Top Items:
Mark Becker / The Bulwark:
My Call With Ron Johnson: He Knows Biden Won But Won't Admit It — The Wisconsin senator says it would be “political suicide.” — November 14, 8:37 a.m. my phone rings. I do a double take on my caller ID and realize who is calling. I take a deep breath and answer the phone.
Discussion:
The Nation, Business Insider, Alternet.org, The Daily Caller, Hackwhackers, ABC News, Raw Story, Mediaite, The American Independent and Daily Kos
Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:
Biden: 'We're Going to Fight Like Hell by Investing in America First' — My talk with Joe Biden on his first few months, and his next four years. — President-elect Joe Biden was in a good mood as we talked on the phone Tuesday evening for an hour — he in Delaware and me in Bethesda, Md. He apologized, though, for being late.
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Kylie Atwood / CNN:
US official says Israel was behind assassination of Iranian scientist
US official says Israel was behind assassination of Iranian scientist
Discussion:
Politico, The American Conservative, middleeastmonitor.com, One America News Network and Jihad Watch
NBC News:
Release of PPP loan recipients data reveals troubling patterns — Following months of litigation between the Small Business Administration and news organizations seeking data about who benefited from pandemic relief programs, the agency on Tuesday night released a sweeping dataset …
Discussion:
Alternet.org, The American Independent and Raw Story
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Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:
Confessions of a Clintonworld Exile — Doug Band worked alongside Bill Clinton every day for nearly two decades, first as a body man and then as one of the primary architects of his lucrative and often-fraught post-presidency. Then came a seismic falling out with accusations of self-dealing and soap-opera-level psychodrama.
Discussion:
New York Post, HotAir, Conservative News Today and Twitchy
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Politico:
POLITICO Playbook PM: Why to be optimistic — and pessimistic — about Covid relief — HAPPY MIDWEEK. OK — Here's why you should be a tad bit optimistic about the status of Covid relief negotiations: The two sides are talking, they are exchanging paper, and both sides say they want an agreement.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal
Politico:
Congress shoots down Trump's threat to veto defense bill — Congress is moving forward on a must-pass defense policy bill without repealing a legal shield for social media companies, rejecting a last-minute veto threat from President Donald Trump. — The final version of the National …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, CNN, Business Insider, Washington Times, Roll Call, National Review and HotAir, more at Mediagazer »
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The Hill:
GOP chairman: Defense bill to include renaming Confederate bases, but not Section 230 repeal — Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.) said Wednesday that President Trump is prepared to accept language regarding a plan to remove Confederate names …
Michelle Roberts / BBC:
Covid-19: Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine judged safe for use in UK from next week — The UK has become the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for mass vaccination. — Britain's medicines regulator, the MHRA, says the jab …
Discussion:
GOV.UK, Business Wire, NBC News, The Motley Fool, Reason, STAT, The Week, spiked, Forbes, Alternet.org, TechCrunch, HotAir, The Stream, NPR, CBS News, New York Post and Marginal REVOLUTION
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Wall Street Journal:
U.K. Authorizes Pfizer, BioNTech's Covid-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use
U.K. Authorizes Pfizer, BioNTech's Covid-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use
Discussion:
American Prospect, Bloomberg, Washington Post, Just The News, The Daily Beast, Fortune, ABC News, The Guardian and Financial Times
Roni Caryn Rabin / New York Times:
C.D.C. Shortens Quarantine Guidance and Warns Against Holiday Travel
Jamie Ross / The Daily Beast:
Roger Stone, Who Had His Ass Saved by Barr, Turns on ‘Deep State’ Attorney General — SNAKE PIT — Remember in February when Attorney General Bill Barr trashed his department's reputation to override the recommended prison term for Roger Stone and push for a much shorter sentence?
