Top Items:
Fox News:
Ted Cruz flew to Cancun with his family amid power crisis in Texas: source — Millions in Texas without power, at least 20 dead — Texas outages is proof we need to expand energy options: Wesley Hunt — Sen. Ted Cruz flew to Cancun, Mexico, with his family this week as Texas dealt …
Discussion:
ABC News, Newsweek, NPR, Media Matters for America, New York Daily News, RedState, HuffPost, Breitbart, The Texas Tribune, Political Flare, The Daily Caller, Forbes, Deseret News, Talking Points Memo, Slate, New York Post, Washington Post, National Review, POLITICUSUSA, Juanita Jean's, The American Independent, Snopes.com, Patterico's Pontifications, Vanity Fair, The Moderate Voice, The Week, Mock Paper Scissors, The Hill, Raw Story, Mediaite and The Babylon Bee
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Associated Press:
AP source: Sen. Cruz went to Mexico on vacation amid storm — DALLAS (AP) — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has traveled to Mexico for a family vacation as his home state struggles with a weather crisis that has left much of Texas without power. — The high-profile Republican lawmaker went with his family …
CNN:
Cruz responds to fury over his Cancun trip — (CNN)Sen. Ted Cruz and his family flew to Cancun, Mexico, he confirmed in a statement to CNN, as a winter disaster in his home state left millions without power or water. — Analysis: Cruz's Cancun trip violates an unwritten rule of politics.
Discussion:
HuffPost, Insider, United States Senator …, Washington Post, Politico, Washington Times, The Daily Beast, Vox, Forbes, UPROXX, Mediaite, Occupy Democrats, The Week, Bloomberg, IJR, VICE and Breitbart
Todd J. Gillman / Dallas Morning News:
Barbs fly at Ted Cruz for heading to Cancun as millions in Texas freeze without power — Fellow vacationers spotted the well-known Texas Republican and his family on flight from Houston — WASHINGTON — With 3 million Texans shivering in the dark, Sen. Ted Cruz jetted off to Cancun with his family …
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Insider, CNBC, Al Jazeera, Mediaite, The Wrap, POLITICUSUSA, LGBTQ Nation, Political Flare, UPROXX, Twitchy, Raw Story and IJR
David A. Graham / The Atlantic:
Ted Cruz Is No Hypocrite. He's Worse. — Nero fiddled while Rome burned; Ted Cruz jetted to Cancún. And although the emperor was at least ensconced in a lavish, louche palace, the senator from Texas was stuck in economy class with the peasantry. — Cruz's appeal as a politician …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Fox News, Occupy Democrats and Lawyers, Guns & Money
New York Times:
Senator Ted Cruz left Texas for Cancún as the state was battered by a brutal winter storm. — As Texas was battered by an icy storm and widespread power losses that left millions of residents freezing and fearing for their safety, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas left the state on Wednesday …
Lauren Larson / Texas Monthly:
13 Curses to Mutter Against Ted Cruz While You Boil Snow to Drink — May you make direct eye contact with your neighbor during your yard pee. — NOTES — This week, as millions of Texans were left without power and water as temperatures dropped to record lows, one man said no—not me.
Alexandra Petri / Washington Post:
Ted Cruz honestly surprised so many people want him around — I, Ted Cruz, am hearing now that my decision to go to Cancun while Texas is devastated by a winter storm and when millions remained without power was — wrong! — This has been very confusing for me.
Discussion:
The American Independent, Insider and Louder With Crowder
Washington Post:
Sen. Ted Cruz confirms he flew to Mexico as Texas grapples with power outages caused by severe weather
Sen. Ted Cruz confirms he flew to Mexico as Texas grapples with power outages caused by severe weather
Discussion:
Insider, NPR, Axios, Raw Story, Grand Forks Herald, littlegreenfootballs.com and Townhall
Rebecca Shabad / NBC News:
Sen. Ted Cruz comes under fire after photos show him traveling to Cancún as Texans freeze
Sen. Ted Cruz comes under fire after photos show him traveling to Cancún as Texans freeze
Discussion:
Reuters, Wall Street Journal, HotAir and TheBlaze
Philip Jankowski / Austin American-Statesman:
‘Complete and utter hypocrites’: Ted Cruz chided Austin mayor for Cabo trip. Then he flew to Cancun.
‘Complete and utter hypocrites’: Ted Cruz chided Austin mayor for Cabo trip. Then he flew to Cancun.
Discussion:
UPROXX, Occupy Democrats, Washington Post and Twitchy
KSAT-TV:
Did Ted Cruz fly to Cancun during Texas' winter disaster?
Did Ted Cruz fly to Cancun during Texas' winter disaster?
