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Justice Dept. Is Said to Open Criminal Inquiry Into Its Own Russia Investigation — The move is likely to open the attorney general to accusations that he is trying to deliver a political victory for President Trump. — WASHINGTON — For more than two years, President Trump has repeatedly attacked …
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Justice Department review of Russia probe turns into criminal investigation — Attorney General William Barr's administrative review of what would become the Mueller investigation is now a criminal probe. — NYT: Criminal inquiry gives new powers to U.S. attorney looking into Trump-Russia probe
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The Federalist, American Greatness, Breitbart, The Guardian and RedState


Barr's Review of Russia Probe Now a Criminal Investigation
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Power Line


White House official expected to back up diplomat's testimony over Trump push for Ukraine probe into Bidens — Why the ‘quid pro quo’ defense may not matter — (CNN)Tim Morrison, a top Russia and Europe adviser on President Donald Trump's National Security Council, is expected to testify …
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Politico
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White House delayed Ukraine trade decision in August, a signal that U.S. suspension of cooperation extended beyond security funds — The White House's trade representative in late August withdrew a recommendation to restore some of Ukraine's trade privileges after John Bolton …
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CNN, The Week, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo and The Hill


Democrats say whistleblower's testimony is unnecessary as other witnesses come forward — The whistleblower who initially unmasked President Trump's effort to pressure Ukraine for political favors has moved steadily toward the periphery of the House impeachment inquiry as several Democrats …


Mahalo, Hawaiʻi — I am so grateful. — Grateful to call Hawaiʻi home; grateful for our people and the spirit of aloha that binds us all together; and grateful for our precious 'āina, beautiful oceans, and towering mountains. — Most of all, I'm grateful to all of you …
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YouTube, Politico, The Hill, CNN, Axios, New York Times, New York Post, The Daily Caller, Breitbart, Raw Story, Mediaite and Honolulu Star-Advertiser
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Tulsi Gabbard won't run for reelection to Congress as she seeks Democratic presidential nomination
Discussion:
Political Wire

Gabbard Skips Iowa Forum, Appears On Fox News Instead
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Political Wire, Slate, WORLD and Big League Politics

Tulsi Gabbard won't seek reelection to focus on White House run
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Associated Press

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, running for president, won't seek re-election to Congress
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, The Week, Politico and MarketWatch


‘Powerful woman’ Kellyanne Conway mocks and threatens reporter for mentioning her husband (AUDIO) — Top White House aide Kellyanne Conway, describing herself as “a powerful woman,” aggressively and disparagingly told a female reporter that it was improper to write about her husband …
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Washington Post, Raw Story, HuffPost, Fox News, Mediaite and Talking Points Memo, more at Mediagazer »
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Transcript of telephone call between Kellyanne Conway and Caitlin Yilek — This is a transcript of the telephone conversation between Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president of the United States, and Caitlin Yilek, breaking news reporter at the Washington Examiner.


Vulnerable Senate Republicans Shrink From Defending Trump — Senate Republicans up for re-election in 2020, fearful of straying too far from Mr. Trump yet at pains to defend him, have adopted a strategy of saying as little as possible. — WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans facing steep re …
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Republicans Fight Trump's Impeachment by Attacking the Process — President Trump wants his party to defend him more aggressively. Senators instead are denouncing the House investigation. — WASHINGTON — Republicans in Congress struggled for a second consecutive day Thursday …
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ABC News, Politico, Associated Press, Just Security, The Atlantic and Daily Kos


Scoop: The West Wing's impeachment war room — Top Trump officials have quietly created a de facto impeachment war room, with a chief goal of policing and solidifying Republican Senate support for acquittal. — What's happening: Most senior officials in the White House recognized quickly …
Discussion:
Political Wire


On “Human Scum” and Trump in the Danger Zone — After Ambassador William Taylor's testimony, the President is freaking out about impeachment. — At 1:48 p.m. on October 23rd, Donald Trump posted a tweet that, in any other political moment, would be a strong contender for the worst public statement ever …
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Daily Kos
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Could Lindsey Graham be any more obsequious? — It was another sad milestone in the decline of John McCain's faithful sidekick into President Trump's Lickspittle Lindsey. — Not quite two weeks ago, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) vowed to be Trump's “worst nightmare” and called the Syria pullout …
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Occupy Democrats, New York Post, Vox, NBC News and Daily Kos
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Why Donald Trump — and Other Powerful Men — Love to Cast Themselves As Victims
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Mother Jones, Slate and Raw Story


