Top Items:
ABC News:
‘Take her out’: Recording appears to capture Trump at private dinner saying he wants Ukraine ambassador fired — Trump apparently heard discussing firing Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. — A recording reviewed by ABC News appears to capture President Donald Trump telling associates …
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Betsy Swan / The Daily Beast:
Rudy Pal Igor Fruman Taped Trump Trying to Fire Ukraine Ambassador: Lawyer — The tape may contradict Trump's claim that he does not know the two Giuliani associates who worked to have the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine be removed. — A recently-indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani taped …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
BBC:
Neo-Nazi Rinaldo Nazzaro running US militant group The Base from Russia — The American founder of US-based militant neo-Nazi group The Base is directing the organisation from Russia, a BBC investigation has found. — Rinaldo Nazzaro, 46, who uses the aliases “Norman Spear” and “Roman Wolf” …
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Jason Wilson / The Guardian:
Revealed: the true identity of the leader of an American neo-Nazi terror group — The white supremacist group the Base has been a target of FBI raids and its members accused of planning a race war. The Guardian can now reveal the identity of its secretive leader
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Talking Points Memo and Raw Story
Spencer Ackerman / The Daily Beast:
Regime Critic Says Saudis Tried to Kidnap Him on U.S. Soil — Abdulrahman Almutairi is a Saudi social-media influencer who criticized Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. If not for the FBI, he says, he might've met Jamal Khashoggi's fate. — A suspected agent of the Saudi government attempted …
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Nation, Axios, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, Slate and BuzzFeed News, more at Mediagazer »
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Wall Street Journal:
Report Alleging Saudi Hack of Bezos Phone Puzzles Security Experts — Investigation by FTI appears to be inconclusive, several specialists in cybersecurity say — A report concluding that Saudi Arabia likely hacked into Jeff Bezos ' smartphone has spurred questions and confusion among cybersecurity experts …
Stephanie Armour / Wall Street Journal:
Trump Administration Plans Action Against California Over Abortion-Coverage Requirement — The administration is expected to say that the state's requirement violates federal law — WASHINGTON—The Trump administration is planning on Friday to announce action against California …
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David Edwards / Raw Story:
Lindsey Graham screeches at reporters over impeachment: Trump ‘did nothing wrong in his mind’ — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a close ally of President Donald Trump, on Thursday complained that the president's impeachment trial should end quickly because the American people “need a break.”
Discussion:
HuffPost and HuffPost Canada
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David Brooks / New York Times:
Joe Biden Is Stronger Than You Think — Here's why he is still winning. — It was yet another epic failure of political punditry. Go back to the early months of Joe Biden's presidential campaign and read what the consultants and commentators were saying about him: His support is just name recognition; he'll fade!
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Jonathan Martin / New York Times:
Kamala Harris Is Said to Be Weighing an Endorsement of Joe Biden
Kamala Harris Is Said to Be Weighing an Endorsement of Joe Biden
Discussion:
Politico, The Hill, Slate, The Week and JustOneMinute
Nihar Kabinittal / ABC News:
‘This is no time to take a risk’: Biden ad leans into electability as caucuses approach
‘This is no time to take a risk’: Biden ad leans into electability as caucuses approach
Discussion:
Associated Press, CNN and The Hill
Maggie Severns / Politico:
Obama fundraising chief backs Biden
Robert Burns / Associated Press:
Pentagon: 34 US troops had brain injuries from Iran's strike — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon said Friday that 34 U.S. troops were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries suffered in this month's Iranian missile strike on an Iraqi air base, and that half of the troops have returned to their military duties.
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CNN:
34 US service members diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries after Iranian missile strike — Trump downplays service members' concussions: I heard they had headaches — Washington (CNN)Thirty-four US service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following …
Politico:
Trump's trial may hinge on Lamar Alexander — If you want to know how President Donald Trump's impeachment trial could play out, keep your eye on Lamar Alexander. — On the most important question of the trial — whether to subpoena witnesses — the 79-year-old Tennessee Republican senator is a wild card.
