memeorandum: Apple Watch import ban takes effect, company files appeal (Blake Brittain/Reuters)

10:45 AM ET, December 26, 2023

Top Items:

Marina Pitofsky / USA Today:

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene targeted in swatting attempt on Christmas Day — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., was targeted by a swatting attempt at her Georgia home on Christmas Day. — The Republican lawmaker shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Monday that …

Kayla Gallagher / The Messenger:

GOP Rep. Brandon Williams ‘Swatted’ on Christmas: ‘Left With Homemade Cookies’ — Swatting is the act of making false calls for emergency services leading to a response from police at a business or private residence — New York Republican Rep. Brandon Williams was “swatted” …

Discussion: The Hill, National Review, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Times, Breitbart, DNyuz, Mediaite and The Post Millennial

Stephen Collinson / CNN:

Trump augurs divisive year in angry Christmas rant — Most global political, spiritual and national leaders mark Christmas with a plea for peace, or by stressing the virtues of family and unity. — That's not Donald Trump's style. — The ex-president unleashed an online torrent of fury and bitterness …

Discussion: Fox News, The Daily Beast, DNyuz and Mediaite

Kristen Soltis Anderson / New York Times:

How Trump Is Running Differently This Time — A wrecking ball. A bull in a China shop. A “chaos candidate.” During Donald Trump's whirlwind rise to the presidency, his opponents and critics frequently noted his penchant for havoc. Surely, they believed, voters would not want to steer the country toward disorder and mayhem.

Discussion: The Messenger, WAGA-TV, Washington Examiner, The Hill and Raw Story

David Jackson / USA Today:
Donald Trump faces many signs of potential political trouble; here are a few of them

Discussion: Raw Story, The Messenger, Breitbart and Digby's Hullabaloo

U.S. Department of Defense:

Statement from Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on U.S. Strikes in Iraq — Today, at President Biden's direction, U.S. military forces conducted necessary and proportionate strikes on three facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups in Iraq.

Discussion: The Messenger, CBS News, France 24, Reuters, Breitbart, Associated Press, The Gateway Pundit, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, The Hill, KSDK-TV, New York Times, DNyuz, ABC News, UPI, Wall Street Journal, The Sun, NewsNation, KTLA, The Japan Times and Fox News

The White House:

Statement from NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on U.S. Strikes in Iraq — Early this morning in northern Iraq, U.S. military personnel were targeted by a one-way attack drone. The attack wounded three U.S. service-members, one critically. The Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah …

Discussion: Axios, USA Today, Middle East Monitor, Reuters, IJR and DNyuz

Blake Brittain / Reuters:

Apple Watch import ban takes effect, company files appeal — Apple filed an appeal on Tuesday of a decision to ban imports of Apple (AAPL.O) Watches based on a complaint from medical monitoring technology company Masimo (MASI.O) after U.S. President Joe Biden's administration declined to veto a government tribunal.

Discussion: The Hill, NBC News, Washington Examiner, CBS News, Gizmodo, The Verge, WHDH-TV, STAT and 6abc, more at Techmeme »

Barak Ravid / Axios:

Scoop: Top Bibi confidant expected in D.C. for talks on next phase of Gaza war … - A senior U.S. official said the main issue of discussion between the Biden administration and the Netanyahu government is “how to wrap things up and on what timeframe.”

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, The Hill, BBC and Bloomberg

Neil Irwin / Axios:

The 2024 economy could be shockingly normal — The economy in 2024 is on track to be described with a word that hasn't been applicable yet this decade: Normal. … But there is good reason to think 2024 will give way to something less chaotic. — Pandemic-disrupted supply chains are pretty much righted.

Discussion: CNBC

Politico:

Georgia offered Medicaid with a work requirement. Few have signed up. — Only 1,800 people enrolled — and critics blame the paltry expansion on an overly complex program with too many hurdles for people to clear. — A GOP experiment forcing low-income people to work to qualify …

New York Times:

A New Tax on Imports and a Split From China: Trump's 2025 Trade Agenda — Donald J. Trump plans to sharply expand his use of tariffs if he returns to power, risking disruption to the economy in an attempt to transform it. — Donald J. Trump plans to sharply expand his use of tariffs …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and Raw Story

Washington Post:

In a scorching year, scientists wonder if climate change is speeding up — This year's record temperatures have some scientists concerned that the pace of warming may be accelerating. But not everyone agrees. — For the past several years, a small group of scientists has warned …

Politico:

The latest front in the Gaetz vs. McCarthy fight: House primaries — Gaetz keeps supporting candidates in primaries where McCarthy has already backed someone else. — Republicans are desperate to avoid nasty primaries next year. But the architect of Kevin McCarthy's ouster from the speakership has other plans.

Discussion: Raw Story and Fox News

Wall Street Journal:

As Pressure on Harvard President Increases, University Board Feels the Squeeze — Critics of Harvard Corporation call for resignations, fault the board's insularity for recent missteps — In the wake of calls for the resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay, a growing number …