Top Items:
New York Times:
Why Covid Death Rates Are Rising for Some Groups — The overall rate of Covid-19 deaths has declined since vaccines became widely available in April, yet nearly a quarter million people in the United States have died from the virus in the past eight months.
Discussion:
The Daily Wire, The Hill and Joe.My.God.
RELATED:
New York Times:
Covid Live Updates: C.D.C. Lowers Estimate of Omicron's Prevalence in U.S. — The estimate dropped from about 73 percent to 23 percent for the week ending Dec. 18, and the agency now says Omicron became dominant the following week. A doctors' protest over understaffing is causing chaos at Delhi hospitals.
Discussion:
UPI, The Hill, The Daily Wire, Washington Examiner, Politico and Twitchy
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Biden is learning not to fret over vaccine deniers
Biden is learning not to fret over vaccine deniers
Discussion:
Mediaite, RedState, Fox News, The Daily Wire and Twitchy
Noah Pransky / LX:
Which States Saw the Most COVID Deaths in 2021? America's Least Vaccinated
Which States Saw the Most COVID Deaths in 2021? America's Least Vaccinated
Discussion:
DownWithTyranny!
Megan Messerly / The Nevada Independent:
Harry Reid, former Senate majority leader and Democratic kingmaker, dies at 82 — Harry Reid, who rose from abject poverty in rural Nevada to become one of the most influential state and national leaders, died on Tuesday, sources confirmed to The Nevada Independent. He was 82.
Discussion:
USA Today, Insider, Politico, KOLR, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, NBC Connecticut, The Daily Wire and Lawyers, Guns & Money
RELATED:
Jonathan Martin / New York Times:
Harry M. Reid, a Power in the Senate, Dies at 82 — Mr. Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, displayed his pugilistic instincts as he steered an economic stimulus package and the Affordable Care Act to passage. — Harry M. Reid, the Democrat who rose from childhood poverty in the rural Nevada desert …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal and NPR
Michael H. Brown / Washington Post:
Harry M. Reid, pugnacious Senate majority leader, dies at 82 — Harry M. Reid, a Nevada Democrat who rose from a hardscrabble mining town to become one of the longest-serving Senate majority leaders in history and a political force during the presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Joe.My.God. and abc7NY
BBC:
Alexa tells 10-year-old girl to touch live plug with penny — Amazon has updated its Alexa voice assistant after it “challenged” a 10-year-old girl to touch a coin to the prongs of a half-inserted plug. — The suggestion came after the girl asked Alexa for a “challenge to do”.
Discussion:
The Verge, Breitbart and The Daily Caller, more at Techmeme »
New York Times:
A Lavish Tax Dodge for the Ultrawealthy Is Easily Multiplied — Once aimed at small businesses, a 1990s-era tax break has become a popular way for Silicon Valley founders and investors to avoid taxes on their investment profits. — This is the story of the incredible cloning tax break.
Detroit Free Press:
Michigan's redistricting commission adopts final congressional map for the next decade — Clara Hendrickson Todd SpanglerDetroit Free Press — Michigan's redistricting commission voted to adopt new congressional districts Tuesday, creating political boundaries for the state's 13 U.S. House districts for the next decade.
Discussion:
Bridge Michigan
Olivia Nuzzi / New York Magazine:
The Political Life of Dr. Oz … Dr. Oz for Senate is headquartered in a patch of strip mall next to a Mexican restaurant in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where the candidate's father-in-law, Dr. Gerald Lemole, maintains a medical office down the road from the Lemole family farm …
Discussion:
HuffPost, Mediaite, Overtime, Insider, The Daily Caller, Joe.My.God. and Raw Story
Andrew Jacobs / New York Times:
Omicron Is Not More Severe for Children, Despite Rising Hospitalizations — More children are being treated for Covid, but a combination of factors, including low vaccination rates, most likely explains the increase. — The latest coronavirus surge sweeping the United States …
Discussion:
CNN
Jonathan Allen / Reuters:
No criminal charges for ex-New York Governor Cuomo over two kissing complaints — A county prosecutor in New York has decided not to bring criminal charges against Andrew Cuomo, the state's former governor, over accusations he kissed two women against their will.
RELATED:
Jon Brown / Fox News:
Westchester County will not criminally charge Gov. Cuomo over sexual misconduct allegations
Westchester County will not criminally charge Gov. Cuomo over sexual misconduct allegations
Discussion:
New York Times, Washington Post, CBS News, Politico, UPI, Bloomberg and ABC News
Zeke Miller / Associated Press:
White House, Jan. 6 committee agree to shield some documents — WASHINGTON (AP) — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol has agreed to defer its attempt to get hundreds of pages of records from the Trump administration, holding off at the request of the Biden White House.
