Top Items:
BBC:
Andrew Neil takes on US conservative Ben Shapiro — He has more than 2 million followers on Twitter, 600,000 YouTube subscribers and his videos on the Daily Wire channel rack up millions of views. — Ben Shapiro is a controversial figure but one of the US' leading conservative political commentators.
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Wrap and Boing Boing
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Cockburn / Spectator USA:
WATCH VIDEO: Ben Shapiro has mega TANTRUM on the BBC — Ben Shapiro is the famous, fast-talking pundit who regularly ‘owns’ aggressive campus students with his quick wit and rapid repartee. — Alas, Shapiro isn't so ‘crazy smart’ when he comes up against difficult questions from a real interviewer.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and HillReporter.com
Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast:
Ben Shapiro Storms Out of BBC Interview: 'I'm Popular and No One's Ever Heard of You' — Facts did not care about Ben Shapiro's feelings. — Right-wing commentator and “cool kids' philosopher” Ben Shapiro stormed out of a contentious BBC interview on Thursday after accusing the conservative host …
Jack Crosbie / Splinter:
Please Enjoy Ben Shapiro Melting Down and Running Out of a BBC Interview — Ben Shapiro, the right-wing “thinker,” baby Hitler-defender and former toothbrush startup-endorser, rose to fame thanks to his combative, shrill interview style that promised TOTAL DESTRUCTION of any liberal talking point or talking head he encountered.
Discussion:
Joe.My.God.
Kenneth P. Vogel / New York Times:
Rudy Giuliani Plans Ukraine Trip to Push for Inquiries That Could Help Trump — WASHINGTON — Rudolph W. Giuliani, President Trump's personal lawyer, is encouraging Ukraine to wade further into sensitive political issues in the United States, seeking to push the incoming government in Kiev …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, ABC News, ThinkProgress, Rolling Stone, CNN, Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, Vanity Fair, KTLA, Raw Story, Shakesville, Balloon Juice, Washington Post, Joe.My.God., CNBC, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, No More Mister Nice Blog, Althouse, Shareblue Media, Observer, HillReporter.com, News Agency UNIAN, Boing Boing, Washington Times, Mediaite, The Week and New York Post
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Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Trump is Pressuring Ukraine to Smear Clinton and Biden — In 2016, Donald Trump's campaign learned Russia was working to help him win, and many of its members actively sought to exploit that assistance. In 2020, now possessing the powers of the Executive Branch, it's pressuring …
Discussion:
Fox News, Raw Story, Washington Post, The Daily Beast and Mediaite
Zachary Basu / Axios:
Schiff on Giuliani's Ukraine trip: “It just takes your breath away” — House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told Axios' Mike Allen Friday that Rudy Giuliani's trip to Ukraine to ask Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate opponents of President Trump is an example of the …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, POLITICUSUSA, Talking Points Memo, Hullabaloo and Raw Story
Politico:
House Intel Republicans offer rare praise for Adam Schiff — Republicans once called for Schiff's resignation. Now they credit him with bringing the committee together. — President Donald Trump and Republicans have harangued House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Daily Kos
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New York Times:
Allies of Trump's Son Declare War on G.O.P.-Led Senate Panel After Subpoena
Allies of Trump's Son Declare War on G.O.P.-Led Senate Panel After Subpoena
Discussion:
AOL.com, Washington Post, VICE News, Outside the Beltway, The Week and Raw Story
Jordain Carney / The Hill:
McConnell: Trump shouldn't worry about Trump Jr. subpoena
McConnell: Trump shouldn't worry about Trump Jr. subpoena
Discussion:
Daily Wire, Shareblue Media and Political Wire
Jacqueline Alemany / Washington Post:
Power Up: McConnell holds reins in GOP's Don Jr. fight
Power Up: McConnell holds reins in GOP's Don Jr. fight
Discussion:
Raw Story, Politico and Hullabaloo
Mike Allen / Axios:
Scoop: Donald Trump Jr.'s endgame
Scoop: Donald Trump Jr.'s endgame
Discussion:
National Review, Salon, Jezebel, Raw Story and Mediaite
Andrew Egger / The Bulwark:
Trump Drops the Fig Leaf on Trade — Contra his advisers, the president does not see tariffs as a means to an end, but as an end. — There has always been a massive contradiction at the heart of the Trump administration's trade policy. For two years, the president has pursued …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Breitbart and Outside the Beltway
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Karen Yeung / South China Morning Post:
Will China use its US$1.2 trillion of US debt to fight the trade war?
Will China use its US$1.2 trillion of US debt to fight the trade war?
Discussion:
Politico
Derek Wallbank / Bloomberg:
Trump Baffles With ‘No Rush’ China Trade Tweet, Delete, Retweet
Trump Baffles With ‘No Rush’ China Trade Tweet, Delete, Retweet
Discussion:
CNBC, Sputnik International, IJR, Daily Wire and Political Wire
Joe McDonald / Associated Press:
US hikes tariffs on Chinese goods, Beijing vows retaliation
US hikes tariffs on Chinese goods, Beijing vows retaliation
Discussion:
Marketplace, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, ThinkProgress, Vanity Fair, CNBC, Washington Post and Joe.My.God.
