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10:30 AM ET, December 11, 2018

Top Items:

After Ayers Turns Down Chief of Staff Job, Trump Is Left Without a Plan B — WASHINGTON — President Trump has often bragged about having his pick of only the best people to serve in his administration. — Being publicly rejected by his first choice for chief of staff …

Discussion: USA Today, Politico, Shareblue Media, Balloon Juice, Talking Points Memo, Splinter, No More Mister Nice Blog, Raw Story, The Atlantic, Hullabaloo, The Daily Beast, Brookings, BuzzFeed News, National Review, Washington Free Beacon, Mercury News and Hit & Run

Kenneth P. Vogel / New York Times:

Targets of U.S. Sanctions Hire Lobbyists With Trump Ties to Seek Relief — Targets of U.S. Sanctions Hire Lobbyists With Trump Ties — With the use of sanctions increasing, representing clients who face penalties from Washington is becoming a lucrative new niche.

Discussion: New Republic, Raw Story and Axios

CNN:

CNN Poll: Approval ratings for Trump, Mueller fall — WASHINGTON (CNN)As Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election inches closer to the President, approval of Donald Trump's handling of the investigation has fallen, matching its all-time low in CNN polling.

Discussion: Feeds

Mike Allen / Axios:

Trump allies becoming increasingly aware of his legal and political jeopardy — Last week's stunning court filings detonated what one official calls a “reality tremor” that has White House officials and key allies increasingly aware of President Trump's rising legal and political vulnerability.

Discussion: Washington Post, Raw Story, New York Times, Associated Press and The Gateway Pundit

Caitlin Oprysko / Politico:

Trump denies that he's having trouble finding a chief of staff — President Donald Trump insisted on Tuesday that he's having no trouble finding a new chief of staff, despite having already burned through two such top aides and being turned down by his reported first choice. — “Fake News has it purposely wrong.

Discussion: Washington Post, ABC News and Axios

Associated Press:

Some Trump allies starting to worry about investigations — WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's intensifying legal troubles are unnerving some of his fellow Republicans. Despite his brash stance, they believe the turmoil has left him increasingly vulnerable as he gears up for what is sure to be a nasty fight for re-election.

Discussion: Shareblue Media

Daily Mail:

You've hired me before, Mr President, so hire me again. I'm the one person whose reputation can't be tarnished by becoming your Chief of Staff and I'm perfectly qualified for the job! — I wish to formally apply to be your new Chief of Staff. — You might not immediately recognize …

Jim Acosta / CNN:
Trump concerned about being impeached, sees it as a ‘real possibility,’ source says

Discussion: Raw Story and Vox

Bob Brigham / Raw Story: ‘The bottom is going to fall out’: White House reporter says Republicans are privately discussing abandoning Trump

Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:
“It Got Back to Trump That Kelly Was Bad-Mouthing Him”: After Firing John Kelly on Impulse …

Discussion: Baltimore Sun, Shareblue Media, New York Times and The Daily Beast

Washington Post:
‘There was no Plan B’: Trump scrambles to find chief of staff after top candidate turns him down

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Conservative News Today, Washington Press, New York Post, CNN, Associated Press, Fox News Insider, Raw Story, NPR and Sputnik International

Kaitlan Collins / CNN:
Amid chief of staff search, Trump increasingly anxious over political future

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, NorthJersey.com, Townhall, ABC News and Political Wire

Washington Post:

We are former senators. The Senate has long stood in defense of democracy — and must again. — By 44 Former U.S. Senators — As former members of the U.S. Senate, Democrats and Republicans, it is our shared view that we are entering a dangerous period, and we feel an obligation to speak …

Discussion: Mediaite, POLITICUSUSA, Conservative News Today, Axios, HuffPost, Joe.My.God., Politico and CNN

Tim Stelloh / NBC News:

Time's 2018 ‘Person of the Year’ is killed and imprisoned journalists — Time magazine is spotlighting a handful of journalists who have one thing in common: They were targeted for their work. — “The Guardians.” — That's what Time magazine is calling the journalists behind 2018's …

Discussion: Townhall, Breitbart and twitchy.com, more at Mediagazer »

Eun Kyung Kim / TODAY.com:

TIME's 2018 Person of the Year: ‘The Guardians and the War on Truth’ — Four journalists and one newspaper “are representative of a broader fight by countless others around the world.” — A group of journalists whose work has landed them in jail — or cost them their lives — have been named TIME's Person of the Year for 2018.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Joe.My.God. and The Daily Caller

CNN:

Time Person of the Year: ‘The Guardians and the War on Truth’ — (CNN)Time magazine has chosen “The Guardians,” a group of journalists who have been targeted for their work, as Person of the Year. — A series of four black-and-white covers highlights what the magazine calls “the War on Truth.”

Discussion: Axios, Mother Jones, New York Times and Patterico's Pontifications

Pete Madden / ABC News:

Maria Butina, accused Russian agent, reaches plea deal with prosecutors that includes cooperation — Maria Butina, a 30-year-old Russian gun rights activist who stands accused developing a covert influence operation in the United States, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and cooperate with federal …

Discussion: NPR, Washington Press, OpenSecrets.org, Balloon Juice, New York Times, The Daily Caller, Splinter, HuffPost, Law & Crime, Shakesville, Joe.My.God., Boing Boing, Talking Points Memo, Moms Demand Action …, Vox, National Newswatch and Washington Post

Betsy Woodruff / The Daily Beast:
Maria Butina Agrees to Cooperate With U.S.

