshell” in the Russia probe, it is always important to remember that, unless Trump's base of political support starts to leave him, none of it really matters, except to those who are heading to prison.

Wall Street Journal:

Mike Flynn Report Expected to Shed Light on Mueller Probe — Filing Tuesday could say how the former Trump aide has helped the Russia investigation — WASHINGTON—A new filing Tuesday is expected to detail how former Trump adviser Mike Flynn has been helping federal investigators since pleading guilty …

Discussion: CNBC

Sarah N. Lynch / Reuters:
Mueller's office to recommend sentencing for ex-Trump aide Flynn

Discussion: Political Wire

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Trump wants the process to be hopelessly tainted

Discussion: Lawfare, New York Daily News, Raw Story and LifeZette

Allan Smith / NBC News:
Trump hailed Roger Stone for standing up to Mueller. Some legal experts said that's tampering.

Discussion: The Guardian, Mediaite and Daily Wire

NBC News:
Think President Trump seems rattled now? There may be more to come

Discussion: RAPPLER, Vox and Daily Wire

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Republicans plan vote Tuesday on curbing powers of Gov.-elect Tony Evers, limiting early voting — MADISON - Wisconsin lawmakers are set to take up plans Tuesday to diminish the powers of the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general that brought opponents to the state Capitol this week …

Scott Bauer / Associated Press:

Wisconsin Republicans forge ahead with power-stripping bills — MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Republicans moved quickly Monday with a rare lame-duck session that would change the 2020 presidential primary date to benefit a conservative Supreme Court justice and weaken the newly elected Democratic governor and attorney general.

Discussion: The Week, FOX6Now.com, Hullabaloo, Feeds, CBS Chicago, Political Wire, American Prospect and The Guardian

New York Times:
Stung by Election Losses, Republicans in the States Seek a Way to Neutralize Democrats

Discussion: Mother Jones, Crooked Media, Media Matters for America and Raw Story

Donald P. Moynihan / Washington Post:
Wisconsin Republicans are trying to subvert the will of the voters. They're part of a larger trend.

Discussion: The Week, AOL and Daily Kos

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Republicans advance plan to limit Democrats' power, drop proposal to move 2020 presidential primary

Molly Beck / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
GOP Senate leader Scott Fitzgerald: 'We don't trust Tony Evers right now'

Discussion: ABC News, Lawyers, Guns & Money and HuffPost

Joe Bruno / WSOC-TV:

Channel 9 uncovers similarities between absentee ballots in U.S. House District 9 race — BLADEN COUNTY, N.C. - Channel 9 was back in Bladen County, North Carolina Monday, tracking down people involved in the controversy surrounding mail-in-absentee ballots in the U.S. House District 9 election.

Discussion: Jamie Dupree - AJC, Popular Information, TheBlaze and Political Wire

Washington Post: North Carolina election-fraud investigation centers on operative with criminal history who worked …

The Charlotte Observer:
At center of voter fraud scandal, a convicted felon and ‘grassroots’ campaigner

Discussion: Mother Jones, The Week, CNN, ThinkProgress and Talking Points Memo

Raleigh News & Observer:
Wake County district attorney investigating Bladen County ballots amid fraud claims

Discussion: Raw Story

Ruth Graham / Slate:

Don't Spend Your Emotional Energy on Sully H.W. Bush — In January 2009, a pilot named Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger steered his struggling aircraft to a safe landing in the Hudson River and became a national hero. Almost 10 years later, a dog named for the pilot has become a beloved “hero” …

Discussion: TheBlaze, The Resurgent, CBS New York, WGN-TV, France 24, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, AOL, Washington Times, Townhall, Associated Press, Washington Free Beacon, Click2Houston.com, NPR, ABC News, Mashable, CNN, Breitbart and LifeZette

Shawn Donnan / Bloomberg:

Trump's Advisers Struggle to Explain Deal He Says He Cut With Xi — President hails ‘extraordinary’ dinner with Chinese leader — Kudlow says China made ‘commitments’ to ‘presumably implement’ — President Donald Trump left his top advisers scrambling on Monday to explain …

Discussion: Washington Post, Splinter, Fox News Insider, Vox, CleanTechnica, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Caller, Electrek and Political Wire

Jim Puzzanghera / Los Angeles Times:
Senior aides push back on Trump's claim that China agreed to cut auto tariffs

Discussion: Washington Monthly, CNBC, Washington Post, Mother Jones and The Verge

