Top Items:
Nico Hines / The Daily Beast:
Trump Offered Assange Pardon if He Covered Up Russian Hack, WikiLeaks Founder's Lawyer Claims — Lawyers acting for the WikiLeaks founder said Dana Rohrabacher, a former Republican congressman, had brought the message to London from Trump. — LONDON—President Trump offered to pardon Julian Assange …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, The Verge, Twitchy and Raw Story
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Owen Bowcott / The Guardian:
Donald Trump ‘offered Julian Assange a pardon if he denied Russia link to hack’ — Donald Trump offered Julian Assange a pardon if he would say Russia was not involved in leaking Democratic party emails, a court in London has been told. — The extraordinary claim was made at Westminster magistrates court …
Mike Allen / Axios:
Bloomberg camp's “dire” warning: Bernie Sanders will soon be unstoppable — Mike Bloomberg's campaign is sounding the alarm that Bernie Sanders will soon amass an unsurmountable delegate lead if the Democratic field stays split — and took the extraordinary step of suggesting laggards should drop out.
Discussion:
National Review, Washington Post, The Hill, Associated Press and The Smoke Eater
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Jonathan V. Last / The Bulwark:
Bernie Could Beat Trump. Here's How. — The conventional wisdom says that Bernie Sanders can't possibly beat Trump. The convention wisdom is wrong. — 1. How Bernie Loses — I understand the Democratic panic about the possibility of Bernie Sanders winning their nomination.
Discussion:
Raw Story
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Will Democrats stand up to the bully on their own side? — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) at the CNN town hall Tuesday night confirmed what he told MNBC's Chuck Todd recently: He will not, on second thought, release his full medical records as he promised after the 78-year-old had a heart attack last fall.
Philip Bump / Washington Post:
The Democratic primaries may soon have an uncatchable leader — who can't clinch the nomination
The Democratic primaries may soon have an uncatchable leader — who can't clinch the nomination
Discussion:
The Hill and Political Wire
Savannah Behrmann / USA Today:
Bernie Sanders says he won't release full medical records
Bernie Sanders says he won't release full medical records
Discussion:
NBC News, National Review, New York Daily News, UPI, CNN and The Week
Megan McArdle / Washington Post:
Bernie Sanders is not just a garden-variety social democrat
Bernie Sanders is not just a garden-variety social democrat
Discussion:
Fox News, Marginal REVOLUTION and Project Syndicate
Jamie Ross / The Daily Beast:
Bernie Sanders Campaign Says Asking for His Health Records Is a ‘Smear’ Like Birtherism
Bernie Sanders Campaign Says Asking for His Health Records Is a ‘Smear’ Like Birtherism
Discussion:
Redstate, HuffPost, Politico, Vanity Fair and Progress Pond
The Hill:
The Hill's review of John Solomon's columns on Ukraine — On Nov. 18, 2019, The Hill announced it was reviewing John Solomon's opinion columns on Ukraine after State Department diplomats criticized several of those columns during House impeachment hearings.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Politico, Washington Post, Raw Story and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
Washington Post:
Sanders surges into national lead in new Post-ABC poll — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), on the strength of his performances in Iowa and New Hampshire, has surged nationally and now holds a sizable lead over all of his rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Discussion:
Fox News, NBC News, Mother Jones, Mediaite, VICE, National Review, Breitbart, Slate and Axios
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ABC News:
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responds to criticism that Sanders' policies are too radical — “He's been fighting for these issues his entire life,” she said of Sanders. — New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined “The View” on Wednesday, promoting Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast and The Hill
Michael Finnegan / Los Angeles Times:
Bernie Sanders takes wide lead in California primary, new poll finds
Bernie Sanders takes wide lead in California primary, new poll finds
Tyler Olson / Fox News:
Sanders takes double-digit lead in new national poll, as Biden crumbles and Bloomberg rises
Sanders takes double-digit lead in new national poll, as Biden crumbles and Bloomberg rises
Discussion:
National Review, Politico and CBS News
Nihar Kabinittal / ABC News:
Sanders and Bloomberg rise, Biden falls, with sharp shifts in views of electability
Sanders and Bloomberg rise, Biden falls, with sharp shifts in views of electability
Discussion:
Law & Crime
Domenico Montanaro / NPR:
Poll: Sanders Rises, But Socialism Isn't Popular With Most Americans
Poll: Sanders Rises, But Socialism Isn't Popular With Most Americans
Discussion:
The Week, The Hill, PBS NewsHour and Fox News
Wall Street Journal:
China Expels Three Wall Street Journal Reporters — China's Foreign Ministry says move was punishment for a recent opinion piece published by the Journal — China revoked the press credentials of three Wall Street Journal reporters based in Beijing, the first time in the post-Mao era …
Discussion:
New York Times, Townhall, Mediaite, Washington Post, The Wrap, National Review, globaltimes.cn, VICE, The Hill, CNBC and Axios, more at Mediagazer »
Wall Street Journal:
Bloomberg Bankrolls a Social-Media Army to Push Message — Campaign is hiring workers for $2,500 per month to promote Bloomberg to all their contacts — Michael Bloomberg's presidential campaign is hiring hundreds of workers in California to post regularly on their personal social-media accounts …
Discussion:
National Review, Axios and The Week
Aruna Viswanatha / Wall Street Journal:
The Dispute Over Roger Stone's Recommended Sentence Explained — Trial prosecutors argued four add-on punishments apply, but senior Justice Department officials disagreed — How much time should Roger Stone serve in prison? — The answer to that question involves a complicated set …
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CNN:
Top Pentagon policy official resigns at Trump's request — Washington (CNN)The Pentagon's top policy official John Rood resigned on Wednesday at the request of President Donald Trump, according to a copy of his resignation letter obtained by CNN. — John Rood, Under Secretary of Defense …
Discussion:
Axios, Politico, Daily Kos, Defense One and Foreign Policy
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NBC News:
Sanders press secretary walks back ‘heart attack’ comments on Bloomberg — LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Sen. Bernie Sanders' national press secretary walked back her false claim Wednesday morning that former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg “suffered heart attacks in the past.” She later tweeted she “misspoke.”
