Top Items:
New York Times:
Ex-Envoy to Testify He Didn't Know Ukraine Aid Was Tied to Investigations — Kurt D. Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine, will modify his testimony in the impeachment inquiry, saying he was kept out of the loop at key moments of President Trump's pressure campaign.
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post, Mediaite, Roll Call and Raw Story
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Zachary Basu / Axios:
Sen. Ron Johnson responds to Republican request for Ukraine information — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) on Monday sent a letter to House Intelligence Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and House Oversight Ranking Member Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) outlining his account of President Trump's dealings with Ukraine.
Discussion:
Fox News, ABC News, The Last Refuge, Breitbart, Hot Air, Associated Press and NBC News
Associated Press:
House puts out testimony from official who heard Trump call — WASHINGTON (AP) — The phone call State Department official David Holmes overheard between President Donald Trump and Ambassador Gordon Sondland lasted just two minutes. But it won't be easily forgotten.
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post, Political Wire and Breitbart
David E. Sanger / New York Times:
How Not to Plot Secret Foreign Policy: On a Cellphone and WhatsApp — American officials expressed wonderment that Rudolph W. Giuliani was running his “irregular channel” of diplomacy over open cell lines and communications apps penetrated by the Russians. — Rudolph W. Giuliani …
Christina Wilkie / CNBC:
Impeachment hearings to focus on Trump's Ukraine call, White House damage control
Impeachment hearings to focus on Trump's Ukraine call, White House damage control
Discussion:
Washington Post, Raw Story and Just Security
Rishika Dugyala / Politico:
Russia could have monitored Trump's call with Sondland, State Dept. official testified
Russia could have monitored Trump's call with Sondland, State Dept. official testified
Discussion:
The Bulwark, The Last Refuge, Hullabaloo, NPR, Political Wire, Mother Jones, Raw Story and Daily Kos
Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: What Republicans and Democrats are planning for today's impeachment hearings
POLITICO Playbook: What Republicans and Democrats are planning for today's impeachment hearings
Discussion:
Political Wire, Washington Post and NBC News
CNN:
Source says Republican lawmakers ‘shaken’ by US official in Kiev's testimony
Source says Republican lawmakers ‘shaken’ by US official in Kiev's testimony
Discussion:
The Week, Associated Press and Political Wire
Ted Barrett / CNN:
GOP senators downplay developments in impeachment inquiry
Stephen Collinson / CNN:
Impeachment inquiry enters most crucial stage with top witnesses on deck
Impeachment inquiry enters most crucial stage with top witnesses on deck
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, BizPac Review, The Daily Caller, Al Jazeera and Rolling Stone
Dylan Byers / NBC News:
Politico, DNC at odds over Democratic debate moderator — Politico and PBS are scheduled to co-host the sixth Democratic primary debate on Dec. 19 in Los Angeles. — The Democratic National Committee and the news organization Politico are locked in an argument over the ideological credentials …
Discussion:
The Federalist, Redstate, National Review, The Daily Caller and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
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Jim Geraghty / National Review:
Tim Alberta Is a First-Rate Journalist. The DNC Should Quit Whining.
Tim Alberta Is a First-Rate Journalist. The DNC Should Quit Whining.
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon
Jesse McKinley / New York Times:
A G.O.P. Star Emerges in Impeachment Hearings. Democratic Donors Notice. — As Representative Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican, took a leading role in Friday's impeachment hearing, donations came pouring in to her Democratic challenger. — ALBANY, N.Y. — Shortly …
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Wall Street Journal:
Impeachment Witnesses Set to Testify on Concerns About Trump-Zelensky Call — House inquiry to hear from four witnesses Tuesday, including three who heard the July call between President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart — WASHINGTON—Four more witnesses are set to testify publicly …
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CNN:
Trump's aides eye moving impeachment witnesses out of White House jobs
Trump's aides eye moving impeachment witnesses out of White House jobs
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Mediaite
Tom Hamburger / Washington Post:
Lt. Col. Vindman to describe his alarm over president's call with Ukrainian leader, girding for Republican attack
Lt. Col. Vindman to describe his alarm over president's call with Ukrainian leader, girding for Republican attack
Discussion:
Politico, The Federalist, CNN and Axios
Peter Baker / New York Times:
White House Denies Trump Health Emergency — Two days after a mysterious, unannounced hospital visit, President Trump's physician issued a late-night statement attributing it to “regular, primary preventative care.” — WASHINGTON — The White House sought on Monday night to quell a torrent …
Discussion:
Press Watch and Talking Points Memo
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Washington Post:
Trump's health under scrutiny again after unplanned visit to Walter Reed
Trump's health under scrutiny again after unplanned visit to Walter Reed
Discussion:
The Daily Beast and NBC News
Jack Shafer / Politico:
Yes, It's OK to Speculate on the President's Health
Yes, It's OK to Speculate on the President's Health
Discussion:
Washington Post, CNN, Salon, New York Magazine, Twitchy and NBC News
Daniel Lippman / Politico:
State Department staffer resigns after allegations she inflated her resume — Mina Chang was accused of creating a fake Time magazine cover with her face on it, which she denies. — The State Department seal. Drew Angerer/Getty Images — Mina Chang, a high-ranking State Department staffer …
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NBC News:
Senior Trump admin official Mina Chang resigns after NBC News report — Mina Chang resigned Monday, 6 days after an NBC News report about her resume inflation and hours after NBC asked her about newly discovered false claims. — WASHINGTON — Senior Trump administration official Mina Chang resigned …
Discussion:
The Week, CNN and Balloon Juice
Michelle Goldberg / New York Times:
Stephen Miller Is a White Nationalist. Does It Matter? — Leaked emails from a top Trump aide test our capacity for outrage. — In August 2018, Darren Beattie, a White House speechwriter and policy aide, was fired after CNN revealed that he'd spoken at a 2016 conference alongside several …
Discussion:
The Leadership Conference … and The Hill
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Shin Inouye / The Leadership Conference …:
Civil Rights Groups Demand Trump Fire Stephen Miller
Civil Rights Groups Demand Trump Fire Stephen Miller
Discussion:
HuffPost
Lisa Kaczke / Argus Leader:
'Meth. We're On It.': South Dakota spends $449K on new anti-meth ad campaign — Gov. Kristi Noem has a message for South Dakota: “Meth. We're On It.” — Noem launched her new anti-meth campaign on Monday to bring awareness to the meth epidemic in South Dakota that will include a new TV ad, billboards, posters and website.
