Top Items:


White House Ukraine Expert Sought to Correct Transcript of Trump Call — Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, who heard President Trump's July phone call with Ukraine's president and was alarmed, testified that he tried and failed to add key details to the rough transcript.
Discussion:
Washington Post, NBC News, emptywheel, CNN, New York Magazine, Talking Points Memo, BuzzFeed News, Bloomberg, National Review, Politico, VICE, Defense One, IJR, New York Post, Breaking News USA, Outside the Beltway, Wall Street Journal, Shareblue Media, The Hill, KTLA, Washington Times, Suffolk University, HuffPost, NPR, Althouse, CANNONFIRE, The Dispatch, The Gateway Pundit, Patterico's Pontifications, POLITICUSUSA, Axios, Mediaite, Mother Jones, Daily Kos, Alternet.org, Contemptor, Fortune, Raw Story, Foreign Policy and The Guardian
RELATED:


Exclusive: White House Ignored Pentagon Warning on Ukraine Funding — As the summer wore on, and President Donald Trump would not budge on his decision to withhold almost $400 million in military aid for Ukraine, the Pentagon warned the White House: If its portion of the money wasn't released quickly …


White House Finds Loophole in Search for Homeland Security Secretary — Officials who lead agencies in the department and echo the president's language on immigration were initially thought to be ineligible under a federal law. — WASHINGTON — The White House has found a way to bypass …
Discussion:
Politico, Associated Press, CNN, The Hill, HuffPost and Political Wire


Firsthand account of Trump's Ukraine call puts GOP in bind, emboldens Democrats — A top National Security Council official on Tuesday delivered a firsthand account of President Trump pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rivals, putting congressional Republicans in a bind …
Discussion:
HuffPost, Slate, The Week, Patterico's Pontifications, CNN, BizPac Review, US News, Just Security, ABC News, Daily Kos, Raw Story, Salon, The Hill, Axios, Hot Air, Redstate, New York Post, Disrn, VICE, National Review and Alternet.org


Trump aides start soaking high-priced D.C. lawyers in new business — Welcome to the legal quicksand stage of working in the Trump White House. — As the broadening impeachment investigation encroaches on the West Wing, more White House aides are grappling with the prospect …
Discussion:
Raw Story


GOP lawmaker confirms Vindman's testimony on Ukraine call omissions
Discussion:
NBC News, New York Times and CNN


READ: Ukraine Specialist Catherine Croft's Written Testimony In Impeachment Inquiry — Catherine Croft, a State Department employee who previously worked on Ukraine issues for the National Security Council, is testifying in the House impeachment inquiry on Wednesday.
Discussion:
Raw Story and Alternet.org
RELATED:


State Department official to testify that John Bolton warned about influence of Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine — WH weighs responses to impeachment as House vote nears — (CNN)Former national security adviser John Bolton cautioned about the influence Rudy Giuliani had on US-Ukraine policymaking during …
Discussion:
Politico, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, The Guardian, The Hill, The Week and Political Wire


Former G.O.P. Lawmaker Pressed for Ambassador's Ouster, Diplomat Will Say — Robert Livingston, the former congressman turned lobbyist, repeatedly contacted a White House official to criticize Marie L. Yovanovitch. — WASHINGTON — Robert Livingston, the former Republican congressman turned lobbyist …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo


Two volatile meetings at the White House have become central to the impeachment inquiry
Discussion:
Political Wire

READ: Christopher Anderson's Written Testimony In Impeachment Inquiry
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, VICE and Raw Story

State Dept. officials to offer new details about Trump's shadow diplomacy with Ukraine
Discussion:
ABC News


Jeffrey Epstein's Autopsy ‘Points to Homicide,’ Not Suicide, Pathologist Claims — The pathologist hired by Mr. Epstein's brother said evidence suggested strangulation. The authorities disputed the claim. — A forensic pathologist hired by Jeffrey Epstein's brother claimed on Wednesday …
Discussion:
The Week
RELATED:


Jeffrey Epstein's autopsy more consistent with homicidal strangulation than suicide, Dr. Michael Baden reveals — The body of disgraced money man and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in his Manhattan federal prison cell in August, bore telltale signs of homicide despite …
Discussion:
National Review, VICE, Louder With Crowder, Gothamist, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, The Stranger, Disrn and Sara A. Carter


Jeffrey Epstein's injuries look more like murder than suicide, noted pathologist says — Since his brother was found dead in a New York City federal jail in August, Mark Epstein has been worried that his life, and the lives of other people, may be in danger because federal authorities …

Epstein family pathologist says financier's body shows signs of homicide
Discussion:
Political Wire


