Top Items:
New York Times:
Georgia Officials Review Trump Phone Call as Scrutiny Intensifies — The office of Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, has initiated a fact-finding inquiry into Donald Trump's January phone call to Mr. Raffensperger pressuring him to “find” votes.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Raw Story, Reuters, Associated Press, TheGrio, POLITICUSUSA and Vanity Fair
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Washington Post:
Democratic lawmakers splinter over criteria for $1,400 stimulus payments as Biden relief bill advances — Democratic lawmakers are increasingly divided over the criteria for the next round of stimulus payments, splintering the caucus even as they aim to quickly pass President Biden's $1.9 trillion relief package.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, USA Today, POLITICUSUSA, Townhall, The White House, GovExec.com, Insider, Daily Kos and The Sun
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Politico:
House Democrats settle income debate for direct payments
House Democrats settle income debate for direct payments
Discussion:
CNN, New York Times, HuffPost, The Hill, Washington Times, Forbes, KCLO-TV, Vox and Political Wire
Natasha Korecki / Politico:
Biden's strategy for Trump's impeachment: Sit back and STFU — Washington may be consumed by Donald Trump's impeachment trial this week, but the White House has a decidedly different view of it: Impeachment? What impeachment? — The Biden team has shut down question after question …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Washington Examiner, Axios, ABC News, Chicago Sun-Times, Los Angeles Times, The Independent, UPI and Crooked Media
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Washington Post:
It's not a typical trial. Lawyers in the Trump impeachment case will argue big constitutional questions.
It's not a typical trial. Lawyers in the Trump impeachment case will argue big constitutional questions.
Jim Acosta / CNN:
Trump tells aides he thinks he'll be acquitted as he remains fixated on ‘accountability’ for GOP lawmakers who voted to impeach
Trump tells aides he thinks he'll be acquitted as he remains fixated on ‘accountability’ for GOP lawmakers who voted to impeach
Discussion:
Politico, Talking Points Memo, Associated Press, Fox News, NBC News, National Review and Daily Montanan
Haley Victory Smith / Washington Examiner:
Trump impeachment lawyer doesn't plan to raise ‘polarizing’ election fraud claims during trial
Trump impeachment lawyer doesn't plan to raise ‘polarizing’ election fraud claims during trial
Discussion:
Politico and Wall Street Journal
Peter Hamby / Vanity Fair:
“I Think People Will Get Tired of Him”: For Donald Trump, Sarah Palin's Fall Shows the Limits of Media Obsession — The former Alaska governor dominated coverage while she was seen as a GOP kingmaker and potential presidential candidate—until reality (or at least reality TV) set in.
Discussion:
Political Wire and Raw Story
Maggie Miller / The Hill:
Hackers breach, attempt to poison Florida city's water supply — Officials said Monday that a hacker had breached and attempted to poison the water supply for the city of Oldsmar, Fla., last week, but had been unsuccessful. — Pinellas County, Fla., Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced …
Discussion:
Reuters, New York Times, VICE, UPI, Washington Examiner and CBS News, more at Techmeme »
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Arian Campo-Flores / Wall Street Journal:
Hacker Changed Chemical Level in Florida City's Water System — Public wasn't in danger, Pinellas County sheriff says; investigation has been launched — A water-treatment plant in Oldsmar, Fla., was hacked, and the intruder briefly increased the amount of lye used to treat water to a dangerous level, authorities said Monday.
Discussion:
Tampa Bay Times, Wired, Breitbart, MyNorthwest.com and Fox News
Jonah E. Bromwich / New York Times:
Manafort Can't Be Prosecuted in New York After Trump Pardon, Court Rules — The Court of Appeals let stand a lower-court ruling that the Manhattan district attorney's prosecution of Paul Manafort was barred by the double jeopardy rule. — The Manhattan district attorney's attempt …
Discussion:
The Hill, Reuters, CNBC, Associated Press, The Daily Caller, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Week, Raw Story and The Guardian
Aaron Sibarium / Washington Free Beacon:
New York Times Meltdown Plays Out in Private Facebook Group — The “resignation” of star New York Times science writer Donald McNeil Jr. has sparked a furious back-and-forth among Times staffers, many of whom are outraged over the Gray Lady's handling of his departure.
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Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Describing a Slur Is Not the Same As Using It
Describing a Slur Is Not the Same As Using It
Discussion:
spiked
Gromer Jeffers Jr / Dallas Morning News:
Rep. Ron Wright dies after battle with COVID-19 — Reelected in November, the Republican lawmaker had been fighting cancer. … U.S. Rep Ron Wright of Arlington died Sunday night after a battle with COVID-19. He was 67. — His family and spokesperson confirmed Wright's death Monday morning.
