Top Items:
Ahmed Al Omran / Financial Times:
Netflix pulls episode of comedy show in Saudi Arabia — Netflix has removed an episode of a comedy show critical of Saudi Arabia after the internet streaming service received a complaint from the kingdom, renewing concerns about government control over freedom of expression on online platforms.
Discussion:
The Verge
Richard Pérez-Peña / New York Times:
American Accused of Spying in Russia Is a Marine Veteran, Family Says — LONDON — The American man who was arrested last week in Russia on a spying charge is a Marine Corps veteran who was in Moscow to attend a wedding, his family said on Tuesday. — Russia's Federal Security Service …
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Amie Ferris-Rotman / Washington Post:
Family of American arrested in Russia on spy charges fears for his safety — MOSCOW — The family of the American citizen arrested in Russia on espionage charges said on Tuesday that he is innocent, and they fear for his safety. — Paul Whelan, a 48-year-old retired U.S. Marine …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, NPR and Bangor Daily News
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
Beyond ‘no comment’: The White House has no response — at all — to many media questions — The New York Times published a powerful story last week about President Trump's growing isolation in the White House, with colorful details such as Trump's tendency to interrupt advisers during meetings to call them …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
MSNBC is surging — MSNBC host Rachel Maddow can speak at length on many topics. The whims and demographics of her cable-news audience, however, are not among them. “I think I may just be lucky that we're at a time in the news cycle where there is an appetite for that kind of explanatory work …
Discussion:
Instapundit
Joe Heim / Washington Post:
Jerry Falwell Jr. can't imagine Trump 'doing anything that's not good for the country' — He lives with his wife, Becki, in Bedford County, Va. — You said recently that conservatives and Christians should stop electing nice guys. Aren't Christians supposed to be nice guys? — Of course, of course.
Emily Yahr / Washington Post:
To understand culture in 2018, you must understand Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson — You can't truly describe the year 2018 without talking about Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson. — Like so many inexplicable pop-culture sensations, Grande and Davidson's relationship — engaged after three weeks …
John T. Bennett / Roll Call:
Trump: No Money for Wall, No Signature on Bill to Fund Government — President Donald Trump on Monday evening signaled he would not sign an omnibus spending package House Democrats plan to bring to the floor later this week because it omits dollars for his proposed southern border barrier.
RELATED:
Heather Caygle / Politico:
Pelosi challenges McConnell with shutdown plan
Pelosi challenges McConnell with shutdown plan
Discussion:
USA Today, IJR, CNBC, Outside the Beltway, TheBlaze, New York Times, Hit & Run, Daily Kos and Washington Post
Ariel Edwards-Levy / HuffPost:
These 16 Polls Show How American Thinking Has (And Hasn't) Changed In 80 Years — Generations past and present weigh in on everything from hitchhikers to financial windfalls to the honesty of Congress. — For more than 80 years, pollsters have been asking Americans from all walks of life …
men:
Manchester Victoria stabbing: Eyewitness claims attacker shouted ‘Allah’ — Sam Clack, a BBC producer, was on a platform at Manchester Victoria railway station waiting for a tram when he witnessed the attack — A knifeman shouted ‘Allah’ after stabbing innocent commuters at Victoria Station, an eye-witness has claimed.
Discussion:
Breitbart and Front Page Magazine
RELATED:
AFGE:
American Federation of Government Employees and Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch Sue the Government Over Shutdown — Washington D.C. - Today, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch (KCNF DC) sued the federal government on behalf of AFGE members …
Discussion:
CNN, Axios, The Daily Caller, POLITICUSUSA and Washington Press
RELATED:
Caitlin Emma / Politico:
Federal employee union sues Trump administration over government shutdown
Federal employee union sues Trump administration over government shutdown
Discussion:
ABC News
Isabel Dobrin / Politico:
Trump's 2019 message: ‘Calm down and enjoy the ride’ — President Donald Trump rung in the new year Tuesday morning with a word of advice for Americans: “Just calm down and enjoy the ride.” — In his second post to Twitter of 2019, Trump wished everyone — “including the haters and the fake news media” — a caps-lock happy new year.
Discussion:
IJR, The Daily Caller and Outside the Beltway
David Brooks / New York Times:
2019: The Year of the Wolves — Can the Constitution withstand the partisans? — In Willa Cather's novel “My Antonia,” there are two kind Russian farmers named Peter and Pavel who have settled on the Nebraska prairie. On his death bed, Pavel tells the story of how they came to emigrate there.
Joanna Weiss / Politico:
How Trump Got Bad at Twitter — Once he ruled the medium, but read his feed now and you can see something has gone very wrong. — The late-December tweet from @RealDonaldTrump was brief and absurd: “Farm Bill signing in 15 minutes! #Emmys #TBT.” It was accompanied by a clip …
New York Times:
2020 Democratic Presidential Candidates Are Lining Up. Who Matches the Moment? — Senator Elizabeth Warren's formation of an exploratory committee for president on Monday represents a sort of political ball drop, the beginning of a new year and new campaign that will feature an unusually large number …
Discussion:
New Republic, BostonGlobe.com, Axios, Althouse, Washington Post, TheBlaze, Mother Jones and New York Times
RELATED:
Ed O'Keefe / CBS News:
Elizabeth Warren takes formal step toward presidential candidacy
Elizabeth Warren takes formal step toward presidential candidacy
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Last Refuge, TheBlaze and Axios