Top Items:
Washington Post:
Gaetz investigation complicated by overture to his father about ex-FBI agent who went missing — Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican known for his fierce allegiance to former president Donald Trump, had been under Justice Department investigation for months for a possible sex crime …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, RedState, Crooks and Liars, HotAir, Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA, Insider, The Intellectualist, The Root and KRDO
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Oliver Darcy / CNN:
Tucker Carlson livid after Rep. Matt Gaetz tries to rope him into controversy, source says — New York (CNN Business)Fox News host Tucker Carlson was angered after Congressman Matt Gaetz attempted to rope him into a scandal involving allegations related to sex trafficking of a minor, a person familiar with the matter said.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Washington Examiner, The Intellectualist, Vox, Florida Politics, Axios, Talking Points Memo, New York Times and Mercury News
Politico:
Matt Gaetz's dad says he wore a wire for FBI probe into DOJ extortion claims — TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Rep. Matt Gaetz's father, Don, a former Florida Senate president, said he is working with the FBI, including wearing a wire on more than one occasion as part of an investigation …
ABC News:
Feds looking beyond Florida in investigation of Rep. Gaetz, sources say — “I have not had a relationship with a 17-year-old,” Gaetz said Tuesday night. — Catch up on the developing stories making headlines. — Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images, FILE — The federal investigation …
Discussion:
Political Wire and Eschaton
Tracy Connor / The Daily Beast:
Documents Detail Alleged ‘Hostage Release’ Scheme to Extort Gaetz — The material suggests that Gaetz's father was told his son's legal problems could go away if he gave $25 million to help secure the release of Iranian hostage Bob Levinson. — The scandal swirling around Rep. Matt Gaetz took …
Josh Kovensky / Talking Points Memo:
Former FBI Agents Have A Lot Of Questions About Matt Gaetz's Story — Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has a story to counter allegations that he faces a federal criminal investigation into accusations of sex trafficking. — It goes like this: Gaetz is actually a victim, but of a separate extortion scheme.
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Hill, Washington Times and New York Post
Emily Brooks / Washington Examiner:
Documents detail wild alleged $25 million Gaetz extortion scheme — Rep. Matt Gaetz possesses text message screenshots, an email, and a typed document that purportedly support his claims that a federal investigation into his relationship with a 17-year-old is related to an extortion scheme against him.
David Gilbert / VICE:
QAnon Thinks Matt Gaetz Being Investigated for Sex Trafficking Is All Part of the Plan — The alleged existence of a vast ring of elite child abusers lies at the center of the entire QAnon belief system. — DG — For more than three years, QAnon followers have been waiting for the Storm …
Discussion:
Salon, New Republic, Raw Story, Washington Post, Reason, The First TV, Slate, The Intellectualist, Bulwark+, Rolling Stone, Insider, The Sun and NPR
The Daily Beast:
Matt Gaetz: I've Talked With Newsmax, OAN, and Fox About Potential Post-Congress Gigs
Matt Gaetz: I've Talked With Newsmax, OAN, and Fox About Potential Post-Congress Gigs
Discussion:
Deadline, Washington Post, Poynter, Salon, Mediaite, The Intellectualist, New York Post, Florida Politics, The Wrap and Daily Kos
Philip Bump / Washington Post:
The Matt Gaetz allegation, explained
The Matt Gaetz allegation, explained
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Wall Street Journal, Politico, The latest factchecks …, Axios and USA Today
New York Times:
N.Y. Seeks Trump Insider's Records, in Apparent Bid to Gain Cooperation — State prosecutors in Manhattan subpoenaed the personal bank records of the Trump Organization's longtime C.F.O. and are scrutinizing gifts he received from the former president. — State prosecutors …
Discussion:
The Hill, Vanity Fair, Forbes, National Review, Insider, HillReporter.com, Law & Crime, Raw Story and The Intellectualist
New York Times:
Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine is delayed by a U.S. factory mixup. — Workers at a Baltimore plant manufacturing two coronavirus vaccines accidentally conflated the vaccines' ingredients several weeks ago, ruining about 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine and forcing regulators …
Discussion:
National Review, Washington Examiner, New York Post, WRIC-TV, CBS Baltimore, HotAir, KRDO, FiercePharma, Mediaite, The Week and The Verge
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People.com:
Sarah Palin Reveals COVID Diagnosis and ‘Bizarre’ Symptoms, Urges Others to Continue Wearing Masks — “My case is perhaps one of those that proves anyone can catch this,” Palin tells PEOPLE — Sarah Palin has tested positive for COVID-19, and she's urging others to continue taking the pandemic seriously.
