Check out Mini-memeorandum for simple mobiles or memeorandum Mobile for modern smartphones.
5:45 PM ET, December 29, 2020

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
Washington Post:
McConnell blocks Senate Democrats' initial attempt to approve $2,000 stimulus checks amid growing pressure on GOP leader to act  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on Tuesday blocked consideration of a House bill that would deliver a $2,000 stimulus payments to most Americans …
RELATED:
Oriana Gonzalez / Axios:
Trump slams McConnell for blocking vote on $2,000 stimulus checks  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday blocked Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) request to hold a vote on a House standalone measure that would boost the size of stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000 per person.
Axios:
Senate tide begins to shift toward $2,000 checks after Trump's push  —  A couple of days ago, it looked impossible that $2,000 COVID relief checks — up from the $600 checks for individuals in the package President Trump signed Sunday — could pass the Senate.
Jacob Pramuk / CNBC:
McConnell blocks $2,000 stimulus checks, then ties them to unrelated Trump demands on tech and election  — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked an attempt by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to unanimously approve a House-passed bill to increase direct payments in the coronavirus relief package to $2,000 from $600.
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Gives Schumer an Assist
Natalie Andrews / Wall Street Journal:
McConnell Blocks Vote on Bigger Stimulus Checks, Says Senate Will Consider Later
Oriana Gonzalez / Axios:
Georgia's GOP senators back $2,000 stimulus checks ahead of runoff
Bloomberg:
McConnell Rebuffs Trump, Democrats by Blocking $2,000 Checks
Kate Bennett / CNN:
Trump angered by Mar-a-Lago renovations, sources say  —  (CNN)His mood darkened as soon as he walked into his members-only club Mar-a-Lago, three days before Christmas, according to multiple sources.  The changes to his private quarters, many of which were overseen by his wife …
RELATED:
Los Angeles Times:
Oxygen supply shortages bedevil hospitals already overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients
Discussion: The Hill, New York Post and Engadget
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Nikki Haley's mind-numbing inanity  —  Republicans have made clear for years that they lack constructive ideas to respond to Americans' real-world concerns.  In lieu of rational responses to rising health-care costs or falling K-12 test scores or income inequality, they rant about Confederate flags …
RELATED:
Zack Stanton / Politico:
The Worst Predictions of 2020  —  On the last day of 2019, President Donald Trump joined in on New Year's Eve celebrations at Mar-a-Lago, ringing in 2020 with what was, in retrospect, a terrible prediction about the year ahead.  —  “We're going to have a great year, I predict,” the president told assembled guests.
McKay Coppins / The Atlantic:
The Resistance's Breakup With the Media Is at Hand  —  The day after the 2016 election, I got a phone call from an old friend.  Neither of us had slept much, and we spent most of the conversation exchanging shell-shocked comments of the Can you believe this? variety.  Before we hung up, his voice took on a trace of irony.
RELATED:
Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
Donald Trump, Michelle Obama Most Admired in 2020  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans are most likely to name President Donald Trump and Michelle Obama as most admired man and woman in 2020.  Trump tied former President Barack Obama for the honor last year but edged out his predecessor this year.
W. James Antle III / Washington Examiner:
‘Things will get worse before they get better’: Biden's grim COVID-19 speech offers contrast with Trump  —  President-elect Joe Biden painted a grim picture of the coronavirus pandemic, saying the worst was yet to come.  —  Biden also chided his predecessor for the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations …
RELATED:
STAT:
Frustration over vaccine rollout builds, as new variant reported in U.S. for first time
Discussion: ABC News and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Chris Cioffi / Roll Call:
The Inaugural Luncheon is the latest pandemic casualty  —  The century-old tradition of the post-inauguration lunch is the latest pandemic casualty as COVID-19 continues to upend the ceremonies around the Jan. 20 swearing-in of President-elect Joe Biden.  —  The Inaugural Luncheon tradition …
RELATED:
Ryan J. Foley / Associated Press:
Federal judge in Iowa ridicules Trump's pardons  —  IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge in Iowa who has warned against political corruption is ridiculing President Trump's pardons, including those issued to convicted Republican campaign operatives and former members of Congress.
Discussion: The Hill
RELATED:
Matt Naham / Law & Crime:   Federal Judge Calls Trump a ‘Criminal’ During a Phone Call with the Associated Press
Washington Post:
N.Y. prosecutor hires forensic accounting experts as Trump criminal probe escalates  —  NEW YORK — The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has retained forensic accounting specialists to aid its criminal investigation of President Trump and his business operations, as prosecutors ramp …
Andrea Salcedo / Washington Post:
Massachusetts GOP leader says he likely got covid-19 at a White House Hanukkah party: 'I'm paying the price'  —  Earlier this month, Tom Mountain, a Massachusetts Republican Party leader, posed for a maskless photo in front of a silver menorah as dozens of other guests without face coverings mingled nearby …
Politico:
Judge blocks voter purge in 2 Georgia counties  —  A federal judge in Georgia on Monday ordered two counties to reverse a decision removing more than 4,000 voters from the rolls ahead of the Jan. 5 runoff elections that will decide control of the U.S. Senate.
RELATED:
Frances Robles / New York Times:
Presidential Transition Live Updates: McConnell Blocks Immediate Vote on $2,000 Stimulus Checks, While Tacking On Demands
David Corn / Mother Jones:
Kelly Loeffler's Conflict of Interest Is Even Worse Than Reported  —  Let our journalists help you make sense of the noise: Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter and get a recap of news that matters.  —  As she campaigns for reelection in the January 5 run-off, Kelly Loeffler …
Discussion: Raw Story
Dani Alexis Ryskamp / The Atlantic:
The Life in The Simpsons Is No Longer Attainable  —  The most famous dysfunctional family of 1990s television enjoyed, by today's standards, an almost dreamily secure existence that now seems out of reach for all too many Americans.  I refer, of course, to the Simpsons.
Haley Britzky / Task & Purpose:
The Army is planning a major overhaul of its hair and grooming regulations … Senior Army leaders are discussing making long-awaited changes to hair and grooming regulations and they plan to announce the finalized changes in January 2021, Task & Purpose has learned.
Ed Yong / The Atlantic:
Where Year Two of the Pandemic Will Take Us  —  Editor's Note: The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers.  Find the collection here.  —  The influenza pandemic that began in 1918 killed as many as 100 million people over two years.
Discussion: The Week
Joseph Krauss / Associated Press:
Record shows US sold ambassador's home in Israel for $67M  —  An official record shows that the United States sold the ambassador's residence in Israel for more than $67 million in July  —  Catch up on the developing stories making headlines.  —  JERUSALEM — The United States sold …
Will Sommer / The Daily Beast:
Michael Flynn Is Now Selling QAnon Merch  —  Trump's former national security adviser is going all in on QAnon, selling QAnon T-shirts and launching a QAnon news site  —  Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn is going all in on the QAnon conspiracy theory …
Justine Coleman / The Hill:
Michigan mayor draws criticism with Facebook posts suggesting rebellion: report  —  A Michigan mayor is reportedly receiving backlash for his Facebook posts calling for people to “TAKE power back” after critics said they could incite violence.  —  Potterville Mayor Bruce Kring's controversial posts obtained …
Arizona Republic:
Report: Phoenix police officer said, 'If the mayor defunds the police, I'm going to shoot her'  —  Uriel J. Garcia Jen FifieldArizona Republic  —  On the afternoon of October 21, seven Phoenix police officers gathered for a briefing in a Cave Creek station when the meeting diverged …
Discussion: New York Post and Raw Story
Christian Schneider / The Bulwark:
Rubio vs. Fauci Is Amazing  —  Marco Rubio inadvertently told us what he thinks of Republican voters.  —  In the course of his young political career, Marco Rubio has been a Tea Partier, a Reformicon, and a neoconservative.  Now he's auditioning for the role of MAGA FAN #7 by trying …
U.S. Department of Justice:
Justice Department Announces Closing of Investigation into 2014 Officer Involved Shooting in Cleveland, Ohio  —  The Justice Department announced today that the career prosecutors reviewing the independent federal investigation into the fatal shooting of Tamir Rice on Nov. 22, 2014, in Cleveland …
 
