Top Items:
Kyle Cheney / Politico:
The Jan. 6 puzzle piece that's going largely ignored — As Donald Trump and his allies squeezed then-Vice President Mike Pence to single-handedly stop Joe Biden's presidency in the weeks ahead of Jan. 6, they used one particular tool that's been largely ignored ever since.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Political Wire and Washington Examiner
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Edward Luce / Financial Times:
The US system is no match for Donald Trump — Absence of consequences for the Capitol riots makes it likelier that democracy will be subverted again — Democrats hate to be reminded that the saviour of US democracy is Mike Pence, the former vice-president, whose fawning loyalty to Donald Trump lasted until the moment it counted.
Brian Schwartz / CNBC:
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell says he spent $25 million to push false pro-Trump election claims: ‘I will spend whatever it takes’ — Trump ally and MyPillow CEO Lindell said he has spent $25 million of his own money since Election Day to fuel his campaign. And he has no plans to stop spending.
Discussion:
Bangor Daily News
Michael Lyle / Nevada Current:
Titus unloads on fellow Nevada Democrats, says they botched redistricting — Congresswoman warns of difficult election year after lawmakers created ‘three, competitive, risky districts’ — Between state legislators and Gov. Steve Sisolak making a mess of redistricting in Nevada …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Status Kuo, Common Dreams, CNBC and The Daily Wire
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Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Manchin's objections to Build Back Better make no political or policy sense — It is hard to believe the White House and progressives offered to cut their key legislative package in half (from $3.5 trillion to $1.75 trillion) to accommodate Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) …
Discussion:
The Colorado Sun, Insider and Wall Street Journal
Ed Yong / The Atlantic:
America Is Not Ready for Omicron — America was not prepared for COVID-19 when it arrived. It was not prepared for last winter's surge. It was not prepared for Delta's arrival in the summer or its current winter assault. More than 1,000 Americans are still dying of COVID every day, and more have died this year than last.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times and CNN
Jonah Goldberg / The G-File:
Donald Trump's Megaphone — Fox News news hosts knew that Trump's lies were lies—and they amplified them anyhow. — Screw it. — I've shown a good deal of restraint since news broke that I left Fox News. — I haven't done any TV about it, and I've let a lot of nonsense go by without a response.
Discussion:
Washington Post and Mediaite
Politico:
New York's next mayor wants to save the city from the evils of olive oil — NEW YORK — Few American politicians have embraced the role of public health ambassador as comfortably as Mike Bloomberg, who banned smoking in bars and restaurants, outlawed trans fats and unsuccessfully pushed to restrict soda size.
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David Freedlander / New York Magazine:
Bill de Blasio Did What New Yorkers Wanted
David Rohde / New Yorker:
Is There a Smoking Gun in the January 6th Investigation? — As the Democrats discover what Mark Meadows, Donald Trump, and others did, experts say they must also enact reforms to safeguard democracy—while they still control Congress. — Mark Meadows, it seems, is now a bellwether of American democracy.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Letters from an American, New Republic and Alternet.org
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New York Times:
Facing Subpoenas, Trump Allies Try to Run Out the Clock on Democrats
Facing Subpoenas, Trump Allies Try to Run Out the Clock on Democrats
Discussion:
Raw Story
Miranda Devine / New York Post:
Liz Cheney at forefront of hollow Jan. 6 war
Liz Cheney at forefront of hollow Jan. 6 war
Discussion:
Salon, Raw Story and Political Wire
New York Times:
Meadows and the Band of Loyalists: How They Fought to Keep Trump in Power — A small circle of Republican lawmakers, working closely with President Donald J. Trump's chief of staff, took on an outsize role in pressuring the Justice Department, amplifying conspiracy theories and flooding …
Discussion:
Insider, Horizons, Raw Story, Digby's Hullabaloo, The Daily Beast, Lawyers, Guns & Money and New York Magazine
Paul Sperry / RealClearInvestigations:
