memeorandum: Sanders allies contrite, defiant amid harassment allegations (Steve Peoples/Associated Press)

8:20 AM ET, January 3, 2019

Top Items:

China Lands Spacecraft on Far Side of Moon — BEIJING — China reached a milestone in space exploration on Thursday, landing a vehicle on the far side of the moon for the first time in history, state media announced. — The landing of the probe, called Chang'e-4 after the moon goddess …

Discussion: Raw Story

Associated Press:

Chinese spacecraft makes first landing on moon's far side — BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese spacecraft on Thursday made the first-ever landing on the far side of the moon, state media said. — The lunar explorer Chang'e 4 touched down at 10:26 a.m., China Central Television said in a brief announcement …

Discussion: The Week

Henry Olsen / Washington Post:

Mitt Romney's op-ed crystallizes all the reasons the old GOP establishment has been pushed aside — Henry Olsen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and author of “The Working Class Republican: Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism.”

Discussion: New York Times, Front Page Magazine and The American Spectator

John F. Harris / Politico:
Why Guys Like Mitt Romney Don't Scare Donald Trump

Discussion: American Greatness, Power Line and The American Spectator

Associated Press: GOP confronts anxiety about Trump primary challenge

Sophie Tatum / CNN:
Romney on op-ed: I wanted to make it ‘very clear where I stand’

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Politico, Townhall, Coffee House, RedState, The Hill and New York Post

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Romney broadside stokes Trump camp's suspicions about 2020

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo and Breitbart

CNN:

Source: Trump tells Schumer he can't accept Dems' offer because he'd ‘look foolish’ — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump told a group of lawmakers he can't accept Democrats' offer to re-open the government as the two sides negotiate border wall funding because he “would look foolish if I did that …

Discussion: Dan Bongino, Raw Story, Mediaite and Shareblue Media

Mike DeBonis / Washington Post:
GOP congressman will support Democratic rules, says he may face ‘consequences’ for it

Discussion: Vox, Washington Press, Politico and Talking Points Memo

Bloomberg: White House Meeting Breaks Up Without Deal to End Shutdown

New York Times:
Trump and Democrats Dig In After Talks to Reopen Government Go Nowhere

Discussion: CNN, Raw Story, The Week, ThinkProgress, Politico, Washington Post and Vox

Susan Davis / NPR:
Democrats Unveil Changes To House Rules On Debt Ceiling, Ethics

Discussion: Daily Kos

Tarini Parti / BuzzFeed News:
Trump's Allies Want Him To Keep The Government Shut Down

Discussion: Raw Story

Eun Kyung Kim / TODAY.com:

Nancy Pelosi says she won't rule out indictment, impeachment for Trump — As she prepares to resume her role as House speaker, Nancy Pelosi told TODAY she isn't ruling out the idea that Trump could be indicted or impeached while in office. — Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi …

Discussion: Raw Story

Rachael Bade / Politico:
The survivor: Nancy Pelosi makes history — again

Discussion: Axios and Associated Press

Michael Burke / The Hill: Graham: Trump giving up on border wall fight would be the ‘end of his presidency’

Allan Smith / NBC News:
Pelosi has a message for Trump: ‘Nothing for the wall’

Discussion: The Federalist, Townhall, Washington Free Beacon and The Daily Caller

New York Times:

For Bernie Sanders, Claims of Sexism in 2016 Campaign Hang Over 2020 Bid — In February 2016, Giulianna Di Lauro, a Latino outreach strategist for Senator Bernie Sanders's presidential operation, complained to her supervisor that she had been harassed by a campaign surrogate whom she drove …

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post, USA Today, Washington Free Beacon, CNN, The Guardian, The Week, The Daily Caller, Front Page Magazine, Mediaite, Axios and Talking Points Memo

Steve Peoples / Associated Press:

Sanders allies contrite, defiant amid harassment allegations — NEW YORK (AP) — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and his chief lieutenants are offering contrition and defiance as they face allegations of sexual harassment that plagued his last presidential campaign and now threaten to derail a second White House bid before it begins.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Christina Wilkie / CNBC:
Former Bernie Sanders aide who allegedly made light of sexual harassment complaint will be chief …

Discussion: Front Page Magazine and Washington Free Beacon

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Trump Defends Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan for Some Reason — In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded neighboring Afghanistan. The American interpretation of this invasion, shared by both parties, is that the Soviets were propping up a faltering communist client state, following the …

Discussion: USA Today, Raw Story, Mediaite and The Week

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
Trump's bizarre history lesson on the Soviet Union, Russia and Afghanistan

Discussion: The Week, Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air and TheBlaze

Jill Colvin / Associated Press:

Trump reclaims spotlight with long, rambling Cabinet meeting — Home alone no more, President Donald Trump had a lot to share when he convened a rambling Cabinet meeting on Day 12 of the government shutdown. — The president, eager for company after a lonely stretch in a near-empty White House …

Anne Gearan / Washington Post: A defensive Trump calls a Cabinet meeting and uses it to boast, deflect and distract

Tal Axelrod / The Hill:

Old Post Office Tower on Trump property to reopen during shutdown with federal funding — The Old Post Office Tower, which shares facilities with the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., will reopen by the end of the week after being closed due to the partial government shutdown.