Discussion:
Vox, Redstate, No More Mister Nice Blog, CNN, Washington Post, Reason, The Hill, ABC News, Axios, NBC News, POLITICUSUSA and Associated Press
RELATED:
Ben Terris / Washington Post:
Mitch McConnell doesn't care what you think. He just wants to win.
Mitch McConnell doesn't care what you think. He just wants to win.
Discussion:
Twitchy
Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
When Senate Republicans were quite concerned about Trump and Ukraine — As we head into the last day of House Democrats' opening arguments in President Trump's impeachment trial, we are getting closer to the point at which GOP senators will have to decide whether they want additional evidence and witnesses.
Discussion:
The Hill and Mother Jones
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Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
A GOP senator trafficked in flimsy allegations to impugn Alexander Vindman. And then Trump retweeted it.
A GOP senator trafficked in flimsy allegations to impugn Alexander Vindman. And then Trump retweeted it.
Joseph Morton / Omaha World-Herald:
What's at stake for Sens. Sasse, Ernst, both of whom face reelection after impeachment vote
What's at stake for Sens. Sasse, Ernst, both of whom face reelection after impeachment vote
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Raw Story
Elena Schneider / Politico:
‘On life support’: Buttigieg's struggles with black voters threaten his candidacy — ORANGEBURG, S.C. — When Pete Buttigieg holds “big rally type events” in South Carolina, “it's mostly white folks showing up,” he acknowledged ruefully Thursday night. And his struggle to fix that problem …
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Ezra Klein / New York Times:
Why Democrats Still Have to Appeal to the Center, but Republicans Don't — Polarization has changed the two parties — just not in the same way. — Mr. Klein is the author of “Why We're Polarized.” — American politics has been dominated by the Democratic and Republican Parties since the Civil War.
New York Times:
Coronavirus Live Updates: China's Travel Limits Cover 35 Million People — Shanghai Disneyland shut down, and the youngest victim so far was identified as a 36-year-old man. — RIGHT NOW A second case was confirmed in the U.S., as health officials were preparing for an outbreak that could last months.
Discussion:
CNBC, Popular Science, The Week, Gothamist, ITV, LewRockwell, Balloon Juice, Fox News, Vox and Washington Post
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
The honest Trump defense that is too embarrassing to advance — House impeachment managers have demonstrated through a painstaking presentation of facts and law that: 1) President Trump wanted a foreign government to help him win reelection by announcing an investigation into former vice president Joe Biden …
Brooke Singman / Fox News:
Border Patrol veteran Rodney Scott tapped to lead agency — The Trump administration announced Friday that Rodney S. Scott will serve as the new chief of U.S. Border Patrol. — Scott, a 27-year veteran of Border Patrol, will replace Carla Provost, who is retiring, according to a statement.
Discussion:
Associated Press
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Colleen Long / Associated Press:
AP Exclusive: New US Border Patrol chief named
AP Exclusive: New US Border Patrol chief named
Discussion:
The Hill
David Bauder / Associated Press:
Study links impeachment beliefs to regular news diets — FILE - In this Jan. 22, 2020 file photo, night falls on the Capitol, in Washington. For many Americans, how they feel about issues raised during President Donald Trump's impeachment has much to do with where they get their news.
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Michael Tomasky / The Daily Beast:
Adam Schiff Stands Up and Speaks the Truth at Mitch McConnell's Upside-Down Stalinist Show Trial — Yes, say Senate Republicans, we know there's evidence that makes Trump's guilt even clearer. But we will sit as judges to disallow it before we sit as jurors to “exonerate” him. — BEAST INSIDE
Discussion:
Raw Story and Washington Post
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Donie O'Sullivan / CNN:
Exclusive: This site pays Americans to write ‘news’ articles. Signs indicate it originates in Iran — New York (CNN)American Herald Tribune bills itself as a “genuinely independent online media outlet.” Set up in 2015, it publishes in English and pays Americans to write articles.
Tim Alberta / Politico:
How the Gun Show Became the Trump Show — AUTHOR'S NOTE: Late last year, I moved home to Michigan. I did so primarily for family reasons, but also because I wanted to get back in touch with parts of the country where D.C. journalists often visit but rarely stay for long.