Top Items:
The White House:
Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding Executive Grants of Clemency — President Donald J. Trump granted pardons to 73 individuals and commuted the sentences of an additional 70 individuals. — Todd Boulanger - President Trump granted a full pardon to Todd Boulanger.
Discussion:
USA Today, Democracy Now, CNN, New York Times, Mother Jones, Reuters, Detroit Free Press, The Progressive Pulse, NBC News, Breitbart, The American Conservative, New York Post, Axios, Law & Crime, The Verge, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, CNBC, Los Angeles Times, Business Insider, Gothamist, The Independent, Rolling Stone, Florida Politics, TheBlaze, Washington Times, The Colorado Sun, Twitchy, Vox, The Daily Caller, The Federalist, HuffPost, iPolitics, KIFI-TV, Daily Kos, Mashable, CBS Detroit, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, Al Jazeera, Washingtonian, Metro.co.uk, Variety, CBS Baltimore, Althouse, ProFootballTalk, UPI, Gizmodo, The Week, KRON4, TechCrunch, emptywheel, The Wrap, HBCU Gameday, Reason and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »
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Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
Trump's swampiest pardons, ranked — President Trump came into office pledging to drain the swamp. He exits having extracted a bunch of allies who were neck-deep in the muck from it. — As I've regularly noted with Trump's pardons, it's not unheard-of for a president to pardon an ally.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Politico
Maggie Haberman / New York Times:
With hours left in office, Trump pardons Bannon. — President Trump has granted clemency to Stephen K. Bannon, the former White House chief strategist who was charged with defrauding people who supported building a border wall that Mr. Trump supported, White House officials said.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Mediaite, CNN, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Independent, Breitbart, The Week, Washington Times, The Guardian and Axios
Andrew Weissmann / Just Security:
Gaps in Trump's Pardons: How the Biden Administration Can Still Pursue Justice
Grant Stern / Byline Times:
Still Faces ‘We Build the Wall’ State Investigation
Still Faces ‘We Build the Wall’ State Investigation
Discussion:
Law & Crime and Crooks and Liars
NBC News:
Some QAnon followers lose hope after Inauguration — Some QAnon conspiracy theorists, in public and private internet forums and chat rooms, were despondent Wednesday as their prophecy of an Inauguration Day coup to keep Donald Trump in power failed again as President Joe Biden was sworn into office.
Discussion:
Media Matters for America and The Week
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Kevin Roose / New York Times:
QAnon believers struggle with inauguration. — Followers of QAnon, the pro-Trump conspiracy theory, have spent weeks anticipating that Wednesday would be the “Great Awakening” — a day, long foretold in QAnon prophecy, when top Democrats would be arrested for running a global sex trafficking ring …
Discussion:
HuffPost, The Daily Beast, Associated Press, Forbes and Raw Story
Anna Merlan / VICE:
Trump Fails to Ascend as God Emperor, Leaving Diehard Fans Adrift — Some grieve and some insist all is going according to plan. Others are enthused about forming a new political party. It's a moment as dangerous as it is hilarious. — TORONTO, CA — As new President Joseph R. Biden took …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Raw Story and Washington Times
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Andrew Restuccia / Wall Street Journal:
Trump Has Discussed Starting a New Party — President Trump has talked in recent days with associates about forming a new political party, according to people familiar with the matter, an effort to exert continued influence after he leaves the White House. — Mr. Trump discussed the matter …
Sheera Frenkel / New York Times:
‘A Total Failure’: The Proud Boys Now Mock Trump — Members of the far-right group, who were among Donald Trump's staunchest fans, are calling him “weak,” in a sign of fraying support. — After the presidential election last year, the Proud Boys, a far-right group, declared its undying loyalty to President Trump.
Ben Makuch / VICE:
Far-Right Extremists Tell One Another to Stay Home, Fight Another Day
Far-Right Extremists Tell One Another to Stay Home, Fight Another Day
Discussion:
Raw Story
Washington Post:
Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president, pleads for unity in inaugural address to a divided nation — Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was sworn in Wednesday as the 46th president of the United States, pledging to unite the country and confront an array of convulsing challenges dividing a fractured nation.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, ABC News, The Hill, Vox, New York Times, New York Times, Foreign Policy, HotAir, The Guardian, The Independent, Chicago Sun-Times, CNBC and The Daily Caller
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Zack Beauchamp / Vox:
It's okay to feel hope
It's okay to feel hope
Discussion:
CNN, NPR, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, American Prospect, The Independent, The National Interest and CBS Philly
Amanda Arnold / The Cut:
Our Vice-President Is a Black Woman
Our Vice-President Is a Black Woman
Discussion:
HuffPost, BuzzFeed News, Fox News, Washington Post, Bloomberg and KTLA
Pilar Melendez / The Daily Beast:
‘This Is Awesome!’: Another Proud Boys Leader Arrested for Storming U.S. Capitol — Joseph Biggs, a 37-year-old organizer for the white nationalist group, was caught on camera inside the Capitol building. — A Proud Boys leader caught on camera storming the U.S. Capitol with a pro …
Discussion:
USA Today
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Transition / President-Elect Joe Biden:
FACT SHEET: President-elect Biden's Day One Executive Actions Deliver Relief for Families Across America Amid Converging Crises — Actions Address the COVID-19 Pandemic, Provide Economic Relief, Tackle Climate Change, and Advance Racial Equity — Today, hours after taking the oath of office …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Fox News, KIFI-TV, Common Dreams, ACLU, The Texas Tribune, GovExec.com, CNN, Daily Kos, Sputnik News, Al Jazeera, Cyprus Mail, The Gateway Pundit, Axios and Complex
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Politico:
Biden plans executive action blitz for Day One
Biden plans executive action blitz for Day One
Discussion:
CBS News, Washington Post, Axios, CNN, Vanity Fair, Bloomberg, NPR, NBC News, The Week, TheBlaze, Business Insider, The Colorado Sun and The Daily Signal
Brooke Singman / Fox News:
Biden, in first tweet as president, says ‘no time to waste’ on agenda
Biden, in first tweet as president, says ‘no time to waste’ on agenda
Discussion:
Politico, RedState, spectator.us, KRON4 and Reason
Axios:
Off the rails: Inside Trump's campaign to coerce Pence into overturning the election — Beginning on election night 2020 and continuing through his final days in office, Donald Trump unraveled and dragged America with him, to the point that his followers sacked the U.S. Capitol with two weeks left in his term.
