Top Items:
New York Times:
Trump Pardons Two Russia Inquiry Figures and Blackwater Guards — The pre-Christmas wave of 20 pardons and commutations are not likely to be the last before Mr. Trump leaves office on Jan. 20. — In an audacious pre-Christmas round of pardons, President Trump granted clemency on Tuesday …
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Washington Post:
Trump grants clemency to 20 people, including three former GOP members of Congress and two men convicted in the Russia probe — President Trump granted clemency on Tuesday to 20 people, including three former Republican members of Congress and two people who were convicted of crimes as part …
Discussion:
Axios, National Review, NPR, Associated Press, Business Insider, Reuters, Talking Points Memo, Fox News, RedState and The Intellectualist
CNN:
Trump announces wave of pardons, including Papadopoulos and former lawmakers Hunter and Collins — (CNN)President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a wave of lame duck pardons, including two for men who pleaded guilty in Robert Mueller's investigation, as well as ones for Republican allies …
Discussion:
The Dispatch, Breitbart, THE CITY, CNBC, HotAir, Townhall, The Intellectualist and Mock Paper Scissors
The White House:
Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding Executive Grants of Clemency — Today, President Donald J. Trump granted Full Pardons to 15 individuals and commuted part or all of the sentences of an additional 5 individuals. — Alfonso Costa — President Trump granted a full pardon to Alfonso Costa, a dentist from Pittsburgh.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Last Refuge, American Military News, Reason, The Guardian, Greensburg Tribune-Review, TheBlaze, NPR and UPI
Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:
Trump pardons Blackwater contractors convicted in deaths of 14 Iraqi civilians
Trump pardons Blackwater contractors convicted in deaths of 14 Iraqi civilians
Discussion:
Informed Comment
Washington Post:
Trump calls on Congress to approve $2,000 stimulus checks, hinting that he might not sign economic relief bill into law without changes — The president has still not signed the measure even though it passed Monday night. He called the measure “a disgrace.”
Discussion:
Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, New Republic, The Federalist, New York Times, Conservative News Today, CNBC, The Week, USA Today, WSPA-TV, Fortune, Crooks and Liars, The Daily Beast, The Hill, Townhall, Louder With Crowder, Mediaite, Bangor Daily News, WISC-TV, Breitbart, Hackwhackers, Newsy and Bark Bark Woof Woof, more at Mediagazer »
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New York Times:
Trump Demands Changes to Coronavirus Relief Bill, Calling It a ‘Disgrace’
Trump Demands Changes to Coronavirus Relief Bill, Calling It a ‘Disgrace’
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Mediaite, RedState, Raw Story, The Federalist, CNBC, New York Post, NECN and middleeastmonitor.com
Axios:
Trump asks Congress to increase stimulus payments
Trump asks Congress to increase stimulus payments
Discussion:
Fox News, Business Insider, National Review, Washington Examiner, Al Jazeera, Townhall, The Daily Caller, TheBlaze and NPR
Tyler Van Dyke / Washington Examiner:
Trump rips coronavirus stimulus bill and demands bigger checks
Trump rips coronavirus stimulus bill and demands bigger checks
Discussion:
Reuters
Kelly Hooper / Politico:
Trump takes aim at Covid stimulus bill, raising specter of veto
Trump takes aim at Covid stimulus bill, raising specter of veto
Discussion:
Washington Post, CBS News, ABC News, POLITICUSUSA, Fox News, Denver Post, Axios, Bloomberg and NECN
Tal Axelrod / The Hill:
Trump slams relief bill, calls on Congress to increase stimulus money
Trump slams relief bill, calls on Congress to increase stimulus money
Discussion:
POLITICUSUSA, CANNONFIRE and Deadline
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.
