Top Items:
New York Times:
Trump Envoys Pushed Ukraine to Commit to Investigating Biden — WASHINGTON — Two of President Trump's top envoys to Ukraine worked on a statement for the country's new president in August that would have committed Ukraine to pursuing investigations sought by Mr. Trump into his political rivals …
Discussion:
Politico, Axios, KTLA, The Week, NBC News, Wall Street Journal, Slate, CNN, Vanity Fair, POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story, Splinter, Mediaite, Political Wire and Associated Press
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Wall Street Journal:
Trump Ordered Ukraine Ambassador Removed After Complaints From Giuliani, Others — Marie Yovanovitch dismissed after Trump allies said she was blocking Biden probe and bad-mouthing president, people familiar with the matter say — WASHINGTON—President Trump ordered the removal of the ambassador …
Discussion:
CNN, Raw Story, The Week, Splinter, HuffPost, The Lid, The Atlantic, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Axios, Bloomberg, KTLA, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Politico and Washington Post
Washington Post:
IRS whistleblower said to report Treasury political appointee might have tried to interfere in audit of Trump or Pence — An Internal Revenue Service official has filed a whistleblower complaint reporting that he was told at least one Treasury Department political appointee attempted …
CNN:
Trump raised Biden with Xi in June call housed in highly secure server — Washington (CNN)When President Donald Trump suggested — without prompting — that China should investigate Joe Biden and his son, he thrust another political grudge into what was already the world's most complicated and consequential relationship.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Washington Post, Washington Monthly, Associated Press, Common Dreams, Just Security, Raw Story, Shareblue Media, The Week, HuffPost, The Sun, Mercury News, Occupy Democrats, The Gateway Pundit, Talking Points Memo, The Guardian, Balloon Juice, CANNONFIRE, Denver Post and twitchy.com
Molly Beck / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Ron Johnson OK with President Trump asking China to investigate 2020 political rival — U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., speaks with members of the media after meeting with the Middleton Chamber of Commerce at Serendipity Labs in Madison on Thursday. Johnson Thursday said that there was nothing wrong …
Discussion:
Law & Crime, Fox News, Splinter, New York Magazine, Occupy Democrats, HuffPost, Vox, Axios, Slate and Raw Story
Andrew E. Kramer / New York Times:
Ukraine to Review Criminal Case of Firm Linked to Biden's Son — KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine's top prosecutor said on Friday that he would review several important cases previously handled by his predecessors, including a criminal case involving a natural gas company that employed a son of former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Theodoric Meyer / Politico:
Energy Secretary Rick Perry eyeing exit in November — Energy Secretary Rick Perry is expected to announce his resignation from the administration by the end of November, according to three people familiar with his plans. — Perry, who had been Texas' longest-serving governor …
Discussion:
CNN, New York Times, Washington Post, Axios, KTLA, Raw Story, HuffPost, The Week, One America News Network, Splinter and New York Post
Zack Budryk / The Hill:
GOP senator says he doesn't remember signing 2016 letter urging ‘reform’ of Ukraine prosecutor's office — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) told reporters Thursday he did not recall signing a letter urging reforms in the office of the Ukrainian prosecutor President Trump has alleged former Vice …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, HuffPost and Law & Crime
CNN:
Damning text messages detail Trump pressure on Ukraine
Damning text messages detail Trump pressure on Ukraine
Discussion:
The Guardian and Shareblue Media
Jake Sherman / Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: The smoking texts
POLITICO Playbook: The smoking texts
Discussion:
Associated Press, HuffPost and Raw Story
Katherine Faulders / ABC News:
‘Crazy to withhold security assistance’ to Ukraine for political purposes: Top US diplomat
‘Crazy to withhold security assistance’ to Ukraine for political purposes: Top US diplomat
Discussion:
Washington Post, Associated Press, The Week, Breitbart, Hot Air, Axios, Hullabaloo, One America News Network, Raw Story and The American Conservative
Will Englund / Washington Post:
Ukraine's new chief prosecutor to ‘audit’ Biden case
Ukraine's new chief prosecutor to ‘audit’ Biden case
Discussion:
Fox News, New York Post, Splinter, USA Today and The Week
Linnaea Honl-Stuenkel / CREW:
Rick Perry Created AI Office Within Energy Dept. Despite Wife's Investments
Rick Perry Created AI Office Within Energy Dept. Despite Wife's Investments
Discussion:
The Week
CNN:
Trump promised Xi US silence on Hong Kong democracy protests as trade talks stalled — (CNN)During a private phone call in June, President Donald Trump promised Chinese President Xi Jinping that the US would remain quiet on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong while trade talks continued, two sources familiar with the call tell CNN.
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Financial Times:
Donald Trump encourages China to investigate Bidens — Donald Trump has urged China to investigate Joe Biden, the former vice-president, blatantly encouraging a foreign nation to interfere in the 2020 presidential election even as Democrats pursue an impeachment inquiry into similar requests to Ukraine.
Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:
Did Donald Trump Just Self-Impeach? — In the ten days since the House of Representatives launched its impeachment inquiry, President Trump has spoken and tweeted thousands of words in public. He has called the investigation a “coup” and the press “deranged.”