Discussion:
National Review, CNBC, Axios, HuffPost, Politico, Roll Call, Daily Kos, New York Magazine, Forbes, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mediaite, The Week, Washington Examiner, Townhall, KRON4, Raw Story, Mock Paper Scissors, UPI and Hackwhackers
ABC News:
GOP on defense as Democrats weaponize party's ties to extremism — Democrats are launching their 2022 efforts with ad buys focused on QAnon. — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: 'I've been freed' — Stripped of her committee assignments, the GOP congresswoman says she looks forward to returning to Georgia to see her constituents.
Discussion:
Axios, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Signal and NBC Bay Area
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Jill Lawrence / USA Today:
Trump legacy: Personal responsibility is for suckers and GOP means ‘Grievances On Parade’
Trump legacy: Personal responsibility is for suckers and GOP means ‘Grievances On Parade’
Discussion:
Washington Post, Truthout, IJR, New York Post, Raw Story, Reason, WGN-TV, NBC News, New York Magazine and UPI
Kimberly Wehle / The Bulwark:
Call. Witnesses. — There was a crime. There is a trial. There should be witness testimony. — Democrats are no longer under the thumb of Mitch McConnell. If they want to call witnesses to testify in the second impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump, they can. — But what's more: They should.
Discussion:
CNN, CBS News, Law & Crime and Deadline
New York Times:
‘Its Own Domestic Army’: How the G.O.P. Allied Itself With Militants — Actions taken by paramilitary groups in Michigan last year, emboldened by President Donald J. Trump, signaled a profound shift in Republican politics and a national crisis in the making.
Ben Adlin / Marijuana Moment:
Judge Voids South Dakota's Marijuana Legalization Initiative, Finding Voter-Approved Measure Was Unconstitutional — A South Dakota state judge has ruled that last year's voter-approved initiative to legalize marijuana for adults 21 and over is unconstitutional and cannot go forward, though advocates plan to appeal.
Jeremy Barr / Washington Post:
Lou Dobbs is lashing out at Fox on Twitter for dropping his show — Lou Dobbs is not taking his cancellation by Fox lying down. — On Friday night, Fox News Media management canceled “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” the most-watched show on Fox Business Network. No reason was given …
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, Reason and NewsHounds blog, more at Mediagazer »
Ewan Palmer / Newsweek:
Why QAnon Followers Think Donald Trump Will Be Sworn Back In as President on March 4 — After more than three years of Donald Trump not taking down satanic pedophiles and the “deep state” working against him, losing the election, then failing to order mass executions at Joe Biden's inauguration …
New York Times:
China Blocks Clubhouse App After Brief Flowering of Debate — For a little while, the social media platform Clubhouse provided the rare opportunity for cross-border dialogue on contentious topics free from the country's usual tight controls. — One by one, the chatroom participants took …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Foreign Policy, National Review and Glenn Greenwald, more at Techmeme »
New York Times:
Using Connections to Trump, Dershowitz Became Force in Clemency Grants — The lawyer Alan M. Dershowitz, who represented the former president in his first impeachment trial, used his access for a wide array of clients as they sought pardons or commutations.
Discussion:
The Hill, The Intellectualist and Raw Story
Ways and Means Committee:
Chairman Neal Announces Markup of COVID-19 Relief Measures — The Ways and Means' proposals comprise half of the $1.9 trillion Democratic COVID-19 relief package — SPRINGFIELD, MA - Today, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) announced the Committee …
Discussion:
Politico
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Chris Hayes / The Atlantic:
The Republican Party is radicalizing against democracy. This is the central political fact of our moment. Instead of organizing its coalition around shared policy goals, the GOP has chosen to emphasize hatred and fear of its political opponents, who—they warn—will destroy their supporters and the country.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
CREW:
Jared and Ivanka made up to $640 million in the White House … Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump reported between $172 million and $640 million in outside income while working in the White House, according to an analysis of financial disclosures by CREW. It is impossible to tell the exact amount …
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Vanity Fair, POLITICUSUSA, The Hill and Mediaite
Jennifer Epstein / Bloomberg:
Harvard's Sunstein Joins Biden's DHS to Shape Immigration Rules — Progressive groups had raised concern about Sunstein's record — His wife is Biden nominee for international development agency — Former Obama administration official Cass Sunstein on Monday joined the Department …
Discussion:
The National Pulse, Foreign Policy and Daily Kos
Tess Owen / VICE:
This is the Proud Boys Supporter Who Filmed Attacks on the Media at the Capitol Riot — Meet Gabriel Brown, a live streamer from Long Island who's involvement in far-right activism goes back to the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville. — TO
Discussion:
Raw Story
Adam Kinzinger / Washington Post:
My fellow Republicans, convicting Trump is necessary to save America — Adam Kinzinger, a Republican, represents Illinois's 16th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. — Winston Churchill famously said, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”
Discussion:
The Hill, TheGrio, NPR and New York Times
Jerry Lambe / Law & Crime:
Law Professor Cited 15 Times by Trump's Legal Team Says Impeachment Memo Was Filled with ‘Flat-Out Misrepresentations’ of His Work — Donald Trump's defense team was accused of flagrantly misrepresenting the work of a constitutional scholar when asserting that the former president's impeachment is unconstitutional.
