Top Items:
CNN:
Exclusive: Mueller investigators questioned John Kelly in obstruction probe — Washington (CNN)White House chief of staff John Kelly was interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller's team in recent months, three people with knowledge of the matter told CNN.
Discussion:
Axios, The Guardian, ABC News, The Atlantic, Law & Crime, Daily Kos, Joe.My.God., CNBC, POLITICUSUSA, emptywheel, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story and Mediaite
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Dana Bash / CNN:
Giuliani says Mueller has accused Manafort of lying about Trump — Washington (CNN)Special counsel Robert Mueller's team has made clear to Paul Manafort's attorneys that they believe the former Trump campaign chair is lying to them about President Donald Trump, according to the President's attorney Rudy Giuliani.
Discussion:
Raw Story, emptywheel, Law & Crime, Balloon Juice, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, Observer, Joe.My.God., Daily Wire, Washington Times, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, Mediaite and KBZK
Garrett M. Graff / Wired:
The Mueller Investigation Nears the Worst Case Scenario — WE ARE DEEP into the worst case scenarios. But as new sentencing memos for Trump associates Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen make all too clear, the only remaining question is how bad does the actual worst case scenario get?
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
The Department of Justice Calls Donald Trump a Felon — Federal prosecutors released sentencing recommendations for two alleged criminals who worked closely with Donald Trump: his lawyer Michael Cohen, and campaign manager Paul Manafort. They are filled with damning details.
Discussion:
Lawfare, Washington Monthly, Vox and The American Conservative
Washington Post:
New Mueller filing says Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen was in touch with a Russian seeking ‘political synergy’ with campaign — BREAKING NEWS: The unidentified Russian said that a meeting between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could have a “phenomenal” impact …
Discussion:
Townhall and Political Wire
Washington Post:
Mueller says Manafort told ‘discernible lies,’ including about contacts with an employee alleged to have Russian intelligence ties — Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III said Friday that Paul Manafort, President Trump's former campaign chairman, told “multiple discernible lies” …
Discussion:
Politico, Vox, Axios, One America News Network, The Daily Beast, The Week, Joe.My.God. and Political Wire
Zachary Basu / Axios:
Read the two Michael Cohen sentencing memos — Special counsel Robert Mueller and federal prosecutors in New York have each submitted sentencing memos for President Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen, after Cohen pleaded guilty in two different cases related to his work for Trump and the Trump Organization.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Raw Story, Breitbart, Politico and Washington Post
Aidan McLaughlin / Mediaite:
Dershowitz Says Michael Cohen Sentencing Memo Sends Message: Don't Cooperate With Mueller
New York Times:
Michael Cohen, Trump's Ex-Fixer, Should Get Prison Term of About 4 Years, Prosecutors Say
Michael Cohen, Trump's Ex-Fixer, Should Get Prison Term of About 4 Years, Prosecutors Say
Discussion:
New Republic, Contemptor, Mother Jones, The Root, Common Dreams, The Week and Mediaite
NBC News:
Michael Cohen assisted Mueller's office with info about contacts between Trump aides and Russia
CNN:
Prosecutors: Michael Cohen acted at Trump's direction when he broke the law
Prosecutors: Michael Cohen acted at Trump's direction when he broke the law
Discussion:
Washington Press, Hit & Run and Political Wire
Philip Bump / Washington Post:
The government implicates Trump and the Trump campaign in federal campaign finance violations
New York Times:
Is This the Beginning of the End for Trump?
Is This the Beginning of the End for Trump?
Discussion:
Lawfare, Townhall and Fox News Insider
Washington Post:
New Mueller filing says Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen was in touch with a Russian seeking …
David French / National Review:
The Special Counsel's Cohen Sentencing Brief Is Ominous for Trump
The Special Counsel's Cohen Sentencing Brief Is Ominous for Trump
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, HuffPost and Mediaite
Allegra Kirkland / Talking Points Memo:
Prosecutors Seek ‘Substantial Prison Term’ For Cohen In Harshly Worded Filing
Prosecutors Seek ‘Substantial Prison Term’ For Cohen In Harshly Worded Filing
Discussion:
The Guardian
CNN:
Ex-FBI Director James Comey exasperated after closed-door interview on Capitol Hill — (CNN)Former FBI Director James Comey, after facing aggressive questioning from members of Congress on Friday, expressed exasperation that he had been dragged to a private setting on Capitol Hill …
Discussion:
Vox, USA Today, The Atlantic, New York Times, Esquire, American Prospect and Daily Wire
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Associated Press:
House GOP unhappy with Comey's answers behind closed doors — WASHINGTON — House Republicans interviewed James Comey behind closed doors Friday, hauling the former FBI director to Capitol Hill one final time before they cede power to Democrats in January. GOP lawmakers who stepped outside …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media
Shane Harris / Washington Post:
Justice Department office issued guidance on Whitaker's role in Russia probe
Justice Department office issued guidance on Whitaker's role in Russia probe
Discussion:
BuzzFeed News, Daily Kos, Lawfare and ThinkProgress
Olivia Beavers / The Hill:
Nadler: I'm ending investigation into FBI, DOJ when I become chairman
Nadler: I'm ending investigation into FBI, DOJ when I become chairman
Discussion:
Breitbart
Rebecca Morin / Politico:
Comey: Trump's attacks on Justice Department ‘deeply troubling’
Comey: Trump's attacks on Justice Department ‘deeply troubling’
Discussion:
Washington Post, Breitbart and The Gateway Pundit
Sergio Chapa / Houston Chronicle:
