Top Items:
William Kristol / The Bulwark:
The World's Richest Man Wants to Burn It All Down — Per NBC News, the Republicans who welcomed Elon Musk into their tent as a key decision-maker and thought leader are having an excellent time: … Happy Thursday. — The Kent Brockman Republicans — by William Kristol
Discussion:
NBC News, Washington Post, nationalinterest.org and Futurism
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Alan Rappeport / New York Times:
Where Things Stand — House Republican leaders are offering a new proposal to avert a shutdown, a day after President-elect Donald J. Trump torpedoed a spending deal that House Speaker Mike Johnson had struck with Democrats. The plan would tie an extension of government funding …
Discussion:
Washington Post, CBS News, Politico, Daily Kos, PoliticusUSA, CNN, New York Magazine, Fox News, The Hill and The 19th
Paul Krugman / Krugman wonks out:
The Chaos Monkeys Have Already Taken Over the Zoo — The peddlers of misinformation are high on their own supply — Well, I was going to post about proposals for bank deregulation, but I think that can wait for a bit. The news of the moment is the looming prospect that the federal government will shut down over the weekend.
Discussion:
Scripps News, Twitchy, Digby's Hullabaloo and Raw Story
Politico:
GOP strikes a new spending deal — Republicans have struck a deal on a short-term government spending patch and potential debt limit increase, according to two GOP lawmakers meeting in Speaker Mike Johnson's office Thursday afternoon. “There is an agreement,” said Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.).
Discussion:
Washington Post, Raw Story, Townhall, New York Post, RedState and Joe.My.God.
Axios:
Behind the Curtain: Musk's America … - A Trump source told us this is the new playbook: Republican lawmakers got “instant and overwhelming feedback. … You should never bet against Trump or Elon.” — Now, the two are a combined force blanketing culture, media and governance.
Discussion:
New York Times, Boston Herald, The Guardian and The Federalist, more at Techmeme »
Garrett Haake / NBC News:
Trump calls for abolishing the debt ceiling — In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump said getting rid of the debt ceiling entirely would be the “smartest thing [Congress] could do. I would support that entirely.” — President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday that Congress should get rid …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Axios, Politico, The Hill, Washington Post, American Prospect, USA Today, Alternet.org, ABC News, New York Post, The Post Millennial, HuffPost, Truthout, Reuters, Washington Examiner, Progress Pond and Raw Story
NBC News:
Trump's demands leave Republicans flailing with no plan on eve of shutdown — GOP leaders have kept both chambers waiting as they privately discuss a Plan B after President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk torched their bipartisan funding deal. — WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson …
Discussion:
Townhall, The Post Millennial, The Hill and ABC News
Meg Kinnard / Associated Press:
Closures, Social Security checks, furloughs: What a government shutdown might mean — Congress has until midnight Friday to come up with a way to fund the government or federal agencies will shut down, meaning hundreds of thousands of federal employees could be sent home — or stay on the job without pay — just ahead of the holidays.
Discussion:
USA Today, Bloomberg, NBC News, Axios, PolitiFact, WNEP-TV, Fox Business, Wall Street Journal, Raw Story, Liberal Democracy, ABC News, CBS News, Business Insider, Fox News and The Daily Caller
Miranda Nazzaro / The Hill:
Trump team affirms he's leader of GOP amid ‘President Musk’ barbs — President-elect Trump's transition team pushed back against Democratic lawmakers who suggested Elon Musk is the “real leader” of the Republican Party after his aggressive pressure campaign against a stopgap spending measure.
Discussion:
Associated Press
Brooke Singman / Fox News:
Trump says Mike Johnson will ‘easily remain speaker’ if he acts ‘decisively and tough’ on spending bill — Trump told Fox News Digital anyone who supports a bill that doesn't take care of debt ceiling should be ‘primaried and disposed of’ — EXCLUSIVE: President-elect Donald Trump told Fox News Digital …
Politico:
Trump-backed funding bill fails as government shutdown looms
Trump-backed funding bill fails as government shutdown looms
Discussion:
USA Today, NOTUS, RedState, Reuters, One America News Network, GovExec.com, Tangle and The Guardian
Rolling Stone:
Dems Troll Trump by Calling Elon the Real President
Dems Troll Trump by Calling Elon the Real President
Discussion:
New Republic, Axios, Twitchy, RedState and The Hill
Politico:
Jeffries shuts down raising the debt ceiling
Jeffries shuts down raising the debt ceiling
Discussion:
The Hill, Bloomberg, Associated Press, CBS News, The Independent, The Dispatch, The Texas Tribune and Axios
Arthur Delaney / HuffPost:
New GOP Spending Plan Bombs In House Vote After Musk, Trump Torched Original Plan
New GOP Spending Plan Bombs In House Vote After Musk, Trump Torched Original Plan
Stef W. Kight / Axios:
Rand Paul floats Elon Musk for House Speaker
Rand Paul floats Elon Musk for House Speaker
Discussion:
The Independent, BizPac Review, WNEP-TV, Fox News, Joe.My.God., Twitchy, Washington Examiner, Raw Story, Mock Paper Scissors and Mediaite
Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Spending Deal Debacle Threatens Johnson's Tenuous Hold on His Job
Spending Deal Debacle Threatens Johnson's Tenuous Hold on His Job
Discussion:
Associated Press, Axios, Townhall, Raw Story, The Hill and New York Daily News
Tommy Christopher / Mediaite:
‘President Elon Musk!’ MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell And Dem Dan Goldman Taunt Trump Over Musk Taking Lead
‘President Elon Musk!’ MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell And Dem Dan Goldman Taunt Trump Over Musk Taking Lead
Politico:
Jeffries says ‘hell no’ to GOP funding deal, ratcheting up chances of a shutdown
Jeffries says ‘hell no’ to GOP funding deal, ratcheting up chances of a shutdown
Discussion:
Townhall, Raw Story, New Republic, Joe.My.God. and Boston Herald
David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:
Republicans Turn Eating Their Own Into A Spectator Sport
Republicans Turn Eating Their Own Into A Spectator Sport
Discussion:
Washington Post, USA Today and The Hill
New Republic:
Transcript: Chris Murphy's Ominous New Warning About Trump Nails It
Transcript: Chris Murphy's Ominous New Warning About Trump Nails It
Discussion:
The Post Millennial, Off Message and The Independent
Elizabeth Elkind / Fox News:
House Republicans agree on Plan B government funding bill with Trump's debt limit increase
House Republicans agree on Plan B government funding bill with Trump's debt limit increase
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Independent and CBS News
S.V. Date / HuffPost:
John Bolton Warns Republicans To Take Trump's New Threat Against Cheney Seriously
Stephen Collinson / CNN:
Trump and Musk unleash a new kind of chaos on Washington
Trump and Musk unleash a new kind of chaos on Washington
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Politico, The Moderate Voice, New Jersey Online, Washington Examiner, Raw Story and Daily Kos
Alan Rappeport / New York Times:
Trump Tossed a Debt Limit Grenade Into Spending Talks. Here's Why.
