Top Items:
New York Times:
Russia Inquiry Review Is Said to Criticize F.B.I. but Rebuff Claims of Biased Acts — A watchdog report will portray the pursuit of a wiretap of an ex-Trump adviser as sloppy, but it also debunks some accusations by Trump allies of F.B.I. wrongdoing. — WASHINGTON — A highly anticipated report …
Discussion:
Townhall, Talking Points Memo, The Gateway Pundit, Daily Kos, The Last Refuge, The Daily Caller, CNN, Politico, Joe.My.God., Redstate, Mediaite, Vox, POLITICUSUSA, Political Wire, Raw Story, IJR, Fox News, Deadline, National Review, Washington Post, BizPac Review, PJ Media Home, The American Spectator, The Week, Breitbart, Power Line, TheBlaze and New York Post
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Washington Post:
Justice Dept. watchdog finds political bias did not taint top officials running the FBI's Russia probe but documents other errors — The Justice Department's internal watchdog is expected to find in a forthcoming report that political bias did not taint top officials running the FBI investigation …
Discussion:
Townhall, Law & Crime and Raw Story
New York Times:
Charges of Ukrainian Meddling? A Russian Operation, U.S. Intelligence Says — Moscow has run a yearslong operation to blame Ukraine for its own 2016 election interference. Republicans have used similar talking points to defend President Trump in impeachment proceedings.
Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:
The Awful Truth About Impeachment — Facts be damned is Trump's approach, and it's working. — After five days, twelve witnesses, lots of shouting, and dozens of angry tweets from the President, the House Intelligence Committee's public impeachment hearings into Donald Trump's Ukraine affair ended …
Discussion:
The Nation
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Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:
Trump's Defenders Have No Defense — Witnesses were uneven, but even his closest allies don't try to deny he did what he's accused of doing. — Look, the case has been made. Almost everything in the impeachment hearings this week fleshed out and backed up the charge that President Trump muscled Ukraine for political gain.
Eric Bradner / CNN:
Biden: Lindsey Graham will ‘regret his whole life’ doing Trump's bidding on Ukraine — Watch “CNN Tonight” at 10 p.m. ET to see Don Lemon's full interview with former Vice President Joe Biden. — Abbeville, South Carolina (CNN)Joe Biden said he is “embarrassed” for South Carolina …
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, HuffPost and TheBlaze
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John Solomon Reports:
Responding to Lt. Col. Vindman about my Ukraine columns ... with the facts
Responding to Lt. Col. Vindman about my Ukraine columns ... with the facts
Discussion:
BizPac Review, Twitchy and Breitbart
CNN:
Trump makes at least 18 false claims in ranting Fox & Friends interview
Trump makes at least 18 false claims in ranting Fox & Friends interview
Discussion:
Joe.My.God. and Daily Kos
Marc Caputo / Politico:
Biden camp: Graham ‘forfeited his conscience’ over Ukraine
Biden camp: Graham ‘forfeited his conscience’ over Ukraine
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, TheBlaze and Axios
Caitlin Oprysko / Politico:
‘A lot of things are the matter with me’: The best lines from Trump's Fox interview — President Donald Trump called in to “Fox & Friends” on Friday for a nearly hour-long interview that he agreed after was a form of “stress relief.” — As House Democrats close in on an impeachment vote …
Discussion:
One America News Network, Mediaite and Breitbart
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Toluse Olorunnipa / Washington Post:
In rollicking 53-minute conversation, Trump embraces conspiracies, spreads falsehoods and insults opponents
David Lynch / Washington Post:
Trump says he might veto legislation that aims to protect human rights in Hong Kong because bill …
Trump says he might veto legislation that aims to protect human rights in Hong Kong because bill …
Discussion:
Reason and Foreign Policy
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Trump's GOP defenders cannot be shamed. It's time to try this instead. — If there is one widely shared conclusion about the impeachment hearings that have just concluded, it's that President Trump's GOP defenders were never “gettable.” — This idea has been repeated countless times in recent days …
Discussion:
The Atlantic, Slate and New York Times
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Read This — I read through this a number of times before deciding to publish it. But I strongly, strongly recommend it to you. The author of the email is a former federal prosecutor. When I first read it I confess I found it all a bit loopy or improbable.