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CNBC:
White House refuses to say Trump has faith in Attorney General William Barr
White House refuses to say Trump has faith in Attorney General William Barr
Discussion:
Forbes, Vanity Fair, Daily Kos, Breitbart, IJR, Mediaite, The Stream and Political Wire
Chuck Ross / The Daily Caller:
Adam Schiff, Who Championed The Mueller Probe, Opposes Durham Appointment
Adam Schiff, Who Championed The Mueller Probe, Opposes Durham Appointment
Discussion:
Fox News, Washington Examiner, RedState, The Stream, Gregg Jarrett and Politico
Melanie Zanona / Politico:
The GOP's electoral mischief — MO PROBLEMS — Scooplet: Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) has been telling colleagues and allies that he plans to challenge the Electoral College votes when Congress officially certifies Joe Biden's victory on Jan. 6, as long as a Senate Republican joins him in the long-shot effort, sources tell your Huddle host.
Tal Axelrod / The Hill:
Ronna McDaniel launches bid for third term as GOP chair — Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced Wednesday she's launching a bid for a third term leading the GOP. — McDaniel's campaign for another two-year term comes after an unexpectedly strong election cycle …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and Bloomberg
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Zeke Miller / Associated Press:
GOP leader McDaniel to run for 3rd term with Trump's backing
GOP leader McDaniel to run for 3rd term with Trump's backing
Discussion:
Fox News, Axios and Political Wire
Mica Soellner / Washington Examiner:
Mitch McConnell chokes up during goodbye floor speech to longtime friend Lamar Alexander
Mitch McConnell chokes up during goodbye floor speech to longtime friend Lamar Alexander
Discussion:
Politico, CNN, The Hill, Reuters, Roll Call, IJR, New York Post and The Daily Caller
Axios:
Trump likely to announce 2024 bid, but GOP rivals say power will fade post-White House — President Trump is likely to announce he'll run again in 2024, perhaps before this term even ends, sources tell Axios. — Why it matters: Trump has already set in motion two important strategies …
Discussion:
The National Interest, National Review, Raw Story, Breitbart, The Week, The American Independent, Alternet.org, Summit News and Washington Post
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Timothy L. O'Brien / Bloomberg:
Trump's Election-Fraud Business Is Booming
Trump's Election-Fraud Business Is Booming
Discussion:
Vox, New York Magazine, CNN, The Guardian, We Love Trump, Vanity Fair, Hackwhackers and Forbes
New York Times:
Presidential Transition Live Updates: Biden to Discuss Virus-Weakened Economy Amid Stalemate Over Aid — President-elect Joe Biden is set to meet virtually with small-business owners and workers hurt by the pandemic. The Justice Department is investigating a potential bribery scheme for a Trump pardon.
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Justice Namaste / Jezebel:
Hey Obama... Some People Actually Do Want to Defund the Police — During an interview on the Snapchat political show “Good Luck America” (because apparently that's a thing?), former President Barack Obama decided to stick his foot in his mouth once again by telling host Peter Hamby …
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Jim Galloway / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
The Kelly Loeffler, Raphael Warnock runoff crosses a line — One of Kelly Loeffler's first public appearances as a U.S. senator came last January at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. — “I am so humbled to be here with you today in this sacred place …
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Jennifer Rodgers / The Daily Beast:
Here's How Rudy Giuliani's Push for a Preemptive Pardon Could Backfire — Imagine what the old Rudy Giuliani, United States Attorney, crime-buster and thorn in the side of organized crime, would think of the current iteration. — BEAST INSIDE … This is the last gasp of Donald Trump's administration …
Discussion:
New York Times, Washington Post, Raw Story, Slate and The Week
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Katelyn Polantz / CNN:
Justice Department investigating potential presidential pardon bribery scheme, court records reveal
Justice Department investigating potential presidential pardon bribery scheme, court records reveal
Discussion:
Associated Press, Talking Points Memo, Patterico's Pontifications, KVIA-TV, Poynter, Daily Kos, NBC News, Fox News, Reuters, Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA, New York Post, Jezebel, RedState, Musing about law …, UPI, TheBlaze, justoneminute.typepad.com, CANNONFIRE, Mediaite, Lawyers, Guns & Money, HotAir, littlegreenfootballs.com, Los Angeles Times, Business Insider and Washington Times
New York Times:
Trump Has Discussed With Advisers Pardons for His 3 Eldest Children and Giuliani
Trump Has Discussed With Advisers Pardons for His 3 Eldest Children and Giuliani
Discussion:
Washington Post, NBC News, Vox, The Daily Beast, Washington Examiner, Slate, NPR, Vanity Fair, CNN, Talking Points Memo, IJR, Raw Story, Politico, The Week, Crooks and Liars, Business Insider, New Republic, Axios, ABC News, The Root, Hackwhackers, Alternet.org, Forbes, The Atlantic, The Hill and Mediaite
David Brennan / Newsweek:
Michael Flynn's Call for ‘Martial Law’ Comes Amid Violent Threats Over Trump Election Defeat — Former national security adviser Michael Flynn—controversially pardoned by President Donald Trump last week—on Tuesday retweeted a call for the White House to declare martial law and re-run last month's presidential election.
