Top Items:
NBC News:
President Biden pardons his son Hunter Biden — The decision, which was first reported by NBC News, is a reversal for the president, who repeatedly said he would not use his authority to pardon his son or commute his sentence. — WASHINGTON — Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Sunday night …
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The White House:
Statement from President Joe Biden — Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department's decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.
Matt Viser / Washington Post:
Joe Biden pardons his son Hunter — The president had promised not to pardon Hunter Biden, who was convicted of gun-related charges and had pleaded guilty in a tax case. — President Joe Biden has pardoned his son Hunter, a controversial decision that reverses his long-standing pledge …
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GB News, New York Times, Daily Mail, The Post Millennial, Raw Story, Axios, Breitbart, National Legal …, New York Post, TMZ.com, USA Today, Washington Examiner, Twitchy and Deseret News
Associated Press:
Biden pardons his son Hunter despite previous pledges not to — President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Sunday night, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers …
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Fox News, New York Times, Business Insider, New York Post, The Bulwark, Daily Mail, The Guardian, ABC News, CBS News, Washington Times, Mediaite, RedState, Breitbart, Bloomberg, Reuters, The Hill, Raw Story, Los Angeles Times, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, IJR, Patterico's Pontifications, Axios, Twitchy, Rolling Stone, Voice of America, NPR, New York Daily News, freebeacon.com and Politico
Shia Kapos / Politico:
Republicans say Biden is a ‘liar’ after he pardons Hunter, his son — The president's decision to absolve his son lit a firestorm among Republicans — and some Democrats. — Republicans called President Joe Biden a “liar” for pardoning his son, who was convicted on gun charges and pleaded guilty to tax fraud this summer.
Discussion:
NBC News, New York Post, Breitbart, The Hill, Instapundit, The Guardian and Washington Examiner
New York Times:
President Pardons His Son, Hunter Biden — The “full and unconditional pardon” comes weeks before President Biden leaves office. The president's spokeswoman had denied for months that he had any intention of granting clemency for his son. — The extraordinary action comes in the final weeks of Biden's presidency.
Discussion:
RedState, New York Post, The Hill, Mediaite, Breitbart, Washington Examiner, Axios, Raw Story, Newsbusters, Townhall, Fox News, Twitchy and The American Conservative
David Frum / The Atlantic:
A Constitutional Crisis Greater Than Watergate — For more than four decades before Donald Trump assumed the presidency, the FBI director was a position above politics. A new president might choose a political ally as attorney general, but the FBI director was different.
Discussion:
Bangor Daily News, Fox News and Associated Press, more at Mediagazer »
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Emily Chang / ABC News:
GOP senator praises current FBI Director Christopher Wray, calls Putin a ‘tyrant’
GOP senator praises current FBI Director Christopher Wray, calls Putin a ‘tyrant’
Discussion:
NBC News, New York Daily News, Newsbusters, HuffPost, CBS News, Raw Story, The Guardian, The Daily Caller, The Hill and Politico
New York Times:
Kash Patel Would Bring Bravado and Baggage to F.B.I. Role
Kash Patel Would Bring Bravado and Baggage to F.B.I. Role
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Examiner, Fox News and One America News Network
Washington Post:
Lawmakers express doubt over Trump's plan to replace FBI's Christopher Wray
Lawmakers express doubt over Trump's plan to replace FBI's Christopher Wray
Discussion:
Fox News, Raw Story, Reuters, The Post Millennial, Washington Examiner, Washington Times, PJ Media, Mediaite, Twitchy, ABC News, USA Today, Bloomberg and NBC News
Ryan King / New York Post:
Conservatives cheer Kash Patel's nomination to helm FBI as critics mobilize against him
Conservatives cheer Kash Patel's nomination to helm FBI as critics mobilize against him
Discussion:
HuffPost, Fox News, Roll Call, Washington Examiner, The Gateway Pundit, Politico, Washington Times, RedState, IJR, Bloomberg, Scripps News, The American Conservative, ABC News, Power Line, CBS News, Reuters, NPR, The Hill and Townhall
Rachel Scully / The Hill:
John Bolton compares Kash Patel to Soviet secret police leader
John Bolton compares Kash Patel to Soviet secret police leader
Discussion:
Raw Story, RedState, Fox News and The Gateway Pundit
Michael D. Shear / New York Times:
Republicans Stand Behind Trump's Choice of Kash Patel to Lead F.B.I.
