Top Items:
Oliver Darcy / CNN:
RT America ceases productions and lays off most of its staff — New York (CNN Business)The production company behind the American version of the Russian state-funded network RT laid off most of its staff on Thursday, according to a memo obtained by CNN. — Misha Solodovnikov …
Discussion:
The Hill, Insider, The Daily Beast, Bloomberg, Raw Story, Occupy Democrats, Mediaite, Variety and Hollywood Reporter, more at Mediagazer »
Nick Kostov / Wall Street Journal:
Russian Oligarch Igor Sechin's Yacht Seized by French Authorities, Who Say It Was Preparing to Depart — French authorities said they seized a yacht belonging to a company majority owned by Igor Sechin, the chief executive of Russian oil producer Rosneft. Mr. Sechin was among a group …
Discussion:
CNBC
RELATED:
Bloomberg:
France Impounds Super Yacht Owned by Head of Russian State Oil Giant — Rosneft Chief Executive Officer Igor Sechin's superyacht was blocked by French customs officials on the Cote D'Azur, part of the European Union's sanctions against wealthy Russians with close ties to President Vladimir Putin.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Daily Sabah
John Sexton / HotAir:
Another Russian yacht seized in France (plus two more that could be seized soon)
Another Russian yacht seized in France (plus two more that could be seized soon)
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Examiner, Boston.com, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, CNBC, NPR, Vanity Fair, Financial Times, New York Post, Al Jazeera, Majorca Daily Bulletin, Insider and Forbes
William P. Barr / Wall Street Journal:
When I Confronted Trump About Election Fraud — In an excerpt from his new memoir, the former Attorney General recalls the explosive White House meeting where he rejected President Trump's claims about the 2020 election. — The first day of December 2020, almost a month after the presidential election, was gray and rainy.
Discussion:
Raw Story
RELATED:
Dareh Gregorian / NBC News:
Former AG Barr said Trump became enraged after being told election fraud claims were nonsense — Barr claims Trump grew ‘very angry’ as he disproved election fraud theories — Former U.S. Attorney General William Barr said then-President Donald Trump became furious after Barr told …
Discussion:
HuffPost, The Hill, New York Post, POLITICUSUSA, Deadline, Raw Story, MSNBC and Mediaite
New York Times:
Over a Million Have Fled; 2 Sides Agree to Send Aid to Some Areas — Catch up on the latest news on Ukraine. — A day after gaining control of their first major Ukrainian city, Russian forces on Thursday laid siege to urban areas across the country in a grinding offensive that has deepened the conflict's humanitarian crisis.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Daily Dot, Associated Press, Raw Story, Mother Jones, Ground News and The Moderate Voice
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Russia-Ukraine live updates: Negotiators agree to temporary cease-fire in some areas for civilian evacuation
Russia-Ukraine live updates: Negotiators agree to temporary cease-fire in some areas for civilian evacuation
Discussion:
Politico, Political Wire, Bloomberg, Townhall, The Drive, UPI, Insider, WKBN-TV, Outside the Beltway, Wide World of News and New York Times
Jennifer Hassan / Washington Post:
International Cat Federation bans Russian cats from competitions
International Cat Federation bans Russian cats from competitions
Discussion:
National Review, Strategic Culture Foundation, NPR, Twitchy, Commentary Magazine, Rolling Stone and Insider
Luc Cohen / Reuters:
U.S. charges Russian oligarch's TV producer with violating Crimea-related sanctions … U.S. prosecutors in Manhattan on Thursday charged a television producer for Konstantin Malofeyev, described as a Russian oligarch, with violating Crimea-related sanctions.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Washington Times and Hollywood Reporter
RELATED:
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
The Justice Dept. and the Jan. 6 inquiry make moves to snare Trump — Those criticizing Attorney General Merrick Garland for not moving expeditiously against former president Donald Trump for an attempted coup should take heart. — On Wednesday, we saw a matter-of-fact announcement …
Discussion:
CNN, Metro.co.uk, The Mahablog, The Status Kuo, HillReporter.com and Mother Jones
RELATED:
Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Understanding the criminal allegations the Jan. 6 committee is constructing against Trump
Understanding the criminal allegations the Jan. 6 committee is constructing against Trump
Discussion:
New York Magazine, USA Today, CNN, Washington Examiner, The Guardian, Roll Call, NPR, Washington Times, New Republic, Raw Story, Truthout, Talking Points Memo, emptywheel, Forbes, The Signorile Report, UPI, Twitchy, Newsy, Morning Shots, CBS News, Outside the Beltway, Lawyers, Guns & Money, CBS Los Angeles and Insider
Tiffany Hsu / New York Times:
BBC Revives Shortwave Radio Dispatches in Ukraine and Draws Ire of Russia — As Russia is trying to cut off the flow of information in Ukraine by attacking its communications infrastructure, the British news outlet BBC is revisiting a broadcasting tactic popularized during World War II: shortwave radio.
Cheryl Teh / Insider:
A Russian businessman has put a $1 million bounty on Vladimir Putin's head, calling for military officers to arrest him as a war criminal — Russian businessman Alex Konanykhin has put a $1 million bounty on Vladimir Putin's head. — He has called on Russian military officers to go after Putin and arrest him as a war criminal.
Discussion:
IJR, New York Post and BizPac Review
RELATED:
Grant Stern / Occupy Democrats:
EXCLUSIVE: Melania Trump's BeBest fundraiser ends in failure after official scrutiny — The spokeswoman for the agency in charge of Florida's charity regulator just informed Occupy Democrats exclusively that Melania Trump's “exclusive high tea” BeBest charity fundraising party has been scrapped in the wake of official scrutiny.