Jonathan Swan / Axios:
White House corrects Kudlow: 90-day U.S.-China trade truce began Dec. 1

Discussion: One America News Network and Breitbart

Alan Rappeport / New York Times:
Trump's China Truce Calms Markets, but He Chooses a Hard-Liner to Lead Talks

Discussion: Vox, The Week and CNBC

New York Times:

Manafort Tried to Broker Deal With Ecuador to Hand Assange Over to U.S. — WASHINGTON — In mid-May 2017, Paul Manafort, facing intensifying pressure to settle debts and pay mounting legal bills, flew to Ecuador to offer his services to a potentially lucrative new client — the country's incoming president, Lenín Moreno.

Discussion: Washington Post, CNN, RT, Axios and CNBC

Eliana Johnson / Politico:

Trump handles Bush's death with abnormal normality — A taboo-busting president who has often trashed the Bush clan observes traditional norms of etiquette after its patriarch's passing. — For President Donald Trump, there was once no worse insult than being “a Bushie.”

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Washington Post

Associated Press:
In Capitol, Bush remembered as ‘great man’ and ‘gentle soul’

Discussion: Politico and Washington Post

Zoya Sheftalovich / Politico:

EU top judge: UK can unilaterally withdraw Article 50 — The U.K. has the power to unilaterally revoke the notification of its intention to leave the EU before it quits on March 29, 2019, the European Court of Justice's advocate general said Tuesday. — Article 50 of the EU treaty allows countries …

Discussion: Al Jazeera and One America News Network

Associated Press:
The Latest: EU court adviser says Britain can stop Brexit

Discussion: One America News Network

Tami Abdollah / Associated Press:

Subpoenas to begin for Trump records in emoluments case — WASHINGTON (AP) — The attorneys general of the District of Columbia and Maryland say they're moving forward with subpoenas for records in their case accusing President Donald Trump of profiting off the presidency.

Discussion: Political Wire

Lisa Hagen / The Hill:

Beto O'Rourke seen as a top contender in 2020: poll — Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) is considered one of the top Democratic contenders for the White House in 2020 even among more well-known potential hopefuls, according to a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released exclusively to The Hill.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Washington Times, Townhall, Hot Air, Political Wire and Wall Street Journal

Lisa Hagen / The Hill:
Majority of Americans believe House Dems should release Trump's tax returns: poll

Discussion: Political Wire

Adam Nossiter / New York Times:

France Suspends Fuel Tax Increase That Spurred Violent Protests — PARIS — In a major concession by President Emmanuel Macron, France will suspend for six months a tax increase on gasoline and diesel fuel that had been slated for January, in an attempt to quell weeks of protests and rioting by the so-called Yellow Vests movement.

Discussion: The Week, Business Insider, The Daily Caller and TheBlaze

Wall Street Journal:

CIA Director Gina Haspel to Brief Lawmakers Tuesday on Saudi Journalist's Death — CIA Director Gina Haspel will brief lawmakers on Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death on Tuesday. Several on Capitol Hill had criticized the Trump administration after she was absent from a briefing on the killing last week.

Discussion: Washington Post, Splinter, The Atlantic, Mediaite and Talking Points Memo, more at Mediagazer »

Rachel Weiner / Washington Post:

Ex-Marine admits he lured Seth Rich conspiracy theorist Jack Burkman to a hotel parking garage, then shot him — A man who worked as an investigator for conspiracy theorist Jack Burkman will serve nine years in prison for shooting and wounding his ex-boss in a complicated plot involving a fake FBI exposé.

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Law & Crime and Talking Points Memo

Sarah K. Burris / Raw Story:

After losing women in midterms — Republicans will let Violence Against Women Act expire as their final act of Congress — One of the final acts of the Republicans in the House and Senate will be to allow the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to expire in two weeks before their recess.

Discussion: Roll Call, KBZK and Shareblue Media

Meredith Lerner / CREW:

Betsy DeVos' Financial Disclosure Fails to Account for Divestiture of 24 Assets — Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' Annual 2018 financial disclosure report, obtained by CREW last week, has not been certified by the Office of Government Ethics more than six months after it was filed and fails …

Daniel Strauss / Politico:

Dems' 2020 problem: Too many candidates, too few minority staffers — Potential 2020 Democratic presidential candidates in the early stages of assembling campaign staffs are running into an uncomfortable truth: Among the already small pool of capable operatives, there's an even smaller pool …

Discussion: Political Wire