Trump Tossed a Debt Limit Grenade Into Spending Talks. Here's Why.
Discussion:
Associated Press, ABC News, Washington Post, The Hill, Bloomberg, The Mahablog, New York Magazine, New Jersey Online, The Guardian and USA Today
Joanne Haner / The Hill:
GOP senator suggests Trump come to Washington to unite party
GOP senator suggests Trump come to Washington to unite party
Discussion:
Axios, Fox News, Blaze Media and Townhall
Punchbowl News:
12/19/24 ☀️ AM: … At first, the House Republican Conference was aghast …
12/19/24 ☀️ AM: … At first, the House Republican Conference was aghast …
Discussion:
New York Times, Washington Examiner, Politico, Semafor, Associated Press, Blaze Media, The Daily Caller and Daily Mail
Dan Mangan / CNBC:
GA appeals court disqualifies DA Fani Willis from Trump election case, lets indictment stand … A Georgia appeals court on Thursday disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from overseeing the criminal election interference prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump and other defendants.
Discussion:
Axios, The Guardian, Daily Mail, New York Post, The Daily Caller, RedState, OPB, Fox News, New Republic, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, Bloomberg, IJR, Daily Caller News Foundation, Reuters, The Federalist, Forbes, JONATHAN TURLEY, Al Jazeera, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, NBC News, Mother Jones, Megyn Kelly, Raw Story, Joe.My.God., Washington Times, Law & Crime, Townhall, USA Today, Washington Examiner and UPI
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CNN:
Georgia appeals court disqualifies Fulton County DA Fani Willis from prosecuting Trump — A Georgia Court of Appeals on Thursday disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting the case against President-elect Donald Trump and his alleged co-conspirators over their efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Discussion:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, freebeacon.com, CBS News, RedState, Raw Story, New York Daily News, The Root, The Daily Signal and Townhall
Kate Brumback / Associated Press:
Prosecutor Fani Willis is removed from the Georgia election case against Trump and others
Prosecutor Fani Willis is removed from the Georgia election case against Trump and others
Discussion:
New York Times, WAGA-TV, Fox News, CNN, PBS NewsHour, Breitbart, Twin Cities, The Independent, Hollywood Life, Florida Phoenix, HotAir, Forbes, The Hill, Alternet.org, BizPac Review and RedState
Wall Street Journal:
How the White House Functioned With a Diminished Biden in Charge — Aides kept meetings short and controlled access, top advisers acted as go-betweens and public interactions became more scripted. The administration denied Biden has declined. — During the 2020 presidential primary …
Discussion:
New York Post, New Republic, The Federalist, Washington Examiner, The Independent, Breitbart, The Daily Sceptic, The Gateway Pundit, The Post Millennial, Reason, Mediaite, Daily Caller News Foundation, HotAir, Commentary Magazine, Townhall, Megyn Kelly, BizPac Review, Instapundit, IJR and American Thinker
Washington Post:
Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump met for dinner at Mar-a-Lago, joined by Elon Musk — After feuds during Trump's first term, Trump and Bezos have both noted their recent evolving relationship. — President-elect Donald Trump had dinner Wednesday with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos …
Jonathan Chait / The Atlantic:
How Liberal America Came to Its Senses … A decade ago, cultural norms in elite American institutions took a sharply illiberal turn. Professors would get disciplined, journalists fired, ordinary people harassed by social-media mobs, over some decontextualized phrase or weaponized misunderstanding.
Olivia Beavers / Politico:
GOP lawmakers prepare to carry out Gaetz's revenge, expose harassment settlements — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, the focus of a House Ethics Committee report that may soon become public, is planning to inflict fresh pain on some of his old colleagues. A number of Republican lawmakers are preparing to help.
Discussion:
Blaze Media
Politico:
Top aide to Eric Adams indicted on bribery and conspiracy charges — The aide's son and two developers were also charged. — NEW YORK — Prosecutors charged New York City Mayor Eric Adams' closest confidant in a conspiracy, bribery and money laundering case Thursday.
Discussion:
Associated Press, New York Post, Manhattan District …, freebeacon.com, The Guardian, The Hill, UPI, The City, New York Times, Gothamist and The Gateway Pundit