memeorandum: Voice Of America Vows Independence, As Trump Calls For ‘Worldwide Network’ (Brian Naylor/NPR)

8:35 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.

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 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office will make a sentencing recommendation for former national security adviser Michael Flynn on Tuesday, in a court filing that is expected to shed light …

Discussion: Political Wire and Raw Story

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: The Guardian, HuffPost, Raw Story and KBZK

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, Breitbart, Law & Crime, The Week and Vox

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 …

John Ziegler / Mediaite: Here's What Trump's ‘Cult 45’ Refuses to Understand About the Michael Cohen Revelations

Washington Post:
Did Trump obstruct justice in public on Monday?

Discussion: CNN, Lawfare and New York Daily News

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

Discussion: RAPPLER, Hot Air and Daily Wire

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

Discussion: LifeZette, The Guardian, Mediaite and Deadline

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

Discussion: Mediaite, The Guardian 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

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

Discussion: Associated Press and Common Dreams

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

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 for GOP congressional candidate — DUBLIN, N.C. — In a low-slung, aging commercial strip across the street from an online-gaming parlor here, a local operative named Leslie McCrae Dowless ran …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA and WSOC-TV

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

Discussion: Mother Jones, The Week, CNN, Breitbart, 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, The Daily Caller, France 24, Mediaite, Washington Times, AOL, Townhall, Associated Press, Washington Free Beacon, Click2Houston.com, NPR, ABC News, CNN, Mashable, Breitbart and LifeZette

Shawn Donnan / Bloomberg:

Trump's Aides Struggle to Detail 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's advisers are scrambling to explain a trade deal he claimed …

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

Bloomberg:
The Trump-Xi Trade Truce Stock Rally Lasted 24 Hours. Here's Why

Discussion: CNN

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

Discussion: One America News Network and Breitbart

Jolyon Maugham / The Guardian:

Britain can legally cancel Brexit. That's EU advice - but will parliament agree? — A senior adviser to the EU court of justice has said the UK can revoke article 50. The path to remain is hard - but now clearer — We can cancel Brexit. That's what the advocate general to the court …

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

Lisa Hagen / The Hill:

Majority of Americans believe House Dems should release Trump's tax returns: poll — A majority of people polled believe the incoming Democratic House majority should be allowed to obtain and release President Trump's tax returns, according to a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released exclusively to The Hill on Monday.

Discussion: Political Wire

Lisa Hagen / The Hill:
Beto O'Rourke seen as a top contender in 2020: poll

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

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

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

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

Salvador Rizzo / Washington Post:

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's $21 trillion mistake — “$21 TRILLION of Pentagon financial transactions ‘could not be traced, documented, or explained.’ $21T in Pentagon accounting errors. Medicare for All costs ~$32T. That means 66% of Medicare for All could have been funded already by the Pentagon.”

Discussion: New York Times, RedState, Vox, Townhall and Hot Air

Brian Naylor / NPR:

Voice Of America Vows Independence, As Trump Calls For ‘Worldwide Network’ — President Trump, who has frequently railed against the U.S. news media and reporters, tweeted last week there should be, as he put it, a “Worldwide Network to show the World the way we really are, GREAT!”