memeorandum: Deep blue California keeps Trump on the presidential ballot (Debra Kahn/Politico)

5:45 PM ET, December 29, 2023

Top Items:

Nick Robertson / The Hill:

John Dean: 'Trump's in trouble' after Maine ruling — Nixon White House attorney John Dean said Thursday he believes the Maine decision to remove former President Trump from the ballot will be difficult to overturn, calling it “very solid.” — Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) …

Discussion: Politico, Raw Story, The Mahablog, New York Post, USA Today, Digby's Hullabaloo, RedState, CBS News, The Post Millennial, The Messenger, IJR, Breitbart, Blaze Media, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, The Daily Caller, CNN and FOX 2

Ed Morrissey / HotAir:

Maine Democrat Official *Decrees* Trump Disqualified? — And now there are two states which have claimed to disqualify Donald Trump from the Republican primary. Colorado at least put on a pretense of due process with a civil lawsuit in state court that resulted in Trump being found guilty …

Jose Pagliery / The Daily Beast:

Why Trump May Find Himself in Jail Sooner Than He Thinks — Donald Trump is doing his best to delay as many cases as possible. But there's a simple reason Trump may find himself behind bars sooner than he thinks: Trump himself. — The countdown is on for Donald Trump's D.C. trial in March.

Discussion: Raw Story and 77 WABC

Debra Kahn / Politico:

Deep blue California keeps Trump on the presidential ballot — Several leading Democratic officials had tried to remove him from the California ballot. — California Secretary of State Shirley Weber on Thursday included former President Donald Trump's name on the list of candidates certified …

Emily Brooks / The Hill:

GOP rep warns House has final say over election after states deem Trump ineligible for ballots — Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) issued a warning to states moving to keep former President Trump off the presidential ballot, saying the House of Representatives has the final say over whether electors …

Discussion: New Republic, Politico and New York Times

David Frum / The Atlantic:
Suddenly, Trump Is Interested in Democracy

Discussion: CBS News, Raw Story and Wall Street Journal

Donald J. Trump For President 2024:
Trump Campaign Statement on Maine Secretary of State Ruling

Discussion: The Messenger, RedState, Breitbart, The Maine Wire, The Daily Caller, Maine Morning Star, Informed Comment, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Blaze Media, National Review, NPR, The Gateway Pundit, Business Insider and One America News Network

Zach Montellaro / Politico:
Maine strips Trump from the ballot, inflaming legal war over his candidacy

Chris Cameron / New York Times:
Trump Rivals Criticize Maine Decision in His Defense

Discussion: Politico, Townhall, The Guardian, One America News Network, The Messenger, The Hill and Political Wire

Benjamin Weiser / New York Times:

Michael Cohen Used Fake Cases Cited by A.I. to Seek an End to Court Supervision — Donald Trump's former fixer had sought an early end to court supervision after his 2018 campaign finance conviction. He enlisted the help of Google Bard. — Michael D. Cohen, the onetime fixer …

Discussion: Axios, The Verge, RedState, Rolling Stone, Bloomberg and Raw Story, more at Techmeme »

Aaron Katersky / ABC News:

Michael Cohen admits fake cases in early release bid came from Google AI program — The former Trump attorney pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations in 2018. — Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, arrives at New York State Supreme Court, Oct. 25, 2023, in New York.

Discussion: Fox News, The Daily Beast, The Hill, Associated Press, Business Insider, New York Post and New York Daily News

Kate Gibson / CBS News:

Magnetic balls sold by Walmart recalled due to choking and injury risks to kids — High-powered magnetic balls sold by Walmart are being recalled because similar products have led to serious injuries and even death for children who swallowed them. — The recall involves 5 millimeter …

Discussion: New York Post, abc7NY, Fox Business, WAGA-TV, U.S. Consumer Product …, Fox 8 Cleveland WJW, The Messenger, UPI and NBC News

New York Times:

After Rise in Murders During the Pandemic, a Sharp Decline in 2023 — The country is on track for a record drop in homicides, and many other categories of crime are also in decline, according to the F.B.I. — Detroit is on track to record the fewest murders since the 1960s.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Digby's Hullabaloo, The Hill, The Messenger, Axios, ABC News and Off the Kuff

Jo Yurcaba / NBC News:

Ohio's Republican governor vetoes trans care restriction and sports ban — Gov. Mike DeWine is one of only a few Republican governors to veto a restriction on transition-related care for minors or a ban on trans student athlete participation. — Ohio's governor vetoed a bill Friday …

Heidi Przybyla / Politico:

Public Christian schools? Leonard Leo's allies advance a new cause — A tight-knit group of activists tied to Leo's non-profit network are rallying around an Oklahoma effort to create a public Catholic school. — POLITICO illustration by Emily Scherer/Photos by AP, Getty Images, iStock

Discussion: Daily Kos, Raw Story and Digby's Hullabaloo

Melissa Quinn / CBS News:

Trump doesn't have immunity from Jan. 6 civil suit brought by U.S. Capitol Police officers, appeals court says — Washington — A federal appeals court on Friday allowed a lawsuit brought by a group of U.S. Capitol Police officers against former President Donald Trump to move forward …

Discussion: Raw Story, The Messenger, Washington Examiner and Political Wire

NBC News:

U.S. intelligence officials determined the Chinese spy balloon used a U.S. internet provider to communicate — An American intelligence assessment found that the balloon used a commercially available U.S. network to communicate, primarily for navigation, U.S. officials say.

Discussion: Breitbart, Fox News, RedState, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, The Post Millennial, The Free Press and The Messenger, more at Techmeme »

NBC News:

Russia unleashes huge barrage of drones and rockets on Ukraine — Cities across the country were hit in what Kyiv said was one of the biggest aerial attacks of the war. — Russia unleashed rockets and drones throughout Ukraine early Friday, damaging schools, hospitals and homes across …