Top Items:
Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Fiona Hill tells Devin Nunes to his face that his Ukraine conspiracy theory is ‘harmful’ — It's already been publicly embraced by Vladimir Putin. — One reason that Russia's interference effort in 2016 was successful was that it leveraged a powerful source of energy: partisanship.
Discussion:
Reuters, Taylor Marsh, Associated Press, The Editorial Board, The Guardian, Politico and The Week
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Kevin Liptak / CNN:
Fiona Hill's extraordinary answer distills what impeachment is about — Washington (CNN)Fiona Hill's extraordinary answer about her relationship with the American ambassador to the European Union was ultimately a finely distilled description of what the impeachment hearings are all about …
Discussion:
Political Wire
Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Fiona Hill Viewed Serving Trump as Risky. Now She's an Impeachment Witness. — Ms. Hill's decision to be the president's top adviser on Russia and Europe strained friendships, made her a target of conspiracy theories — and landed her in the center of the tumult over Ukraine.
Discussion:
The Guardian, CBS News, Talking Points Memo, Deseret News, The Week and Mother Jones
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
The GOP defense of Trump is in slow-motion collapse. It's about to get worse. — We know this to be true: Approximately one week passed between President Trump's decision in mid-July to freeze hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine, and a phone call on July 26 …
Discussion:
Vox, The Mahablog, TheBlaze, Axios and Slate
Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Fiona Hill clashes with GOP over ‘fictional’ Ukraine claims
Fiona Hill clashes with GOP over ‘fictional’ Ukraine claims
Discussion:
ABC News, Washington Post, CNN, Breitbart, Daily Kos, New York Post, Axios, emptywheel, TheBlaze, The Daily Beast and Contemptor
Chris Cillizza / CNN:
The huge Gordon Sondland revelation almost everyone missed
The huge Gordon Sondland revelation almost everyone missed
Discussion:
Raw Story
Hope Yen / Associated Press:
AP FACT CHECK: Trump, GOP claims on Ukraine corruption
AP FACT CHECK: Trump, GOP claims on Ukraine corruption
Discussion:
Florida Politics and Politico
Associated Press:
Impeachment hearing takeaways: A ‘domestic political errand’
Impeachment hearing takeaways: A ‘domestic political errand’
Discussion:
Politico, The American Independent, Associated Press and KSLNewsRadio
Meridith McGraw / Politico:
White House backs full Senate trial if House impeaches Trump — Top White House officials and Senate Republicans on Thursday agreed that a full trial should be conducted if the House impeaches President Donald Trump, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
Discussion:
Axios, National Review, Talking Points Memo, No More Mister Nice Blog, The American Independent, The Hill and Joe.My.God.
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Washington Post:
White House and Republicans discuss limiting impeachment trial to two weeks — A group of Republican senators and senior White House officials met privately Thursday to map out a strategy for a potential impeachment trial of President Trump, including proceedings in the Senate that could be limited …
Discussion:
ABC News, The Hill, The Week, Daily Kos and Joe.My.God.
Axios:
“Could I actually say something?”: Fiona Hill fires back at House Republicans — In a stunning moment at Thursday's impeachment hearing, former top White House Russia adviser Fiona Hill asked whether she may respond to Republican attacks, after three GOP congressman in a row used …
Discussion:
NBC News, Breitbart, Political Wire and The Hill
Burgess Everett / Politico:
Trump cozies up to GOP during impeachment — including Mitt Romney and Susan Collins
Trump cozies up to GOP during impeachment — including Mitt Romney and Susan Collins
Erica Werner / Washington Post:
Trump signs short-term spending bill just ahead of shutdown deadline
Trump signs short-term spending bill just ahead of shutdown deadline
Discussion:
Axios and The Daily Caller
CNN:
Exclusive: FBI official under investigation after allegedly altering document in 2016 Russia probe — Washington (CNN)An FBI official is under criminal investigation after allegedly altering a document related to 2016 surveillance of a Trump campaign adviser, several people briefed on the matter told CNN.
Discussion:
Townhall, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and Law & Crime
Dave Philipps / New York Times:
Trump Reverses Navy Decision to Oust Edward Gallagher From SEALs — The president said Chief Gallagher, who has been at center of a high-profile war crime case, would not lose his membership in the elite commando force. — President Trump on Thursday reversed a decision by the Navy seeking …
Discussion:
Slate, Fox News, Redstate, Washington Post, Hullabaloo, Military.com, Daily Kos, The Gateway Pundit, The Hill, TheBlaze, Disrn, New York Post, Joe.My.God., National Review, The American Independent and Raw Story
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Washington Post:
‘Insurgents’ lobbied Trump for war crimes pardons with little Pentagon involvement, officials say — President Trump took to the phone in the Oval Office last week after days of speculation. In succession, he notified three U.S. service members accused of war crimes that he was intervening on their behalf …
Colby Itkowitz / Washington Post:
Graham launches probe of Bidens, Burisma and Ukraine — Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey O. Graham sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday requesting documents related to former vice president Joe Biden and his communications with Ukrainian officials …
Discussion:
Joe.My.God.
