Top Items:
The Guardian:
Trump Fed pick was held in contempt for failing to pay ex-wife over $300,000 — Records obtained by Guardian show Stephen Moore reprimanded by judge for not paying alimony, child support and other debts — Stephen Moore, the economics commentator chosen by Donald Trump for a seat …
Discussion:
Political Wire, Raw Story and Vanity Fair
New York Times:
After Trump Casts Blame for a Special Olympics Cut, Betsy DeVos Flashes Pique — WASHINGTON — After a two-day thrashing over her department's proposal to eliminate funding for the Special Olympics, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos sat before senators on Thursday ready to defend it again.
Discussion:
Eduwonk
RELATED:
Washington Post:
With social program fights, some Republicans fear being seen as the party of the 1 percent — President Trump boasted this week that the Republican Party will soon be known as “the party of great health care.” — But a growing number of Republicans fear that it risks being tagged as the party …
Discussion:
POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story, Politico, Washington Examiner, KGAN, Christian Science Monitor, The Root, Vanity Fair, The Democrats, Daily Kos, Washington Times and ThinkProgress
Alexi McCammond / Axios:
The Beto effect": Republicans starting to lose their grip in Texas — EL PASO — Beto O'Rourke, announcing for president Saturday with three rallies in Texas, is a sign of changing Lone Star politics: Republicans have started to lose their grip. — Catch up quick: Brendan Steinhouser …
RELATED:
Dan Balz / Washington Post:
Beto O'Rourke's presidential campaign can't be like his Senate campaign — No one in the field of Democratic presidential candidates has been the subject of more hype — and, recently, more skepticism — than Beto O'Rourke. To go from a losing Senate campaign in Texas to a run for the White House is hardly a normal path in politics.
Calvin Woodward / Associated Press:
AP FACT CHECK: Trump twists facts of a migrant girl's death — FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2018, file photo, Annunciation House director Ruben Garcia answers questions from the media after reading a statement from the family of Jakelin Caal Maquin, pictured at left, during a press briefing at Casa Vides in downtown El Paso, Texas.
RELATED:
Lucy Flores / The Cut:
An Awkward Kiss Changed How I Saw Joe Biden — In 2014, I was the 35-year-old Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in Nevada. The landscape wasn't looking good for my party that year. There were no high-profile national races to help boost turnout, and after the top candidate bowed …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Townhall, The College Fix, RedState, Politico, New York Post, The Daily Beast, New York Times, Chicks On The Right, NPR, Liberty Unyielding, Outside the Beltway, Fox News, Conservative News Today, IJR, The Sun, Mercury News, The Daily Caller, Althouse, Instapundit, Patterico's Pontifications, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Week, twitchy.com, FOX31 Denver, Daily Wire, TheBlaze, CNN, Mediaite, Washington Free Beacon, Vanity Fair, Front Page Magazine, Splinter and Slate
RELATED:
Sally Yates / Washington Post:
William Barr should release the full Mueller report as soon as possible — The writer served as deputy attorney general from January 2015 to January 2017. — America's justice system is built upon one thing — truth. When witnesses give testimony, they are sworn to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”
Discussion:
The Hill
RELATED:
New York Times:
2020 Democrats Love Small Donors. But Some Really Love Big Donors Too. — Senator Cory Booker spun through a San Francisco fund-raiser hosted on Friday afternoon by high-tech titans and wealthy venture capitalists, including the investor Ron Conway. That evening, in New York …
Washington Post:
Trump's barometer for success following Russia investigation's end — TV ratings — After President Trump vowed to take credit for shutting down the government over border wall funding during a televised Oval Office meeting with Democratic leaders in December, West Wing aides sprung into overdrive to clean up the mess.
Discussion:
Contemptor, Mediaite, Liberty Unyielding and PolitiFact
Kim Foxx / Chicago Tribune:
Commentary: Kim Foxx: I welcome an outside review of how we handled the Jussie Smollett case — Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx prepares to speak to the media on Jan. 8, 2019. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) — Let's talk about the Jussie Smollett case.
