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, The Week, Politico and Joe.My.God.
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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, Talking Points Memo and The Week
Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Fiona Hill clashes with GOP over ‘fictional’ Ukraine claims — President Donald Trump's former top Russia aide sparred with Republican lawmakers on Thursday, accusing them of emboldening Moscow by pushing a “fictional narrative” that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 presidential election.
Discussion:
ABC News, Washington Post, CNN, Breitbart, Daily Kos, TheBlaze, emptywheel, New York Post, Axios, The Daily Beast and Contemptor
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:
The Mahablog, Vox, TheBlaze, Axios and Slate
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
Colby Itkowitz / Washington Post:
Graham launches probe of Bidens, Burisma and Ukraine
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:
Politico and Florida Politics
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:
Fox News, Redstate, American Greatness and National Review
ABC News:
Trump impeachment hearings live updates: Fiona Hill and David Holmes testify
Trump impeachment hearings live updates: Fiona Hill and David Holmes testify
Discussion:
Townhall, The Hill, The Intercept, New York Times, Deseret News, The Week, One America News Network, Mother Jones, Fox News and Althouse
Associated Press:
Impeachment hearing takeaways: A ‘domestic political errand’
Impeachment hearing takeaways: A ‘domestic political errand’
Discussion:
Politico, The American Independent, CNBC, 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, 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:
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
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, Redstate, Fox News, Military.com, Washington Post, Hullabaloo, Disrn, The Gateway Pundit, The Hill, TheBlaze, 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 …
Reuters:
Trump vows U.S. Navy will not oust commando who posed with corpse from SEALs — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday blasted the U.S. Navy's handling of a Navy SEAL whose rank he recently restored following a court martial, saying he would not allow the service to remove his SEAL status.
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, Washington Post, Vox, Mother Jones and The Hill
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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
Laura Barrón-López / Politico:
Why Pete Buttigieg got a pass in the debate
Why Pete Buttigieg got a pass in the debate
Discussion:
Associated Press, Tampa Bay Times, The Hill, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, Joe.My.God., Outside the Beltway, New York Times and Washington Free Beacon
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
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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Robert Barnes / Washington Post:
House says Supreme Court precedents do not shield Trump financial records
House says Supreme Court precedents do not shield Trump financial records
Discussion:
One America News Network
Ursula Perano / Axios:
California strikes down law requiring presidential tax returns to appear on ballot
California strikes down law requiring presidential tax returns to appear on ballot
Discussion:
Associated Press
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:
POLITICUSUSA and Law & Crime
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
Daniel Lippman / Politico:
Impeachment hearings putting Trump through emotional wringer — One day, he's up. One day, he's down. Other days he's just angry. — President Donald Trump has gone through a range of emotions since House Democrats started their public impeachment hearings last week about whether …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Hullabaloo, New York Times, Outside the Beltway, Law & Crime, USA Today and FiveThirtyEight
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Charles Sykes / The Bulwark:
No Mystery — Republicans aren't being moved by Sondland's testimony …
No Mystery — Republicans aren't being moved by Sondland's testimony …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Raw Story, The G-File and Slate
Natasha Bertrand / Politico:
Secret Service spent more than $250K at Trump properties — The Secret Service spent more than a quarter of a million dollars at President Donald Trump's properties over the course of five months in 2017, newly released documents show. — The documents outline Secret Service credit card expenditures …
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David A. Fahrenthold / Washington Post:
Secret Service spent quarter of a million dollars at Trump's properties in first five months of his term, records show
Secret Service spent quarter of a million dollars at Trump's properties in first five months of his term, records show
Discussion:
Political Wire and Lawyers, Guns & Money
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:
Jerusalem Post, CNN, Associated Press, Common Dreams, Outside the Beltway, The Week and Mediaite