Impeachment Is Not a Coup — And no matter what Trump thinks, the president does not embody the will of the people. — In his letter denouncing the impeachment investigation, Pat Cipollone accused Democrats of waging an “illegitimate” effort to “overturn the results of the 2016 election …
Discussion:
Alternet.org, Fox News, American Greatness, BuzzFeed News, CNN, Bloomberg, Occupy Democrats, Washington Post and Hot Air
RELATED:


Donald Trump Jr.: Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman Is ‘A Leftist Veteran’ — President Donald Trump's eldest son, Don Jr., has claimed without evidence that Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman is a ‘leftist’ who is being used to discredit the President. Trump Jr. spoke to Fox & Friends on Wednesday …


Alexander Vindman and the Questioning of an American Jew's Patriotism
Discussion:
Washington Post, CNN, The Week, Task & Purpose, The Intercept, The Hill, Politico, Mediaite, Inquirer.com, ABC News and Breitbart

CNN defends new contributor Sean Duffy while anchors decry his ‘anti-immigrant bigotry’
Discussion:
Commentary, Washington Post, The Week, The Daily Beast, Talking Points Memo, BizPac Review, CNN, The Hill and The Wrap

In Praise of Sean Duffy
Discussion:
Raw Story, Washington Post, Washington Examiner and New York Daily News


Mulvaney was left in the dark on al-Baghdadi operation — President Trump's acting chief of staff first learned of the raid when it was already underway, raising questions about his status in the White House. — WASHINGTON — Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney first learned …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Alternet.org and The Week
RELATED:


I Can Defeat Trump and the Clinton Doctrine — The U.S. will stop trying to overthrow governments and police the world. — Hillary Clinton emerged recently to claim, with no basis in fact, that I am being “groomed” by the Russian government to undermine America.
Discussion:
Washington Times, Breitbart and Althouse
RELATED:


The Far-Right Group Said They Were the Victims. The Videos Showed Something Different. — The Proud Boys claimed self-defense last year when a video showed them kicking and punching black-clad protesters. But I saw footage that showed a clear aggressor — and eventually, so did jurors.


Rising Seas Will Erase More Cities by 2050, New Research Shows — Rising seas could affect three times more people by 2050 than previously thought, according to new research, threatening to all but erase some of the world's great coastal cities. — The authors of a paper published Tuesday developed …
Discussion:
Alternet.org, The Resurgent and Al Jazeera
RELATED:

New elevation data triple estimates of global vulnerability to sea-level rise and coastal flooding
Discussion:
UPI, Big Think and Rolling Stone


Trump Wants You to Know He's Smart and Capable Enough to ‘Do Quid Pro Quo’ — Everyone should just stop saying he's too dumb or incompetent to commit crimes—he could totally pull them off if he wanted to, Trump has been complaining privately. — As Donald Trump gets dragged deeper …
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, Raw Story, The Hill and Breitbart


How the New Syria Took Shape — Russia, Turkey and Bashar al-Assad carved up northern Syria as the Americans retreated. — In just a few weeks, the American withdrawal from northern Syria dramatically reordered power in the country after eight years of civil war.
RELATED:


The US economy is slowing — New York (CNN Business)The US economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.9% in the third quarter, the Commerce Department announced Wednesday. — This is the preliminary reading of US gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the American economy.
RELATED:

A tale of two economies — EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK — There are two economies in this country, one along the coasts and in the great metropolises, and the other out here along the county blacktops. — The Dow Jones is roaring along. Silicon Valley is minting billionaires by the week.

Terrorist Financing Targeting Center Jointly Designates Network of Corporations, Banks, and Individuals Supporting IRGC and Hizballah — Coordinated action represents largest-ever tranche of targets designated by the United States and Gulf countries as part of the Terrorist Financing Targeting …


Schumer warns Trump may shut down the government over impeachment — It's a nightmare scenario for Washington: a government shutdown smack in the middle of the House's impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump. — And Chuck Schumer says he's “increasingly worried” that it might come to fruition.
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Hill, Townhall and Breitbart
RELATED:


Russia Tests New Disinformation Tactics in Africa to Expand Influence — Facebook said it removed three Russian-backed influence networks aimed at African countries. The activity by the networks suggested Russia's approach was evolving. — Russia has been testing new disinformation tactics …
Discussion:
Facebook, more at Techmeme »


Protests in Iraq and Lebanon pose a challenge to Iran — BAGHDAD (AP) — The day after anti-government protests erupted in Iraq, Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani flew into Baghdad late at night and took a helicopter to the heavily fortified Green Zone, where he surprised a group of top security officials …
Discussion:
Politico and Press Herald