memeorandum: Griner ‘compassionate, humble’ after release from Russia (Amy B Wang/Washington Post)

5:45 PM ET, December 11, 2022

Top Items:

US scientists boost clean power hopes with fusion energy breakthrough — Net energy gain indicates technology could provide an abundant zero-carbon alternative to fossil fuels — US government scientists have made a breakthrough in the pursuit of limitless, zero-carbon power by achieving …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Southern Poverty Law Center:

White Nationalists, Other Republicans Brace for ‘Total War’ — A collection of radical right figures including white nationalists and ultranationalist European leaders gathered in Manhattan for the New York Young Republicans Club's (NYYRC) annual gala Saturday night, where that group's president declared …

Discussion: Mediaite and Raw Story

Associated Press:

Accused Libyan bombmaker in Pan Am downing now in US custody — A Libyan intelligence official accused of making the bomb that brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988 in an international act of terrorism has been taken into U.S. custody and will face federal charges in Washington …

Discussion: Washington Post, TMZ.com, UPI, Al Jazeera, Voice of America, USA Today, NBC New York, Metro.co.uk, Breitbart, NPR, Algemeiner.com, Bloomberg, Just The News and ABC7

Adam Goldman / New York Times:

Libyan Operative Charged in 1988 Lockerbie Bombing Is in F.B.I. Custody — Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud, a Libyan bomb expert, is accused of building the explosive device used in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. — WASHINGTON — A Libyan intelligence operative charged in the 1988 bombing …

Discussion: BBC, Associated Press, Politico, Fox News, Mediaite, CBS News, New York Post, Forbes, National Review, ABC News and New York Daily News

Wall Street Journal:
Lockerbie Bombing Suspect Is in U.S. Custody

Discussion: HotAir, Fox News and RedState

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:

There is a path to save the Supreme Court from itself — The Supreme Court's right-wing majority has been on a tear lately. In the last week alone, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. made inappropriate wisecracks during oral arguments about whether a web designer can object to working with gay couples …

Joshua Comins / Fox News:

Kevin McCarthy pledges subpoenas for 51 intel agents in wake of Hunter Biden ‘Twitter Files’ revelations — Elon Musk shows apparent government-tech collusion in the release of the ‘Twitter Files’ — Kevin McCarthy: We won the majority and fired Nancy Pelosi

Discussion: Daily Mail, Breitbart, National Review, Mediaite and New York Post

Zach Williams / New York Post:

Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump Jr. bash Dems at NY Young Republican gala — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) entertained Republicans in Manhattan Saturday night with a range of one-liners trolling the political left on hot-button topics. — “I want to tell you something …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, TMZ.com, Raw Story and Rolling Stone

Amy B Wang / Washington Post:

Griner ‘compassionate, humble’ after release from Russia — ‘We talked about everything under the sun,’ says the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs — When WNBA star Brittney Griner finally boarded the plane last week that would take her back to the United States …

Discussion: New York Post, Mother Jones and The Daily Caller

New York Times:

Why Is Howard Schultz Taking This So Personally? — His opposition to a union isn't primarily about the bottom line, friends say. It clashes with his image of Starbucks as a model employer. — Noam Scheiber has covered the union campaign at Starbucks since it began in 2021.

Discussion: Contrarian Boston

Patrick Wintour / The Guardian:

UK to downgrade commitment to human rights for close diplomatic ties — Foreign secretary to announce ‘pragmatic’ partnerships with countries likely to be more influential over next 30 years — The UK will target a group of about two dozen middle-level countries for long-term diplomatic partnerships …

Washington Post:

Congressional Republicans divided on attacking Trump investigations — The former president's closest allies are working to discredit a potential prosecution by raising claims of politicization at the FBI and Justice Department — Republicans in Congress are splintering over how aggressively …

Discussion: Raw Story and Newsbusters

Eric Topol / Ground Truths:

The New Obesity Breakthrough Drugs — I'm not using the term breakthrough lightly — There are many holy grails in medicine, with failure after failure, like finding a way to prevent Alzheimer's disease or a non-invasive means of accurately measure ambulatory blood pressure.

Discussion: Freddie deBoer

Natasha Korecki / NBC News:

Republicans struggle in the Southwest as Latino voters stick with Democrats — LAS VEGAS — There's plenty of evidence that over time, Republicans have gained ground with Latinos in parts of the country, including Florida. But in the Southwest, an inverse trend has taken hold that could have implications for 2024 and beyond.

Discussion: Washington Post

Politico:

Wanted by McCarthy critics: 1 qualified alternative speaker — There's trouble brewing in the House GOP's anti-Kevin McCarthy ranks. — The group of conservatives wreaking havoc in the House GOP conference with their challenge to McCarthy's bid for speaker is facing internal indecision …

Discussion: Washington Press