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:
National Review, Associated Press, Business Insider, NPR, Reuters, Talking Points Memo, Fox News, RedState and The Intellectualist
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:
Breitbart, Wall Street Journal, The Last Refuge, Reason, The Guardian, American Military News, TheBlaze, Greensburg Tribune-Review, NPR and UPI
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, Townhall, HotAir, The Intellectualist and Mock Paper Scissors
Axios:
Trump unleashes signature chaos with stimulus threat and wave of controversial pardons — Advisers to President Trump tell Axios three forces drove last night's twin bombshells — a slew of pardons for his allies, and a last-hour attack on the $900 billion stimulus bill as a “disgrace.”
Discussion:
Business Insider, Washington Post, New York Magazine, Fox News, Alternet.org, New York Times, Raw Story, The Guardian and Fortune
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 and The Week
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, New Republic, Talking Points Memo, Sara A. Carter, IJR, No More Mister Nice Blog, New York Times, The Federalist, Raw Story, Conservative News Today, CNBC, USA Today, Crooks and Liars, The Hill, National Review, Townhall, Reason, New York Magazine, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Breitbart, The Week, Mediaite, Bangor Daily News, WISC-TV, Fortune, The Daily Beast, Newsy, Hackwhackers and Bark Bark Woof Woof
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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:
The Hill, Mediaite, Bloomberg, UPI, HotAir, Crooks and Liars, RedState, Washington Post, CNBC, The American Independent, The Federalist, NECN and middleeastmonitor.com, more at Mediagazer »
Axios:
Trump asks Congress to increase stimulus payments
Trump asks Congress to increase stimulus payments
Discussion:
Fox News, Business Insider, National Review, Al Jazeera, Washington Examiner, Townhall, Deadline, 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:
Newsweek, CBS News, ABC News, POLITICUSUSA, Fox News, Denver Post, Axios, Bloomberg and NECN
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:
Raw Story, Los Angeles Times, Business Insider, The Week, Mediaite, Forbes, Breitbart, Townhall, Washington Times and Washington Examiner
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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
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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Marc Ambinder / The Daily Beast:
Sources: Secret Service Has No Plan if Trump Refuses to Go — But they do have procedures for handling trespassers. — If there are any checklists or plans, procedures or guidelines for the Secret Service to follow in the event of an autogolpe—a Latin American-style crisis …
Discussion:
Raw Story and Alternet.org
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:
CyberScoop, Crooks and Liars and Political Wire
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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 …
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
Discussion:
Washington Times, Washington Examiner, Business Insider, HotAir, Townhall, The Daily Caller, Instapundit and Georgia Memo
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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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Associated Press:
WH virus coordinator Deborah Birx says she will retire
WH virus coordinator Deborah Birx says she will retire
Discussion:
abc7NY, Talking Points Memo, New York Times, Newsy, NPR, The Daily Caller, New York Post, Axios, USA Today, RedState, Fox News, Alternet.org, Crooks and Liars, Mock Paper Scissors, The Hill, IJR, The Gateway Pundit, CBS News, Townhall and Raw Story
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
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Rebecca Shabad / NBC News:
Gov't agrees to buy additional 100 million doses of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine
Gov't agrees to buy additional 100 million doses of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine
Discussion:
WMTV, CNBC, HotAir, Mock Paper Scissors, WSPA-TV, NPR, ABC13, One America News Network and UPI
Washington Post:
Despite Trump's intense hunt for voter fraud, officials in key states have so far identified just a small number of possible cases — In Pittsburgh, the local police department this year received 10 complaints of possible fraudulent voting in the November election.
Discussion:
Conservative News Today, Raw Story and The Bulwark
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, Axios, CBS Denver and Summit News
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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:
Washington Examiner, Business Insider, IJR, Mediaite, UPI, The Colorado Sun and Colorado Public Radio, more at Mediagazer »
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
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
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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Amara Omeokwe / Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Jobless Claims Retreat From Three-Month High — Claims still hovering at highest levels since recent peaks in September — The number of workers seeking unemployment benefits fell last week, amid signs the economy is continuing to recover, but at a slowing pace.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller
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 …