Top Items:
CNN:
'It's turned crazy': Inside the scramble for Trump pardons — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump may not be willing to accept his term is ending, but as the clock ticks down on his time in office, hundreds of his allies — including some of his closest business associates …
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Axios:
O'Malley Dillon's line that GOP are “f-ckers” worries some Biden aides — Some advisers close to President-elect Joe Biden are frustrated over a Glamour magazine interview in which incoming White House deputy chief of staff Jen O'Malley Dillon referred to Republicans on Capitol Hill as “f*ckers.”
Ron Kampeas / Jewish Telegraphic Agency:
Trump names Rudy Giuliani's son and 2 other aides to Holocaust Museum Council
Trump names Rudy Giuliani's son and 2 other aides to Holocaust Museum Council
Discussion:
New York Times and Forbes
Thomas P. Bossert / New York Times:
I Was the Homeland Security Adviser to Trump. We're Being Hacked. — The magnitude of this national security breach is hard to overstate. — Mr. Bossert was the homeland security adviser to President Trump and deputy homeland security adviser to President George W. Bush.
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CISA:
Joint Statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) — Over the course of the past several days, the FBI, CISA, and ODNI have become aware of a significant and ongoing cybersecurity campaign.
Dan Diamond / Politico:
‘We want them infected’: Trump appointee demanded ‘herd immunity’ strategy, emails reveal — A top Trump appointee repeatedly urged top health officials to adopt a “herd immunity” approach to Covid-19 and allow millions of Americans to be infected by the virus, according to internal emails obtained …
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Steve M. / No More Mister Nice Blog:
THEY TELL THEMSELVES THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE — This is monstrous: … But I don't agree with Atrios: … We know that early on there was right-wing indifference to the victims of the pandemic because they mostly seemed to be non-whites concentrated in Democratic parts of the country.
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Mitch McConnell gives away the game: ‘Kelly and David are getting hammered’ — Pressure works. That's what we're learning from the news that congressional negotiators are moving toward a deal on an economic rescue package that includes stimulus checks for individuals.
Discussion:
Reuters, The Atlantic, Raw Story, The Intellectualist and Daily Kos
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Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
We've finally identified the source of fraud in the 2020 election. It's Ron Johnson. — Finally, significant fraud has been identified in the 2020 election. It is being perpetrated by Sen. Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin. — President Trump lost the election. He lost the recounts.
Douglas Braff / Sara A. Carter:
Rand Paul: ‘The fraud happened. The election in many ways was stolen’
Rand Paul: ‘The fraud happened. The election in many ways was stolen’
Discussion:
The Hill, Talking Points Memo, Conservative News Today, Mediaite and Bloomberg
Sarah Owermohle / Politico:
FDA says Pfizer vaccine vials hold extra doses, expanding supply — Pharmacists have found a way to squeeze extra doses out of vials of Pfizer's vaccine, potentially expanding the nation's scarce supply by up to 40 percent. — The Food and Drug Administration said late Wednesday …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Axios, Washington Examiner, NPR, The Sun, New York Post, The Week, Forbes and Raw Story
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Emily McCullar / Texas Monthly:
Texas Wedding Photographers Have Seen Some $#! + — They know what you did this summer. — NOTES — The wedding photographer had already spent an hour or two inside with the unmasked wedding party when one of the bridesmaids approached her. The woman thanked her for still showing up …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Patterico's Pontifications and Discourse Blog
Washington Post:
Interior Secretary Bernhardt tests positive for covid-19 — Two other top Interior officials contracted the virus last month — Interior Department Secretary David Bernhardt, 51, tested positive for covid-19 Wednesday, the department spokesman confirmed after an inquiry from The Post.
Discussion:
The Hill, Axios and New York Post
Kyle Smith / National Review:
Jill Biden's Doctorate Is Garbage Because Her Dissertation Is Garbage — Her dissertation is not an addition to the sum total of human knowledge. — You can tell someone is smarting from an inferiority complex when he insists on being addressed as “Dr.” on the basis of holding an academic doctorate rather than being a physician.
Discussion:
Arizona Mirror, Washington Post and Real Clear Politics
Maggie Haberman / New York Times:
A Glitch in Trump's Plan to Live at Mar-a-Lago: A Pact He Signed Says He Can't — Neighbors of the president say he has violated the 1993 agreement he made with Palm Beach that allowed him to convert a private residence into a moneymaking club. — President Trump's neighbors in Florida …
CNN:
Biden expected to get coronavirus vaccination early next week — (CNN)President-elect Joe Biden is expected to get his first Covid-19 vaccination early next week, CNN has learned, and plans to get his shot in public. — “I don't want to get ahead of the line, but I want to make sure …
Discussion:
The Hill, Politico, USA Today, Axios, TheBlaze, POLITICUSUSA, MyNorthwest.com, New York Post and UPI
New York Times:
People Thought Covid-19 Was Relatively Harmless for Younger Adults. They Were Wrong. — New research shows that July may have been the deadliest month for young adults in modern American history. — Dr. Faust is a doctor at Brigham and Women's Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine.
Washington Post:
Biden order to halt border wall project would save U.S. $2.6 billion, Pentagon estimates show — The U.S. government would save about $2.6 billion if President-elect Joe Biden halts construction on the border wall project on his first day in office, according to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates reviewed by The Washington Post.
Discussion:
Boing Boing, American Military News and Political Wire
Dave Boucher / Detroit Free Press:
New Supreme Court filing includes blatantly wrong information about Michigan — A long-shot legal effort relying on conspiracy theories and inaccurate analyses to argue President Donald Trump actually won Michigan included additional blatantly false information in a new filing with the U.S. Supreme Court this week.