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Hill, New York Times, Spectator USA, The Daily Caller, Redstate, Reason, The Guardian, New York Post, Raw Story and Balloon Juice
CNN:
Jimmy Finkelstein, the owner of The Hill, has flown under the radar. But he's played a key role in the Ukraine scandal — New York (CNN Business)James “Jimmy” Finkelstein, the owner of The Hill newspaper, is not a widely known media executive, but he is one of the era's most consequential.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, more at Mediagazer »
Washington Post:
IRS whistleblower case advances as Senate staff looks at whether political appointee meddled with audit of Trump or Pence — Senate aides spoke to the whistleblower and follow-up interviews are expected. — Two Senators are looking into a whistleblower's allegations that at least …
Discussion:
POLITICUSUSA, The Week, CNN, New York Times, The Hill, Law & Crime, The Gateway Pundit, Axios, Talking Points Memo, IJR and Raw Story
RELATED:
Addy Baird / BuzzFeed News:
A Lawmaker Denied Ripping An Absolutely Enormous Fart On Live Television — “It was not me!!!!” Rep. Eric Swalwell said in a text message. “It's funny tho.” … In an interview Monday night with MSNBC host Chris Matthews, California Rep. Eric Swalwell appeared to...well, rip an absolutely enormous fart.
Discussion:
Metro.co.uk, The Week and Mediaite
Margaret Talev / Axios:
Pro-Trump group finds swing voters are unconvinced on impeachment — The pro-Trump group America First says focus groups show that suburban swing voters — even some who strongly dislike President Trump — remain skeptical about impeachment. — Why it matters: These early findings …
Discussion:
Political Wire
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Jack Jenkins / Religion News Service:
Trump advisor calls Pompeo's West Bank decision an answered prayer — WASHINGTON (RNS) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Monday (Nov. 18) that the U.S. is softening its position on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, rejecting a 1978 State Department legal opinion …
Discussion:
CNSNews, Al Jazeera, Common Dreams and CAIR
RELATED:
Susan Dominus / New York Times:
Congratulations, You're a Congresswoman. Now What? — Abigail Spanberger and Ayanna Pressley were part of a wave of Democrats who took office this year full of hope. Maintaining it has not been easy. — There are not many people whom @RepSpanberger lets boss her around, but one of them …
MSNBC:
Caught on tape: Trump's Ukraine envoy Gordon Sondland touting ‘quid pro quo’ — In an exclusive original report, MSNBC Chief Legal Correspondent Ari Melber unearths rare video on the key witness at the center of Trump's Ukraine bribery plot, Amb. Gordon Sondland — who will be in the global spotlight testifying this week.
Ashton Pittman / Jackson Free Press:
It's Official: Dem Shanda Yates Ousts 32-Year Republican in Mississippi House … Shanda Yates, a 38-year-old Jackson-area attorney, has ousted Billy Denny, a top Republican in the Mississippi House of Representatives who first won his seat in 1987—when Yates was just 6 years old.
Candice Norwood / PBS NewsHour:
Tillerson says it's ‘wrong’ to ask another country for personal favors — Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday told the PBS NewsHour that asking for personal favors and using United States assets as collateral is “wrong.” — Tillerson spoke with NewsHour anchor …
Discussion:
Slate
The Daily Beast:
Paul Erickson, Russian Agent Maria Butina's Boyfriend, Pleads Guilty to Fraud — Erickson admits he conned someone called only “D.G.” into wiring him $100,000, under the pretense that the money was for a real estate investment in North Dakota. It was not.
Discussion:
Raw Story
Drew Magary / GEN:
‘If Andrew Yang Can Unite a YouTube Comment Section, He Can Unite the Nation’ — On the ground at a Yang Gang initiation — and Weezer concert — in Iowa — may be the only person at Yangapalooza today who does NOT believe that Andrew Yang will be the next president of the United States.
Washington Post:
Prosecutors preparing to file charges against Epstein prison guards — Federal prosecutors in New York are preparing to file criminal charges as early as this week against two Bureau of Prisons workers who were supposed to check regularly on millionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein the night …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Vanity Fair, The Daily Caller and Mediaite