memeorandum: Defense team in Whitmer kidnap plot case asks judge to toss indictment (Robert Snell/Detroit News)

6:25 PM ET, December 26, 2021

Top Items:

Maxine Bernstein / Oregonian:

Oregon father of four who told President Biden 'Let's Go Brandon' on Christmas Eve call said he meant it in jest — A Central Point father of four who wished President Joe Biden and the first lady a wonderful Christmas and added “Let's go, Brandon,” at the end of a live streamed Santa tracker call told …

Zachary Petrizzo / The Daily Beast:

'Let's Go Brandon' Christmas Caller to the Bidens Says It Was a ‘Joke’ — ‘FREEDOM OF SPEECH’ — The caller who blurted out “Let's Go Brandon” to Joe and Jill Biden, while they were fielding calls from the NORAD Santa tracking service on Christmas Eve, said it was intended as a lighthearted joke …

Discussion: The Daily Caller and The Gateway Pundit

The White House:
Statement by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on Christmas

Discussion: Breitbart

Marilyn Berger / New York Times:

Desmond Tutu, Whose Voice Helped Slay Apartheid, Dies at 90 — The archbishop, a powerful force for nonviolence in South Africa's anti-apartheid movement, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. — Desmond M. Tutu, the cleric who used his pulpit and spirited oratory to help bring …

Discussion: Associated Press, BBC, Mother Jones, Slate, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg and The Full Belmonte

BBC:
Desmond Tutu: South Africa anti-apartheid hero dies aged 90

Discussion: France 24, Reuters, Al Jazeera, UPI, CBS News, Metro.co.uk, The Times of Israel, Politico and Just The News

Glenn Frankel / Washington Post:
Desmond Tutu, exuberant apostle of racial justice in South Africa, dies at 90

Discussion: The Guardian, Associated Press, Rolling Stone, Common Dreams and CNN

Trip Gabriel / New York Times:

‘Magic’ Weight-Loss Pills and Covid Cures: Dr. Oz Under the Microscope — The celebrity physician, a candidate in Pennsylvania's Republican primary for Senate, has a long history of dispensing dubious medical advice on his daytime show and on Fox News. — A wealth of evidence now shows …

Discussion: Raw Story and HillReporter.com

Peter Wehner / The Atlantic:

The Gospel of Donald Trump Jr. — The former president's son told a crowd that the teachings of Jesus have “gotten us nothing.” — About the author: Peter Wehner is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

Discussion: Raw Story

Sabrina Tavernise / New York Times:

First They Fought About Masks. Then Over the Soul of the City. — In Enid, Okla., pandemic politics prompted a fundamental question: What does it mean to be an American? Whose version of the country will prevail? — ENID, Okla. — On a hot night in July, the first summer of the pandemic …

wusa9.com:

Capitol rioter asks judge to let him use dating apps while he awaits trial — Thomas Sibick, of Buffalo, New York, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of obstructing Congress on January 6. — WASHINGTON — A New York man asked a federal judge on Christmas to allow him to use dating apps …

Discussion: Raw Story

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

PG Special Report: With shadowy money, Ukraine oligarch became Cleveland's biggest landlord — For Ukraine oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, the Westin hotel in Cleveland that he owns with partners became the center of the most powerful Republican gathering in the nation during the 2016 convention.

Robert Snell / Detroit News:

Defense team in Whitmer kidnap plot case asks judge to toss indictment — The indictment against five men accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer should be dismissed due to “egregious overreaching” by federal agents and informants, defense lawyers wrote in a coordinated attempt …

Discussion: Associated Press, Raw Story, The Guardian and 6abc

Vincent Ni / The Guardian:

China replaces Xinjiang party boss associated with Uyghur crackdown — It is not known if Chen Quanguo's replacement by Guangdong governor Ma Xingrui signals fresh approach — China has replaced the Communist party official widely associated with a security crackdown targeting ethnic Uyghurs …

Discussion: Reuters, UPI, The Daily Caller and Bloomberg

John Harwood / CNN:

Biden's struggles shouldn't eclipse GOP's year of dangerous falsehoods — (CNN)America's running political conversation defaults to the sitting president. Today, Joe Biden's legislative struggles, pandemic management and weak approval rating drown out most everything else.

Discussion: Washington Post, Mother Jones and The Welcome Party

Jeremiah Poff / Washington Examiner:

1619 Project author says she doesn't understand why parents should have a say in school curriculum — 1619 Project author Nikole Hannah-Jones channeled former Democratic Virginia gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe during an interview on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday, saying she didn't understand …

Discussion: Townhall, National Review and The Daily Wire

ABC News:

‘This Week’ Transcript 12-26-21: Dr. Anthony Fauci & Dr. Ashish Jha — A rush transcript of “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” airing on Sunday, December 26, 2021, on ABC News is below. This copy may not be in its final form, may be updated and may contain minor transcription errors.

Discussion: HotAir, Insider, Townhall, Slate, New York Post and Politico

The Hill:

Jan. 6 panel signals interest in whether Trump committed crime — The Jan. 6 Select Committee has signaled it intends to explore potential criminal wrongdoing by former President Trump, marking a significant escalation for the investigation that could put pressure on the Biden administration.