Top Items:
Associated Press:
AP-NORC poll: Shutdown drags Trump approval to yearlong low — WASHINGTON (AP) — A strong majority of Americans blame President Donald Trump for the government shutdown and reject his primary rationale for a border wall. That's according to a new poll that shows the turmoil in Washington …
Discussion:
The Hill, POLITICUSUSA and Political Wire
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CBS News:
Pelosi has edge over Trump on budget negotiations, CBS News poll shows — Seven in 10 Americans don't think the issue of a border wall is worth a government shutdown, which they say is now having a negative impact on the country. But partisans don't want their own side to budge …
Rebecca Morin / Politico:
Poll: Shutdown, Russia drive Trump to all-time high disapproval
Poll: Shutdown, Russia drive Trump to all-time high disapproval
Discussion:
Vox, The Hill, Outside the Beltway, The Nation, Mediaite, POLITICUSUSA, The Week, Axios, Political Wire and Public Policy Polling, more at Mediagazer »
Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
The GOP is in a very familiar shutdown position: Losing it badly
The GOP is in a very familiar shutdown position: Losing it badly
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
Jonathan Cohn / HuffPost:
Medicare For All Looks Good In New Poll, But There's A Big Asterisk
Medicare For All Looks Good In New Poll, But There's A Big Asterisk
Discussion:
The Henry J. Kaiser …, Washington Monthly, Washington Post, The Daily Caller and TheBlaze
Washington Post:
Pelosi tells Trump: No State of the Union address in the House until government is opened — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will not allow President Trump to deliver the State of the Union in the House chamber next week, writing to him on Wednesday afternoon that he can give …
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New York Times:
Trump Says He Will Explore Alternatives After Pelosi Says No State of the Union Until Shutdown Ends — WASHINGTON — President Trump said he would look for alternative venues for his State of the Union address on Tuesday, appearing to capitulate after Speaker Nancy Pelosi again told …
Discussion:
Power Line, Raw Story and Political Wire
Pelosi / Speaker Nancy Pelosi:
Pelosi Sends Letter to President Trump on the State of the Union Address
Pelosi Sends Letter to President Trump on the State of the Union Address
Discussion:
National Review, CNN, ABC News, IJR and The Daily Signal
The White House:
A Letter from the President to Speaker Pelosi
A Letter from the President to Speaker Pelosi
Discussion:
POLITICUSUSA, Daily Kos, TheBlaze, Common Dreams, RedState, IJR and Splinter
Susan Ferrechio / Washington Examiner:
Pelosi responds: No State of the Union for Trump unless the shutdown ends
Paul Waldman / Washington Post:
The Trump-Pelosi war just intensified. We're in for two years of crisis.
The Trump-Pelosi war just intensified. We're in for two years of crisis.
Discussion:
Vox, Shareblue Media, Breitbart and The Mahablog
Ken Dilanian / NBC News:
House Democrats probe how Jared Kushner got security clearance — The probe was launched “in response to grave breaches of national security at the highest levels of the Trump administration,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings. — The House Oversight Committee is launching an investigation …
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Jonathan Swan / Axios:
A “go big” idea to end the shutdown
A “go big” idea to end the shutdown
Discussion:
Washington Post, Politico, ABC News, illegal immigration …, One America News Network, The Week, Daily Wire, NBC News, National Review and Raw Story
Zachary Basu / Axios:
Michael Cohen postpones House testimony, blames Trump “threats”
Michael Cohen postpones House testimony, blames Trump “threats”
Discussion:
Politico, ABC News and One America News Network
Allegra Kirkland / Talking Points Memo:
Cohen Postpones House Testimony Over Trump's ‘Threats Against His Family’
Cohen Postpones House Testimony Over Trump's ‘Threats Against His Family’
Discussion:
Hullabaloo
Washington Post:
White House seeks list of programs that would be hurt if shutdown lasts into March — White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney has pressed agency leaders to provide him with a list of the highest-impact programs that will be jeopardized if the shutdown continues into March and April, people familiar with the directive said.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, CNBC, Raw Story and Political Wire
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Washington Post:
Venezuelan opposition leader declares himself president; U.S. promptly recognizes him as interim president — CARACAS, Venezuela — President Nicolás Maduro on Wednesday faced the gravest challenge to his authority since assuming power in 2013, as the U.S.-backed opposition claimed …
Discussion:
Vox, The Week, Florida Politics and Lawyers, Guns & Money
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Ana Vanessa Herrero / New York Times:
Maduro Cuts Ties with U.S. After Trump Recognizes New Leader in Venezuela — CARACAS, Venezuela — President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela scrapped all diplomatic ties with the United States on Wednesday and gave American diplomats 72 hours to leave, ordering them out with a derisive …
Discussion:
Home Page Rotator, Wall Street Journal, Hit & Run and TheBlaze
Wall Street Journal:
BuzzFeed to Cut 15% of Its Workforce — Layoffs could affect about 250 jobs across the company — BuzzFeed is planning to lay off about 15% of its workforce, according to people familiar with the situation, as the company seeks to reorient itself in a shifting digital-media landscape.
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CNN:
BuzzFeed to cut 15% of staff in new round of layoffs — New York (CNN)BuzzFeed is preparing to announce a significant round of layoffs, according to sources familiar with the matter. — The coming contraction is the latest example of digital media companies having to make cutbacks in a difficult operating environment.