Discussion:
Fox News, HuffPost, Raw Story, Forbes, HillReporter.com, The Sun, Washington Post, The Western Journal and IJR
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Cameron Jenkins / The Hill:
Sarah Palin encourages mask wearing after revealing COVID-19 diagnosis — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) says that she previously tested positive for coronavirus and is encouraging Americans to mask up in order to slow its spread. — Palin, 57, confirmed her COVID-19 diagnosis …
Discussion:
POLITICUSUSA and HotAir
New York Times:
As Cuomo Sought $4 Million Book Deal, Aides Hid Damaging Death Toll — Gov. Andrew Cuomo boasted, “I am not a superhero,” in early versions of his book, drafted as his aides scrubbed a politically damaging Health Department report. — ALBANY, N.Y. — As the coronavirus subsided in New York last year …
Kelly Yamanouchi / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Delta CEO: Georgia voting law ‘unacceptable,’ based on ‘lie’ — Gov. Kemp says airline statement ‘false’ attack, ignores law content — Editor's note: This article has been updated to include a response from Gov. Brian Kemp — Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said Wednesday …
Discussion:
Newsweek, The Root, Associated Press, National Review, Washington Times, POLITICUSUSA, KRDO, CNBC, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post and Skift
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Chad Pergram / Fox News:
Republicans want Democrats to stop probing Iowa race, but silent on similar Illinois challenge — GOP candidate Jim Oberweis took his case to the House Administration Committee earlier this year — Potential 2024 presidential contenders visit Iowa — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy …
Discussion:
ABC News, Washington Examiner and Townhall
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Politico:
Democrat drops election contest in Iowa House race
Democrat drops election contest in Iowa House race
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, New York Times, New York Magazine, Des Moines Register, Newsbusters, Breitbart, NBC News, The Hill, CBS News, Iowa Capital Dispatch, Bloomberg, Washington Times, The 19th, NPR, Talking Points Memo, Roll Call, Fox News, Townhall, Courthouse News Service, KRDO, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story, TheBlaze, National Review, CNN and The Week
Jack Beyrer / Washington Free Beacon:
NH Dem Blasts Pelosi Voting Reform Bill
NH Dem Blasts Pelosi Voting Reform Bill
Discussion:
NH-SOS, Associated Press and Fox News
Politico:
Infrastructure Year: Dems brace for brutal slog to pass Biden's $2.5T plan — President Joe Biden's first big legislative package sped through Congress. The next one could take at least half a year to pass — if it can get to his desk. — Biden and Hill Democrats on Wednesday began …
Discussion:
New York Times, abc7NY, MyNorthwest.com, New York Post and Roll Call
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Ryan Heath / Politico:
Ivanka Trump's flagship policy program slammed by government auditors — The Government Accountability Office has issued a damning report about the implementation of legislation supporting Ivanka Trump's signature women's empowerment initiative, from her time as an adviser to her father, President Donald Trump.
Discussion:
The Hill
Brooke Singman / Fox News:
Trump ‘moving forward’ with plans to start social media platform: sources — ‘President Trump will have his voice back one way or another,’ a source told Fox News. — Trump reacts to Biden's first press conference, crisis at border — EXCLUSIVE: Former President Donald Trump and his team are …
Discussion:
JONATHAN TURLEY, The Sun, USA Today, Rumble, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, CNN, Sean Hannity and New York Post, more at Techmeme »
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New York Times:
Some Future Shipments of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Delayed by Factory Mixup — The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is highly effective in adolescents, a study suggests. No infections were recorded in children aged 12 to 15 who received shots, and they experienced no serious side effects, the companies said.
Discussion:
FOX 5 San Diego, KCLO-TV and The Daily Caller
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Associated Press:
AP-NORC poll: Biden bolstered by strong marks on pandemic — WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are broadly supportive of President Joe Biden's early handling of the coronavirus pandemic, a new poll finds, and approval of his stewardship of the economy has ticked up following passage of a sprawling $1.9 trillion relief bill.