Discussion:
The Hill, CNN, Variety, Politico, Vanity Fair and Salon, more at Techmeme »
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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 …
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Politico:
Trump orchestrates final loyalty test in dying bid to subvert election — President Donald Trump is plotting a final stand in Congress on Jan. 6, casting it as the ultimate loyalty test in his quest to remain in power and shutting out anyone who won't get in line.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Israpundit, Business Insider, Washington Times, The Week, The Hill, OpenSecrets.org, KTVZ-TV, NBC News and Axios
Marc Ambinder / The Daily Beast:
Sources: Secret Service Has No Plan if Trump Refuses to Go
Sources: Secret Service Has No Plan if Trump Refuses to Go
Discussion:
Raw Story and Alternet.org
Washington Post:
Republicans plunge into open battle over attempts to overturn Trump's loss to Biden — The GOP is plunging into open warfare over President-elect Joe Biden's election victory — with President Trump taunting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a passive-aggressive email blast …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Raw Story, Business Insider, Mediaite, Forbes, Breitbart, The Week, Townhall and Washington Times
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Edward Foley / Washington Post:
It's time for Mike Pence to choose: Trump, or the truth
It's time for Mike Pence to choose: Trump, or the truth
Discussion:
What The Fuck …, Alternet.org and American Thinker
Washington Post:
FBI links Iran to online hit list targeting top officials who've refuted Trump's election fraud claims — The FBI has concluded that Iran was behind online efforts earlier this month to incite violence against the bureau's director, a former top U.S. cyber expert and multiple state elections …
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, CyberScoop and Political Wire
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Associated Press:
Dominion worker sues Trump campaign and conservative media — NEW YORK — An election systems worker driven into hiding by death threats has filed a defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump's campaign, two of its lawyers and some conservative media figures and outlets.
Discussion:
NPR, The Week, Summit News, CBS Denver and Axios
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Colorado Public Radio / NPR:
Dominion Voting Systems Employee Sues Trump Campaign And Allies, Alleging Defamation
Dominion Voting Systems Employee Sues Trump Campaign And Allies, Alleging Defamation
Discussion:
Business Insider, IJR, Colorado Public Radio, UPI, Mediaite and The Colorado Sun, more at Mediagazer »
Ben Collins / NBC News:
As Trump meets with QAnon influencers, the conspiracy theory's adherents beg for dictatorship — On Friday, President Donald Trump met with current and former advisers in the Oval Office, including retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, and one person familiar with the meeting said Flynn advocated …
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 …
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Kara Scannell / CNN:
Trump's private bankers resign from Deutsche Bank
Trump's private bankers resign from Deutsche Bank
Discussion:
Alternet.org, The Week, The Hill, UPI and The Intellectualist
Los Angeles Times:
Newsom names Assemblywoman Shirley Weber to succeed Padilla as California secretary of state — Gov. Gavin Newsom took swift action Tuesday to fill the newly vacant post of California secretary of state by selecting Democratic Assemblywoman Shirley Weber to serve as the state's chief elections officer …
Discussion:
Mercury News, CBS News, RedState, The Hill, Fox News, Washington Examiner, KUSI-TV, NBC News, LGBTQ Nation, Vox, Associated Press, Patterico's Pontifications, KNSD-TV, NPR and Politico
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Los Angeles Times:
Alex Padilla becomes California's first Latino U.S. senator, replacing Kamala Harris
Alex Padilla becomes California's first Latino U.S. senator, replacing Kamala Harris
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight, CalMatters, Washington Post, KUSI-TV, New York Times, One America News Network, CNBC, The Root, Reuters, UPI, Fox News, Twitchy, California Governor and Washington Examiner
Bradford Betz / Fox News:
Warnock's wife told officer that her husband is ‘a great actor’ after domestic dispute — Medical officials did not find visible signs of injury on his wife's foot and Warnock was never charged with a crime. — Ossoff, Warnock would embrace ‘far-left liberal policies’ in Senate: Alyssa Farah
David Edwards / Raw Story:
Karl Rove goes off on Sidney Powell: ‘Any idiot with access to Google’ can debunk her lawsuits — Fox News contributor Karl Rove on Tuesday lashed out at Michael Flynn and Sidney Powell over what he called “idiot” ideas about the 2020 election. — During an appearance on Fox News …
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New York Times:
Pfizer Nears Deal With Trump Administration to Provide More Vaccine Doses — The company could provide at least tens of millions of additional doses of a coronavirus vaccine under an agreement that would give it better access to the supplies it needs to expand manufacturing.
Discussion:
CBS News, Just The News and The Week
Phil Helsel / NBC News:
U.S. reports more Covid deaths than ever before — The United States on Tuesday saw the highest number of Covid-19 deaths in a single day, according to a count of reports by NBC News. — The 3,350 reported deaths break a previous single-day high that was set just last week, on Dec. 16.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice and NPR
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 …
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:
ABC13, Talking Points Memo and CREW
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Philip Bump / Washington Post:
The dishonest heart of the challenge to the 2020 election results
The dishonest heart of the challenge to the 2020 election results
Discussion:
Detroit News and Raw Story