Discussion:
LGBTQ Nation, Vanity Fair, UPROXX, Mediaite, Crooks and Liars, The Wrap, POLITICUSUSA and Insider
Rebecca Shabad / NBC News:
Sen. Ted Cruz comes under fire after photos purportedly show him traveling to Cancún as Texans freeze
Sen. Ted Cruz comes under fire after photos purportedly show him traveling to Cancún as Texans freeze
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, Discourse Blog and Crooks and Liars
Erin Douglas / The Texas Tribune:
Texas was “seconds and minutes” away from catastrophic monthslong blackouts, officials say — Officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said that grid operators implemented blackouts to avoid a catastrophic failure that could have left Texans in the dark for months. — Copy link
Discussion:
HuffPost, Forbes, The Guardian, Insider, Snopes.com, Grist, National Review, New York Times, Common Dreams and Eschaton
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Joseph Guzman / The Hill:
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Texas Gov Abbott fire at each other over deadly winter storm, Green New Deal
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Texas Gov Abbott fire at each other over deadly winter storm, Green New Deal
Discussion:
New York Times, NBC News and IJR
John Nichols / The Nation:
While Texans Freeze, Governor Greg Abbott Lies About the Green New Deal
While Texans Freeze, Governor Greg Abbott Lies About the Green New Deal
Discussion:
The Federalist, Dallas Morning News and BizPac Review
Michael D. Shear / New York Times:
Immigration Overhaul Would Offer 8-Year Path to Citizenship for Millions — The proposal offers an eight-year path to citizenship for most of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, eliminates restrictions on family-based immigration and expands worker visas.
Discussion:
Vox, USA Today, Responsible Statecraft, The White House, Washington Post, Washington Examiner, The Hill, Axios, Religion News Service, Talking Points Memo, KNSD-TV, IJR, TheBlaze, The Daily Caller, Florida Politics, Roll Call, Bloomberg, Fox News, Toledo Blade, Raw Story and National Review
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Maggie Haberman / New York Times:
Ivanka Trump will not run against Marco Rubio for one of Florida's Senate seats.
Ivanka Trump will not run against Marco Rubio for one of Florida's Senate seats.
Discussion:
CBS News, Associated Press, Politico, CNN, HotAir, Breitbart, Bloomberg, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, New York Post and Washington Times
CNN:
White House announces sweeping immigration bill
White House announces sweeping immigration bill
Discussion:
USA Today, Associated Press, Forbes, Politico, Wall Street Journal, The American Independent, New York Times, UPI, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, NBC News, The Western Journal, Washington Post, Mother Jones, Axios, Washington Examiner, Raw Story, The Daily Beast, CBS News, Talking Points Memo, Los Angeles Times, The Week, Washington Times, CNBC, Hackwhackers and NRSC
New York Times:
Manhattan D.A. Recruits Top Prosecutor for Trump Inquiry — The Manhattan district attorney has enlisted a former federal prosecutor who is an expert on white-collar crime to join the team investigating the Trump family business. — As the Manhattan district attorney's office steps …
Politico:
Trump snubs Haley — SCOOP: NIKKI HALEY reached out to former President DONALD TRUMP on Wednesday to request a sit-down at Mar-a-Lago, but a source familiar tells Playbook that he turned her down. The two haven't spoken since the insurrection on Jan. 6, when Haley blasted Trump for inciting his supporters to storm the Capitol.
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Times, HotAir, Insider, Townhall, Washington Post, National Review, The Gateway Pundit, IJR, Mock Paper Scissors, Twitchy, Cincinnati.com, Mediaite, Bloomberg, Raw Story, Political Wire and The Dispatch
Tom Lawrence / The Daily Beast:
South Dakota Attorney General Charged in Fatal Car Crash — But the top law-enforcement official in the state ducked more serious charges in connection with his killing of a man on the side of a road. — SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota—South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg will …
Discussion:
Raw Story
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Joe Sneve / Argus Leader:
AG Jason Ravnsborg charged with three misdemeanors in crash that killed Highmore man
AG Jason Ravnsborg charged with three misdemeanors in crash that killed Highmore man
Discussion:
The Hill
Michael Roston / New York Times:
NASA Lands Its Perseverance Rover on Mars — Here's what you need to know: — Cheers erupted in the control room as NASA's rover reached the red planet. — NASA landed a new robotic rover on Mars on Thursday, its most ambitious effort in decades to directly study whether there was ever life on the red planet.
Discussion:
USA Today, Vox, Wired, MIT Technology Review, GeekWire, Mercury News, Daily Kos, New York Post, KNSD-TV, CNN, NBC Bay Area, emptywheel and Q105
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Jacqueline Feldscher / Politico:
Mars rover's arrival marks new era for exploration
Mars rover's arrival marks new era for exploration
Discussion:
TechCrunch, LiveScience, The Times of Israel, IJR, Space.com, The Verge and RedState
Marilynn Marchione / Associated Press:
US life expectancy drops a year in pandemic, most since WWII — Life expectancy in the United States dropped a staggering one year during the first half of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic caused its first wave of deaths, health officials are reporting. — Minorities suffered the biggest impact …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, Forbes, Zandar Versus The Stupid and Hackwhackers
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New York Times:
A Grim Measure of Covid's Toll: Life Expectancy Drops Sharply in U.S.
