Top Items:
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.
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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 …
Erin Banco / The Daily Beast:
Bolton Allies Cut Out ‘Three Amigos’ for Direct Line to Kyiv — After a White House meeting that was thrown into chaos by Ambassador Gordon Sondland, senior National Security Council officials took matters into their own hands, sources say. — In the days following a July meeting at the White House …
Jordyn Phelps / ABC News:
Trump continues to push debunked Ukraine conspiracy theory
Trump continues to push debunked Ukraine conspiracy theory
Discussion:
Breitbart, HuffPost and The Intercept
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Republicans' nuttery exposed
Republicans' nuttery exposed
Discussion:
New Yorker, The Nation and New York Times
Julie Pace / Associated Press:
Analysis: Mountain of impeachment evidence is beyond dispute
Analysis: Mountain of impeachment evidence is beyond dispute
Discussion:
Vox, The American Independent, KTLA, Politico, The Daily Beast, One America News Network, Axios and Florida Politics
Peter Baker / New York Times:
The Impeachment Witnesses Not Heard
The Impeachment Witnesses Not Heard
Discussion:
Politico, The Atlantic, The Nation and HotAir
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.
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:
Slate and New York Times
RELATED:
Adam Serwer / The Atlantic:
Trump's Crime Against America
Trump's Crime Against America
Discussion:
HuffPost, The Daily Beast, Political Wire, Raw Story and The Bulwark
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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David Lynch / Washington Post:
Trump says he might veto legislation that aims to protect human rights in Hong Kong because bill would impact China trade talks — The legislation easily passed Congress with a veto-proof majority — President Trump suggested on Friday that he might veto legislation designed …
Discussion:
Foreign Policy
Marina Fang / HuffPost:
Trump Pushes Debunked Ukraine Theory In Long, Rambling Call To ‘Fox & Friends’
Axios:
Trump repeats Ukraine conspiracy theory on 53-minute “Fox & Friends” call
Trump repeats Ukraine conspiracy theory on 53-minute “Fox & Friends” call
Discussion:
Associated Press and Joe.My.God.
Quint Forgey / Politico:
Trump unloads to Fox News as impeachment threat heightens
Trump unloads to Fox News as impeachment threat heightens
Discussion:
Washington Post and Axios
Jay Nordlinger / National Review:
Moral Equivalence, Etc.
Washington Post:
Justice Dept. watchdog is said to have found evidence an FBI employee altered document in Russia probe — The Justice Department inspector general has found evidence that an FBI employee may have altered a document connected to court-approved surveillance of a former Trump campaign adviser, according to people familiar with the matter.
Discussion:
Fox News, Breitbart, The Hill, Law & Crime and The Week
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CNN:
Exclusive: Former FBI lawyer under investigation after allegedly altering document in 2016 Russia probe
Exclusive: Former FBI lawyer under investigation after allegedly altering document in 2016 Russia probe
Discussion:
Redstate, Vox, The Rush Limbaugh Show, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, The Hill, Twitchy, Politico, IJR, Washington Post, Deadline, PJ Media Home, National Review, The Last Refuge, BizPac Review, New York Post, The Daily Caller, The American Spectator, Raw Story, Breitbart, Power Line, Townhall, TheBlaze and WREG-TV
Nicole Lafond / Talking Points Memo:
DOJ IG Finds FBI Lawyer May Have Altered Carter Page Surveillance Document
DOJ IG Finds FBI Lawyer May Have Altered Carter Page Surveillance Document
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, The Last Refuge and PJ Media Home
Associated Press:
The Latest: Trump says he doesn't expect to be impeached — 1 of 2 — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and the House impeachment inquiry (all times local): — President Donald Trump says he does not expect to be impeached, claiming Democrats have “absolutely nothing” …
Discussion:
Breitbart, Politico, Joe.My.God. and Lowell Sun
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Gabby Orr / Politico:
'He cares about his grievances and his reelection, and that's it'
'He cares about his grievances and his reelection, and that's it'
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Breitbart, Salt Lake Tribune, Vanity Fair, ABC News, Fox News and Raw Story
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:
Mother Jones and Balloon Juice
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:
Joe.My.God.
RELATED:
Michael Balsamo / Associated Press:
AG Barr: Epstein's death was a ‘perfect storm of screw-ups’ — 1 of 6 — ABOARD A US GOVERNMENT AIRCRAFT (AP) — Attorney General William Barr says Jeffrey Epstein's death was the result of a “perfect storm of screw-ups.” — Barr's comments in an interview Thursday with The Associated Press come days …
Discussion:
New York Times, The Independent, HuffPost, National Review, Joe.My.God., IJR, The Hill, Raw Story, Axios and Political Wire
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 …
Michael Calderone / Politico:
Jake Tapper: Trump is trying to ‘gaslight the country’ — CNN's Jake Tapper thinks fact-checking Donald Trump is no longer enough — and he's created an hourlong special exploring the effects on foreign policy, business and the national culture of the president's compulsive lying.
Discussion:
Political Wire
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 …
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
How impeachment should change how you vote — Watching the very best House members in this week's impeachment hearings, such as Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), and the worst, such as Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), along with other best figures …
Discussion:
Raw Story
RELATED:
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Shepard Smith Uses a Post-Fox Spotlight to Defend Freedom of the Press — The former anchor made his first public appearance since his abrupt departure from Fox News, where he faced taunts from colleagues and President Trump. — In his first public remarks since abruptly resigning …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, IJR, Committee to Protect …, The Wrap, BizPac Review and Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »
Matt Wilstein / The Daily Beast:
Sacha Baron Cohen Uses ADL Speech to Tear Apart Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook — Accepting an award from the Anti-Defamation League, the comedian called Facebook “the greatest propaganda machine in history.” — Sacha Baron Cohen accepted the International Leadership Award …
Discussion:
The Guardian, Mashable, Anti-Defamation League, Talking Points Memo, IndieWire and Fortune, more at Techmeme »
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:
Fox News, Raw Story and Washington Post
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:
Crooked Media, Outside the Beltway and HuffPost
BuzzFeed News:
Tony Robbins Has Been Accused Of Sexually Assaulting A High Schooler At A Summer Camp — The self-help megastar arrived at the summer camp as a star guest. He left with one accuser, two eyewitnesses, and dozens of others who would remember the day's dark turn for decades.
Discussion:
New York Post
Alex Kotch / Sludge:
Nation's Biggest Charity Is Funding Influential White Nationalist Group — A charitable nonprofit linked to Fidelity Investments has donated at least $100,000 to the New Century Foundation, the organization behind white nationalist publication American Renaissance, since mid-2015. — EDITED BY
Jim Geraghty / National Review:
The Road That Brought Conservatives and Republicans to This Point — At some point in your development, probably in your younger years, you stepped into the world of politics out of curiosity and it lit something within you. While lots of your peers found it boring, you started to feel like it was grand crusade in the best sense.
Tokyosand / Political⚡Charge:
The 1 Call Everyone Needs to Make Today — There are no more impeachment hearings scheduled in the House Intelligence Committee. That means it's our turn now. — Today is the perfect day to call your Representative in Congress and let them know how you feel about impeachment.
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, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo and Washington Post