memeorandum: Blumenthal: Five to 10 Republicans have ‘severe misgivings’ about McConnell strategy (Lauren Vella/The Hill)

5:05 PM ET, December 27, 2019

Top Items:

Dave Philipps / New York Times:

Anguish and Anger From the Navy SEALs Who Turned In Edward Gallagher — Video interviews and group texts obtained by The Times show men describing their platoon leader in grim terms. — [Watch a special Times documentary featuring combat video and confidential interviews with the Navy SEALs …

Discussion: AOL.com, ABC News, Slate, The Mahablog, Axios, Raw Story, Vanity Fair, New York Post, HuffPost, WTKR-TV, The Guardian, Balloon Juice, Hullabaloo, Alternet.org, The Hill, The American Independent, Mediaite and TheBlaze

New York Times:

Confidential Videos Show Why Navy SEALs Reported Edward Gallagher — “This chair good?” “Yeah.” “Which team are you assigned to right now?” “Team 7.” “You're SEAL Team 7.” “I'm at SEAL Team 7—” The Navy SEALs are probably the most elite commandos in the military.

Discussion: Little Green Footballs and Raw Story

Emily Crane / Daily Mail:

‘The guy is freaking evil’: Eddie Gallagher's fellow Navy SEALS describe him as ‘toxic’ and trigger-happy in previously unseen interviews with investigators — The Navy SEALS were interviewed by naval criminal investigators before Edward Gallagher was charged with war crimes in September 2018

Ian Schwartz / RealClearPolitics:

Michael Moore Predicts 2020 Trump Victory: Trump's Level Of Support “Has Not Gone Down One Inch” — In an interview with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!, Michael Moore said if the election were held today that President Trump would win a second term. However, Moore predicted the Democratic candidate …

Discussion: WND

Holly Otterbein / Politico:
AOC for president? The buzz has begun

Discussion: Fox News, The Guardian, The Hill, Alternet.org, The Nation, The Daily Caller, Axios, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and The Gateway Pundit

Sam Dorman / Fox News:
Michael Moore says Trump could win in 2020, Midwest support hasn't dropped ‘one inch’

Discussion: Breitbart and Democracy Now

Daniel Marans / HuffPost:
Zephyr Teachout, Anti-Corruption Crusader, Endorses Bernie Sanders

Discussion: The Hill

Valerie Edwards / Daily Mail:
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 'accepted a $2,700 donation from 2020 presidential hopeful and BILLIONAIRE …

Discussion: Fox Business, Breitbart, PJ Media Home, The Daily Caller and New York Post

Amie Parnes / The Hill:
Democrats brace for ‘bloody’ primary season

Discussion: Politico

Melissa Lemieux / Newsweek:

Ex-WH Ethics Lawyer Slams McConnell, Says Senator Thinks He's ‘A Judge Impaneling An All-White Jury for a Klansman Trial’ — During a panel discussion on CNN, Richard Painter, the former chief White House ethics lawyer who worked under George W. Bush, got into a bit of a verbal dust …

Lauren Vella / The Hill:
Blumenthal: Five to 10 Republicans have ‘severe misgivings’ about McConnell strategy

Discussion: Alternet.org, Raw Story and Daily Kos

Issues & Insights:
Stopping Lisa Murkowski From Playing Lady Macbeth

Discussion: Washington Post, Fox News and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Margaret Carlson / The Daily Beast:
Mitch McConnell's Big Mistake Defending Donald Trump? Listening to Him.

Discussion: Associated Press and Raw Story

Dareh Gregorian / NBC News:
Pelosi invites Trump to deliver the State of the Union two days after impeaching him

Discussion: Associated Press, Alternet.org, Raw Story, ABC News and Breitbart

Derick Waller / abc7NY:

Women attacked, man threatens shooting in rash of anti-Semitic incidents in NYC — GRAVESEND, Brooklyn (WABC) — There have been a rash of anti-Semitic incidents in New York City this week, most in parts of Brooklyn. — A man wearing a hoodie apparently walked into Lubavitch World Headquarters …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and TheBlaze

Derick Waller / abc7NY: Mother walking with child beaten in 5th anti-Semitic attack in NYC

Jennifer Peltz / Associated Press:
NYC ups policing in Jewish areas after spate of attacks

Discussion: VICE, NPR, Sara A. Carter, The Guardian and The Hill

CNBC:

Elizabeth Warren's campaign sounds the alarm as fundraising pace slows about 30% in fourth quarter — Sen. Elizabeth Warren's campaign told supporters in an email on Friday that, so far, it has raised just over $17 million in the fourth quarter, a significant drop from her fundraising haul during the third quarter.

Discussion: Vanity Fair, Breitbart, Axios and TheBlaze

Wall Street Journal:

Rank-and-File Workers Get Bigger Raises — Short supply of labor, minimum-wage rises and increased poaching have helped lift wages for lower-income workers — Rank-and-file workers are getting bigger raises this year—at least in percentage terms—than bosses.

