Top Items:
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 …
Discussion:
CNN, Washington Examiner, Bloomberg, Business Insider, HotAir, Axios, Mediaite, Forbes, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars, Raw Story, The Intellectualist and Eschaton
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Noah Weiland / New York Times:
‘Like a Hand Grasping’: Trump Appointees Describe the Crushing of the C.D.C. — Kyle McGowan, a former chief of staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and his deputy, Amanda Campbell, go public on the Trump administration's manipulation of the agency.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, COURIER, Business Insider and The Intellectualist
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.”
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Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
Journalists, it's time for a cold-turkey breakup with Trump — Long before he glided down that golden escalator at Trump Tower in 2015 to announce his presidential candidacy, Donald Trump was an object of media fascination. He could never actually become president, of course …
Richard Fowler / Fox News:
Trump's defeat is now final, bringing a disastrous presidency to a welcome end — Biden's victory was not the result of fraud, as Trump falsely claims — Biden calls for unity, blasts Trump after Electoral College vote — The former reality TV performer who is now president …
Discussion:
New Yorker, POLITICUSUSA, Democrats and Business Insider
Keith Griffith / Associated Press:
MAGA turns on Mitch: Trump allies including Michael Flynn slam the GOP Senate majority leader for ‘caving to the mob and China’ for recognizing Biden as president-elect
MAGA turns on Mitch: Trump allies including Michael Flynn slam the GOP Senate majority leader for ‘caving to the mob and China’ for recognizing Biden as president-elect
Discussion:
RedState, The Mahablog, IJR, Bloomberg, Reason, Washington Post, Mic, Conservative News Today, Politico, Geller Report News, Mediaite, Washington Examiner, The Hill, Forbes, Talking Points Memo, Washington Times, Deadline and Axios
John Bowden / The Hill:
Rand Paul claims election ‘in many ways was stolen’ during Krebs hearing
Rand Paul claims election ‘in many ways was stolen’ during Krebs hearing
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Sara A. Carter, Washington Times, IJR, Conservative News Today and UPI
Emily Brooks / Washington Examiner:
Ron Johnson says he regrets ‘rancorous’ nature of committee investigations
Ron Johnson says he regrets ‘rancorous’ nature of committee investigations
Discussion:
Fox News, CBS News, ABC News, CNN, The Daily Beast, New York Post, Geller Report News, Sara A. Carter, Townhall and UPI
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:
Patterico's Pontifications, Mediaite and Discourse Blog
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 …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, HotAir, Washington Post, Raw Story, Chicago Sun-Times, Associated Press, Political Wire, American Thinker and Politico
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NBC News:
White House counsel's office warned Trump not to fire Chris Wray — WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has come so close to firing FBI Director Christopher Wray in recent months that the White House counsel's office has warned him not to do so because it could put him in potential legal jeopardy …
Discussion:
Politico, HotAir, GovExec.com, The Hill, The Intellectualist, MSNBC, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Raw Story and emptywheel
Philip Bump / Washington Post:
When diversity came to America's political leadership — President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday nominated former South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg to serve as the head of the Transportation Department in his administration. — Normally, such an announcement would be at best rote or …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and ABC News
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Alissa Walker / Curbed:
Pete Buttigieg Isn't a Transit Visionary. But Biden Might Not Need One.
Pete Buttigieg Isn't a Transit Visionary. But Biden Might Not Need One.
Discussion:
New York Times, Politico, Reuters and Althouse
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.
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:
The Hill, ABC News, The Week, Mediaite and Talking Points Memo
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Jennifer Hansler / CNN:
Pompeo quarantining after coronavirus exposure
Pompeo quarantining after coronavirus exposure
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, USA Today, National Review, Political Wire and Washington Times
Ewan Palmer / Newsweek:
QAnon Supporters Vow to Leave GOP After Mitch McConnell Accepts Election Result — Supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory have unsurprisingly turned their backs on Mitch McConnell after he finally congratulated President-elect Joe Biden on his election victory.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars
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Chris Truax / The Bulwark:
Strengthen the Guardrails of Democracy
Strengthen the Guardrails of Democracy
Discussion:
ABC News, The Hill, New York Post, Final Call News, The Rush Limbaugh Show and Israpundit
Sun-Sentinel:
A mysterious gap in COVID-19 deaths appeared in Florida before the presidential election — An astonishing pattern has emerged in Florida's COVID death tally — one that suggests the state manipulated a backlog of unrecorded fatalities, presenting more favorable death counts in the days leading up to the 2020 presidential election.
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Daily Beast, The Hill, Washington Post, Balloon Juice and The Week
Aída Chávez / The Intercept:
AOC: Nancy Pelosi Needs to Go, but There's Nobody to Replace Her Yet … Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez believes the Democratic Party needs new leadership, telling The Intercept in an interview that it's time for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to go.