Discussion:
Duluth News Tribune, The Western Journal, IJR, Forbes, The Hill, Fox News and Al Jazeera
Jeremy Duda / Arizona Mirror:
Arizona Senate hires a ‘Stop the Steal’ advocate to lead 2020 election audit — The audit team that Senate President Karen Fann selected to examine the 2020 general election in Maricopa County will be led by a company owned by an advocate of the “Stop the Steal” movement who repeatedly alleged …
Andrew Stiles / Washington Free Beacon:
ANALYSIS: Biden's Bloodthirsty, Floor-Pooping Canine Companion Is a Window Into His Soul — President Joe Biden's dog Major was involved in yet another biting incident requiring medical attention. The notoriously unruly canine attacked a National Park Service employee just days after being returned to the White House.
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BuzzFeed News:
Stewart Rhodes, The Founder Of The Oath Keepers, Said He May Soon Be Arrested — Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, gave a fiery speech in Laredo, Texas, last week, in which he declared that the US Justice Department is waging a “persecution campaign” against his group …
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Kelly Weill / The Daily Beast:
Oath Keeper Boss Teases Own Arrest in Rant Against Migrants
Oath Keeper Boss Teases Own Arrest in Rant Against Migrants
Discussion:
The American Independent
The White House:
FACT SHEET: The American Jobs Plan … While the American Rescue Plan is changing the course of the pandemic and delivering relief for working families, this is no time to build back to the way things were. This is the moment to reimagine and rebuild a new economy.
Discussion:
New York Magazine, CNN, Vox, Rolling Stone, Washington Post, New York Post, Bloomberg, HuffPost, Iowa Capital Dispatch, Mother Jones, Breitbart, Daily Mail, New York Times, CNBC, Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed News, Wall Street Journal, KRDO, The Daily Signal, Reuters, Al Jazeera, Forbes, Louisiana Illuminator, KTVX-TV, Variety, Washington Examiner, Insider, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Grist, GovExec.com, TechCrunch, National Review, Common Dreams, Center for American …, WV MetroNews, Sunrise Movement, The CT Mirror, The Mahablog, The Week, The Daily Dot, Politico and Roll Call, more at Techmeme »
Associated Press:
Biden to hold first Cabinet meeting amid infrastructure push — WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden will convene his first Cabinet meeting on Thursday, a presidential rite of passage that will be used to promote his new infrastructure plan. The gathering will look very different from those held by his predecessor.
Discussion:
KRDO, Mock Paper Scissors, The Hill and Fox News
Dino Grandoni / Washington Post:
EPA dismisses dozens of key science advisers picked under Trump — The Biden administration says it needs to restore trust in the agency by “resetting” membership on two key science advisory panels — Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan will purge …
Discussion:
Common Dreams, CNBC, Courthouse News Service and POLITICUSUSA
Lachlan Markay / Axios:
Obama Cabinet official took undisclosed foreign cash — Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood took $50,000 from an associate of a Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire at the center of a sprawling scheme of illegal foreign campaign contributions, federal prosecutors revealed Wednesday.
CREW:
DHS IG should investigate Ken Cuccinelli's invalid immigration enforcement agreements — DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari should investigate immigration enforcement “agreements” between former DHS political appointee Kenneth Cuccinelli and several states—agreements which experts …
Sarah K. Burris / Raw Story:
‘My God’: Former White House lawyer says ‘Donald Trump is in serious trouble’ with new lawsuit — Former acting White House Solicitor General Neal Katyal explained to MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace that the new lawsuit in Washington, D.C. court saying former President Donald Trump is to blame …
Discussion:
CNN and POLITICUSUSA
Mother Jones:
“VC Lives Matter”: Silicon Valley Investors Want to Oust San Francisco's Reformist DA — 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. — San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin …
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon
Victoria Guida / Politico:
Janet Yellen: Climate change poses ‘existential threat’ to financial markets — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday called climate change “an existential threat” and the biggest emerging risk to the health of the U.S. financial system, pledging to marshal regulatory forces to guard against its harmful effects.
Discussion:
U.S. Department …, Townhall and Wall Street Journal
Carla Marinucci / Politico:
Arnold Schwarzenegger has a warning for Gavin Newsom — OAKLAND — California has seen this movie before. — The historic 2003 gubernatorial recall, starring action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger, had a blockbuster feel and a script right out of Hollywood — a political revolution that promised to …
Discussion:
RedState, Washington Examiner, Mediaite, Deadline, Fox News, Sean Hannity, Los Angeles Times and The Desert Sun