memeorandum: Democrat Lauren Underwood today becomes the youngest black woman ever in Congress as new class sworn in (Patrick M. O'Connell/Chicago Tribune)

8:30 PM ET, January 3, 2019

Top Items:

Jennifer Haberkorn / Los Angeles Times:

California's Rep. Brad Sherman to introduce impeachment measure … Rep. Brad Sherman plans to introduce articles of impeachment against President Trump on Thursday, the first day of Democratic control of the House. — Sherman (D-Northridge) is reintroducing a measure that he first rolled out in 2017.

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

Trump's reign of corruption will now face real opposition. Here are three things to watch. — Watch live video from washingtonpost on www.twitch.tv — We talk a lot about President Trump's corruption these days, but with Democrats set to take over the House of Representatives on Thursday afternoon …

Discussion: Bloomberg, Daily Kos, Law & Crime and American Prospect

Julie Hirschfeld Davis / New York Times:

Nancy Pelosi Elected Speaker as Democrats Take Control of House — WASHINGTON — On a day of pomp and pageantry, ebullient Democrats assumed control of the House on Thursday and elected Representative Nancy Pelosi of California to be speaker, returning her to a historic distinction …

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Spectator USA, TheBlaze, Outside the Beltway, Raw Story, Vox and Splinter

David Harsanyi / The Federalist:

First On Nancy Pelosi's Agenda: Attacking Free Expression — I have zero interest in financially supporting any politician, much less ones I find morally unpalatable. Yet Democrats want to force me, and every other American taxpayer, to contribute, as a matter of public policy, to the campaigns of candidates we disagree with.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and Daily Kos

David Weigel / Washington Post:

House Democrats plan to hold hearings on Medicare for All — The new Democratic majority in the House will hold the first hearings on Medicare-for-All legislation, a longtime goal of the party's left, after Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi lent her support for the process.

Discussion: The Hill, The Atlantic, ThinkProgress, New York Magazine, Splinter, POLITICUSUSA, Common Dreams and The Daily Caller

Speaker Nancy Pelosi:
Pelosi Invites President Trump to Deliver State of the Union Address

Discussion: Axios

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

Discussion: ABC News, Axios, The Daily Beast, Washington Post, Breitbart, Vox, The Week, twitchy.com, IJR, Daily Kos and Shakesville

Sarah Ferris / Politico:
Urgency builds to end shutdown as House prepares to vote

Discussion: Axios, RedState and Breitbart

Martin O'Malley / Des Moines Register:

Here's who I'd like to see run for president. (Hint: It's not me) — Voters want Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders to run in the 2020 Presidential election, a new poll suggests. Veuer's Sam Berman has the full story. — Former Democratic candidate makes his pick for 2020

Discussion: Politico, Breitbart, Washington Post, National Review, IJR, NTK Network, The Daily Caller, CBS Baltimore and Washington Free Beacon

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Dianne Feinstein's 2020 pick: Joe Biden — Dianne Feinstein's California colleague Kamala Harris may run for president. But Feinstein already has her preferred candidate in mind: Joe Biden. — The Democratic senator, fresh off reelection to a fifth term, told a pair of reporters …

Discussion: Breitbart, RedState, Daily Wire, IJR, TheBlaze, Axios, Washington Free Beacon, Splinter, The Daily Caller and Roll Call

David Brock / NBC News:
Bernie Sanders' fans can't be allowed to poison another Democratic primary with personal attacks

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon

Jennifer Haberkorn / Los Angeles Times:
Feinstein says she supports Joe Biden for 2020, and notes that Sen. Kamala Harris is ‘brand new here’

Discussion: KTLA, twitchy.com and Washington Free Beacon

New York Times:

White House Mulls Jim Webb, Ex-Democratic Senator, as Next Defense Secretary — WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is considering Jim Webb, a former Democratic senator and Reagan-era secretary of the Navy, to be the next defense secretary, according to three officials …

Discussion: Foreign Policy, Politico, The Atlantic, CNN, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Task & Purpose, Political Wire, Washington Times and Talking Points Memo

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

GOP senator calls on Congress to end shutdown without border deal — Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), who faces a potentially tough re-election in 2020, says Congress should re-open the federal government, even without a deal on funding President Trump's border wall.

Discussion: Politico, Talking Points Memo and Political Wire

Washington Post:

Justice Dept. investigating whether Zinke lied to inspector general — The Justice Department's public integrity section is examining whether newly departed Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke lied to his agency's inspector general investigators, according to three people familiar with the matter …

Discussion: Bloomberg, Washington Times, Breitbart, Raw Story, Washington Press, Common Dreams, CNN, Splinter, The Daily Caller, Law & Crime, Axios and Talking Points Memo

Tucker Carlson / Fox News:

Mitt Romney supports the status quo. But for everyone else, it's infuriating — Newly-elected Utah senator Mitt Romney kicked off 2019 with an op-ed in the Washington Post that savaged Donald Trump's character and leadership. Romney's attack and Trump's response Wednesday morning on Twitter …

Rod Dreher / The American Conservative: Tucker Carlson For President

Daniel W. Drezner / Washington Post:
The very odd game theory of the 2020 GOP presidential primary

Discussion: Washington Examiner, American Greatness, Bloomberg, IJR and Hot Air

Terry Glavin / Macleans.ca:

The terrifying depths of Donald Trump's ignorance, in a single quote — It's been two years since a reality-television mogul, billionaire real estate grifter and sleazy beauty-pageant impresario who somehow ended up on the Republican ticket in the 2016 U.S. presidential election …

David Frum / The Atlantic:

Why Is Trump Spouting Russian Propaganda? — It was only one moment in a 90-minute stream of madness. — President Donald Trump convened a Cabinet meeting, at which he invited all its members to praise him for his stance on the border wall and the government shutdown.