Discussion:
CNN, The Mahablog, New York Times, No More Mister Nice Blog, Mother Jones, Balloon Juice and Washington Post
Washington Post:
Trump opens up Camp David as an ‘adult playground’ to woo GOP lawmakers during impeachment — President Trump, partial to gold and marble elegance, never took a shine to rustic Camp David. So acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney pitched him on an unusual idea at the start of the House impeachment inquiry …
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Brooke Singman / Fox News:
In Trump impeachment trial, Senate Republicans could turn tables on Dems
In Trump impeachment trial, Senate Republicans could turn tables on Dems
Discussion:
The Hill, The Daily Signal and Politico
Jennifer Haberkorn / Los Angeles Times:
Schiff isn't ruling out more impeachment hearings
Schiff isn't ruling out more impeachment hearings
Discussion:
ABC News
YouTube:
ADL International Leadership Award Presented to Sacha Baron Cohen at Never Is Now 2019 … Sacha Baron Cohen is the well-deserved recipient of ADL's International Leadership Award, which goes to exceptional individuals who combine professional success with a profound personal commitment …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller and TechCrunch
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Sacha Baron Cohen / The Guardian:
Read Sacha Baron Cohen's scathing attack on Facebook in full: ‘greatest propaganda machine in history’
Read Sacha Baron Cohen's scathing attack on Facebook in full: ‘greatest propaganda machine in history’
Discussion:
Reason, The Daily Beast and Mashable
Sydney Morning Herald:
Defecting Chinese spy offers information trove to Australian government — A Chinese spy has risked his life to defect to Australia and is now offering a trove of unprecedented inside intelligence on how China conducts its interference operations abroad. — Wang “William” Liqiang …
Discussion:
PoliticalShort and TechCrunch
Katie Benner / New York Times:
Barr's Legal Views Come Under Fire From Conservative-Leaning Lawyers — A speech by Mr. Barr last week, in which he argued that Mr. Trump had never overstepped his authority, so alarmed a group of lawyers that they felt compelled to push back publicly. — WASHINGTON — A group …
Geoff Bennett / NBC News:
Yovanovitch's lawyers rate Trump's embassy portrait claim Pinocchio worthy — Lawyers for former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch say President Donald Trump's claim that she refused to hang his picture in the U.S. embassy in Ukraine is false. — “The Embassy in Kyiv hung …
Discussion:
CBS News, Occupy Democrats and Talking Points Memo
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Michael Calderone / Politico:
Jake Tapper: Trump is trying to ‘gaslight the country’
Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:
South Bend black leader endorses Biden, rebukes Buttigieg — The longest-serving African American man on the South Bend, Ind., Common Council is endorsing Joe Biden for president, a rejection of Pete Buttigieg that highlights the South Bend mayor's struggles with black voters.
Discussion:
Townhall, Fox News, Associated Press, CNN, The Boston Globe, Bloomberg, The Daily Caller, The Hill, Mediaite, Axios, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Guardian, CBS News, Mother Jones, Roll Call and New York Times
Harry Siegel / New York Daily News:
‘1984’ arrives 35 years late: Republicans like Devin Nunes are intent on making 2 plus 2 equal whatever the hell they want it to — “It was a bright cold day,” begins George Orwell's “1984,” “and the clocks were striking 13.” — That came to mind as the impeachment drama reached its 11th hour …
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Grant Stern / Occupy Democrats:
House Dem points out that Devin Nunes could be an impeachment inquiry witness
House Dem points out that Devin Nunes could be an impeachment inquiry witness
Discussion:
Daily Kos and Hullabaloo
Eileen Sullivan / New York Times:
Trump Attacks Impeachment Inquiry and Accuses a Witness of Lying — Mr. Trump said a career diplomat made up a conversation between him and his ambassador to the European Union, dismissing a critical detail in the Democrats' impeachment inquiry. — WASHINGTON — President Trump unleashed …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, Crooked Media and HuffPost
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Sky Palma / Raw Story:
‘Delete your account traitor’: GOPer Marsha Blackburn slammed for ugly smear of Lt. Col. Vindman — In a tweet fired off today, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) took a jab at one of the witnesses who testified at this week's hearings in the House impeachment inquiry, and she immediately …
Marc Caputo / Politico:
Bloomberg makes ‘massive’ ad buy — In the latest sign Michael Bloomberg is prepared to spend freely on a prospective presidential bid, the billionaire has begun booking a huge quantity of TV ad time in media markets across the country — including the one that's home to President Donald Trump's winter White House, Mar-a-Lago.
