Top Items:
Asawin Suebsaeng / The Daily Beast:
Trump on Coming Debt Crisis: 'I Won't Be Here' When It Blows Up — The president thinks the balancing of the nation's books is going to, ultimately, be a future president's problem. — Since the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump's aides and advisers have tried to convince him of the importance of tackling the national debt.
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, Hullabaloo, Hot Air, No More Mister Nice Blog, POLITICUSUSA, The Week, Mediaite, Daily Kos, Balloon Juice and Hit & Run
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The Daily Beast:
Feds Target Butina's GOP Boyfriend as Foreign Agent — Paul Erickson served as accused Kremlin spy Maria Butina's guide as she penetrated the American conservative movement. Now he's under investigation as a Russian agent, too. — BETSY WOODRUFF, ERIN BANCO12.5.18 8:00 AM ET
Discussion:
POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story and Politico
Joe Concha / The Hill:
Chris Wallace: ‘A chill’ descended on front row upon Trump arrival at Bush funeral — Fox News anchor Chris Wallace said he was “struck” by the reception of President Trump and first lady Melania Trump upon their arrival at the funeral for George H.W. Bush on Wednesday, saying “a chill had descended” …
Discussion:
IJR, The Week, twitchy.com and Talking Points Memo
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Ross Douthat / New York Times:
Why We Miss the WASPs — Their more meritocratic, diverse and secular successors rule us neither as wisely nor as well. — The nostalgia flowing since the passing of George H.W. Bush has many wellsprings: admiration for the World War II generation and its dying breed of warrior-politicians …
Discussion:
New Republic, Splinter, The Week, Balloon Juice, Mediaite and No More Mister Nice Blog
Cheyenne Haslett / ABC News:
George W. Bush eulogizes his father with laughter and tears: ‘A genuinely optimistic man’
George W. Bush eulogizes his father with laughter and tears: ‘A genuinely optimistic man’
Discussion:
Washington Post, CBS News, NBC News, Breitbart, POLITICUSUSA, Wall Street Journal, LifeZette, IJR, The Daily Caller, twitchy.com, HuffPost and Political Wire
Dave Lawler / Axios:
The world George H.W. Bush left behind
The world George H.W. Bush left behind
Discussion:
ABC News, Washington Post and Breitbart
Ben Mathis-Lilley / Slate:
Why Do Political Journalists Think It's Their Job to Portray George H.W. Bush as America's Benign, Saintly Grandpa?
Why Do Political Journalists Think It's Their Job to Portray George H.W. Bush as America's Benign, Saintly Grandpa?
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and USA Today
The Charlotte Observer:
Hold a new election in NC's tainted 9th District — In the week since the state Board of Elections declined to certify the results of North Carolina's 9th Congressional District election, journalists and others have begun to fill in the details of a troubling case of apparent ballot fraud.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, HuffPost, ABC News, twitchy.com, WSOC-TV and The Week
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Harry Enten / CNN:
Why the case for election fraud in North Carolina is strong — NC race unresolved amid fraud allegations — (CNN)The North Carolina State Board of Elections and Ethics last week voted against certifying Republican Mark Harris' 905 vote win over Democrat Dan McCready in the state's 9th Congressional District.