New York Times:
Pence Makes Clear There Is No Daylight Between Him and Trump
Pence Makes Clear There Is No Daylight Between Him and Trump
Discussion:
The Mahablog, Althouse, The Moderate Voice and Outside the Beltway
New York Times:
Trump, the Self-Impeaching President
Trump, the Self-Impeaching President
Discussion:
CNBC, Outside the Beltway, Politico and The Root
Washington Post:
Trump publicly calls on China to investigate Bidens
Trump publicly calls on China to investigate Bidens
Discussion:
New York Times, CNN, Power Line, Axios and The Daily Caller
Michael Calderone / Politico:
Trump wins the chyron war with Biden
Trump wins the chyron war with Biden
Discussion:
New York Times, Vox, The Week and Breitbart
Harry Enten / CNN:
Trump's impeachment polling is historically unprecedented — Lemon and Cuomo debate if there's enough to impeach Trump — (CNN)The poll numbers are in on impeachment, and it's not good news for President Donald Trump. A clear plurality of Americans approve of the House's impeachment inquiry into Trump …
Discussion:
Political Wire
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Kimberley A. Strassel / Wall Street Journal:
Schiff's Shifty Timeline — What did the House Intel Committee chairman know and when did he know it? — If the latest impeachment push continues to backfire, Democrats can thank their duplicitous House Intelligence chairman, Adam Schiff. — The New York Times reported this week that the …
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Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:
Schiff's false claim his committee had not spoken to the whistleblower
Schiff's false claim his committee had not spoken to the whistleblower
Discussion:
National Review, Fox News, HuffPost, CNN and New York Times
Joseph Morton / Associated Press:
'Americans don't look to Chinese commies for the truth': Sasse decries Trump's call for probe — “If the Biden kid broke laws by selling his name to Beijing, that's a matter for American courts, not communist tyrants running torture camps,” Sen. Ben Sasse told The World-Herald on Thursday.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Mediaite, Political Wire and Balloon Juice
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Axios:
Scoop: Trump letter dares Pelosi to hold vote on impeachment inquiry — The White House is planning to send Speaker Nancy Pelosi a letter as soon as Friday arguing that President Trump and his team can ignore lawmakers' demands until she holds a full House vote formally approving an impeachment inquiry …
Discussion:
National Review, Fox News, House Republican Leader, NPR, NBC News, Breitbart, RedState and The Daily Caller
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Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Three deeply problematic aspects of newly released text messages centered on the Ukraine scandal — It's generally not a good sign when a government official sends a written message questioning the propriety of an action and another official replies by suggesting they talk on the phone.
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NBC News:
Another GOP senator breaks from Trump to defend Ukraine whistleblower — “I stand with Chuck Grassley on this,” Ernst said, referring to Iowa's other Republican senator who defended the unnamed whistleblower. — Another Republican senator is speaking out in defense of the intelligence …
Discussion:
Axios
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Marc Caputo / Politico:
Pelosi: 'I'm very worried' about whistleblower's safety
Pelosi: 'I'm very worried' about whistleblower's safety
Discussion:
Washington Times and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Marc Caputo / Politico:
'You're making him a further victim': Dems fume over DNC treatment of Biden — The Republican National Committee and its chair, Ronna McDaniel, have been blasting out dozens of tweets ripping Joe Biden — and Democratic impeachment efforts — for days on end. Donald Trump has been busy doing the same.
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Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Trump campaign to drop bomb on Biden in early voting states
Trump campaign to drop bomb on Biden in early voting states
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Associated Press, Daily Kos, Washington Free Beacon and RedState, more at Mediagazer »
David M. Drucker / Washington Examiner:
Maybe not Trump? Never Trumpers insist they won't back Warren — Prominent “Never Trump” Republicans insist they would never back rising Democratic contender Elizabeth Warren, describing an election that pits the liberal Massachusetts senator against a president they despise as a choice between two unacceptable options.
Axios:
Trump's Senate red wall — Every time President Trump seems to tempt fate — like inviting China on camera yesterday to investigate the Bidens — just remember that he's counting on his red wall in the Senate will save him even if he's impeached. — The big picture: Here's a visual look …
Discussion:
Political Wire
Graham Piro / Washington Free Beacon:
Tlaib: Democrats Looking Into How to Arrest Trump Officials — Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) said Democratic lawmakers are exploring how to arrest White House officials who do not comply with congressional subpoenas. — Tlaib told Detroit constituents at her “Congress, Coffee …
Discussion:
Washington Post
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Andrew C. McCarthy / The Hill:
Ignore the hype — this is not an impeachment inquiry
Ignore the hype — this is not an impeachment inquiry
Discussion:
Associated Press, New York Times, Politico and Fortune
David Brooks / New York Times:
Why Trump Voters Stick With Him — An imagined conversation with Flyover Man. — Urban Guy: I hope you read the rough transcript of that Trump phone call with the Ukrainian president. Trump clearly used public power to ask a foreign leader to dig up dirt on his political opponent.
Discussion:
alicublog and The American Conservative