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, Raw Story, Just Security, CANNONFIRE, Defense One and Outside the Beltway

Miriam Jordan / New York Times:

Undocumented Worker Says Trump Resort Shielded Her From Secret Service — A former employee of the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey said that her name was removed from a list of workers to be vetted by the Secret Service after she reminded management that she was unlawfully in the United States …

Discussion: Raw Story

Washington Post: Former Trump club employee says management kept her off Secret Service screening list because she is undocumented

Neil MacFarquhar / New York Times:

Paul Whelan, American Accused of Spying, Is Said to Be Charged in Russia — MOSCOW — The Russian authorities have brought espionage charges against an American citizen, Paul N. Whelan, who faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, the news agency Interfax reported on Thursday.

Discussion: Meduza.io, The Daily Caller, Law & Crime and RedState

Washington Post:
Russia has formally charged Paul Whelan, an American citizen, with espionage, Interfax news agency reports

Discussion: Task & Purpose

Brian Stelter / CNN:

NBC News veteran warns of ‘Trump circus’ in 2,228-word farewell — New York (CNN Business)There are goodbye notes — and then there's William Arkin's frustrated farewell to NBC News. — Arkin's 2,228-word memo to his colleagues says that his time at NBC News has been “gratifying.”

Discussion: The Intercept, Common Dreams and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

Christine Stapleton / Palm Beach Post:

As Democrats take the House, GOP takes a beating along motorcade route — As Democrats prepared to take over the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday morning, an anti-Trump political action committee took aim at the GOP with a new billboard along the presidential motorcade route in West Palm Beach.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Josh Lederman / NBC News:

Rubio, top GOP senators hit back at Trump's Syria pullout with sanctions bill — They can't make Trump keep troops in Syria. They've asked for increased sanctions on Syria instead. — WASHINGTON — On the first day of the new Senate, top Republicans are pushing back on President Trump's move …

Discussion: The Week

New York Times:

Full Shutdown of L Train to Be Halted by Cuomo — [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo plans to announce Thursday that the L train subway tunnel will not fully shut down in April as planned in what would have been one of the …

Discussion: Second Ave. Sagas and Gothamist

Jason Meisner / Chicago Tribune:

Feds charge powerful Ald. Edward Burke with attempted extortion — Ald. Edward Burke has been charged with attempted extortion after the FBI raided his City Hall and Southwest Side ward offices. — Longtime Ald. Edward Burke, one of Chicago's most powerful figures and a vestige …

Discussion: Chicago Sun Times and Breitbart

CNN:

A Florida girl had her SAT result flagged. She says she didn't cheat and hires famous lawyer. — (CNN)Kamilah Campbell wants to go to Florida State University and major in dance. She has a 3.1 grade point average and a lifetime of dance experience. — But after getting her score …

Discussion: The Root and Daily Wire

William Kristol / The Bulwark:

Trump Allies Try to Rig the 2020 GOP Nomination … Trump supporters on the Republican National Committee jumped to argue for changing party rules to aid Trump's renomination prospects in 2020. In particular, Jevon Williams, national committeeman from the Virgin Islands …

Andrea Ruth / RedState:

Attacks On Ocasio-Cortez Are Reaching Self-Defeating Levels — One of the features of 2018 politics was the ascension of the Right's favorite young, upstart Socialist defeating a longtime Democratic incumbent representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Discussion: BostonGlobe.com, Talking Points Memo and Boston Magazine

CBS News:

The interview Egypt's government doesn't want on TV — In an interview with 60 Minutes the Egyptian government later asked not be shown, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi denies estimates of 60,000 political prisoners in his country. See the full interview, Sunday, January 6 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Eric Connor / Greenville News:

Trey Gowdy swears off politics as he joins power firm Nelson Mullins in Greenville — Former U.S. Congressman Trey Gowdy, who elevated his profile in American politics leading several high-profile government investigations, has joined the Greenville office of power law firm Nelson, Mullins …

Discussion: Raw Story and Talking Points Memo

travel.state.gov:

China Travel Advisory — Exercise increased caution in China due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws as well as special restrictions on dual U.S.-Chinese nationals. — Chinese authorities have asserted broad authority to prohibit U.S. citizens from leaving China by using 'exit bans …

Discussion: CNBC, Breitbart, TheStreet, The Guardian and TheBlaze

The Economist:

The radical agenda of Brazil's new president — He has a chance to transform his country but he may do it grave harm — “Hope, finally, defeated fear,” declared Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva upon becoming Brazil's president 16 years ago. Many Brazilians greeted the election of Lula …

Adam Nagourney / New York Times:

‘What Will I Not Miss?’ In California, a Long Farewell From Jerry Brown — WILLIAMS, Calif. — It's time to add another name to the farewell tour circuit in this year of Elton John, Joan Baez, Paul Simon and Ozzy Osbourne: Edmund G. Brown Jr., the governor of California.

Matthew Choi / Politico:

Trump makes surprise appearance in briefing room to defend the shutdown — President Donald Trump made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room on Thursday, offering a vigorous defense of his demands for billions in border wall funding that has resulted in a prolonged government shutdown.

Discussion: Washington Post, ABC News and The Hill

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Trump Has Officially Made ‘Conservative Ethics’ an Oxymoron — The conservative intelligentsia initially greeted the rise of Donald Trump with revulsion. After some of them peeled off, a minority remained within the party tent on the grounds that they could support Trump's policy goals without endorsing his grotesque character.

Discussion: Daily Wire, National Review and Breitbart