Philip Bump / Washington Post:
The man at the center of fraud probe in North Carolina may have been doing this for eight years
The man at the center of fraud probe in North Carolina may have been doing this for eight years
Discussion:
ABC News
BuzzFeed News:
Inside The North Carolina Republican Vote Machine: Cash, Pills — And Ballots
Inside The North Carolina Republican Vote Machine: Cash, Pills — And Ballots
Discussion:
Washington Post, OpenSecrets.org, VICE News, ABC News, Raw Story, The Charlotte Observer and WRAL-TV
Jamil Smith / Rolling Stone:
The GOP Election Plan Is Simple: Even When You Don't Win, Cheat
The GOP Election Plan Is Simple: Even When You Don't Win, Cheat
Discussion:
NBC News, ACA Signups and Washington Post
Washington Post:
Saudi-funded lobbyist paid for 500 rooms at Trump's hotel after 2016 election — Lobbyists representing the Saudi government reserved blocks of rooms at President Trump's D.C. hotel within a month of Trump's election in 2016 — paying for an estimated 500 nights at the luxury hotel in just three months …
Discussion:
Mediaite
Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:
“They're Beginning to Think About Whether Mike Pence Should Be Running Again": As the Mueller Fire Nears, Trump Ponders Jettisoning His Loyal V.P. — New polling, and the Nick Ayers-John Kelly subplot, are feeding doubts about Pence and 2020. — After Michael Cohen's surprise plea agreement …
Discussion:
Washington Press, Raw Story and HuffPost
Josh Feldman / Mediaite:
Judge Napolitano: I Expect Donald Trump Jr. to Be Indicted — Fox News' Judge Andrew Napolitano thinks things aren't looking that great for Donald Trump Jr. — Napolitano joined Mediaite founder and ABC News chief legal analyst Dan Abrams on his SiriusXM show today to discuss the big news …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Political Wire, Eschaton and Law & Crime
John Solomon / The Hill:
FBI email chain may provide most damning evidence of FISA abuses yet — Just before Thanksgiving, House Republicans amended the list of documents they'd like President Trump to declassify in the Russia investigation. With little fanfare or explanation, the lawmakers led …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit
Ryan Broderick / BuzzFeed News:
Here's How Facebook's Local News Algorithm Change Led To The Worst Riots Paris Has Seen In 50 Years — The Yellow Jackets movement is what happens when you point Facebook's traffic hose at France's small towns. The question now is: How do you turn it off?
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Shakesville, twitchy.com, Daily Caller News Foundation and New York Times
Washington Post:
‘We are in trouble.’ Global carbon emissions reached a new record high in 2018. — As nations assemble in Poland for climate talks, the figures suggest there is no clear end in sight to the growth of humanity's contribution to climate change. — Global emissions of carbon dioxide have reached …
Discussion:
The Guardian, New York Times, Motherboard, Common Dreams, Gothamist, Nature, The Week and IJR
Globe and Mail:
Canada has arrested Huawei's global chief financial officer in Vancouver — Canada has arrested the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies who is facing extradition to the United States on suspicion she violated U.S. trade sanctions against Iran.
Discussion:
Breitbart, RT, KBZK, Boing Boing, Engadget, The Verge and Mashable, more at Techmeme »
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New York Times:
As Flynn Case Winds Down, Investigation of Turkish Lobbying Persists — WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors in Virginia are investigating a secret Turkish lobbying effort that once involved Michael T. Flynn, the former national security adviser, even as Mr. Flynn's role in the special counsel's …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway, Taylor Marsh, Politico, Contemptor and Townhall
Igor Bobic / HuffPost:
Paul Ryan Silent On GOP Power Grab In Wisconsin — Republicans are subverting the will of the electorate in Wisconsin. The outgoing speaker of the House, a Wisconsin Republican, is staying mum. — WASHINGTON The extraordinary proposals aimed at reducing the power of incoming Gov. Tony Evers …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Burgess Everett / Politico:
Sessions hints he's done with politics — The deposed attorney general says he's not missing the Senate, amid speculation that he might mount a bid for his old job. — Jeff Sessions doesn't sound eager to run for his old Senate seat in 2020. — The former attorney general and Alabama senator …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Political Wire, Daily Caller News Foundation and Mediaite
Associated Press:
Prosecutors ramp up foreign lobbying probe in New York — WASHINGTON (AP) — Spinning off from the special counsel's Russia probe, prosecutors are ramping up their investigation into foreign lobbying by two major Washington firms that did work for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort …
Discussion:
Axios, The Gateway Pundit and Law & Crime
Manu Raju / CNN:
Senate Judiciary Committee scraps votes on judges because of Flake — (CNN)Sen. Jeff Flake's vow to block judicial nominees is significantly disrupting the Senate Judiciary Committee's plans to advance more of President Donald Trump's picks for the lower courts.
