Top Items:
Bloomberg:
Cohen Will Talk After Mueller Probe Is Complete, Lawyer Says — Michael Cohen, the former lawyer and fixer for President Donald Trump, is willing to reveal publicly what he knows about his former client once Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation is complete and findings are released, Cohen's lawyer said Wednesday.
Discussion:
Informed Comment, Washington Press and New Republic
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Darren Samuelsohn / Politico:
A ‘loud gong’: National Enquirer's surprise deal could imperil Trump — The National Enquirer's parent company has agreed to tell prosecutors everything it knows about Donald Trump — and it might know a lot. — In a court document released Wednesday, the tabloid publisher, American Media Inc. …
Discussion:
CNBC, CNN, POLITICUSUSA and Politico, more at Mediagazer »
CNN:
Key lawmakers seek to haul in Trump associates working with Mueller — (CNN)Now that President Donald Trump's former “fixer,” Michael Cohen, has been sentenced to prison, leaders of the House and Senate Intelligence committees are preparing to haul him back before Congress before he begins serving time.
New York Times:
Tabloid Publisher's Deal in Hush-Money Inquiry Adds to Trump's Danger — With the revelation by prosecutors on Wednesday that a tabloid publisher admitted to paying off a Playboy model, key participants in two hush-money schemes say the transactions were intended to protect Donald J. Trump's campaign for president.
Discussion:
Mediaite
Bradley A. Smith / National Review:
Michael Cohen Pled Guilty to Something That Is Not a Crime — The prosecutor is twisting campaign-finance law. — Donald Trump's wayward counsel, Michael Cohen, was sentenced today as part of a plea bargain with the government. As part of that settlement, Cohen has admitted …
Discussion:
Power Line
Hunter Walker / Yahoo News:
Rudy Giuliani says Trump's legal team wants Mueller to ‘wrap the damn thing up’
Rudy Giuliani says Trump's legal team wants Mueller to ‘wrap the damn thing up’
Discussion:
Mediaite
Brian Stelter / CNN:
Meet the reporters who started exposing Michael Cohen's payments two years ago
Meet the reporters who started exposing Michael Cohen's payments two years ago
Discussion:
New York Times, Mediaite and Vox
Dan Desai Martin / Shareblue Media:
Another Trump ally cuts deal after breaking the law to help Trump win
Another Trump ally cuts deal after breaking the law to help Trump win
Discussion:
Mother Jones, electionlawblog.org and HuffPost
Kenneth P. Vogel / New York Times:
While Working for Trump, Giuliani Courts Business Abroad
While Working for Trump, Giuliani Courts Business Abroad
Discussion:
Sunlight Foundation and Talking Points Memo
Courier-Journal:
Courier Journal and ProPublica to launch state government investigation — The Courier Journal and the national nonprofit news outlet ProPublica will partner in a yearlong investigation of a Kentucky state government program, the news organizations announced Wednesday.
RELATED:
Governor Matt Bevin:
OUTRAGEOUS. — ProPublica, a left-wing activist group funded by the likes of George Soros, is now funding . . . “investigative reporting” at the Courier Journal. — Is this the future of journalism? Who is holding the Courier-Journal accountable? — Don't take my word for it!
Discussion:
Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
Charles Dunst / The Atlantic:
Trump Moves to Deport Vietnam War Refugees — The Trump administration is resuming its efforts to deport certain protected Vietnamese immigrants who have lived in the United States for decades—many of them having fled the country during the Vietnam War. — This is the latest move …
Discussion:
New York Times, Common Dreams, Splinter, Lawyers, Guns & Money, National Review and Joe.My.God.
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Lachlan Markay / The Daily Beast:
Sen. James Inhofe Bought Defense Stock Days After Pushing for Record Pentagon Spending—Then Dumped It When Asked About It — Ethics experts say the purchase underscores the moral hazard of lawmakers owning assets in areas of industry affected by legislation they are in positions to author.
Discussion:
KXLF-TV, Splinter, Washington Press and Investor's Business Daily
Timothy Williams / New York Times:
North Carolina Legislature Calls for New Primary if New Election Is Held in Disputed District — LUMBERTON, N.C. — The North Carolina legislature Wednesday approved a bill requiring new primary elections if the state elections board calls for a second vote of an election.
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David Folkenflik / NPR:
Tribune, Tronc And Beyond: A Slur, A Secret Payout And A Looming Sale — Several months after taking control of the troubled Tribune Publishing Co. in 2016, Chicago investor Michael Ferro convened a session of corporate leaders from within his own news empire, including chief news executives …
Discussion:
Politico and Breitbart, more at Mediagazer »
Marc Caputo / Politico:
‘He got screwed’: Gillum absent from indictment after DeSantis bashed him as corrupt — MIAMI — Federal authorities unveiled a 44-count, 66-page indictment Wednesday of a Tallahassee politician and a city official that involved six companies, five other players and a bank in a wide-ranging bribery …
Discussion:
Tallahassee Democrat, Washington Post, Washington Free Beacon and Florida Politics
Ben Boskovich / Esquire:
Damnit, Ted Cruz's Beard Looks Tolerable Now — His greatest political opponent has always been his face. A few weeks off the razor has changed that. — Clean-shaven, Ted Cruz might have the most upsetting face in politics. It was just about two years ago, that feels like two decades ago …
Wall Street Journal:
The Flynn Entrapment — A court filing shows the ugly tactics employed by James Comey's FBI.