Discussion:
Law & Crime and Business Insider
Kyle Cheney / Politico:
House intends to continue pursuing McGahn testimony in 2021 — House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler intends to reissue a subpoena for former White House Counsel Don McGahn's testimony next year, the House told a federal appeals court Wednesday, confirming that Democrats intend …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, CNN and Political Wire
McKay Coppins / The Atlantic:
The Most American Religion — Image above: The Oquirrh Mountain Temple sits about 20 miles south of Temple Square in Salt Lake City, where the Church is based. — This article was published online on December 16, 2020. — To meet with the prophet during a plague, certain protocols must be followed.
Alex Ward / Vox:
Dutch prosecutors say Trump's Twitter account was hacked by guessing his password: maga2020! — This is not a joke. Trump's old Twitter password was “maga2020!” — The first rule of securing yourself on the internet is to ensure your password isn't easily guessable.
Discussion:
Agence France-Presse and Raw Story, more at Techmeme »
Joe Concha / The Hill:
Emmy winner Andrew Cuomo's no good, horrible, very bad month — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is arguably the biggest star in the Democratic Party. And for several months at the beginning of the pandemic, he received kudos far and wide from the left and right and everyone in between …
Discussion:
abc7NY
Jonathan Swan / Axios:
Scoop: Vice President Pence to receive televised vaccine shot — Vice President Mike Pence plans to receive his coronavirus vaccine shot on camera Friday morning at the White House to build “vaccine confidence” among the American people, according to an administration official with direct knowledge of the plans.
Discussion:
Business Insider, BuzzFeed News, HotAir, Washington Examiner and Political Wire
Sheila Kaplan / New York Times:
How Effective Is the Mask You're Wearing? You May Know Soon — A C.D.C. division is working with an industry standards group to develop filtration standards — and products that meet them will be able to carry labels saying so. — More than 100,000 varieties of face masks are currently for sale.
Michael Safi / The Guardian:
‘He ruined us’: 10 years on, Tunisians curse man who sparked Arab spring — Thanks in part to Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation, Tunisians are freer than before, but many are miserable and disillusioned — His act of despair still shakes the Arab world.
Adam Shaw / Fox News:
House Republicans urge Trump to veto omnibus spending bill, call it example of ‘swamp politics’ — Lawmakers note that Trump promised in 2018 not to sign another such bill — Fox News Flash top headlines for December 16 — EXCLUSIVE: A group of House Republicans on Wednesday urged President Trump …
Discussion:
Fox Business and The Daily Caller
Washington Post:
He was the party planner of Baghdad. Then armed men took him away. — Arshad Haibti al-Fakhry was known for living on the edge even before he embarked on a mission to introduce Baghdad to the party lifestyle. He worked as a fixer and interpreter, escorting foreign journalists to the front lines …
Discussion:
Human Rights Watch
John Hudson / Washington Post:
Pompeo cancels final holiday party after he comes into contact with coronavirus — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled his final major holiday party of the year Wednesday after his exposure to a person who tested positive for the coronavirus forced him into quarantine, according to two officials familiar with the situation.
Discussion:
CNN, ABC News, Washington Examiner, LGBTQ Nation, The Hill, UPI, The Week, The American Independent, Politico and CNBC
Kevin Roose / New York Times:
Facebook reverses postelection algorithm changes that boosted news from authoritative sources. — Facebook confirmed that it has in the past few days rolled back a change that lifted news from authoritative outlets over hyperpartisan sources after November's election, signaling a return to normalcy for the social network.
Discussion:
Media Matters for America
Ben Lindbergh / The Ringer:
MLB Is Finally Recognizing the Negro Leagues as the Major Leagues They Always Were — Negro League statistics from 1920 to 1948 will now be officially classified as “major league,” marking a long-overdue acknowledgment of the accomplishments of players who didn't have the opportunity to play in the American or National Leagues
Discussion:
MLB.com, The Daily Caller, The Root, The Week, Outside the Beltway, NPR and Washington Post
WTTG-TV:
Judge blocks executive order that bans indoor dining in Anne Arundel County — Judge blocks Anne Arundel County indoor dining ban — ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - A judge has blocked an executive order from Anne Arundel County that bans indoor dining, allowing it to continue until …
Washington Post:
Congressional leaders add stimulus checks to $900 billion relief package as they near deal — New direct payments will likely be included, but leaders are scrapping aid to states and cities as well as liability protections for companies as they try to finish negotiations.
Discussion:
CNN, Business Insider, Gothamist, IJR, Iowa Capital Dispatch, NBC Los Angeles, The Hill, USA Today, New York Post, ABC13, HotAir, TheGrio, Fox News, Mediaite, Axios, Politico and Forbes
Meg Cunningham / ABC News:
Dr. Birx on her relationship with Trump: ‘Respectful in public but very clear in private’ — She said it will be up to Biden's team to determine if she's of any “utility.” — Catch up on the developing stories making headlines. — Susan Walsh/AP, FILE
Discussion:
The Hill and Talking Points Memo
U.S. Department of Justice:
Kenyan National Indicted for Conspiring to Hijack Aircraft on Behalf of the Al Qaeda-Affiliated Terrorist Organization Al Shabaab — Cholo Abdi Abdullah Obtained Pilot Training and Researched How to Hijack Aircraft in Order to Conduct a 9/11-Style Attack at the Direction of al Shabaab
Discussion:
Agence France-Presse, NBC New York, HotAir, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Lawfare, New York Post, TheBlaze and UPI
Reuters:
Exclusive: Successor to exiting U.S. attorney general Barr won't say if he will name special counsels — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Incoming acting U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen declined to say on Wednesday whether he would name special counsels to investigate President Donald Trump's claims …