Discussion: Axios and The Daily Caller

Bloomberg:

Bizarre Fortunes Flourish as World's Richest Gain $1.2 Trillion — The wealth of the 500 richest people surged 25% in 2019 — Wrecked cars, catchy tunes are among the sources of new riches — The leveraging of a giant social-media presence, a catchy tune about a family of sharks …

Discussion: Alternet.org

Yascha Mounk / The Atlantic:

Why Trump's Second Term Will Be Worse — When I spent a month on a research trip to India in December 2014, half a year after Narendra Modi swept to power, the writers, academics, and intellectuals I met were engrossed in a debate that may now feel oddly familiar to Americans.

Discussion: Raw Story

Vladimir Isachenkov / Associated Press:

Russia commissions intercontinental hypersonic weapon — MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's defense minister reported to President Vladimir Putin that a new hypersonic weapon of intercontinental range became operational Friday following years of tests. — Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed Putin …

Discussion: National Review, The National Interest, The Post Millennial and Politico

Mark Hosenball / Reuters:

Exclusive: FBI investigates Briton, others for Epstein links - sources — (Reuters) - The FBI is investigating British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and several other people linked to U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges …

Discussion: ABC News, WND, Forbes, Breitbart, The Daily Beast, The Daily Caller, VICE and National Review

CNN:

Schumer said in 1999 Senate wasn't like a jury box and was ‘susceptible to the whims of politics’ — (CNN)Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has blasted his Republican counterpart Mitch McConnell in recent days after he described himself as “not an impartial juror” ahead …

Discussion: Washington Examiner and The Daily Caller

Associated Press:

Disney characters say tourists inappropriately touched them — ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Walt Disney World employees who portray Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck each filed police reports this month claiming they were inappropriately touched by tourists.

Discussion: Fox News, TMZ.com and The Daily Caller

Washington Post:

Ousted cardinal McCarrick gave more than $600,000 to fellow clerics, including two popes, records show — Former cardinal Theodore McCarrick gave hundreds of thousands of dollars in church money to powerful Catholic clerics over nearly two decades, according to financial records obtained …

Discussion: New York Post, americamagazine.org, Slate, The Hill and TheBlaze

Ashley Zavala / KRON4:

California public schools can't suspend students for disobeying teachers, new law says — SACRAMENTO (KRON) — New laws taking effect in 2020 will impact schools across California. — Starting next school year, it will be illegal for public schools in the state to suspend students …

Kristy Eldredge / New York Times:

Men Are Dismissing ‘Little Women.’ What a Surprise. — The rejection of the latest screen adaptation of the beloved novel echoes a long-held sentiment toward women-centered narratives. — Ms. Eldredge is a writer. — “'Little Women' Has a Little Man Problem.”

Discussion: Washington Post, Althouse and The Daily Beast

George P. Slefo / Ad Age:

Spotify to suspend political ads in 2020 — Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders and the RNC are among Spotify advertisers — Spotify is suspending the sale of political advertising on its platform, the company told Ad Age Friday. — Spotify said in a statement that it will pause political advertising …

Discussion: Axios, Bloomberg, WTKR-TV, VICE, TechCrunch, Engadget, Variety, Mashable and The Verge, more at Mediagazer »

Globe and Mail:

Activist who raised awareness about transphobia murdered in Toronto — When Julie Berman came up to the open mic at the trans day of remembrance event on Nov. 20, 2017, she delivered a speech about transphobia in Toronto. She talked about a trans friend of hers that was murdered.

Discussion: The Hill and The Post Millennial

Eva Bartlett / RT:

Guardian, Atlantic contributor acts as a Syrian terrorist mouthpiece on Twitter, and if you don't like it you're a Russian stooge … FILE PHOTO: Al-Nusra fighter in Syria © AFP/ Rami Al-Sayed — Giving a sympathetic platform to a terrorist is reprehensible at best, downright criminal at worst …

Michael E. Miller / Washington Post:

Hunting black men to start a ‘race war’ … The man stumbled into the police precinct in Hell's Kitchen late one night, staggering toward a tall reception desk painted black and blue. Before the desk officer could ask the man his business, he collapsed on a bench, dripping blood.

Margot Sanger-Katz / New York Times:

In the U.S., an Angioplasty Costs $32,000. Elsewhere? Maybe $6,400. — A study of international prices finds American patients pay much more across a wide array of common services. — Why does health care cost so much more in the United States than in other countries?

Discussion: Mother Jones

Chris D'Angelo / HuffPost:

Interior Department Cut ‘Sexual Orientation’ From Anti-Discrimination Guideline — Its explanation shows that the administration is talking out of both sides of its mouth when it comes to LGBTQ rights. — President Donald Trump's Interior Department removed “sexual orientation” …