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Zachary Basu / Axios:
Fiona Hill: It is “not credible” Sondland didn't make Biden-Burisma connection
Fiona Hill: It is “not credible” Sondland didn't make Biden-Burisma connection
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post and The Daily Beast
Madeline Osburn / The Federalist:
Under Obama, Democrat Witness Fiona Hill Argued Against Lethal Aid For Ukraine
Under Obama, Democrat Witness Fiona Hill Argued Against Lethal Aid For Ukraine
Discussion:
Redstate, Fox News, The Daily Caller and American Greatness
John Hendrickson / The Atlantic:
What Joe Biden Can't Bring Himself to Say — His eyes fall to the floor when I ask him to describe it. We've been tiptoeing toward it for 45 minutes, and so far, every time he seems close, he backs away, or leads us in a new direction. There are competing theories in the press, but Joe Biden has kept mum on the subject.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
Reid J. Epstein / New York Times:
Pete Buttigieg Is in Bad Shape With Black Democrats. Here's How Bad. — No Democrat in modern times has won the party's nomination without claiming majorities of black voters, the most crucial voting bloc in South Carolina and an array of delegate-rich states.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, CBS News, Slate, Vox, Washington Post, The Hill and Mother Jones
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John McCormack / National Review:
Notes on the November Democratic Debate Dud
Notes on the November Democratic Debate Dud
Discussion:
The Bulwark and Fox News
Bryan Anderson / Sacramento Bee:
California can't force Donald Trump to release tax returns, state Supreme Court rules — President Donald Trump won't have to release his tax returns to get on California's 2020 primary ballot following a unanimous ruling from the state Supreme Court on Thursday that invalidated a new state law.
Discussion:
Associated Press, PEN, The Gateway Pundit and Joe.My.God.
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Wall Street Journal:
Georgia Gov. Kemp Resists Pressure from Trump on Senate Appointment — President is pressing for Rep. Doug Collins to be named interim senator, but the governor is leaning toward a woman or minority for the post — ATLANTA—Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is resisting pressure …
Peter Elkind / ProPublica:
Prosecutors Investigating the Trump Organization Zero In on Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg — Weisselberg is one of the Trump Organization's longest tenured employees and is now co-running the business. He escaped federal prosecution for the Stormy Daniels payments but is now a focus of an investigation by Manhattan's district attorney.
Discussion:
Law & Crime and POLITICUSUSA
Anti-Defamation League:
Sacha Baron Cohen's Keynote Address at ADL's 2019 Never Is Now Summit on Anti-Semitism and Hate — Remarks by Sacha Baron Cohen, Recipient of ADL's International Leadership Award — Thank you, Jonathan, for your very kind words. Thank you, ADL, for this recognition and your work in fighting racism, hate and bigotry.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Talking Points Memo, IndieWire and Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Nicole Perlroth / New York Times:
A Former Fox News Executive Divides Americans Using Russian Tactics — An investigation found that several sites owned by Ken LaCorte push inflammatory items — stories, petitions and the occasional conspiracy theory — to the public. — SAN FRANCISCO — At first glance …
Discussion:
Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »
David M. Halbfinger / New York Times:
Israel's Netanyahu Indicted on Charges of Fraud, Bribery and Breach of Trust — The first prosecution of a sitting Israeli premier deepens the political paralysis in a country that has had two inconclusive elections this year, and may be headed to a third vote.
Discussion:
CNN, Associated Press, Jerusalem Post, Common Dreams, Outside the Beltway, The Week and Mediaite
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Washington Post:
Kentucky governor's stay at Trump hotel could carry legal implications for president — Gov. Matt Bevin's 2018 visit to Trump's D.C. hotel likely to become fodder for plaintiffs in cases against Trump. — When Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin came to Washington in January for two nights …
Discussion:
Political Wire
Charles Sykes / The Bulwark:
No Mystery — Republicans aren't being moved by Sondland's testimony because they already know what happened. — Everyone was in the loop. It was no secret. — Yes, there was a quid pro quo. The president demanded it. Everybody knew about it. There was no secret. — But we knew all that didn't we?
Discussion:
Washington Post, Raw Story, HuffPost and The G-File
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Daniel Lippman / Politico:
Impeachment hearings putting Trump through emotional wringer
Impeachment hearings putting Trump through emotional wringer
Discussion:
Rolling Stone, Hullabaloo, Raw Story, New York Times, Outside the Beltway, Law & Crime and USA Today