 
 Archived Page Info: 
This is a snapshot of memeorandum at 5:45 PM ET, December 29, 2020.

View the current page or another snapshot:


 
 Who's Hiring in Media? 
 
 See Also: 
memeorandum: site main
memeorandum River: reverse chronological memeorandum
memeorandum Mobile: for phones
memeorandum Leaderboard: memeorandum's top sources
 
 Subscribe: 
memeorandum RSS feed
memeorandum on Mastodon
 
 
 More Items: 
Dave Levinthal / Business Insider:
Meet Shana Broussard, the first Black member of the Federal Election Commission in its 45-year history
Matt McDonald / Spectator USA:
Don't blame 2020 … I have a suggestion for a New Year's resolution if you're after one.
Jeremy B. White / Politico:
Newsom recall effort gets $500K boost from Orange County firm
Discussion: Fox News
Mike Freeman / USA Today:
ESPN's Booger McFarland dangerously wrong about Dwayne Haskins, Black players
Discussion: Power Line
Jonathon Van Maren / The American Conservative:
The Gospel According to Roger Stone
Ali Watkins / New York Times:
Violence Surged in N.Y.C. in 2020 Amid Pandemic and Protests
Rodney Stevens / Wall Street Journal:
If You Must Talk About Race, Be Gracious
 Earlier Items: 
Cristina Criddle / BBC:
Brexit deal mentions Netscape browser and Mozilla Mail
Discussion: Gizmodo and The Verge
William J. Kole / Associated Press:
Statue of slave kneeling before Lincoln is removed in Boston
Discussion: The Hill and The Daily Caller
Jeb Lund / New Republic:
Ron DeSantis Is TNR's 2020 Scoundrel of the Year
Discussion: Twitchy
Associated Press:
Child labor in palm oil industry tied to Girl Scout cookies
Discussion: New York Post and The Daily Caller
Katrin Bennhold / New York Times:
A Far-Right Terrorism Suspect With a Refugee Disguise: The Tale of Franco A.
Felix Salmon / Axios:
How China won 2020  —  China will end this year as the only major country in the world to see its economy grow rather than shrink.
 

 
From Mediagazer:

Todd Spangler / Variety:
Apple reports Q4 revenue from Services, which includes the App Store, Apple TV+, and Apple Music, up 12% YoY to $24.97B, a new quarterly record, but below est.

Jennifer Maas / Variety:
Amazon reports Q3 ad revenue up 19% YoY to $14.33B, vs. $14.25B est., amid its push to insert ads into Prime Video, and subscription sales up 11% YoY to $11.3B

Shirin Ghaffary / Bloomberg:
OpenAI unveils ChatGPT Search to let users search for timely information using GPT-4o, after testing the feature in July 2024, a direct challenge to Google

 
Sister Sites:

Techmeme
 Top news and commentary for technology's leaders, from all around the web
Mediagazer
 Top news and commentary for media professionals from all around the web
WeSmirch
 The top celebrity news from all around the web on a single page