memeorandum: Defiant Mark Zuckerberg defends Facebook policy to allow false ads (Oliver Milman/The Guardian)

10:55 PM ET, December 2, 2019

Top Items:

Barr doesn't accept key inspector general finding about FBI's Russia investigation — Attorney General William P. Barr has told associates he disagrees with the Justice Department's inspector general on one of the key findings in an upcoming report — that the FBI had enough information …

Discussion: Redstate, Townhall, The Hill, POLITICUSUSA, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, Political Wire, The Guardian and Raw Story

Jason Leopold / BuzzFeed News:

Here Are The Latest Secret Memos From Mueller's Report — BuzzFeed News sued the US government for the right to see all the work that Mueller's team kept secret. Today we are publishing the second installment of the FBI's summaries of interviews with key witnesses.

Discussion: Axios, CNN, The Hill, The Daily Beast and Raw Story

Katelyn Polantz / CNN:

Highlights from the newly released FBI Mueller investigation notes — Washington (CNN)The Justice Department, responding to a lawsuit by CNN and BuzzFeed, released 295 pages of witness memoranda and notes from FBI interviews released from the Mueller investigation.

Discussion: Axios and KTVZ-TV

Dareh Gregorian / NBC News:

Newly released documents shed light on Mueller-Trump meeting — Trump has claimed Mueller applied to be FBI director and was “turned down.” But the documents don't back up the president's version of events. — Former special counsel Robert Mueller had taken himself out of the running …

Discussion: Raw Story

San Diego Union-Tribune:

Rep. Duncan Hunter to plead guilty in campaign finance scandal, leave Congress — Longtime congressman says he wants to spare his family the spectacle of a trial, which was to start Jan. 22 — After years of denials and claims he was the target of a political witch hunt, Rep. Duncan Hunter …

Discussion: HuffPost, Bloomberg, Raw Story, Law & Crime and The American Independent

KUSI Newsroom / KUSI-TV:

Congressman Duncan D. Hunter announces guilty plea on one count of misuse of campaign funds — SAN DIEGO - For 39 years, the Hunter family has represented San Diego in the 50th Congressional District, but that may come to an end next year. — Hunter is is charged with using campaign funds …

John Bresnahan / Politico:
Rep. Duncan Hunter to plead guilty in campaign finance violations case

Discussion: The Daily Beast, KUSI-TV, NBC News and Fox News

CNN:
Rep. Duncan Hunter to plead guilty in case alleging misuse of campaign funds

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Natasha Bertrand / Politico:

Senate panel look into Ukraine interference comes up short — With the impeachment inquiry charging forward, President Donald Trump's allies have defended his demand for political investigations from Ukraine by claiming that the government in Kyiv tried to sabotage his candidacy and boost Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Discussion: The Hill, Political Wire, HotAir, Raw Story, Washington Post, CNN, Mediaite and The Daily Beast

Jake Tapper / CNN:

GOP-led committee probed possible Ukraine interference in 2016 election and found nothing worth pursuing, sources say — (CNN)The Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence Committee looked into allegations that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election and found no evidence to support the claims …

Discussion: Vanity Fair and Mediaite

James Downie / Washington Post:

The useful idiot from Louisiana — A few weeks ago, I wrote about Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.) showcasing the “typical shell game” of Republicans on impeachment: Eliminate the importance of the “quid pro quo,” muddy the waters of the president's motive and distort the impeachment process itself.

Discussion: The Independent, Axios and HuffPost

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
John Kennedy vs. Vladimir Putin: How Trump defenders' Ukraine talking points compare to what Russians say

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Hill, The American Independent, The Bulwark, One America News Network, KyivPost, Mediaite and Daily Kos

Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Assessing the Republicans' 10 ‘findings’ in their impeachment inquiry report

Discussion: KyivPost

Alayna Treene / Axios:

GOP impeachment report claims Trump did nothing wrong — President Trump committed “no quid pro quo, bribery, extortion, or abuse of power,” Republicans on the House committees investigating the Ukraine controversy have concluded in a 110-page report reviewed by Axios ahead of its formal release.

Discussion: The Hill, ABC News, Politico, Associated Press and Breitbart

Rachael Bade / Washington Post:
Democrats quietly debate expanding impeachment articles beyond Ukraine

Discussion: The Atlantic

Cristina Marcos / The Hill:
House Judiciary announces impeachment witnesses

Discussion: Politico and The Gateway Pundit

Nicholas Fandos / New York Times:
Democrats Ready Impeachment Report as Republicans Argue Trump Did Nothing Wrong

Discussion: HuffPost, UPI, NBC News, The Gateway Pundit, The Hill, Daily Kos, Raw Story, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Mediaite

Adam Klasfeld / courthousenews.com:

Giuliani Associate Lev Parnas Cleared to Comply With Impeachment Subpoena — MANHATTAN (CN) - A federal judge paved the way on Monday for Rudy Giuliani's associate Lev Parnas to comply with a House subpoena for information relevant to the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Discussion: VICE and Law & Crime

Natasha Korecki / Politico:

Biden says he doesn't need Obama's endorsement — EMMETSBURG, Iowa — Former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday said he didn't need Barack Obama's endorsement in the Democratic primary, even if the field were down to three people. — He also scoffed at the notion that Sen. Elizabeth Warren …

Discussion: Reuters, ABC News, The Hill, The Independent, Twitchy, Washington Times and NBC News

Brian Slodysko / Associated Press:
Joe Biden sees fundraising improvement after rough summer

Discussion: Political Wire

Jacksonville Journal-Courier:
Poll says Biden keeps narrow lead in state, but Warren, Buttigieg gain in primary race

Discussion: The Hill

Washington Post:

North Dakota company that Trump touted gets $400 million border wall contract — A company that President Trump urged military officials to hire for border wall construction has been awarded a $400 million contract to build a span of new barrier across an Arizona wildlife refuge …

Discussion: The Hill and Political Wire

Robin Givhan / Washington Post:

Melania Trump's Christmas decorations are lovely, but that coat looks ridiculous — First lady Melania Trump unveiled this year's White House Christmas decorations in a gauzy video in which she strolls through the public rooms marveling at their holiday luster.