Michelle Goldberg / New York Times:
If This Is a Constitutional Crisis, Act Like It — Democrats in Congress need to deploy all their powers, including impeachment. — In their best-selling 2018 book “How Democracies Die,” the Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt wrote about the concept of “constitutional hardball …
Discussion:
Reuters, Raw Story, Common Dreams, Law & Crime, Daily Kos, The Hill and Washington Press
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Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Here's why Democrats may rethink impeaching Trump
Here's why Democrats may rethink impeaching Trump
Discussion:
Raw Story and Informed Comment
Morgan Chalfant / The Hill:
Nadler says Mueller will not testify next week
Nadler says Mueller will not testify next week
Discussion:
Axios, Sputnik International, The Week, Daily Kos and CNN
Tracy Jan / Washington Post:
HUD says 55,000 children could be displaced under Trump plan to evict undocumented immigrants — The Department of Housing and Urban Development acknowledged that a Trump administration plan to purge undocumented immigrants from public housing could displace more than 55,000 children, all of whom are legal U.S. residents or citizens.
Discussion:
ABC News, Axios, Law & Crime, Daily Kos, Curbed, The Nation, Slate, Shakesville, Joe.My.God., Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA, Splinter and Shareblue Media
RELATED:
Eric Talmadge / Associated Press:
Experts see Russia fingerprints on North Korea's new missile — TOKYO (AP) — The three new missiles North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has tested over the past week are eerily familiar to military experts: They look just like a controversial and widely copied missile the Russian military …
Discussion:
Politico, CBS News and Wall Street Journal
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Jim Baker / Lawfare:
Why I Do Not Hate Donald Trump — Many people would probably believe me justified in hating Donald Trump. — While I was general counsel of the FBI, I watched the president fire my boss and friend, Jim Comey. I've read and heard the many false statements that the president and his supporters have made about him.
Sean Illing / Vox:
How golf explains Trump. Seriously. — “This guy cheats like a mafia accountant.” — Have you ever won a tournament you never competed in? Have you ever stolen the ball from an opponent to gain a competitive advantage? — If the answer to either or both of those questions is no, then you're not cheating at the highest level.
Discussion:
Business Insider, Contemptor, VICE, Joe.My.God., Mediaite and Common Dreams
Valerie Volcovici / Reuters:
Exclusive: Presidential hopeful Biden looking for ‘middle ground’ climate policy — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden is crafting a climate change policy he hopes will appeal to both environmentalists and the blue-collar voters that elected Donald Trump …
Discussion:
Sludge, Washington Post, Mediaite, Splinter, The Daily Caller, Axios, Common Dreams, The Week and twitchy.com
Will Sommer / The Daily Beast:
Shocker! The GoFundMe Campaign to Build the Wall Is a Bust — And now, the donors to the effort are demanding answers. … Back in December, Washington state Trump supporter Joshua Greene donated a small amount of money to the crowdfunding effort to build a wall along the southern U.S. border.
Discussion:
Raw Story and The New Civil Rights Movement
Jess Bravin / Wall Street Journal:
John Paul Stevens Worries About the Court — A retired Supreme Court justice wants his former colleagues to adhere to precedent and the president to comply with subpoenas — At 99, John Paul Stevens can remember a time when a Supreme Court nomination prompted minimal controversy …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Tim Mak / NPR:
Exclusive: Documents Detail Meetings Of Russians With Treasury, Federal Reserve — Newly obtained documents describe what happened when two now-infamous Russians took their outreach campaign into the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve in 2015. — Alexander Torshin …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Anthony Izaguirre / Associated Press:
Schedules show West Virginia governor largely absent in job — CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — He's a billionaire who owns mines, farms and the swankiest resort in all of West Virginia. But how Jim Justice spends his time as the state's 36th governor has largely been a mystery.
Robert Burns / Associated Press:
Pentagon shifting $1.5 billion to border wall construction — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is shifting $1.5 billion in funds originally targeted for support of the Afghan security forces and other projects to help pay for construction of 80 miles of wall at the U.S.-Mexican border, officials said Friday.
Discussion:
Axios, Joe.My.God. and Roll Call
Zachary Basu / Axios:
Schiff considers fining Trump officials held in contempt $25,000 a day — House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told Axios' Mike Allen Friday that the House is considering reviving its “inherent contempt” power, which would allow Congress to enforce subpoenas through coercive measures like fines.
Discussion:
RealClearPolitics, Splinter, ABC News, Townhall, HillReporter.com, Joe.My.God. and The Daily Caller
Kansas City Star:
‘We have a God-given right to discriminate.’ Is this the state Missouri wants to be? — BY THE KANSAS CITY STAR EDITORIAL BOARD — Ron Calzone, a conservative activist from Dixon, Missouri, had something to say. — The Missouri House Committee on General Laws heard testimony Wednesday …
Discussion:
Raw Story and ThinkProgress
Michael Kruse / Politico:
Beto's Long History of Failing Upward — AMES, Iowa—The presidential run of Beto O'Rourke is a profoundly personality-driven exercise, his charisma and Kennedy-esque demeanor the topic of one profile after another, so it's surprising to listen to his speeches on the stump in which he doesn't talk a whole lot about himself.
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Washington Free Beacon, The Resurgent and twitchy.com
Elaina Plott / The Atlantic:
The End of the Innocuous White House Visit — The Boston Red Sox owner Tom Werner says he traveled to the White House on Thursday with an “apolitical” agenda in mind. It was neither a “red day” nor a “blue day,” he would stress later that afternoon to reporters—just a “great day” …
Discussion:
Fox News, Washington Times and New York Post
Associated Press:
US B-52 bombers land in Qatar over unspecified Iran threat — DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — B-52 bombers ordered by the White House to deploy to the Persian Gulf to counter unspecified threats from Iran have arrived at a major American air base in Qatar, the U.S. Air Force acknowledged Friday.
Discussion:
NBC News and Boing Boing