Discussion:
Fox News, Page Six, Chicago Sun-Times and The Daily Beast
James Arkin / Politico:
Stacey Abrams builds massive political network ahead of 2020 decision — Stacey Abrams is set to reveal soon whether she'll run for president or senator or something else. — But in recent months, the Democrat has mounted a nationwide, largely below-the-radar effort to expand her donor …
Discussion:
POLITICUSUSA
Scott Johnson / Power Line:
John Brennan: From spittle to flop sweat — Among the high former Obama administration officials who have disgraced themselves by their public comments since leaving office, John Brennan deserves special recognition. Marc Thiessen has done us the favor of making the case in the Washington Post column …
Discussion:
Instapundit, Tennessee Star and Fox News
Douglas Preston / New Yorker:
The Day the Dinosaurs Died — A young paleontologist may have discovered a record of the most significant event in the history of life on Earth. — If, on a certain evening about sixty-six million years ago, you had stood somewhere in North America and looked up at the sky …
Discussion:
GeekWire and New York Times
Jordain Carney / The Hill:
GOP shifts focus to investigating Obama officials — Republicans are setting their sights on top Obama-era officials as they plan their own probe into the 2016 election. — Eager to move on from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference and the Trump campaign …
Discussion:
Hullabaloo and POLITICUSUSA
Katie Rogers / New York Times:
White House Blames Fed for Slowing Economic Growth — President Trump and his top economic adviser criticized the Federal Reserve's recent interest rate increases again on Friday, blaming the central bank for hindering economic growth while denying any suggestion of a looming slowdown.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and TheStreet
Bret Stephens / New York Times:
The Foreign Policy Fiasco That Wasn't — Withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal has paid dividends. — It's been nearly a year since Donald Trump made the decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, to loud cries that it would bring nothing but woe to the United States and our interests in the Middle East.
Rob Price / Business Insider:
Years of Mark Zuckerberg's old Facebook posts have vanished. The company says it ‘mistakenly deleted’ them. — Some old Facebook posts by CEO Mark Zuckerberg have disappeared, and the company says it “mistakenly deleted” them. — “A few years ago some of Mark's posts were mistakenly deleted due to technical errors.
Alex Emmons / The Intercept:
In Leaked Recording, Cory Booker Says He and AIPAC President “Text Message Back and Forth Like Teenagers” — In a closed-door meeting with activists from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Tuesday, presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., spoke about working closely …
Discussion:
Jerusalem Post
Andrew Sullivan / New York Magazine:
Why the Mueller Summary Is a Big Win for America — Why do I find the summary of the Mueller report by Attorney General William Barr to be something of a relief? — Firstly, I'm relieved as an American that a serious and dogged prosecutor deemed it impossible to prove beyond a reasonable doubt …
Emily Shugerman / The Daily Beast:
Heartbeat Abortion Bills Were Once a Fringe Idea. Could They Overturn Roe v. Wade? — Three states have enacted heartbeat bills. Ten more are considering them. — When anti-abortion activist Janet Porter first introduced the idea of a “heartbeat” bill in 2011, she was almost laughed out of the room.
Wall Street Journal:
OxyContin-Maker Owner Maligned Opioid Addicts, Suit Says — New portions of lawsuit against opioid makers allege more details of how the Sackler family operated the company — In early 2001, Purdue Pharma LP executives discussed how to respond to abuse of the company's five-year-old prescription painkiller OxyContin.
Discussion:
Slate
Vivian Wang / New York Times:
N.Y. Had a Plan for a ‘Pied-à-Terre’ Tax on Expensive Homes. The Real Estate Industry Stopped It. — ALBANY — When state leaders rallied this month behind a proposal to tax luxury second homes in New York City, it seemed to encapsulate the goals of the Capitol's new Democratic leadership …