Discussion:
Fox News, littlegreenfootballs.com, National Review, Raw Story and Mother Jones
Kang-Xing Jin / About Facebook:
Reaching Billions of People With COVID-19 Vaccine Information — We're running the largest worldwide campaign to promote authoritative information about COVID-19 vaccines by: — Helping people find where and when they can get vaccinated — similar to how we helped people find information about how to vote during elections
Discussion:
New York Times, The Guardian, NPR, Vox, TechCrunch, NBC Bay Area, The Verge, Al Jazeera, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, WABC, CNN, TheBlaze, Cyprus Mail and The Week, more at Techmeme »
The Guardian:
North Korea upgraded nuclear missile programme in 2020, says UN diplomat — Confidential UN report reveals Pyongyang was acting in violation of international sanctions — North Korea maintained and developed its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes throughout 2020 in violation …
Discussion:
Al Jazeera
Ed Pilkington / The Guardian:
Outcry as more than 20 babies and children deported by US to Haiti … US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) deported at least 72 people to Haiti on Monday, including a two-month-old baby and 21 other children, in an apparent flagrant breach of the Biden administration's orders …
Daniel Strauss / The Guardian:
‘This fever will break’: Republican Jeff Flake on the slow fade of Trumpism — Anti-Trumpists are growing but very slowly - convicting Trump in his impeachment trial would help speed things along, says Flake — By now, Jeff Flake thought this would all be over.
Discussion:
CNN, New York Times, The Editorial Board and Big League Politics
Mimi Montgomery / Washingtonian:
Where Does Abby Phillip Go From Here? … Abby Phillip's breakthrough moment came during those tense, hazy days after the election, when results were still rolling in, election nerds were toggling back and forth between Steve Kornacki and John King, and the networks hadn't yet called it for Joe Biden.
Christopher Kang / USA Today:
Biden can advance racial justice, but only if Democratic senators ditch an old tradition — Republicans blocked Obama's judicial nominees with ‘blue slips’ but ignored the custom for Bush and Trump. Shelve it now to diversify the courts. — President Joe Biden has made clear …
Discussion:
The Hill, The Federalist and HotAir
Jane Greenhalgh / NPR:
My Mother Got Vaccinated. Is It Now Safe To Visit? — It's been more than a year since I've seen my mother. Like many families, we live a fair distance apart and the pandemic has put a stop to our visits. I was supposed to visit last April to celebrate her 90th birthday …
Alexander Nazaryan / Los Angeles Times:
Review: Andy Ngo's new book still pretends antifa's the real enemy — Unmasked: Inside Antifa's Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy — There is an alternate universe out there in which we never have to ponder, let alone read, “Unmasked,” provocateur Andy Ngo's supremely dishonest new book …
Mollie Hemingway / The Federalist:
The 3 Worst Things About That Terrible Jeep Super Bowl Ad — How could a major corporation not see how propagandistic it comes off to suggest that when Republicans win a national election, that's divisive, but when Democrats win one, that's unifying? — In a generally weak year …
Discussion:
New York Post, CNN, Washington Examiner, National Review, HotAir, Fox News, alicublog, The Moderate Voice, The Mary Sue, Instapundit and Detroit News
Marilynn Marchione / Associated Press:
New variants raise worry about COVID-19 virus reinfections — Evidence is mounting that having COVID-19 may not protect against getting infected again with some of the new variants. People also can get second infections with earlier versions of the coronavirus if they mounted a weak defense the first time, new research suggests.
Hayes Brown / MSNBC:
Vice President Kamala Harris could kill the filibuster herself … It was 5:30 a.m. on Friday and all eyes were on Vice President Kamala Harris. — The Constitution has given Harris, as vice president, a second job — a side gig to most modern observers. She's not just President Joe Biden's No. 2 …
Discussion:
CBS Chicago