Discussion:
The Hill, Joe.My.God., Political Wire, The Daily Caller and Raw Story
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Brian Schwartz / CNBC:
Mike Bloomberg is buying millions of dollars in TV ads ahead of potential 2020 run
Mike Bloomberg is buying millions of dollars in TV ads ahead of potential 2020 run
Discussion:
New York Times, Denver Post, The Hill and The Week
Ellen Barry / New York Times:
The Jungle Prince of Delhi — For 40 years, journalists chronicled the eccentric royal family of Oudh, deposed aristocrats who lived in a ruined palace in the Indian capital. It was a tragic, astonishing story. But was it true? — NEW DELHI — On a spring afternoon in 2016 …
David Brennan / Newsweek:
Trump Said U.S. Is ‘Getting Raped’ by NATO, Has Pushed to Exit Alliance According to White House Insider — President Donald Trump's criticisms of NATO have been one of the most concerning elements of his presidency to date for career diplomats and Pentagon officials.
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Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Shepard Smith, Former Fox News Anchor, Puts $500,000 Behind Free Press — A Committee to Protect Journalists event, where he also gave a speech, was the anchor's first public appearance since he abruptly left the network. — In his first public remarks since abruptly resigning from Fox News last month …
Brent Larkin / Plain Dealer:
Jim Jordan was imposed on us for egregiously partisan reasons. Now he's afflicting the nation. — CLEVELAND — Of all the regions in all the states in all the country, Jim Jordan got dragged into ours. There was no good reason to punish Greater Cleveland by making the person who's …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Fox News and Washington Post
Jack Holmes / Esquire:
President Fox News Grandpa Had Himself a Morning on Fox & Friends — If you are in any way tethered to observable reality, you will have noticed that this was not a good week for Donald Trump, American president. — A parade of witnesses testified under oath
Discussion:
Vox, POLITICUSUSA and Washington Post
John Hinderaker / Power Line:
Chick-fil-A Caves to the Left, the Cartoon — I wrote here about Chick-fil-A caving in to liberal pressure by limiting its financial support to a small group of organizations that does not include, among others, the Salvation Army. This strikes me as an unforced error and a terrible business decision.
Seth Cousins / Washington Post:
I was a juror in Roger Stone's trial. I am proud of how we came to our decision. — Seth Cousins was juror Number 3 in the Roger Stone trial. — During the first half of November, I traveled a brief journey with 14 fellow Americans, all of them strangers to me.
Darren Samuelsohn / Politico:
Impeachment is about to get a Robert Mueller reprise — Right now, impeachment is all about Ukraine. But after Thanksgiving, prepare for a Robert Mueller reprise. — Now that House Democrats have wrapped up public hearings on President Donald Trump's pressure campaign to get Ukraine …
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Trump and His Corrupt Old Party — For Republicans, there is no bottom. — Formally, the House of Representatives is holding an inquiry into the question of whether Donald J. Trump should be impeached. In reality, we've known the answer to that question for a long time.
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money, Hullabaloo, Raw Story and Daily Kos
Doyle Hodges / Washington Post:
Trump said the Navy can't take away Eddie Gallagher's SEAL qualification. That could be a problem. — The U.S. military is supposed to set its own high professional standards. — On Thursday, President Trump tweeted that the Navy should “get back to business” rather than convene a board …
Discussion:
Joe.My.God. and Redstate