EXCLUSIVE: Shocking photos of Congresswoman Katie Hill are revealed as she's seen NAKED showing off Nazi-era tattoo while smoking a bong, kissing her female staffer and posing nude on ‘wife sharing’ sites — Katie Hill, 32, has been seen in a series of shocking photographs obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com
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Katie Hill Sends Cease And Desist Letter To Daily Mail Website Over Nude Photos
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New York Times


Snuff out flavored tobacco products: Close a loophole that endangers many lives, especially kids' — All my years of public service to New York taught me one indisputable fact: It's all about the kids. Everything we do, all the laws and changes government makes, must keep the next generation in mind.
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Federal judge holds DeVos in contempt in loan case, slaps Education Department with $100,000 fine — Updated with comments from the Education Department. — A federal judge on Thursday held Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in contempt for violating an order to stop collecting loan payments from former Corinthian Colleges students.
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US News, Slate, Mercury News, UPI and The Hill
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DeVos held in contempt for violating judge's order on student loans
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New York Times and Raw Story


Scoop: “Anonymous” to expose private Trump conversations — The anonymous “senior Trump administration official” who will release a tell-all book, “A Warning,” next month was a frequent participant in meetings with President Trump and plans to recount specific conversations, sources tell me.
Discussion:
CNN and Political Wire


Pentagon planning to send tanks, armored vehicles to Syrian oil fields — WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is preparing to send tanks and armored vehicles to Syrian oil fields, according to a U.S. official - a stunning reversal of President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces from the war-torn country after he declared victory over ISIS.
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The American Conservative
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Giuliani probe snowballs — Rudy Giuliani's problems keep piling up. — His responsibilities are shrinking as Donald Trump's TV-friendly personal attorney. His efforts to dig up dirt on the president's political opponents have landed his highest-profile client in a congressional impeachment investigation.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Political Wire, Law & Crime and POLITICUSUSA


Harvey Weinstein Turned Up At An Event For Young Actors. One Woman Who Confronted Him Was Thrown Out. — A woman comedian was booed and two attendees kicked out after they protested the appearance of disgraced former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein at an event for young performers in lower Manhattan on Wednesday night.
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Read the Trump Administration's Warning Letter to Laura Cooper — The No. 2 Pentagon official told Ms. Cooper, the military's Russia-Ukraine expert, not to talk to Congress. She did anyway. — WASHINGTON — The White House has declared that the executive branch will not cooperate …
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First on CNN: Democratic rising star Rep. Katie Porter plans to endorse Elizabeth Warren — Lawmaker: I've graded law students. Trump gets an ‘F’ — (CNN)Democratic Rep. Katie Porter of California, a first-term lawmaker who has gained wide notice for her forceful grilling of corporate executives …


The 2010s Have Broken Our Sense Of Time — The rhythms of American life changed in the 2010s. How everything from TV to Trump to Instagram messed with your head just enough that time feels like it melted. — This is one of those places you go for Instagram.


Turkey's Erdogan calls on U.S. to hand over top Kurdish commander — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told state TV on Thursday that the U.S. should hand over Syrian Democratic Forces commander Mazloum Kobani Abdi, calling him a “wanted terrorist” with an Interpol red notice.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, Raw Story, CNN and Informed Comment


The Fall of WeWork: How a Startup Darling Came Unglued — The cliff dive has little precedent, even in the boom-and-bust world of venture capital — Just months before the spectacular fall of WeWork, one of the country's most gilded startups, chief executive Adam Neumann summoned the heads …
Discussion:
Jewish Insider


Charles Krauthammer championed civil debate. His example is needed now more than ever. — Daniel Krauthammer is the editor of “The Point of It All” by longtime Post columnist Charles Krauthammer. This column is adapted from the preface to the paperback edition of the book.