Discussion:
New York Times
Graeme Wood / The Atlantic:
Absolute Power — Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, is 36 years old and has led his country for almost five years. His father, the 86-year-old King Salman, has rarely been seen in public since 2019, and even MBS—as he is universally known—has faced the world only a few times since the pandemic began.
Gregory Pratt / Chicago Tribune:
Mayor Lori Lightfoot blocked Columbus statue deal, berated lawyers with obscene remarks, lawsuit claims — Mayor Lori Lightfoot blocked a deal the Chicago Park District made with an Italian American group to allow a Christopher Columbus statue to be displayed in a parade and made obscene remarks aimed …
Politico:
Weighing history, GOP senators wrestle over Supreme Court votes — Mitt Romney and Roy Blunt are torn over the same Supreme Court quandary: whether to shake off GOP pressure to oppose Ketanji Brown Jackson and vote for the first Black woman justice. — Though Jackson hasn't even had her …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Media Matters for America, Washington Examiner, UPI and The Hill
RELATED:
Courier-Journal:
Kentucky lawmaker apologizes for referencing Jewish women's sex life amid abortion debate — Kentucky Rep. Danny Bentley made comments about Jewish women and the Holocaust during a debate Wednesday over anti-abortion legislation, quickly drawing condemnation from several members …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Kara Swisher / New York Times:
Jon Stewart on Why the Right Would ‘Rather Do a Deal With Putin Than Pelosi’ — (SINGING) When you walk in a room, do you have sway? — Oh, wait one second. I'm going to just turn off my heat. — Jon Stewart — Did you say turn off your heat? She's going to freeze to death if this goes on.
Discussion:
The Hill, POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story and The Daily Caller
Will Bunch / The Philadelphia Inquirer:
Here's the message that wins the midterms for Democrats, if they're not afraid — It hasn't aired yet, but I want to share with you the political ad that could win the 2022 midterm elections for the Democrats — even with all the doom and gloom about President Biden's approval rating and all the historical trends that favor the GOP.
Hamed Aleaziz / BuzzFeed News:
Biden Will Allow Ukrainian Immigrants In The US To Obtain Temporary Protected Status — The Biden administration will allow Ukrainians in the US to apply for temporary protected status, shielding them from deportation and allowing them to obtain work permits as Russia continues to invade …
Joel Shannon / USA Today:
‘It could happen tomorrow’: Experts know disaster upon disaster looms for West Coast — It's the elevators that worry earthquake engineering expert Keith Porter the most. — Scientists say a massive quake could strike the San Francisco Bay Area at any moment.
New York Daily News:
Bronx subway feces attack suspect curses judge, is back on the street day later — A homeless defendant with a double-digit rap sheet, accused of smearing his own feces on a woman inside a Bronx subway station, left a courtroom in handcuffs — for his monthsold murder threat against a Jewish man …
Discussion:
abc7NY, NBC New York, New York Post, Twitchy and Ace of Spades HQ
Arizona Republic:
‘I have the job I want’: Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey will not run for the U.S. Senate in 2022 — Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey will not run for the U.S. Senate this year, he told donors in a letter obtained by The Arizona Republic, finally putting to rest whether he held aspirations for elected office this cycle.
San Francisco Chronicle:
UC Berkeley must withhold thousands of acceptance letters after state Supreme Court ruling — UC Berkeley must cut enrollment by about 3,000 students for next fall after the California Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court's order that the prestigious university freeze enrollment at 2020 levels.
Discussion:
Forbes, Politico, Los Angeles Times, The Hill, Berkeley News, Mother Jones, Sacramento Bee, CBS San Francisco, ABC7 and Mercury News
New York Times:
Last Vestiges of Russia's Free Press Fall Under Kremlin Pressure — “Everything that's not propaganda is being eliminated,” a Nobel Prize winning editor said as Russian authorities moved to control the narrative in the Ukraine war. — As President Vladimir V. Putin wages war against Ukraine …
Discussion:
New York Post
Robert Sanchez / Sports Illustrated:
‘I Am Lia’: The Trans Swimmer Dividing America Tells Her Story — Lia Thomas has dominated women's college swimming this season—and has also become a lightning rod for controversy. Many—including some teammates—say she shouldn't be able to compete against other women.
Discussion:
National Review, The Daily Caller, New York Post, Breitbart, Insider and PinkNews
Washington Post:
The gory online campaign Ukraine hopes will sow anti-Putin dissent probably violates the Geneva Conventions … A besieged Ukraine has adopted a gruesome tactic in hopes of stoking anti-government rage inside Russia: posting photos and videos of captured and killed Russian soldiers on the Web for anyone to see.
Discussion:
VICE
Eric Levitz / New York Magazine:
Is America to Blame for Russia's War in Ukraine? — To explain a bad actor's behavior is not to justify it. — In mundane contexts, few people struggle to understand this point. For example, if an alcoholic relative comes over for Thanksgiving dinner and behaves in a charming …
Discussion:
The Bellows, Washington Post and Big League Politics
CNN:
US getting closer to reviving Iran nuclear deal but officials warn efforts could still fail — Washington (CNN)The Biden administration is inching closer to an agreement to salvage the Iran nuclear deal but there are still a number of unresolved issues that could cause the efforts to fail …
Discussion:
The New Neo