memeorandum: Trump's Tumultuous Year, From Policy Wins to Impeachment (Catherine Lucey/Wall Street Journal)

12:15 PM ET, January 1, 2020

Top Items:

Buttigieg Campaign Raised $24.7 Million in Fourth Quarter — With about $76 million in total last year, the former South Bend, Ind., mayor was one of the best fundraisers in the Democratic presidential field — Pete Buttigieg raised $24.7 million in the final three months of the year, his campaign said Wednesday.

Fredreka Schouten / CNN:

Buttigieg announces $24.7 million fundraising haul in fourth quarter — (CNN)Pete Buttigieg raised more than $24.7 million during the final three months of 2019, his campaign announced early Wednesday morning — cementing his standing as one of the fundraising leaders of the 2020 Democratic presidential race.

Discussion: Axios, The Guardian, The Hill and DNyuz

Thomas Kaplan / New York Times:

Pete Buttigieg's Campaign Says It Raised $24.7 Million in the Fourth Quarter — Mr. Buttigieg, who appears in strong position in Iowa with a month until the caucuses, continues to show fund-raising strength. — WASHINGTON — Pete Buttigieg raised more than $24.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 …

Discussion: The Week

Ursula Perano / Axios:

Buttigieg's hand-picked successor to take over as South Bend mayor — With a new year comes a new title for 2020 candidate Pete Buttigieg: former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana. — The big picture: Buttigieg's term as mayor will end Wednesday as James Mueller, who served in Buttigieg's administration …

Discussion: Washington Post

Washington Post:

Democrats sharpen their differences as Iowa caucuses loom — DES MOINES — The Democratic presidential candidates spent the final day of 2019 sharpening their differences as they braced for the final sprint to the Iowa caucuses, with polls showing a fluid and unsettled race five weeks before the first nominating contest.

Discussion: ABC News, Politico, The Hill, The Daily Beast, Press Herald and DNyuz

Elena Schneider / Politico:
Buttigieg finishes year with $24.7 million haul in final quarter

Discussion: The Week

Washington Post:

Supporters of Iranian-backed militia start withdrawing from besieged U.S. Embassy in Baghdad following militia orders — BAGHDAD — Supporters of an Iranian-backed militia began to withdraw from the perimeter of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday, following an order from senior militia leaders to end their siege of the facility.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Townhall, The Atlantic, Associated Press, Esquire and Breitbart

ABC News:
Pentagon expects to deploy troops to Mideast after Iraqi protesters assault US embassy …

Discussion: Power Line, UPI, The Atlantic, The Guardian, NPR, CBS News, NBC News, The Gateway Pundit and The Drive

Lucas Tomlinson / Fox News:
Up to 4,000 US troops could deploy to Middle East amid Baghdad unrest: officials

Discussion: The Right Scoop, BizPac Review, The Economic Collapse, One America News Network, DNyuz and New York Post

Agence France-Presse: US embassy personnel in Baghdad safe, no evacuation planned

Ariane de Vogue / CNN:

Chief Justice John Roberts says Americans may ‘take democracy for granted’ — Photos: — In photos: Chief Justice John Roberts — Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts listens to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address in January 2018. — 1 of 20 — Photos:

Discussion: IJR and Law & Crime

Greg Stohr / Yahoo News: U.S. Taking Democracy for Granted, Chief Justice Roberts Says

Josh Gerstein / Politico: Chief Justice John Roberts warns about dangers of fake news

Associated Press:
Mother of Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts dies at age 90

Discussion: Axios and ABC News

Robert Barnes / Washington Post:
Roberts says judges should lead the way on civics but doesn't mention one outreach possibility

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Choe Sang-Hun / New York Times:

North Korea Is No Longer Bound by Nuclear Test Moratorium, Kim Says — Kim Jong-un said North Korea was free of a self-imposed pause on testing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, which President Trump had called a diplomatic victory. — SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea's leader …

Discussion: HuffPost, KCNA Watch, DNyuz and The Moderate Voice

Tong-hyung Kim / Associated Press:
North Korea leader promises look at new weapon soon

Discussion: DNyuz

David Wallace-Wells / New York Magazine:

Global Apathy Toward the Fires in Australia Is a Scary Portent for the Future — Right now, on the outskirts of a hyper modern first world megapolis, at the end of a year in which the public seemed finally to wake up to the dramatic threat from global warming, a climate disaster …

Isabella Kwai / New York Times:
Thousands Flee to Shore as Australia Fires Turn Skies Blood Red

Discussion: Raw Story and The Week

Catherine Lucey / Wall Street Journal:

Trump's Tumultuous Year, From Policy Wins to Impeachment — The president started his third year during a government shutdown and concluded it impeached, scoring some victories along the way — President Trump ended 2019 with a strong economy, a string of domestic policy achievements …

Siobhan Hughes / Wall Street Journal:

Susan Collins Becomes Second GOP Senator to Question McConnell Over Impeachment Trial — With only a four-vote Senate majority, a small bloc of Republican senators could upend majority leader's efforts — WASHINGTON—Maine Sen. Susan Collins has become the second Republican to question …

Marianne Levine / Politico:
Susan Collins says she is ‘open to witnesses’ in impeachment trial

Discussion: HuffPost, Alternet.org, CNN and Axios

The Boston Globe: Susan Collins becomes second Senate Republican to question impartiality of impeachment trial

Dave Philipps / New York Times:

From the Brig to Mar-a-Lago, Former Navy SEAL Capitalizes on Newfound Fame — After receiving presidential clemency, Edward Gallagher has left the SEALs to become a pitchman and conservative activist. — A year ago, Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher was wearing drab prison scrubs …

The Daily Beast:

FBI Agents: McCabe Apologized for Changing His Story on Leak — McCabe flip-flopped on the origins of a Wall Street Journal story during the 2016 campaign—then apologized for his changing account. — Former FBI chief Andrew McCabe faced scorching criticism and potential criminal prosecution …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit and Raw Story

DemCast:

DLCC's Top Ten Victories of 2019 — There are a lot of victories for Democrats to celebrate from 2019, a major battleground year in the states. We had newly blue chambers ready to enact forward-thinking legislation. We won critical elections that flipped seats, and legislatures, blue.

Casey Chalk / The Federalist:

Religious People Think Democrats Will Strip Our Rights Because It's True — A professor claims religious people are afraid of atheists and Democrats because they're projecting ignorance and hatred. Maybe instead religious people just follow the news. — “White evangelicals fear atheists and Democrats would strip away their rights.

Daniel Lippman / Politico:

Trump cuts loose with unpredictable characters at Mar-a-Lago — At Trump's luxury South Florida resort, the president is just another guy in the buffet line. — Guests wait for the arrival of President Donald Trump to his New Year's Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago property on Dec. 31, 2019.

Discussion: Raw Story

Gregory Katz / Associated Press:

Heterosexual couples form 1st civil partnerships in England — Heterosexual couples will now be able to choose a civil partnership instead of a marriage in England and Wales — LONDON — England and Wales have marked a new era in which heterosexual couples can choose to have a civil partnership instead of a marriage.