Discussion:
Politico, The Daily Beast, Fox News, Boston Herald, The Independent, Reuters, Raw Story and Foreign Policy
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Alayna Treene / Axios:
Trump departs on final Air Force One flight
Trump departs on final Air Force One flight
Discussion:
ABC News, Washington Post, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Deseret News, NBC News, Forbes, HuffPost, Washington Examiner, Washington Times, Metro.co.uk, The Week, NPR, Breitbart and UPI
Asawin Suebsaeng / The Daily Beast:
Trump's Parting Words to U.S.: ‘Have a Nice Life. See You Soon’
Trump's Parting Words to U.S.: ‘Have a Nice Life. See You Soon’
Discussion:
CBS News, ABC News, The Hill, Associated Press, Variety, Washington Post, Common Dreams, The Independent, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, Reuters, Real America's Voice and Vox
Politico:
‘Really quite shocking’: Inside the ugly transition at the Pentagon — The Pentagon blocked members of President Joe Biden's incoming administration from gaining access to critical information about current operations, including the troop drawdown in Afghanistan, upcoming special operations missions …
Discussion:
UPI, Defense One and Raw Story
Kate Bennett / CNN:
Melania Trump outsourced writing her own ‘thank you’ notes to the White House residence staff — (CNN)First lady Melania Trump did not write her own “thank you” notes to the White House residence staff who have cared for her and her family for the last four years, according to two sources …
Discussion:
Business Insider, Vanity Fair, The Independent, The Week, Fox News, New York Times, The Intellectualist and Raw Story
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Raphael Satter / Reuters:
In hidden message on White House website, Biden calls for coders
In hidden message on White House website, Biden calls for coders
Discussion:
The Hill, KIFI-TV, The Verge, Washingtonian and Raw Story
Meridith McGraw / Politico:
Trump revokes rule preventing White House staff from lobbying
Trump revokes rule preventing White House staff from lobbying
Discussion:
Business Insider, Washington Post, Washington Examiner, CNN, The White House, The Federalist, Townhall, WTOP, Snopes.com, TheBlaze, Common Dreams and UPI
fmprc.gov.cn:
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Announces Sanctions on Pompeo and Others — Over the past few years, some anti-China politicians in the United States, out of their selfish political interests and prejudice and hatred against China and showing no regard for the interests of the Chinese and American people …
Andrew Stiles / Washington Free Beacon:
HISTORIC: Joe Biden to Be Sworn In on Jeffrey Epstein's Birthday — Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, bringing to a close one of the most successful administrations in American history. — In what may or may not be a coincidence …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Politico, The Federalist, Talking Points Memo, ABC News and No More Mister Nice Blog
RELATED:
Erin Patterson / KUSA-TV:
‘We hope to work with you’: 17 House GOP freshmen write letter to Biden
‘We hope to work with you’: 17 House GOP freshmen write letter to Biden
Discussion:
Associated Press, Breitbart, The Federalist, Fox News and Vox
The Pillar:
Updated: Vatican intervened to spike US bishops' Biden statement release — A Pillar Post special edition — The U.S. bishops' conference held back a statement on incoming President Joe Biden Wednesday morning, after officials from the Vatican Secretariat of State intervened before the statement could be released.
Bloomberg Law:
Biden Moves to Oust Top Labor Board Attorney Robb — Listen — The new Biden administration has asked for the resignation of the National Labor Relations Board's general counsel, Trump-appointee Peter Robb, according to four people familiar with the decision.
Discussion:
GovExec.com
Dan Diamond / Washington Post:
Biden to ask Surgeon General Adams to resign — Ouster is regarded as a break with the Trump administration's covid-19 response, which the president-elect has called a failure — The Washington Post is providing this important information about the coronavirus for free.
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Examiner, Forbes, KIFI-TV, The Hill, POLITICUSUSA and The Week
Carol D. Leonnig / Washington Post:
Trump extended Secret Service protection for 14 members of his family as he left office — In the days before he left office, then-President Donald Trump instructed that his extended family get the best security available in the world for the next six months, at no cost — the protection of the U.S. Secret Service.
Discussion:
Political Wire
Natasha Korecki / Politico:
Writing a speech for Biden can be hell. And that was before the inaugural. — Joe Biden paces as he dictates long portions of his speeches to aides, spinning out thoughts that quickly pile into six, seven or eight paragraphs of copy, only to later be scrapped.
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, ABC News, Washington Monthly, The Rush Limbaugh Show, National Review, RedState and Power Line
Caroline Kelly / CNN:
Biden to rescind 1776 commission via executive order — (CNN)President-elect Joe Biden will issue an executive order to dissolve the 1776 commission, a panel stood up by President Donald Trump as a rebuttal to schools applying a more accurate history curriculum around slavery in the US, Biden's transition team announced Wednesday.
Discussion:
The Atlantic, Snopes.com, TheBlaze, The Daily Caller, NBC News, KIFI-TV, Center for Public Integrity and BuzzFeed News