Top Items:
Jonathan Swan / Axios:
Trump turns on Pence, McConnell and White House counsel Cipollone in desperate final days — President Trump, in his final days, is turning bitterly on virtually every person around him, griping about anyone who refuses to indulge conspiracy theories or hopeless bids to overturn the election, several top officials tell Axios.
Discussion:
Fox News, Politico, BloombergQuint, Business Insider, Raw Story, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Salon, Progress Pond, Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, The Daily Beast, Election Law Blog, The Nation, POLITICUSUSA, Washington Post, HotAir, Alternet.org, Mediaite, Law & Crime, No More Mister Nice Blog, Mock Paper Scissors, Media Matters for America, Crooks and Liars, The Guardian, Reason, The Week, The Intellectualist, CNN, Hackwhackers, Associated Press and The Root
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Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Don't let Mitch McConnell get away with his vile rewriting of history — As Congress passed a new $900 billion economic rescue package on Monday night, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) offered a choice bit of spin on how we got to this moment: … Getting the story right here is highly consequential.
Discussion:
New York Times, Jacobin, Slate, New Republic, Raw Story and Breitbart, more at Mediagazer »
Stephen Collinson / CNN:
Trump threatens 30-day reign of destruction on the way out of office — (CNN)Joe Biden will be president in 30 days. Until then, the question is how much damage can be done by a vengeful, delusional soon-to-be ex-President swilling conspiracy theories, whose wild anti-democratic instincts …
Discussion:
Fox News, NPR, Forbes, Al Jazeera, Breitbart, Vanity Fair, Outside the Beltway, Florida Politics, Bloomberg, The Nation and Raw Story
Jonathan Swan / Axios:
“Sadly, Mitch forgot”: Trump trashes McConnell in astonishing email to GOP senators — President Trump lashed out at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday night for acknowledging Joe Biden won the election, sending a slide to Republican lawmakers taking credit for saving McConnell's career with a tweet and robocall.
Barbara Starr / CNN:
Pentagon anxiety rises as officers wait for Trump's next unpredictable move
Pentagon anxiety rises as officers wait for Trump's next unpredictable move
Discussion:
Just Security, Alternet.org and Raw Story
Jordain Carney / The Hill:
McConnell: Senate to return Dec. 29 for potential Trump veto override vote
McConnell: Senate to return Dec. 29 for potential Trump veto override vote
Discussion:
Fox News, Politico, Conservative News Today, HotAir, National Review, Roll Call, American Thinker, Bloomberg, New York Post and The Week
Politico:
Feuds, Zoom and Italian food: How the stimulus got done
Feuds, Zoom and Italian food: How the stimulus got done
Discussion:
NPR, Conservative News Today, The Gateway Pundit, Business Insider, Breitbart, Twitchy and Fox News
Nicholas Fondacaro / Newsbusters:
Uncontested CNN Guest: ‘There Was a Little Cheating’ to Reelect McConnell
Uncontested CNN Guest: ‘There Was a Little Cheating’ to Reelect McConnell
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
Associated Press:
WH virus coordinator Deborah Birx says she will retire — WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus response, said Tuesday she plans to retire, but is willing to first help President-elect Joe Biden's team with its coronavirus response as needed.
Discussion:
Axios, Mock Paper Scissors, Townhall, Alternet.org, New York Times, Conservative News Today and Raw Story
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Zoë Richards / Talking Points Memo:
‘I Will Retire’: Dr. Birx Will Not Seek Role In Biden Administration — Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said on Tuesday that she will not seek a role in President-elect Joe Biden's administration. — She cited concerns about the treatment of her family …
Discussion:
National Review, USA Today, Washington Examiner, The Hill, CBS News, The Gateway Pundit, IJR, The Daily Caller, New York Post and Mediaite
Robin Bravender / Business Insider:
Bidenworld is worried Trump will trash tradition and force the president-elect to fire thousands of GOP holdovers on his first day in the White House … - President Donald Trump could complicate President-elect Joe Biden's job by leaving thousands of political holdovers in office when Inauguration Day comes.