A Grim Measure of Covid's Toll: Life Expectancy Drops Sharply in U.S.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
Lenny Bernstein / Washington Post:
Pandemic cut U.S. life expectancy by a year during the first half of 2020
Pandemic cut U.S. life expectancy by a year during the first half of 2020
Discussion:
The Root, Slate, NBC News, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Week
Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed News:
Trump Can Still Be The Republican Party's Future. Just Look To Arizona. — Arizona Republicans keep losing. But the Arizona Republican Party has already turned itself into a Trump machine, still trying to win an election that's long over. And that might be the future of conservatism.
Discussion:
Common Dreams
CNN:
The Supreme Court is still sitting on Trump's tax returns, and justices aren't saying why — (CNN)Lawsuits involving Donald Trump tore apart the Supreme Court while he was president, and the justices apparently remain riven by him. — For nearly four months, the court has refused to act …
Nicholas Quah / Vulture:
Reply All Is Having Its Own Reckoning Now — Oh, you like podcasts? Sign up for Vulture's new recommendation newsletter 1.5x Speed here. — Earlier this month, Reply All kicked off an ambitious miniseries, “The Test Kitchen,” which sought to take on one of the bigger stories …
Discussion:
New York Times, Insider and The Wrap, more at Mediagazer »
Politico:
‘Recipe for disaster’: Dem fears mount over immigration overhaul — “Biden is going to be dealing with a minority in Congress if he continues down some of these paths,” said one Democratic congressman. — Migrants are loaded onto a bus by U.S. Border Patrol agents after being detained …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Orange County Register, New York Post, BizPac Review, Associated Press, KTAB and CNBC
Mike Brest / Washington Examiner:
Bob Dole announces stage four lung cancer diagnosis — Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole has been diagnosed with lung cancer. — The 97-year-old Republican, a war hero who ran unsuccessfully as the 1996 Republican presidential nominee, announced he was “recently” …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Politico, Townhall, The Daily Beast and Fox News
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Adam Edelman / NBC News:
Bob Dole diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer
Bob Dole diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer
Discussion:
USA Today, The Daily Caller, ABC News, New York Post and KRON4
Tyler Olson / Fox News:
Russel Honoré, Pelosi pick to lead review of Capitol security, ripped by Republicans as ‘extreme partisan’ — The retired Army lieutenant general is drawing fire for past comments — Sen. Josh Hawley responds to Lt. Gen. Russel Honore comments: ‘Disturbing, downright crazy’
Discussion:
HuffPost and Washington Examiner
Washington Post:
8 A.M. ET MONDAY — Story by Joel Achenbach. Photography by Rachel Wisniewski. — It's the first day back at work for Scott E. Lynn, the Montour County coroner. He's been sick with covid-19. He was out for a month and lost 25 pounds. As he arrives at his office in a remote corner …
Brent Budowsky / The Hill:
Pass popular Biden's popular COVID-19 bill — In the Real Clear Politics summary of all polling, as of Tuesday morning, President Biden's favorable rating was 54.7 percent while his unfavorable rating was only 36.5 percent. Comparable favorable and unfavorable ratings for former President Trump …
Michael Balsamo / Associated Press:
AP source: Police suggest keeping Capitol fence for months — WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Capitol Police officials told congressional leaders the razor-wire topped fencing around the Capitol should remain in place for several more months as law enforcement continues to track threats against lawmakers …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Townhall and Twitchy
Tom Kludt / Vanity Fair:
“My Job Is Not to Protect ‘the Squad’”: Briahna Joy Gray Wants to Upend Democrats' Political Strategy — The Bernie Sanders vet and progressive host envies the right-wing media's ability to drive messages and corral Republican lawmakers—as a recent “Medicare for All” podcast push showed the limits of the left's clout in Congress.
Leah Barkoukis / Townhall:
What Rush Limbaugh Discussed on His Final Radio Show — After Rush Limbaugh's heartfelt message to his audience before the holiday season, longtime listeners feared it would be the last time they heard from him. He told them how he outlived his diagnosis many times over and was grateful to have been alive to hear his eulogies.
Discussion:
Fox News, National Review and Crooks and Liars
Politico:
US and Europe allies reaffirm Iran stance in Paris meeting — The foreign ministers of the U.S., France, Germany and the U.K. reaffirmed their call for Iran to fall back into line with commitments under the Obama-era nuclear deal as a quid pro quo for the U.S. to recommit to the agreement.
Discussion:
Axios, GOV.UK, CNN, Al Jazeera and Radio Free Europe/Radio …
Bloomberg:
A U.S. Vaccine Surge Is Coming, With Millions of Doses Promised — New supplies should help the pace of vaccinations double in coming weeks — The U.S. vaccine supply is poised to double in the coming weeks and months, according to an analysis by Bloomberg, allowing a broad expansion of doses administered across the country.
Discussion:
KFF