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:
National Review, Washington Post, Mediaite, Raw Story, Scripting News, Roll Call, Politico and NBC News
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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 Week, The Last Refuge, Breitbart, Hot Air, Associated Press and NBC News
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 …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
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
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.
Rishika Dugyala / Politico:
Russia could have monitored Trump's call with Sondland, State Dept. official testified — President Donald Trump's call to the cell phone of a U.S. ambassador — a call that included a discussion of “investigations” Trump was asking Ukraine to launch into his Democratic rivals …
Discussion:
The Bulwark, Breitbart, 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:
NBC News, Washington Post, Political Wire and Mediaite
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
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, Rolling Stone and Redstate
Ted Barrett / CNN:
GOP senators downplay developments in impeachment inquiry
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 …
Discussion:
Mediaite
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Tom Hamburger / Washington Post:
Lt. Col. Vindman to describe his alarm over president's call with Ukrainian leader, girding for Republican attack — The House impeachment hearing Tuesday is set to feature one of the Democrats' star witnesses: Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a Purple Heart recipient who is expected to testify …
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
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:
National Review, The Federalist, Redstate, The Daily Caller and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
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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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
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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:
Politico, Salon and Press Watch
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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 »
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, Redstate, The Hill, Adweek, New York Times, Spectator USA, The Daily Caller, Reason, The Guardian, New York Post, Raw Story and Balloon Juice
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:
Washington Free Beacon, New York Post, Metro.co.uk, The Week and Mediaite
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
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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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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 …
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
Lydia Saad / Gallup:
Democrats Thinking Strategically About 2020 Nominee Choice — WASHINGTON, D.C. — As candidates continue to join the field for the 2020 Democratic nomination, Democrats nationwide are steadfast in prioritizing electability next fall as a key trait they are looking for in a nominee.
Discussion:
The Hill and Political Wire
Vanessa Williams / Washington Post:
Stacey Abrams is focused on voting rights. But she wouldn't mind being vice president. — One chilly evening earlier this month, a crowd of more than 700 showed up at the University of Iowa to hear a popular Democratic politician speak. But it wasn't one of the 17 people competing for the party's nomination.
Discussion:
NBC News
Domenico Montanaro / NPR:
Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Say Impeachment Hearings Won't Change Their Minds — The country is witnessing one of only a handful of times in its history that Congress has gone through with public hearings on whether to impeach a president. And yet, the overwhelming majority …
Discussion:
PBS NewsHour and The Hill
Meagan Flynn / Washington Post:
Trump bashed Nancy Pelosi for an impeachment quote. It actually came from a Fox News reporter. — President Trump lashed out at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in a tweet early on Tuesday morning, misquoting her while characterizing the ongoing impeachment inquiry as a ploy to skirt around …
Discussion:
The Hill, Mediaite, Lowell Sun and PEN
Bob Van Voris / Bloomberg:
Professor Who Wrote Book on Drug Crime Is Accused of Money Laundering — A Miami-area college professor who wrote a book about illegal drug trafficking turned his expertise to crime as part of a scheme to wash corrupt cash from Venezuela, prosecutors said. — Bruce Bagley, 73 …
Discussion:
Miami New Times, Redstate, Law & Crime and Justice News
Andrew McCarthy / Fox News:
Trump impeachment inquiry obstructed by Democrats' ‘whistleblower’ secrecy charade — Congressional Democrats are obstructing the impeachment inquiry. — You heard that right. It has become rote for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and his fellow Democrats …
Ruth Marcus / Washington Post:
The most alarming part of Barr's speech was its angrily partisan tone — Attorney General William P. Barr's speech to the Federalist Society on Friday had many disturbing elements: Barr set out a dangerously inflated view of presidential power. He inveighed against judges for …
Discussion:
New York Times, Slate and LewRockwell