DC Bar Restores Convicted FBI Russiagate Forger to ‘Good Standing’ Amid Irregularities and Leniency — A former senior FBI lawyer who falsified a surveillance document in the Trump-Russia investigation has been restored as a member in “good standing” by the District of Columbia Bar Association …
Discussion:
TheBlaze
Geoffrey Skelley / FiveThirtyEight:
What A Flurry Of Democratic Departures Means For The 2022 House Race — We can't know for sure what the 2022 electoral environment will look like, but we do know that the president's party usually struggles during midterm elections. In fact, history would suggest Republicans have a very good shot …
Discussion:
National Review, KNWA FOX24 and Raw Story
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Ramesh Ponnuru / Bloomberg:
The Two Reasons Trump Is Stronger Than He Looks for 2024 — Not only is he the undisputed leader of the Republican Party. He is also indifferent to anything but his own self-interest. Both are political assets. — People who think that Donald Trump's influence on the Republican Party …
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Emma Hurt / Axios:
Scoop: Perdue rejected GOP appeals to skip governor race
Scoop: Perdue rejected GOP appeals to skip governor race
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Insider
Tim Stelloh / NBC News:
Louisiana judge to take unpaid leave after home video captures racial slurs — A Louisiana judge will go on unpaid leave after a video from her home captured people repeatedly using racial slurs following a burglary attempt, her lawyer said Wednesday. — Lafayette City Court Judge Michelle Odinet …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, TheGrio, The Current, The US Sun, Alternet.org, Political Wire and New York Times
Washington Post:
More Americans than usual have been changing parties. Why? — Here's what our research found — As we head into 2022, expect a deluge of predictions about the upcoming U.S. midterm elections. Will Democrats maintain, widen or lose their slight advantage in the Senate?
Discussion:
WKRG-TV, Insider, The American Independent and The Federalist
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Eli Stokols / Los Angeles Times:
Republicans' belief in Trump's ‘Big Lie’ holds steady as confidence in U.S. elections dips
Republicans' belief in Trump's ‘Big Lie’ holds steady as confidence in U.S. elections dips
Discussion:
The Bulwark and Mercury News
New York Times:
How Ashley Biden's Diary Made Its Way to Project Veritas — New details shed light on the federal investigation into the conservative group's acquisition last year of a journal kept by the president's daughter. — In the final two months of the 2020 campaign, President Donald J. Trump …
Discussion:
Washington Post and Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »
Matt Viser / Washington Post:
In Trump country, a willingness to set aside politics as Biden visits — MAYFIELD, Ky. — Cliff Giambrone most certainly didn't vote for President Biden and, in fact, was outside the U.S. Capitol protesting the election results on Jan. 6. On the trailer hitch on the back of his van …
Discussion:
Raw Story
New York Times:
Someone Offered ‘Harvard’ Jobs to Known Women in India. It Was a Scam. — For over a year, prominent women in India, including journalists, were reeled into a labyrinthine online scam, offering work with Harvard University. Who targeted them, and why, is a mystery.
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Meadows texts show Trump did what GOP (falsely) claimed Clinton did in Benghazi — Paging Trey Gowdy! Where's the bulldog of Benghazi when his country needs him? — On Sept. 11, 2012, terrorists attacked the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Four Americans died.
Discussion:
Raw Story
New York Post:
MTA manager caught using blow-up doll in apparent attempt to skirt HOV laws — Surely, he can't be serious. — An MTA manager claims an inflatable doll that's been riding shotgun in his Kia Telluride is there “for the company” — and not to skirt HOV restrictions, as his coworkers suspect.
Discussion:
RedState
Roger Sollenberger / The Daily Beast:
Brad Parscale Says Jan. 6 Panel Subpoenaed His Phone Records — The former Trump campaign manager had cut ties with Trump before the voting ever started. But the Jan. 6 Committee would like to see his phone records anyway. … The Jan. 6 Committee now appears to be looking …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Pew Research Center:
In 2020, fewer Americans moved, exodus from cities slowed — Americans relocated less during the coronavirus outbreak, moving from one residence to another in 2020 at the lowest rate since the government began reporting data more than 70 years ago. And though a declining share of Americans …