Mike Brest / Washington Examiner:
Deborah Birx announces intent to retire citing treatment of family over Thanksgiving trip
Deborah Birx announces intent to retire citing treatment of family over Thanksgiving trip
Hans Nichols / Axios:
Joe Biden finally announces White House spot for longtime aide Bruce Reed
Joe Biden finally announces White House spot for longtime aide Bruce Reed
Discussion:
Politico, Fox News, Washington Post, Conservative News Today, Washington Examiner, New York Post and Bloomberg
Shawn Hubler / New York Times:
Alex Padilla Will Replace Kamala Harris in the Senate — Gov. Gavin Newsom of California selected Mr. Padilla to serve the final two years of Ms. Harris's term. Mr. Padilla will be the first Latino senator to represent the state. — SACRAMENTO — Alex Padilla, California's secretary of state …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, USA Today, Washington Examiner, The Nation, Raw Story, Al Jazeera, The 19th, The Federalist, HotAir, Deadline, ABC7 and New York Post
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Los Angeles Times:
Alex Padilla becomes California's first Latino U.S. senator, replacing Kamala Harris — Alex Padilla, a Los Angeles Democrat who once developed software for satellites but later rose through local and state political office to become California secretary of state, was chosen Tuesday …
Discussion:
Washington Post, California Governor, CNBC, The Root, Reuters, UPI, One America News Network and Twitchy
Nick Niedzwiadek / Politico:
Trump nominates Hope Hicks, Ric Grenell to government posts — President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced plans to appoint another slate of top allies to various government boards, yet another sign that his time in office is winding to a close. — The president named Hope Hicks to be a member …
Discussion:
Political Wire
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The Daily Beast:
Trump Tells Sidney Powell He Won't Name Her ‘Special Counsel’ — The president has met with the conspiracy theorist lawyer recently. But he is not yet buckling to one of her wishes. … Donald Trump informed the conspiracy-theory-driven MAGA attorney Sidney Powell on Monday that he does …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, CNN, The Bulwark, Mediaite and Conservative News Today
Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Senior Trump advisers prepare to launch policy group
Senior Trump advisers prepare to launch policy group
Discussion:
Political Wire
Benjamin Wermund / Houston Chronicle:
Texas AG Ken Paxton urged White House to revoke Harris County COVID relief — FILE- In this Sept. 10, 2020, file photo, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the Austin Police Association in Austin, Texas. Paxton on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, announced a multi-state lawsuit against Google …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
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David Enrich / New York Times:
Trump's Longtime Banker at Deutsche Bank Resigns — Rosemary Vrablic, who oversaw hundreds of millions of dollars in loans to President Trump's company, will leave the bank next week. — President Trump's longtime banker at Deutsche Bank, who arranged for the German lender to make hundreds …
Discussion:
Business Insider, The Hill, CNN, New York Post, One America News Network, Raw Story, Juanita Jean's and The Intellectualist
Mike Stobbe / Associated Press:
US deaths in 2020 top 3 million, by far most ever counted — NEW YORK (AP) — This is the deadliest year in U.S. history, with deaths expected to top 3 million for the first time — due mainly to the coronavirus pandemic. — Final mortality data for this year will not be available for months.
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Hill, Defense One and FOX 5 San Diego
Washington Post:
Washington Football Team settled sexual misconduct claim against Daniel Snyder for $1.6 million — The Washington Football Team paid a female former employee $1.6 million as part of a confidential settlement in 2009, according to a copy of the agreement reviewed by The Washington Post.