Discussion:
New York Times and Mediaite
Olivia Messer / The Daily Beast:
Covington Catholic Teen on ‘Fox & Friends’: Blackface Is ‘School Spirit’ — 'We haven't been able to wear black paint because of the video, but I know the kids meant nothing by it,' one senior explained to Steve Doocy. — Covington Catholic High School's increasing notoriety has only pushed it further into the mud.
Discussion:
Vox, HuffPost, The Daily Banter and The Root
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Jonathan Capehart / Washington Post:
Nothing justifies what the Covington students did
Nothing justifies what the Covington students did
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The New Neo and Washington Free Beacon
Adam Serwer / The Atlantic:
The Trump-Era Overcorrection
The Trump-Era Overcorrection
Discussion:
The Federalist, Patreon, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Post and The Guardian
Jordain Carney / The Hill:
McConnell blocks bill to reopen most of government — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blocked legislation on Wednesday that would reopen most of the government currently closed during the partial shutdown. — Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) went to the Senate floor to ask for consent …
Discussion:
TheBlaze
RELATED:
Cristina Marcos / The Hill:
Top Dem: We would support $5.7B for a ‘smart wall’ — House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) on Wednesday said Democrats would be willing to provide $5.7 billion in border security funding to end the shutdown if the money is used for measures like a “smart wall.”
Discussion:
Common Dreams, Splinter, Politico and Washington Post
Alexander Burns / New York Times:
Biden's Paid Speech Buoyed the G.O.P. in Midwest Battleground — A speech by Joe Biden in October helped Fred Upton, a vulnerable Republican, win re-election in Michigan. — Mr. Biden, who earned $200,000 for the speech, stunned Democrats and elated Republicans by praising Mr. Upton …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Splinter, Raw Story, The Week and Detroit Metro Times
Doha Madani / NBC News:
Five people shot dead at SunTrust Bank in Florida, suspect in custody — The Highlands County sheriff's office said a SWAT team stormed the bank after negotiations failed and the suspect “eventually surrendered.” — A suspected gunman was in custody Wednesday after five people were shot dead …
RELATED:
CNN:
At least 5 people killed at SunTrust Bank in Sebring, Florida, police say
At least 5 people killed at SunTrust Bank in Sebring, Florida, police say
Discussion:
KFOR-TV, The Daily Beast, fox13now.com and TheBlaze
Jeff Weiner / Sun-Sentinel:
‘Several down’ after shooting, hostage situation at SunTrust bank in Sebring, Florida, reports say
‘Several down’ after shooting, hostage situation at SunTrust bank in Sebring, Florida, reports say
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Breitbart and Raw Story
Katherine Clarke / Wall Street Journal:
Billionaire Ken Griffin Buys America's Most Expensive Home for $238 Million — The record-breaking purchase of a New York City penthouse is the latest in a string of multimillion-dollar real-estate deals by the hedge-fund manager — Billionaire Ken Griffin, who is becoming almost as known …
Discussion:
Curbed NY, Joe.My.God., Mother Jones and The Real Deal New York
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Tim Murphy / Mother Jones:
Here's Video of Beto O'Rourke Singing “Blitzkrieg Bop” in a Sheep Mask and Onesie — By now, most people who follow national politics have probably heard that Beto O'Rourke, the former Democratic congressman from El Paso who is contemplating a run for president, once played bass in a punk rock band called Foss.
Discussion:
The Week, Splinter, The Daily Caller and twitchy.com
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Jonathan V. Last / The Bulwark:
Kamala Harris's Logo Is a Disaster. Here's Why. — Does bad graphic design doom good candidates? Or do lousy candidates inspire bad graphic design? — Back in 2016, I was pretty bullish on Marco Rubio's presidential prospects—right up until the moment I saw this: — The candidate's name in lower case?
Maxwell Tani / The Daily Beast:
Gawker 2.0 Implodes as Its Only Reporters Quit — The new site's only two full-time writers exited Wednesday in protest of editorial director Carson Griffith's offensive remarks about everything from race to penis size. — Gawker 2. is blowing up on the launchpad just two weeks after the site's …
Discussion:
Breitbart and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
Brian Hiatt / Rolling Stone:
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey: The Rolling Stone Interview — Sometimes 280 characters just aren't enough. The social media mogul takes on his critics — and tries to explain who he really is — When Jack Dorsey co-founded Twitter in 2006, he had no idea he and his colleagues were creating …
Hamza Shaban / Washington Post:
Billionaires in Davos hate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's 70% tax on the rich — When billionaire chief executive Michael Dell was asked on Wednesday whether he would support a proposal put forth by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) to tax millionaires at a 70 percent tax rate …
Discussion:
Mother Jones
Nicholas Fandos / New York Times:
Sheila Jackson Lee Leaves 2 Posts After Aide Says She Was Fired for Reporting Sexual Assault — WASHINGTON — Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, facing blowback from a lawsuit claiming she fired an aide who said she was sexually assaulted by a supervisor at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation …
Akela Lacy / The Intercept:
Trump Administration Grants South Carolina Foster Care Agencies Authority to Discriminate Against Jewish and Muslim Families — The Trump administration on Wednesday made a quiet move that opens the door for the religious right to use the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act to discriminate …
Mary Spicuzza / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Milwaukee secures line of credit for its 2020 Democratic convention bid, clearing last major hurdle … (Photo: Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) — Organizers of Milwaukee's bid for the 2020 Democratic National Convention have cleared the last major hurdle in the city's quest …
Discussion:
Political Wire