Republicans Stand Behind Trump's Choice of Kash Patel to Lead F.B.I.
Nick Arama / RedState:
DELICIOUS: Andrew McCabe Throws a Fit on CNN Over Trump Nomination of Kash Patel
DELICIOUS: Andrew McCabe Throws a Fit on CNN Over Trump Nomination of Kash Patel
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, CNN, Washington Examiner, Fox News, The Hill, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, Twitchy, Breitbart, HuffPost, Townhall, Mediaite and The Atlantic
Elena Schneider / Politico:
Playbook: Two big fights defining Washington right now
Playbook: Two big fights defining Washington right now
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Wall Street Journal
emptywheel:
How Trump Rolled Out this Kash Patel Pick Is Part of Spinning False Claims about Rule of Law
How Trump Rolled Out this Kash Patel Pick Is Part of Spinning False Claims about Rule of Law
Discussion:
CNN, Power Line and Digby's Hullabaloo
Elizabeth Williamson / New York Times:
Five Things to Know About Kash Patel, Trump's Pick to Lead the F.B.I.
Five Things to Know About Kash Patel, Trump's Pick to Lead the F.B.I.
Discussion:
Ken Klippenstein, USA Today, Axios, Raw Story, IJR, One America News Network, The Hill, RedState, Breitbart, Washington Examiner, Forbes, Alternet.org, Associated Press, CNN, The Daily Caller, Politico, Fox News, Contemplating Life …, CBS News, Washington Times, Twitchy, Mediaite and Florida Politics
Jane Mayer / New Yorker:
Pete Hegseth's Secret History — A whistle-blower report and other documents suggest that Trump's nominee to run the Pentagon was forced out of previous leadership positions for financial mismanagement, sexist behavior, and being repeatedly intoxicated on the job.
Discussion:
Breitbart
Holly Bailey / Washington Post:
Trump taps Massad Boulos, another in-law, as adviser on Middle East — The president-elect often named family members to posts during his campaign and in his first term. — President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that he would nominate Massad Boulos, a Lebanese American businessman …
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Zach Montague / New York Times:
Trump Offers Massad Boulos Middle East Adviser Role
Trump Offers Massad Boulos Middle East Adviser Role
Discussion:
New York Post, The Hill, Fox News, Reuters, The Forward, Breitbart, ABC News, HuffPost, Business Insider, Al Jazeera, The Times of Israel, RedState, Washington Examiner, Raw Story, Axios, Daily Mail, Israpundit and Politico
Michelle Cottle / New York Times:
How Do You Like That Filibuster Now? — As Republicans prepare to take control of both chambers of Congress and the presidency, Senator Joe Manchin, the conservative West Virginia Democrat turned independent, has a question for his former Democratic teammates: “How do you like that filibuster now?”
Washington Post:
Biden surges arms to Ukraine, fearing Trump will halt U.S. aid — The directive has stirred debate, as some officials worry it will cut too deeply into American stockpiles and jeopardize the military's needs elsewhere. — The Biden administration is engaged in an eleventh-hour scramble …
Washington Post:
Amid worry about Trump, calls for career Justice Dept. staff to stay — An unusually high number of Justice Department lawyers are exploring jobs elsewhere since Donald Trump's reelection, according to interviews. — Attorney General Merrick Garland and top Justice Department officials …
Stacy Mitchell / The Atlantic:
The Great Grocery Squeeze — How a federal policy change in the 1980s created the modern food desert — The concept of the food desert has been around long enough that it feels almost like a fact of nature. Tens of millions of Americans live in low-income communities with no easy access …
Robert Reich:
Wikler for Chair — Today, Ben Wikler, the Wisconsin Democratic chairman, announced he was entering the race to lead the Democratic National Committee. — This is important. The person who runs the DNC is the key organizer for the Democratic Party between now, the 2026 midterms …
Discussion:
Mock Paper Scissors, Associated Press, The Guardian, ABC News, Washington Examiner, The Hill and Politico
Adam Nichols / Raw Story:
‘The first oligarch’: Russian dissident warns of ‘extremely dangerous’ development in U.S. — America is close to having its first real oligarch, a Russian dissident — and former world chess champion — warned in an interview Sunday. — Garry Kasparov, who now chairs the Renew Democracy Initiative …
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