Discussion:
Forbes, The Daily Caller, Sports Illustrated, Washingtonian, The Week and New York Post
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Substack Blog:
Substack's view of content moderation — Building a system that puts readers and writers in charge — As Substack grows, there is increasing interest in the stance we take on content moderation. It's a complicated issue, so we wanted to take a moment to lay out our position clearly and explain how we got there.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, more at Mediagazer »
Andrew Blankstein / NBC News:
Former Rep. Katie Hill sues ex-husband, Daily Mail, Redstate.com over ‘nonconsensual porn’ — LOS ANGELES — Former congresswoman Katie Hill filed suit in Los Angeles Tuesday against her ex-husband and the owners of Redstate.com and the Daily Mail, saying they had distributed what amounted to …
Discussion:
The Wrap
Adam Klasfeld / Law & Crime:
Judge Says Lin Wood's Post-Election Lawsuits May Have Violated Several Professional Rules, Orders Him to Respond — Attorney Lin Wood's lawsuits aimed to topple the 2020 election may have violated Delaware's rules of professional conduct, preventing him from representing President Donald …
Molly Fischer / The Cut:
Who Did J.K. Rowling Become? Deciphering the most beloved, most reviled children's-book author in history. — Edinburgh Castle, many centuries old, has been called the most besieged place in Britain. In 2005, on the night Melissa Anelli arrived, it was besieged primarily by children.
John Cole / PoliticsPA:
NRCC Blasts Lamb For Proxy Vote Shortly After Baby Announcement — It's the holiday season, but the National Republican Congressional Committee isn't exactly in a charitable mood. — The NRCC sent out an email Monday morning criticizing Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Allegheny) for voting by proxy on Sunday.
Discussion:
CBS Pittsburgh
Evie Fordham / Fox News:
Gov. Kristi Noem whips out flamethrower in Instagram photo — Spokesperson says the flamethrower is not hers — Fox News Flash top headlines for December 22 — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem generated some buzz on social media when she posted a photo of herself holding a flamethrower …
Discussion:
Twitchy
Tom Benning / Dallas Morning News:
Retiring Texas Republican, Rep. Mac Thornberry, chides GOP for ‘mindless sort of obedience’ to Trump — The top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee said Congress ‘was created to be and meant to be a separate independent branch of government.’ — WASHINGTON — Clarendon …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, CBS News and The American Independent
Eric Levitz / New York Magazine:
The Left's Most Naïve Cynics Have Turned on AOC — Jimmy Dore is undeniably good at swearing. A left-wing comedian turned pundit, Dore has earned himself a considerable YouTube following by giving expletive-laden expression to the rage that many American progressives feel when contemplating …
Discussion:
HotAir and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Nick Miroff / Washington Post:
Several Trump immigration restrictions will remain in place, Biden advisers say, urging patience — Top advisers to president-elect Joe Biden said Monday they will not immediately roll back asylum restrictions at the Mexico border and other restrictive Trump administration policies …
Kevin R. Brock / The Hill:
The tangled webs of Christopher Krebs and Russia's cyberattack — Have you ever made a boastful statement and then been undercut by harsh reality? “My kid has never been in trouble in school because we raised him right!” The next day, little Johnny sets a fire in the boys' bathroom.
Seanna Adcox / Post and Courier:
SC Gov. Henry McMaster tests positive for COVID-19, will undergo antibody treatment — COLUMBIA — Gov. Henry McMaster tested positive for COVID-19 and will undergo an antibody treatment, his office announced Tuesday. — The 73-year-old Republican governor is experiencing mild symptoms, including coughing and fatigue.
Discussion:
governor.sc.gov, The Hill, The Daily Caller, KTVZ-TV and The Week
New York Times:
How Cities Lost Control of Police Discipline — In the chaos of 1960s Detroit, a fledgling police union laid the groundwork for a system that, to this day, constrains discipline for officers accused of misconduct. — It took Portland, Ore., almost $1 million in legal fees …
Discussion:
City Journal
Roni Caryn Rabin / New York Times:
Pulse Oximeter Devices Have Higher Error Rate in Black Patients — A study showed that the devices, which measure oxygen levels in the blood, were three times more likely to give misleading readings in people with dark skin. — Pulse oximeters are one of the most commonly used tools in medicine.
Discussion:
COURIER
NBC News:
Biden aides weighing boosting vaccine production with Defense Production Act — WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden's coronavirus advisory team consulted scientists and supply chain experts about whether he should invoke a wartime production law to help produce and administer more Covid-19 vaccines …