Top Items:
New York Times:
Trump Considering Full Withdrawal of U.S. Troops From Syria — WASHINGTON — President Trump is considering pulling 2,000 United States ground troops out of Syria in a move that would seek to describe the four-year American-led war against the Islamic State as largely won, officials said Wednesday.
Discussion:
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Dion Nissenbaum / Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Military Preparing for a Full Withdrawal of Its Forces From Northeastern Syria — Move throws campaign against Islamic State into question — WASHINGTON—In an abrupt reversal, the U.S. military is preparing to withdraw its forces from northeastern Syria, people familiar with the matter …
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Bloomberg, The Daily Beast, Politico, Vox, Hit & Run, Splinter, Townhall, The Mahablog, Washington Free Beacon, Mother Jones, RedState, The American Conservative, FOX2now.com, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Defense Post, Task & Purpose, The Week, Military Times, Daily Wire, Axios and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
Josh Rogin / Washington Post:
Trump undermines his entire national security team on Syria — On Monday, the U.S. special representative for Syria engagement publicly pledged that the U.S. commitment to Syria would not waiver. The very next day, Trump reportedly decided to rapidly withdraw all U.S. troops there.
Discussion:
The Atlantic, New York Times and NBC News
CNN:
Trump orders rapid withdrawal from Syria in apparent reversal — Washington (CNN)Planning is underway for a “full” and “rapid” withdrawal of US troops from Syria, a US defense official told CNN Wednesday. — The decision, which would be a reversal from previously stated US policy …
Reuters:
U.S. weighs complete withdrawal of troops from Syria: U.S. officials
Discussion:
Washington Post, Shakesville, IJR and Mediaite
Lawfare:
The Former National Security Advisor's Sentencing Hearing: Flynncompetent Judging — A number of years ago, a group of singing lawyers put together an excellent parody song about the egomania of federal district judges. Set to the tune of the old Turtles song, “Happy Together,” it opens: “Imagine me as God—I do.
Discussion:
Media Matters for America, Taylor Marsh, ABC News, WORLD, ThinkProgress and Mediaite
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emptywheel:
In Defense of Emmet Sullivan: Van Grack Suggested Mueller Did Review Whether Flynn's Behavior Amounted to Treason — I'd like to defend Judge Emmet Sullivan's intemperate mentions of unregistered foreign agents and treason in the Mike Flynn sentencing hearing yesterday.
Discussion:
The Atlantic, Lawyers, Guns & Money and CANNONFIRE
Chris Baynes / The Independent:
Trump critics celebrate as Flynn judge smashes right-wing conspiracy theory about Russia prosecution at hearing
Wall Street Journal:
The Flynn Fiasco — A sentencing hearing devolves into a spectacle of misinformation.
Discussion:
Geller Report, Washington Examiner and Power Line
Stephen Collinson / CNN:
Reality deals more blows to Trump's alternative narrative
Discussion:
USA Today, Washington Post and CNBC
Kate Sullivan / CNN:
Trump signed letter of intent for Trump Tower Moscow project despite Giuliani insisting he didn't — (CNN)A newly obtained document shows President Donald Trump signed a letter of intent to move forward with negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Russia, despite his attorney Rudy Giuliani claiming …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Axios, The Independent, New York Post, IJR, Vox, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, twitchy.com, Hill Reporter, Raw Story, The Week, AOL and Shakesville
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New York Daily News:
Rudy Giuliani admits President Trump signed ‘bulls—t’ letter of intent for Moscow tower during 2016 campaign — President Trump signed a “bulls—t” letter of intent to build a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 campaign, Rudy Giuliani conceded Tuesday - just two days after the former …
Discussion:
Politico, Raw Story, NY State of Politics, Axios, The Week, The Hill, Wonkette, The Root, Law & Crime, Splinter, ThinkProgress, Washington Times, Talking Points Memo and Mediaite
Nicole Lafond / Talking Points Memo:
Giuliani Walks It Back: Trump Signed ‘Bullsh*t’ Letter Of Intent For Moscow Tower
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
Dan Mangan / CNBC:
New secret filing in case of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen placed in NY federal court vault — A document that is sealed from public view was placed in a New York federal court vault in a criminal case against President Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen.
Discussion:
Raw Story
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Dareh Gregorian / NBC News:
Federal judge strikes down Trump asylum rules for domestic and gang violence victims — In a ruling Wednesday, Judge Emmet Sullivan struck down large portions of Justice Department policies that made it harder for immigrants to claim asylum. — A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed Justice …
Griffin Connolly / Roll Call:
Rep. Adam Schiff: If Michael Cohen Goes to Jail, Why Wouldn't Trump?
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
David M. Drucker / Washington Examiner:
South Carolina GOP could scrap 2020 primary to protect Trump — The South Carolina Republican Party could cancel its marquee presidential nominating contest in 2020 in a move to protect President Trump from any primary challengers. — Drew McKissick, chairman of the South Carolina GOP …
ClickHole:
Legal Bombshell: Mueller Flipped Trump's Confidant's Lawyer's Friend's Associate Gorpman (Who Could Testify Against Bleemer!) And It's Not Even Lunchtime — The day's just getting started, and the Trump house of cards is already crumbling. This morning, Special Counsel Robert Mueller dropped …
Discussion:
The Week
Jeff Cox / CNBC:
Fed hikes rate, lowers 2019 projection to 2 increases — Central bank officials now forecast two hikes next year, down from three rate raises previously projected. — However, the Fed continued to include in its statement that further ‘gradual’ rate hikes would be appropriate.