Discussion: The Week

Jennifer Yachnin / E&E News:
Old Post Office Tower at Trump hotel to open during shutdown

Discussion: Washington Press and Raw Story

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:

EXCLUSIVE: PHOTOS of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or “Sandy” as She Was Known at Her Elite High School in Yorktown — NOT in the Bronx — Congresswoman elect Democrat-Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez grew up and attended school in affluent Westchester, New York but likes to pretend like she grew up in the Bronx.

Heather Caygle / Politico:
Dems face opportunity — and pitfalls — in new House majority

Discussion: Vox

The Charlotte Observer:

Mark Harris says he'll go to court as officials delay hearing on election fraud — Republican Mark Harris said Wednesday he'll ask a Wake County Superior Court judge to certify his election in the 9th Congressional District immediately, even as a probe into alleged election fraud continues.

Discussion: Point of Order and Political Wire

Amy Gardner / Washington Post:
GOP congressional candidate says he will ask N.C. court to certify his victory as election officials delay fraud hearing

Discussion: Splinter

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

Justice Department won't take Arpaio fight to SCOTUS — The Justice Department has decided not to ask the Supreme Court to block the appointment of a special prosecutor to fight former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio's effort to erase the guilty verdict a judge returned against him on contempt of court charges last year.

Discussion: Raw Story

Devorah Blachor / McSweeney's:

I Don't Hate Women Candidates — I Just Hated Hillary and Coincidentally I'm Starting to Hate Elizabeth Warren — “How does Warren avoid a Clinton redux — written off as too unlikable before her campaign gets off the ground?” — Politico, 12/31/18 — I have no problem with women.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Week, Balloon Juice, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Hullabaloo, The Daily Caller and Boston Magazine

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:

Senate Judiciary Committee sets confirmation hearing for Trump attorney general pick William Barr — The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold hearings later this month on the confirmation of President Trump's attorney general nominee, William P. Barr, the panel's incoming and outgoing chairmen announced Wednesday.

Discussion: One America News Network and Politico

Alice Miranda Ollstein / Politico:
Blackburn, Ernst become first GOP women to serve on Senate Judiciary

Discussion: ABC News and TheBlaze

Brandy Zadrozny / NBC News:

He lures alleged child predators and shames them on Facebook. Now one of his targets is dead. — Shane Erdmann started the online vigilante operation POPSquad, one of many similar groups tapping into a hunger for vengeance. — On a cool evening in October, Alain Malcolm, 20 …

New York Times:

North Korea's Envoy to Italy Disappears, Raising Suspicions of a Defection — TOKYO — North Korea's acting ambassador to Italy disappeared from the embassy in Rome in November, apparently in a defection attempt, according to a South Korean lawmaker briefed by intelligence officials.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Mauricio Savarese / CTVNews:

Brazil's Bolsonaro targets LGBT people, Indigenous groups on 1st day in office — SAO PAULO — Newly installed President Jair Bolsonaro targeted Brazil's indigenous groups, descendants of slaves and the LGBT community with executive orders in the first hours of his administration …

Discussion: ABC News

Chico Harlan / Washington Post:

Italy invented coffee culture. Now it's a coffee time capsule. — TREVISO, Italy — The coffee shop would have been at home in so many other countries. — But it certainly didn't seem Italian. — The first oddity was the menu, which included cold brews and pour-overs that are commonplace …

John Solomon / The Hill:

Exculpatory Russia evidence about Mike Flynn that US intel kept secret — Sometimes public silence can be deafening or, for that matter, misleading. — For nearly two years now, the intelligence community has kept secret evidence in the Russia collusion case that directly undercuts …

Annie Lowrey / The Atlantic:

How to End Government Shutdowns, Forever — As the third government shutdown of the Donald J. Trump presidency drags on, the miserable effects are piling up. Federal workers, hundreds of thousands of whom are furloughed, are struggling to pay their bills and picking up temporary gigs to make ends meet …

Discussion: BuzzFeed News, ThinkProgress and Daily Kos