Discussion:
ABC News, Politico and The Daily Beast
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Edward-Isaac Dovere / The Atlantic:
The Hidden History of Sanders's Plot to Primary Obama — Bernie Sanders got so close to running a primary challenge to President Barack Obama that Senator Harry Reid had to intervene to stop him. — It took Reid two conversations over the summer of 2011 to get Sanders to scrap the idea …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Kira Lerner / The Appeal:
Florida Can't Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says — The court found that a law critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. — Florida cannot bar people with felony convictions from voting if they can't pay court-issued fines and fees, a federal appeals court ruled on Wednesday.
Discussion:
The American Independent and Daily Kos
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Tal Axelrod / The Hill:
Court sides with ex-felons who challenged Florida voting requirement
Court sides with ex-felons who challenged Florida voting requirement
Discussion:
Associated Press and Fox News
Jeffrey Toobin / New Yorker:
The Trouble with Donald Trump's Clemencies and Pardons — Authoritarianism is usually associated with a punitive spirit—a leader who prosecutes and incarcerates his enemies. But there is another side to this leadership style. Authoritarians also dispense largesse, but they do it by their own whims …
Discussion:
Vox, New York Times, HuffPost, PJ Media Home, Althouse, Rolling Stone and New Republic
RELATED:
Natasha Korecki / Politico:
I Covered Blago's Trial From Start To Finish. Trump's Commutation Isn't Crazy.
I Covered Blago's Trial From Start To Finish. Trump's Commutation Isn't Crazy.
Discussion:
ABC News, Reason, Law & Crime, The Hill, CBS News, Talking Points Memo, Twitchy and NBC News
Julia Azari / Washington Post:
It's time to switch to preference primaries — Julia Azari is an associate professor and assistant chair in the Department of Political Science at Marquette University. This is the third op-ed in a series about how to improve the presidential nominating process.
Discussion:
Redstate, Breitbart, Townhall and The Daily Caller
Devan Cole / CNN:
Andrew Yang joins CNN as a political commentator — Washington (CNN)Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang is joining CNN as a political commentator, the network announced Wednesday. — “I'm excited to join @CNN to help shed light on the election and the candidates' experiences …
Discussion:
The Hill, National Review, The Post Millennial, Fox News, Politico, The Daily Caller, Axios, The Week, Deadline, Mediaite, IJR, Contemptor and The Wrap
Siraj Qureshi / India Today:
Monkey menace at Taj Mahal could spoil Donald Trump's trip — The monkeys and other stray animals have attacked numerous domestic and foreign tourists till date inside the Taj Mahal. All the efforts made by the local CISF unit and ASI staff, to control the monkeys, have gone in vain. — Agra
Brandy Zadrozny / NBC News:
What is the ‘boogaloo?’ How online calls for a violent uprising are hitting the mainstream — The movement says it wants a second Civil War targeting liberal political opponents and law enforcement. — An anti-government movement that advocates for a violent uprising targeting liberal political opponents …
Bethany Rodgers / Salt Lake Tribune:
Utah senators pass bill to decriminalize polygamy — A bill that would effectively decriminalize polygamy and dispel fears of prosecution for plural marriage among consenting adults sailed through the Utah Senate on Tuesday. — Sen. Deidre Henderson's bill would reclassify bigamy as an infraction …
Discussion:
Deseret News
Ben Conarck / Miami Herald:
Trump commutes sentence of Miami woman doing 35 years in prison for bilking Medicare — A Hialeah woman convicted in a massive Medicare fraud scheme a decade ago had her 35-year prison sentence commuted Tuesday by President Donald Trump as he announced 11 pardons and commutations in high-profile cases.
Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Trump campaign hires alum of controversial data company — President Donald Trump's campaign is bringing on an alum of the controversial data firm Cambridge Analytica, a move likely to raise alarms among Trump critics and data privacy advocates who worry the president will push the technological envelope to get reelected in 2020.
Discussion:
Raw Story and 20 Minutes into the Future
Kenneth S. Baer / The Atlantic:
The Debates Broke the Primary — With one caucus and one primary complete, Democratic insiders are worried. The number of Democratic candidates is working to President Trump's advantage, Senator Dianne Feinstein told Politico. A recent Wall Street Journal headline read: “Moderate Democrats Stress Over Crowded Center Lane.”