Discussion:
Washington Post and The Week
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New York Times:
As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants — Internal documents show that the social network gave Microsoft, Amazon, Spotify and others far greater access to people's data than it has disclosed. — For years, Facebook gave some of the world's largest technology companies …
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Washington Post:
D.C. attorney general sues Facebook over alleged privacy violations from Cambridge Analytica scandal
Discussion:
New Republic, Engadget, The Week, East Bay Times, The Daily Caller, Investor's Business Daily, Vox, twitchy.com, Mashable, New York Times and Breitbart, more at Techmeme »
Kate Riga / Talking Points Memo:
In Party Switch, 3 Kansas Lawmakers Will Start The New Session As Democrats — When the Kansas state government reconvenes in January, three of its formerly Republican members will report as freshly minted Democrats. — The two state senators and one state representative, all women …
Discussion:
Shawnee Mission Post
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Jonathan Shorman / Wichita Eagle:
More Kansas lawmakers switch parties: Sykes, Clayton leave GOP, become Democrats
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Axios and Shareblue Media
Tim Carpenter / Topeka Capital-Journal:
Kansas Sen. Dinah Sykes, Rep. Stephanie Clayton flip from Republican to Democrat
Discussion:
Splinter, Raw Story and Political Wire
Washington Post:
Senate to pass bill that would keep government open, deny Trump wall funding — The Senate prepared Wednesday to pass a short-term spending bill that would keep the government open through the New Year but deny President Trump the money he wanted for his border wall — a stark retreat …
Discussion:
Politico, Bloomberg, ABC News, Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA, Splinter, Forbes, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, Talking Points Memo and Axios
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Bloomberg:
Trump Ready to Remove Sanctions on Deripaska's Rusal in 30 Days — The Trump administration is ready to remove sanctions on Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska's aluminum company, United Co. Rusal, after he agreed to significantly reduce his ownership stake.
Discussion:
Raw Story
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NBC News:
United States added to list of most dangerous countries for journalists for first time — At least 63 professional journalists were killed doing their jobs in 2018, a 15 percent increase over last year, Reporters Without Borders said. — PARIS — The murder of the Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller
Eliza Dushku / BostonGlobe.com:
I worked at CBS. I didn't want to be sexually harassed. I was fired — The narrative propagated by CBS, actor Michael Weatherly, and writer-producer Glenn Gordon Caron is deceptive and in no way fits with how they treated me on the set of the television show “Bull” and retaliated …
Rebecca Traister / The Cut:
The Imagined Threat of a Woman Who Governs Like a Man — On Tuesday, Politico posted a provocative, anonymously sourced piece claiming that New York congresswoman elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez might be planning, in concert with Justice Democrats, to recruit a Democratic primary challenger …
Andrew Kerr / The Daily Caller:
Revealed: Antifa Leader Relied On Anonymity To Push Radical, Violent Communist Agenda — Editor's note: The subject of this story is being identified because he's pushed radical rhetoric and has advocated for politically-motivated violence from behind a mask.
Discussion:
Instapundit
Domenico Montanaro / NPR:
Warning To Democrats: Most Americans Against U.S. Getting More Politically Correct — Heading into the 2020 Democratic primaries, a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll has a warning for Democrats: Americans are largely against the country becoming more politically correct.
Discussion:
Hit & Run, Splinter, No More Mister Nice Blog and Roll Call
New York Times:
Hacked European Cables Reveal a World of Anxiety About Trump, Russia and Iran — WASHINGTON — Hackers infiltrated the European Union's diplomatic communications network for years, downloading thousands of cables that reveal concerns about an unpredictable Trump administration and struggles …
Discussion:
Vox, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Politico, Reuters, Raw Story, Bloomberg, KXLF-TV and EURACTIV.com, more at Techmeme »
Jeremy Pelzer / Plain Dealer:
John Kasich says he couldn't beat President Donald Trump in a GOP primary — COLUMBUS, Ohio—Gov. John Kasich on Wednesday voiced doubts about challenging President Donald Trump in 2020, saying right now he couldn't beat the president in a Republican primary.
Discussion:
Political Wire
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Why not indict the Trump Organization? — Legal scholars debate whether a sitting president can be indicted or only impeached. If the latter, it's not clear given the statutes of limitation on most crimes whether he could ever be prosecuted for certain crimes.
Ilan Berman:
A Year Into Iran's Quiet Counterrevolution — Last December, grassroots protests erupted throughout Iran. Ordinary Iranians, discontented with worsening domestic conditions and their government's misplaced political priorities, held rallies and demonstrations that transformed …
Cato Institute:
Bump Stock Rule Bumps Up Against the Constitution — This morning, Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker signed the Trump Administration's new regulation banning bump stocks. The final rule is largely unchanged from the one put up for notice and comment several months ago …
Discussion:
The Resurgent, The Week and Associated Press
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