Agence France-Presse:
Trump's Twitter account was hacked, Dutch ministry confirms — Public prosecutor states Victor Gevers did access US president's site but as ethical hacker faces no charges — Dutch prosecutors have confirmed that Donald Trump's Twitter account was hacked in October despite denials …
Discussion:
Raw Story, more at Techmeme »
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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.
Eric Hananoki / Media Matters for America:
The Texas organization connected to an alleged assault over imaginary voter fraud posts violent and conspiratorial rhetoric — An ex-cop was arrested for assault while bogusly trying to prove voter fraud. The Liberty Center for God and Country bankrolled him and has a Facebook page full …
Discussion:
Washington Post, app.dao.hctx.net, Houston Chronicle, The Texas Tribune, Mic 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:
CNN, Wall Street Journal, Washington Examiner, Forbes, Lawfare, The Daily Caller, The Daily Beast, CBS New York and New York Post
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The Daily Beast:
Value of Loeffler's Mansion Dropped $6M Overnight—and Nobody Can Explain Why — The estate went from a $10.5 million appraisal to $4.1 million, resulting in a much lower tax bill for the senator and her husband. — When Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher …
Discussion:
Business Insider, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, DSCC, Raw Story and Crooks and Liars
Craig Stirling / Bloomberg:
Fifty Years of Tax Cuts for Rich Didn't Trickle Down, Study Says — Paper looks at fiscal policies in 18 countries over 50 years — Governments shouldn't worry about taxes on rich, author says — Tax cuts for rich people breed inequality without providing much of a boon to anyone else …
Discussion:
Business Insider, New York Post, Raw Story and The Intellectualist
Tyler Cowen / Marginal REVOLUTION:
John O. Brennan on UFOs — I thought I would give this segment its own post, again here is the audio, video, and transcript of my Conversation with John O. Brennan, head of the CIA for four years under President Obama: — BRENNAN: I've seen some of those videos from Navy pilots …
Katie Shepherd / Washington Post:
North Carolina GOP lawmaker urges Trump to suspend civil liberties to keep power: ‘Invoke the Insurrection Act’ — On Facebook, North Carolina state Sen. Bob Steinburg (R) paraphrased a conservative commentator to make a radical suggestion: President Trump should declare a national emergency …
Discussion:
The American Independent, Daily Kos, The Hill, Just Security, Raw Story, The Sun, Florida Politics, Progressive Eruptions, CANNONFIRE, NBC News and abc7NY
Jonathan Martin / New York Times:
Senator Jon Tester on Democrats and Rural Voters: ‘Our Message Is Really, Really Flawed’ — Mr. Tester, a Montana farmer, said in an interview that Democrats had failed to connect with much of the country: “You cannot have Chuck Schumer talking rural issues to rural people.”
Discussion:
Fox News, The Hill, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Derek Thompson / The Atlantic:
We're Never Going Back to the 1950s — Twenty years ago, the sociologist Robert Putnam in Bowling Alone used the decline of bowling leagues since the middle of the 20th century to symbolize America's declining social engagement. This year, he published a sequel of sorts, The Upswing …
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:
Politico, CNN, IJR, The Hill, Gothamist, Iowa Capital Dispatch, CNBC, Business Insider, ABC13, HotAir, New York Post, NBC Los Angeles, USA Today, Axios, TheGrio, Mediaite and Forbes
Deb Riechmann / Associated Press:
Rules eased for water from showerheads, a Trump pet peeve — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has relaxed a regulation restricting water flow from showerheads, a pet peeve of President Donald Trump, who complained that he wanted more water to make his hair “perfect.”
David Dayen / American Prospect:
Joe Biden Is Unhappy About the Day One Agenda — But those are the breaks when you're president; people will want you to exercise your power for the general good. — President-elect Biden speaks after the Electoral College vote, December 14, 2020, at the Queen Theater in Wilmington, Delaware.
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, New York Times, The Root, The Week, NPR, Outside the Beltway and Washington Post
Jennifer Jacobs / Bloomberg:
Trump Spy Chief Stirs Dispute Over China Election-Meddling Views — Disagreement is over the extent of interference by China — Ratcliffe may withhold certification of a report to Congress — President Donald Trump's spy chief is considering holding up a report to Congress …
Discussion:
Geller Report News, Washington Post and Election Law Blog
Christian Middleton / Mississippi Free Press:
UM Fires History Professor Who Criticizes ‘Powerful, Racist Donors’ and ‘Carceral State’ — During a period of what University of Mississippi faculty are calling a time of increasing paranoia, the university is set to terminate a celebrated professor of history.