Discussion: Mother Jones, The Gateway Pundit, Twitchy, SPIN, The Daily Beast, ABC News, IJR and CNN

Elisabeth Egan / New York Times:
6 Takeaways From Melania Trump's Unauthorized Biography

Discussion: The Guardian, Political Wire, The Gateway Pundit and The Root

Kate Bennett / CNN:
‘Free, Melania’ offers new details about the life of a private first lady

Discussion: Raw Story

Tess Bonn / The Hill:

Bloomberg overtakes Harris in new poll — Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (D) topped Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) in a new Hill-HarrisX poll of the Democratic presidential primary race. — The survey released on Monday found that support for the former mayor ticked …

Discussion: Breitbart

Kathleen Ronayne / Associated Press:
California Gov. Newsom to campaign in Iowa for Kamala Harris

Discussion: Axios

Greg Bluestein / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Kelly Loeffler to have powerful ally after she's tapped to Senate in Georgia — Kemp to formally announce Loeffler on Wednesday at 10 a.m. — When Gov. Brian Kemp announces on Wednesday that he's picked Kelly Loeffler for an open U.S. Senate seat, she'll have some powerful backup to help defend her new post.

Discussion: Breitbart, New York Times, Big League Politics, Roll Call and Washington Free Beacon

Politico:
Georgia governor set to buck Trump on Senate appointment

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Axios, Breitbart, Associated Press, ABC News, The Dispatch, Talking Points Memo and National Review

Oliver Milman / The Guardian:

Defiant Mark Zuckerberg defends Facebook policy to allow false ads — Zuckerberg says ‘people should be able to judge for themselves the character of politicians’ and compares alternative to censorship — Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has defended the company's decision …

CBS News:
Facebook CEO on political ads: People should “judge for themselves the character of politicians”

Discussion: The Hill, Common Dreams, Redstate, Vanity Fair, IJR, The Daily Caller, Louder With Crowder and New York Post

Matthew Lee / Associated Press:

Trump administration quietly releases Lebanon military aid — 1 of 3 — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has quietly released more than $100 million in military assistance to Lebanon after months of unexplained delay. — That's according to two congressional staffers …

Discussion: United States Department …, Axios, CNN, Fox News, Talking Points Memo and One America News Network

Washington Post:

The surprising second choices of Democratic primary voters upend political cliches — A war between ‘progressives’ and ‘moderates’? Voters don't see things the way pundits do. — To many observers, the Democratic presidential primary has highlighted the “profound ideological divides between …

Ally Mutnick / Politico:

Republicans in turmoil as redistricting looms — The GOP group charged with winning state legislatures is in turmoil — sparking concerns that the party is at risk of blowing the next round of redistricting. — The Republican State Leadership Committee has seen an exodus of top staff in recent months …

Discussion: Raw Story

Simon Shuster / TIME:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Speaks Out on Trump, Putin and a Divided Europe — 'I don't trust anyone at all'

Jeremy Wallace / Houston Chronicle:

Democrat Beto O'Rourke turns his attention to flipping the Texas House — A month after ending his presidential campaign, Democrat Beto O'Rourke has turned his attention to state politics — namely, an effort to help flip the Texas House of Representatives from Republican control to the Democrats.

Discussion: Political Wire

New York Times:

French Wine Could Face 100% Tariffs as Trump Confronts France Over Tech Taxes — A report by the Office of the United States Trade Representative renewed a conflict between the countries, which had negotiated a temporary truce in August. — WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said on Monday …

more at Techmeme »

ustr.gov:
Conclusion of USTR's Investigation Under Section 301 into France's Digital Services Tax

Discussion: Politico, Axios, One America News Network and The Last Refuge

Fox News:

Senate confirms Trump's pick to replace Rick Perry as energy secretary — President Donald Trump's pick to succeed Rick Perry as energy secretary won easy Senate confirmation Monday, despite a Democratic senator's objections that the nominee hadn't fully answered questions related to the Trump impeachment investigation.

Discussion: Townhall

Angus King / USA Today:
Ukraine scandal: I know why Trump top dogs — Mulvaney, Pompeo, Perry & Bolton — won't bark

Discussion: Raw Story

Dan Levin / New York Times:

‘OxyContin Just Started Showing Up’ — Purdue Pharma introduced its opioid painkiller, OxyContin, in 1996, when the Class of 2000 entered high school. Some students began experimenting, often combining prescription opiates with alcohol at parties. — For many, what started …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money and Gothamist

Collin Anderson / Washington Free Beacon:

Warren's Son Attended One of Nation's Most Elite Private Schools — The Haverford School's leafy campus, arched doorways, and neatly uniformed boys would seem to denote the sort of class and privilege that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) has decried on the campaign trail.