Rex Tillerson makes rare public appearance in Houston — Russia interfered with the 2016 U.S. elections, former Secretary of State and Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson said during a Thursday evening visit to Houston. — Making his first public appearance in nearly nine months …
Discussion:
CBS News, CNBC, The Hill, Raw Story, Politico, New York Times, IJR, The Gateway Pundit, The Root, Breitbart, Mediaite, VICE News, The Daily Caller, Axios, Mashable, Mother Jones, Washington Free Beacon, ABC News, POLITICUSUSA, Joe.My.God., AOL, New York Magazine, The Daily Beast, CNN, Vox, New Republic, Washington Times and Talking Points Memo
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Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
Rex Tillerson on Trump: ‘Undisciplined,’ 'doesn't like to read' and tries to do illegal things
Rex Tillerson on Trump: ‘Undisciplined,’ 'doesn't like to read' and tries to do illegal things
Discussion:
Dallas Morning News, ABC News, The Week, Washington Press, Joe.My.God., HuffPost, New Republic, Mother Jones, Splinter, TheBlaze, IJR, Above the Law, Boing Boing, CNN, The Root, Raw Story and Axios
Caitlin Oprysko / Politico:
‘It violates the law’: Tillerson vents about having to repeatedly push back against Trump
‘It violates the law’: Tillerson vents about having to repeatedly push back against Trump
Discussion:
ABC News, Hot Air, Hullabaloo and Politico
Washington Post:
Self-professed neo-Nazi James A. Fields Jr. convicted of first-degree murder in car-ramming that killed one, injured dozens — CHARLOTTESVILLE — An avowed supporter of neo-Nazi beliefs who took part in the violent and chaotic white supremacist “Unite the Right” rally in this city last year …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, NBC News, CNN, Little Green Footballs, Common Dreams, HuffPost, Axios, Joe.My.God., The Root, Daily Kos, Shareblue Media, Balloon Juice and Splinter
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New York Times:
James Fields Guilty of First-Degree Murder in Death of Charlottesville Protester — CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — After deliberating for more than seven hours on Friday, a Charlottesville jury convicted James Fields Jr. of first-degree murder, according to The Associated Press …
Discussion:
New Republic
CNN:
VA secretary praised Confederate president as a “martyr to ‘The Lost Cause’” in 1995 speech — (CNN)Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie praised Confederate States President Jefferson Davis effusively in a 1995 speech, calling him a “martyr to ‘The Lost Cause’” and an “exceptional man in an exceptional age.”
Discussion:
New Republic, HuffPost, Task & Purpose, Splinter, Raw Story and Mediaite
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Burgess Everett / Politico:
Trump leans on McConnell to vote on criminal justice reform — President Donald Trump pressured Senate Majority Leader Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Friday to pass criminal justice reform, hoping to push a reluctant McConnell to put it on the floor during a crowded lame duck session.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Breitbart and United States Senate Committee …
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Libby Watson / Splinter:
Access Journalism Must Die — In the Atlantic today, Elaina Plott published what she described as a piece about “why it's so annoying when people sneer at so-called ‘access journalism.’” She went there, folks. — Plott's piece is a defense of access journalism by way of praising Richard Ben Cramer's book What it Takes.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, The Atlantic and Eschaton, more at Mediagazer »
Mairead McArdle / National Review:
Virginia Teacher Fired after Refusing to Call Trans Student by Preferred Pronoun — A Virginia high-school teacher was fired on Thursday after refusing to address a transgender student by the student's preferred pronoun. — The school board of the West Point Consolidated School District …
Discussion:
The American Conservative
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Graham Moomaw / Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Virginia high school teacher fired for refusing to use transgender student's new pronouns
Virginia high school teacher fired for refusing to use transgender student's new pronouns
Discussion:
WTVR-TV, WWBT-TV, WRIC-TV, FRC, ThinkProgress, TheBlaze, IJR, Law & Crime and The Daily Signal
Jack Crowe / National Review:
Academic Stabbed to Death for ‘Insulting Mohammed’ During Lecture — An Irish lecturer was stabbed to death by a student outside the Paris university where he taught on Wednesday for allegedly insulting the prophet Mohammed by displaying a drawing of him during class.
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Peter Hamby / Vanity Fair:
“They're All Too Old”: Democrats Face a Generational Reckoning — The choice in the 2020 primary ultimately comes down to one thing: who is best prepared to beat Trump at a time when Trump owns the culture? Someone who actually understands culture would be a start.
Salvador Hernandez / BuzzFeed News:
Ammon Bundy Is Quitting The Militia Movement After Breaking With Trump On Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric — For more than six years Ammon Bundy and his family amassed hundreds of followers and supporters willing to pick up a gun at a moment's notice and rally to their side for a confrontation with the federal government.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
Miriam Jordan / New York Times:
2 More Immigrants Say They Worked for Trump Despite Lacking Legal Status — Two more immigrant women who worked at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey said on Friday that they were undocumented at the time and that golf course management knew it. One of the women said that she was allowed …
Discussion:
Washington Post, www.wnyc.org and NPR
Isaac Stanley-Becker / Washington Post:
Heather Nauert cited D-Day as the height of U.S.-German relations. Now she's headed to the U.N. — The United Nations came into existence to vanquish Germany, as 26 nations jointly pledged in 1942 not to surrender to “savage and brutal forces seeking to subjugate the world.”
Discussion:
HuffPost, VICE News, twitchy.com, The Guardian, The Daily Signal, Vox, Fox News Insider, KBZK, Daily Kos, Mediaite and Jezebel