Discussion: News Agency UNIAN, ABC News and Talking Points Memo

Lachlan Markay / The Daily Beast:
Dan Bongino Out at NRATV

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Mediaite, Joe.My.God., twitchy.com and Talking Points Memo

Erica Orden / CNN:

How Michael Cohen could help the feds get the Trump Organization — Feds: Cohen broke the law at Trump's direction — New York (CNN)In most respects, Michael Cohen was a frustrating witness for New York investigators. — He toyed with, but wouldn't commit to, “full cooperation” with prosecutors, according to court filings.

Discussion: Raw Story

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
Orrin Hatch and the GOP's contortions to defend Trump

Discussion: ThinkProgress and CNN

Adam Serwer / The Atlantic: Trump Can't Stop Confessing

ProPublica:

How the IRS Was Gutted — An eight-year campaign to slash the agency's budget has left it understaffed, hamstrung and operating with archaic equipment. The result: billions less to fund the government. That's good news for corporations and the wealthy. — In the summer of 2008 …

Jill Lawrence / USA Today:

You don't bring a novice to a knife fight. That's why Democrats need Nancy Pelosi. — Everything that happens next year in the House amounts to a Democratic audition — and platform — for the 2020 presidential, Senate and House elections. — CONNECT — Nancy Pelosi is running …

Mariam Khan / ABC News:
Military will build border wall if Pelosi, Schumer don't agree to pay for it: Trump

Discussion: Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg

Erica Werner / Washington Post:
Pelosi, Schumer to meet with Trump, offer $1.3 billion for border as shutdown looms

Discussion: Townhall, Associated Press, Roll Call, Common Dreams, POLITICUSUSA and Splinter

Rich Lowry / New York Post:

How Theresa May blew Brexit — Shakespeare famously wrote of the “sceptered isle” of Britain acting as a moat “against the envy of less happier lands.” Lately, the less happier lands are winning in a rout. — Britain is suffering a political meltdown as it struggles to make good on a historic vote …

David M. Herszenhorn / Politico:
Jean-Claude Juncker: EU won't renegotiate Brexit deal

Discussion: One America News Network, EURACTIV.com and Associated Press

Washington Post:

Accused of rape, former Baylor fraternity president gets no jail time after plea deal — A former Baylor University fraternity president who was accused of rape will not serve any jail time or be forced to register as a sex offender after a judge accepted a plea deal he had been offered by Texas prosecutors, according to news reports.

Discussion: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Waco Tribune-Herald and Law & Crime

Jason Silverstein / CBS News: Former Baylor frat president indicted for sexual assault will serve no jail time

Tablet Magazine:

In an email to Tablet the Women's March wrote: … But whatever concerns were popping up were ultimately no match for the steamroller of the event's progress. And when the day came, the reality far exceeded expectations. Estimates for the March on Washington range between half a million …

Discussion: RedState, Daily Wire, Front Page Magazine, Washington Free Beacon and twitchy.com

Gary Fineout / Associated Press:

Thousands of mailed ballots in Florida were not counted — TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida officials say thousands of mailed ballots were not counted because they were delivered too late to state election offices. — The Department of State late last week informed a federal judge …

Discussion: Florida Politics, Splinter, Tampa Bay Times and Seymour Tribune

Laurence H. Tribe / BostonGlobe.com:

Constitution rules out a sitting president's immunity from criminal prosecution — Only President Trump seems not to have noticed — or at least refuses to acknowledge — that the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, in his Dec. 7 memo regarding Michael Cohen's sentencing …

Discussion: Raw Story

Dakota Smith / Los Angeles Times:

Mayor Garcetti's speech at USC shut down by protesters — Mayor Eric Garcetti was forced to halt a speech Monday at USC after demonstrators began shouting at him and criticizing his approach to the city's homelessness crisis, the Los Angeles Police Department's use of force and other issues.

Discussion: Breitbart

PolitiFact:

PolitiFact's Lie of the Year: Online smear machine tries to take down Parkland students — In the days after 17 people were viciously gunned down at a high school in Florida, the state's Republican governor called for tighter gun laws and President Donald Trump hosted victims' families in the State Dining Room.

Jackie Salo / New York Post:

9-year-old kills self after racist taunts from class: family … A black 9-year-old girl in Alabama allegedly took her own life after facing relentless bullying and racism in class, according to reports. — McKenzie Adams' relatives said she hanged herself Dec. 3 in her home in Linden …

Washington Post:

How a powerful Russian propaganda machine chips away at Western notions of truth — The initial plan was a Cold War classic — brutal yet simple. Two Russian agents would slip onto the property of a turncoat spy in Britain and daub his front door with a rare military-grade poison designed …

Discussion: The Daily Beast and Mother Jones

Nicole Russell / Washington Examiner:

‘Supergirl’ now has a transgender character just to be ‘woke’ — Television has introduced the first transgender superhero in the fourth season of CW's “Supergirl.” The character, Nia Nal, is played by Nicole Maines, who is an actress and activist. She is also transgender in real life as well.

Jon Swaine / The Guardian:

Iowa considers ethics complaint against Trump's acting attorney general — Matthew Whitaker, a former attorney in Iowa, was involved in a patent company found to be cheating investors of millions — Legal authorities in Iowa are considering an ethics complaint filed against Donald Trump's …

Paul Waldman / Washington Post:

Smart Republicans are already abandoning Trump. But they're still culpable. — Nick Ayers is a shrewd operator. Currently serving as chief of staff to Vice President Pence, Ayers has the political experience most top White House aides lack and was expected by everyone …

Discussion: The Atlantic and Raw Story

Robert D. McFadden / New York Times:

Evelyn Berezin, 93, Dies; Built the First True Word Processor — Evelyn Berezin, a computer pioneer who emancipated many a frazzled secretary from the shackles of the typewriter nearly a half-century ago by building and marketing the first computerized word processor, died on Saturday in Manhattan.