Discussion:
Townhall, twitchy.com, Political Wire and Newsweek
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Carrie Severino / National Review:
Judicial Nominations Update
Timothy L. O'Brien / Bloomberg:
Mueller's Flynn Memo Should Worry Kushner and Trump — The former national security adviser provided information about interactions between the presidential transition team and Russian officials. — Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser who pleaded guilty …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Raw Story and Political Wire
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Joe Concha / The Hill:
Meadows tells Hannity that Flynn report is ‘good news for President Trump’
Meadows tells Hannity that Flynn report is ‘good news for President Trump’
Discussion:
Fox News, Washington Post, POLITICUSUSA, The Mahablog, Washington Examiner, Shareblue Media, Lawfare and CNBC
ARLnow.com:
UPDATED: Large Crowd Reported at Clarendon Cheesecake Factory Amid Free Cheesecake Promotion — (Updated at 4:25 p.m.) Arlington County police and medics have responded to Clarendon after a promotion for free cheesecake got out of control. — Police were called to the area of the Cheesecake Factory …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Splinter, The Week, CBS Baltimore, CBS Los Angeles, Las Vegas Review-Journal, CBS New York and WGN-TV
Zachary Cohen / CNN:
New satellite images reveal activity at unidentified North Korean missile base — Washington (CNN)New satellite images obtained exclusively by CNN reveal North Korea has significantly expanded a key long-range missile base located in the mountainous interior of the country …
Discussion:
Axios and New York Times
Josh Lederman / NBC News:
Brother of Saudi crown prince returns to the U.S. — The Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. has been out of the country since he left in the wake of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. — WASHINGTON — Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. Khalid bin Salman, the brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman …
Discussion:
Politico, Middle East Eye and Associated Press
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Ryan Browne / CNN:
US makes preparations to sail warship into Black Sea amid Russia-Ukraine tensions — Washington (CNN)The US has begun making the necessary preparations to sail a warship into the Black Sea, a move that comes amid heightened tensions in the region following Russia's seizure of Ukrainian ships and detention of Ukrainian sailors.
Jim Rutenberg / New York Times:
A Conservative Magazine May Pay a Price for Being Unfriendly to Trump — The Weekly Standard didn't go along, and now its future is in danger. — Other conservative magazines, websites and news empires have thrived since President Trump took office by cheering him on or, at least, playing down his faults.
Discussion:
New Republic, Politico, twitchy.com and Political Wire, more at Mediagazer »
Azeen Ghorayshi / BuzzFeed News:
This Is How The Accusations Against Neil deGrasse Tyson Finally Came To Light — No one believed Tchiya Amet when she said Tyson had raped her in the 1980s. Now, three other women tell BuzzFeed News that he harassed them, including one who's sharing her story publicly for the first time.
Daily Mail:
Meghan Markle is a ruthless social climbing actress who has landed the role of her life and is determined to milk it for all she can - and that's why the Palace is beginning to turn on her — I was ghosted by Meghan Markle. — If you're not familiar with the term ‘ghosting’ …
Discussion:
twitchy.com
Ari Feldman / The Forward:
Is A String Of Attacks Against Brooklyn Jews Really About Anti-Semitism? — Mindel Zaetz's husband was chased down the street last week by a group of men while he was on his way home from work, just off of Eastern Parkway, the broad thoroughfare that runs through the middle of Crown Heights, in Brooklyn.
Discussion:
Daily Wire, Brooklyn Paper and twitchy.com
Facebook:
Response to Six4Three Documents — As we've said many times, Six4Three — creators of the Pikinis app — cherrypicked these documents from years ago as part of a lawsuit to force Facebook to share information on friends of the app's users. The set of documents, by design, tells only one side of the story and omits important context.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Breitbart, New York Times, Mark Zuckerberg, The Verge, The Daily Caller, NPR, Engadget, Bloomberg and Mashable, more at Techmeme »
Wall Street Journal:
USA Gymnastics Files for Bankruptcy — Filing will stop depositions and discovery in lawsuits filed by sexual-abuse victims of team doctor Larry Nassar — The governing body for American gymnastics filed for bankruptcy Wednesday, a dramatic step for an embattled organization facing mounting legal …
Discussion:
NPR and Law & Crime