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Peter Montgomery / Right Wing Watch:
Pro-Trump Attorney Lin Wood and Pardoned Michael Flynn Call for Trump to Declare Martial Law
Pro-Trump Attorney Lin Wood and Pardoned Michael Flynn Call for Trump to Declare Martial Law
Discussion:
Raw Story, Jezebel and Talking Points Memo
New York Times:
2,596 Trades in One Term: Inside Senator Perdue's Stock Portfolio — The Georgia Republican's stock trades have far outpaced those of his Senate colleagues and have included a range of companies within his Senate committees' oversight, an analysis shows. — As a member of the Senate's …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Politico, The Week and Media Matters for America
Jacqueline Alemany / Washington Post:
MAGA-ite in Manhattan?: Ivanka Trump's political ambitions seek new home after the White House — Friends and former associates say they expect the first daughter to think about running for office, or at least get involved in some way in Republican politics.
Discussion:
Alternet.org, POLITICUSUSA, NBC News, Business Insider, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Hill and Raw Story
Ursula Perano / Axios:
Democrat Mark Kelly sworn in to U.S. Senate — Astronaut Mark Kelly (D) was sworn in to the U.S. Senate on Wednesday after defeating incumbent Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) last month for the seat once held by the late Sen. John McCain. — Why it matters: Kelly's swearing-in narrows …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Associated Press and KTAR.com
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Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
RNC blasts Politico over Michigan election story — Politico chief political correspondent Tim Alberta packed a lot into his sizzling Nov. 24 feature, “The Inside Story of Michigan's Fake Voter Fraud Scandal.” There's a tight narration of the Trump campaign's destructive effort to undo the Michigan vote …
Jemima McEvoy / Forbes:
1 In Every 800 North Dakota Residents Now Dead From Covid — Just two weeks after joining the growing list of states where at least one in every 1,000 residents has died from coronavirus-linked causes, North Dakota's grim statistic has escalated: as of Tuesday, one in every 800 North Dakotans has been claimed by Covid-19.
Discussion:
The COVID Tracking Project
Adam Kredo / Washington Free Beacon:
Omar and Tlaib Headline Anti-Israel Hatefest — Dem lawmakers join Hamas-tied anti-Semites at American Muslims for Palestine annual conference — Democratic representatives Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), and Betty McCollum (Minn.) headlined a conference this weekend run …
Discussion:
Jacobin and Judicial Watch
FiveThirtyEight:
There Wasn't That Much Split-Ticket Voting In 2020 — The narrative of the 2020 election is that Joe Biden did pretty well ... but down-ballot Democrats, not so much. And while this is true if you look simply at the results — Republicans defended most of their vulnerable Senate seats …
Discussion:
CNN, NBC News, Washington Examiner, Raw Story and Continental Telegraph
Veronique de Rugy / National Review:
Walter Williams, R.I.P. — The great economist and freedom fighter Walter Williams has died. This is an incredibly sad news. Walter was a great communicator of ideas and a prolific, provocative and uncompromising writer. He was the John M. Olin distinguished professor of economics at George Mason University.
Discussion:
EconomicPolicyJournal.com, The Daily Caller, Econlib, Power Line and The New Neo