Carol D. Leonnig / Washington Post:
Federal judge seeks documents related to Michael Flynn's January 2017 interview with FBI agents — A federal judge on Wednesday ordered both former national security adviser Michael Flynn and the special counsel to turn over additional investigative records describing his January 2017 interview …
Discussion:
Right Wing Watch
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Chuck Ross / The Daily Caller:
Michael Flynn Judge Seeks Review Of Key FBI Notes Before Sentencing Decision
Michael Flynn Judge Seeks Review Of Key FBI Notes Before Sentencing Decision
Discussion:
Washington Examiner
Globe and Mail:
Canadian Michael Spavor missing in China after detention of Kovrig — Michael Spavor, a Canadian whose company brings tourists and hockey players into North Korea, has gone missing in China, days after Beijing's detention of former diplomat Michael Kovrig, two sources say.
Discussion:
Toronto Star, Crisis Group, New York Times and Sputnik International
RELATED:
David Ljunggren / Reuters:
Canada says missing Canadian is businessman Michael Spavor
Canada says missing Canadian is businessman Michael Spavor
Discussion:
NPR
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
A top cardinal's sex-abuse conviction is huge news in Australia. But the media can't report it there. — The front page of Thursday's Herald Sun newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, is dominated by a single word in huge white type, all caps, on a black background: CENSORED.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, NPR and Breitbart, more at Mediagazer »
HuffPost:
5 Democrats Bail Out Paul Ryan And Protect Saudi Arabia — Reps. Jim Costa, Al Lawson, Collin Peterson, Dutch Ruppersberger and David Scott helped the GOP ensure the House won't consider a companion bill to anti-Saudi legislation soon expected to pass the Senate.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Shadowproof and CNN
Lauren Theisen / The Concourse:
Conservative Gays Need To Shut The Fuck Up — On Tuesday, conservative rag The Federalist—a website perhaps best known for its endorsement of statutory rape and its former use of a “Black Crime” tag—published an opinion blog by a gay guy named Chad Felix Greene titled …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, twitchy.com, Big League Politics, Out Magazine and Raw Story
Sam Levin / The Guardian:
'They don't care': Facebook fact-checking in disarray as journalists push to cut ties — Journalists paid to help fix Facebook's fake news problem say they have lost trust in the platform — Journalists working as fact-checkers for Facebook have pushed to end a controversial media partnership …
Joe Concha / The Hill:
Brzezinski apologizes after backlash over homophobic remark about Pompeo — MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski is apologizing after she used a homophobic remark to describe Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Wednesday morning on “Morning Joe.” — Brzezinski was speaking about Pompeo's interview on cable news rival …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Hot Air and LifeZette
Natalie Allison / The Tennessean:
Tennessee U.S. Rep.-elect Mark Green, a doctor, falsely claims vaccines cause autism, denies CDC evidence — A soon-to-be congressman from Tennessee told constituents Tuesday he believed vaccines may be causing autism, denying data from the Centers for Disease Control and other institutions disproving such a theory.
Discussion:
HuffPost, Washington Post, CNN, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller, IJR and Joe.My.God.
#CelebrityNews:
President Trump's Son Says He's a Re-Gifter — Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle are getting into the holiday spirit. — “Extra” spoke to the couple at the Daily Mail TV and DailyMail.com holiday party in NYC, where they dished on their holiday plans.
Discussion:
New York Post
RELATED:
Peter Nicholas / Wall Street Journal:
Mark Meadows Out of Running for White House Chief of Staff — President Trump has told Rep. Mark Meadows, considered one of the front-runners for the White House chief of staff job, that he wants him to remain in Congress, a White House official said.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Talking Points Memo, The Resurgent, CNN and Washington Times
Quartz:
Ivanka Trump's luxury weekend in the Dominican Republic cost US taxpayers $58,000 — First daughter and US presidential adviser Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, vacationed at a luxury resort in the Dominican Republic over a long weekend in August. The cost to US taxpayers: more than $58,000.
Daily Mail:
No sign of that back brace! Hillary Clinton boogies with John Kerry and King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan at the star-studded $100million wedding of India's richest heiress — Hillary Clinton tried her hand at Bollywood dancing last night at the wedding of India's richest heiress.
Discussion:
Breitbart and SARAH PALIN
Peter Hasson / The Daily Caller:
Suspected Terrorist Leading Migrant Group Demanding Entry Into US — A suspect in a 1987 bombing that wounded six American soldiers in Honduras is leading a group of migrants demanding entry into the United States. — Alfonso Guerrero Ulloa organized a march of approximately 100 migrants …
Discussion:
Common Dreams, Fox News Insider and The Gateway Pundit