Discussion:
CNN, Fox News, NBC News, New York Times, Salon, New York Post, POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story, Washington Times, Associated Press, HillReporter.com, The Hill, HuffPost and Talking Points Memo
The Daily Beast:
Fox News Star Was Up for ‘The View’ Gig Until She Refused to Get Vaccine — Lisa Marie Boothe interviewed to replace Meghan McCain as the talk show's in-house conservative. But conversations ended when she publicly refused to get any vaccines. … The View's already difficult path …
Discussion:
The Time of Monsters, Joe.My.God., The Root and Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »
Katelyn Polantz / CNN:
Judge rejects Proud Boys' First Amendment claims in January 6 conspiracy case — (CNN)A federal judge is allowing a major January 6 conspiracy case against four Proud Boys leaders to move forward, rejecting their bid to throw out the charges. — Judge Timothy Kelly, in a 43-page opinion issued Tuesday …
Discussion:
Insider, HuffPost, Reuters, Washington Examiner, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, The Root and Raw Story
polsci.umass.edu:
Toplines and Crosstabs December 2021 National Poll: Presidential Election & Jan 6th Insurrection at the US Capitol — One Year Later, New UMass Amherst Poll Finds Continued National Political Division Over the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol. — With 71% of Republicans viewing Joe Biden's victory …
Josh Kovensky / Talking Points Memo:
EXCLUSIVE: There Was ANOTHER Rally Planned On Jan. 6 ... At The Supreme Court — The same people who organized Trump's fateful rally on the Ellipse had something else in store on Jan. 6: a rally planned in front of the Supreme Court. — The same people who organized Trump's fateful rally …
Discussion:
HillReporter.com and Raw Story
The White House:
A Proclamation on Revoking Proclamation 10315 — On November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution announced that the B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), constitutes a variant of concern.
Discussion:
ImmigrationProf Blog, CBS News and Townhall
Nate Raymond / Reuters:
Biden finishes 2021 with most confirmed judicial picks since Reagan — President Joe Biden is wrapping up 2021 with more judges confirmed to the federal bench than any first-year president since Ronald Reagan, and experts say a growing list of judicial vacancies could allow him to appoint even more in 2022.
Discussion:
POLITICUSUSA
Kristen Spicker / springfield-news-sun:
Beavercreek man accused of entering U.S. Capitol during Jan. 6 riots — 24-year-old works at Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. — A Wright-Patterson Air Force Base employee living in Beavercreek is accused of illegally entering the U.S. Capitol during a riot on Jan. 6.
Discussion:
Raw Story
Michael Shellenberger / UnHerd:
How Defund the Police backfired — Over the last two decades, progressives have established a new consensus on crime. Nonviolent felonies like shoplifting and drug possession should be reclassified as misdemeanours. Cities should defund the police and spend the money on nurses, psychologists and social workers instead.
Discussion:
Instapundit
Max Greenwood / The Hill:
Trump warns Alaska GOP governor he'll revoke endorsement if he backs Murkowski — Former President Trump on Tuesday endorsed Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy's (R) reelection bid, but only on the condition that Dunleavy doesn't back Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in 2022.
Discussion:
Fox News, New York Post, The Daily Caller and Mediaite
Hugo Martín / Los Angeles Times:
Why isn't vaccination proof required for domestic flights? — To go into restaurants, visit gyms, go on a cruise or see the new “Spider-Man” movie in theaters, you need to show proof of vaccination in many parts of the country. But you don't need proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test …
Discussion:
Reason, The Daily Caller, CBS News and CNN
RELATED:
David Axelrod / New York Times:
It's Not Over for Joe Biden — Mr. Axelrod was a senior adviser to President Barack Obama and chief strategist for the 2008 and 2012 Obama presidential campaigns. — Joe Biden must be having flashbacks. — In early 2010, when Democrats lost a special election for the late Edward Kennedy's Senate seat …
Discussion:
HotAir, Politico, Deseret News and Issues & Insights
Andrew Sullender / Springfield News-Leader:
Antisemitic flyers found Christmas morning, spreading COVID conspiracies in Springfield — This Christmas Day, some Springfieldians woke up not to presents but to an antisemitic flyer. — The flyers were left at the front steps of houses in central Springfield sometime during the night of Christmas Eve.
Yasmeen Abutaleb / Washington Post:
Healthy, boosted people unlikely to develop severe omicron infections, but jury's out on older, at-risk populations — The new variant has sent U.S. infections soaring, but a smaller share than with delta are resulting in hospitalization. — Healthy individuals who have been vaccinated …
Discussion:
NBC News and Outside the Beltway
New York Times:
Russian Court Orders Prominent Human Rights Group to Shut — The Supreme Court ruled that Memorial International, which chronicled political repression in Russia, must be liquidated. — MOSCOW — Russia's Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the nation's most prominent human rights organization must close …
Discussion:
CNN, Washington Post, Voice of America, ABC News, Insider, Reuters, One America News Network, Politico and DW.COM
RELATED:
Keith Coffman / Reuters:
Gunman kills four in Denver-area shooting spree before he is killed by police — A lone gunman shot four people to death and wounded three, including a police officer, on Monday in a Denver-area shooting spree that unfolded at several locations and ended with police killing the suspect, authorities said.
Discussion:
CNN, The Other McCain, Raw Story, Breitbart, The Hill, Associated Press, ABC13, WSVN-TV, UPI, Metro.co.uk and Just The News