memeorandum: Biden administration withdraws birth control rules (Colin Meyn/The Hill)

11:25 AM ET, December 24, 2024

Top Items:

Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:

December 23, 2024 — Today the House Ethics Committee released its report on its investigation of widely reported allegations that while in office, former representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) had engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, shared inappropriate videos on the House floor …

Discussion: Raw Story, The Guardian, acecomments.mu.nu, Scripps News and The Independent

Elaine Godfrey / The Atlantic:
Not the Life Matt Gaetz Was Planning On

Discussion: Alternet.org, UnHerd, Daily Kos, The Hill, Let's Address …, Louisiana Illuminator, Raw Story, Deadline, USA Today, Associated Press, Pharyngula and Politico

Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
Takeaways From the House Ethics Committee's Investigation on Matt Gaetz

Discussion: Steady, The Guardian, Reason, Associated Press, Vox, ABC News, New York Magazine, Florida Phoenix, Washington Post, CBS News and CNN

Andrew Solender / Axios:
Scoop: How the Matt Gaetz ethics report finally came out

Discussion: ABC News, The National Pulse, Raw Story, USA Today, Associated Press, The Hill, Slate, Washington Examiner, NPR, The Gateway Pundit, Fox News, Washington Times, Lawyers, Guns & Money, RedState and NBC News

Politico:
Gaetz report renews debate about how he escaped federal charges

Discussion: The Bulwark, El País, The National Pulse, Raw Story and The Post Millennial

David Firestone / New York Times:
The Trumpian Attitude at the Heart of the Gaetz Report

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Independent, The Hill, Raw Story, Bloomberg, CBS News, Alternet.org, Deseret News, TMZ.com, USA Today and NBC News

New York Times:

Trump's Wish to Control Greenland and Panama Canal: Not a Joke This Time — In recent days the president-elect has called for asserting U.S. control over the Panama Canal and Greenland, showing that his “America First” philosophy has an expansionist dimension.

Dave Lawler / Axios:

Trump dreams of empire expansion … - In each case, Trump is blending trolling, negotiation and intimidation. — He pitched statehood for Canada at least in part to needle “Governor” Justin Trudeau. — But he has doubled down in the last 48 hours (including via memes) on taking over Greenland and claiming the Panama Canal.

Discussion: PJ Media, Reuters, New Republic, Daily Kos, USA Today, New York Magazine, The Hill, Twitchy, HuffPost, Breitbart, Bloomberg, New York Post, Raw Story, NBC News and New York Times

Politico:

Dems finally get some good news: GOP dysfunction — Democrats were bracing for full Republican control of government. Now they're hoping the last week has been a preview. — Democrats are starting to cobble together a playbook for the second Trump era: Mock Republicans for their dysfunction …

Discussion: Alternet.org, Fox News, The Gateway Pundit, Grabien and Breitbart

Anthony Adragna / Politico:
Biden vetoes bill that would have created dozens of new federal judge slots

Discussion: Washington Examiner and Fox News

Justin Papp / Roll Call: Annie Kuster wants to lead by example. That's why she's retiring from Congress

Joseph R. Biden Jr / The White House:

Message to the Senate on the President's Veto of S. 4199 — I am returning herewith without my approval S. 4199, the “Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act of 2024” or the “JUDGES Act of 2024.” — S. 4199 seeks to hastily add judgeships with just a few weeks left in the 118th Congress.

Discussion: Washington Post, Associated Press, Reason and Reuters

Colin Meyn / The Hill:

Biden administration withdraws birth control rules — The Biden administration is withdrawing a set of proposed rules aimed at expanding access to contraception that would have made it more difficult for employer-sponsored health plans and insurers to exclude coverage of birth control.

Discussion: Daily Caller News Foundation and Politico

Amanda Marcotte / Salon:

Trump isn't fooling anyone by saying Elon Musk's “not going to be president” — The more Donald Trump denies he's being controlled by billionaire Elon Musk, who purchased the president-elect with over $250 million in campaign spending this year, the less anyone believes him.

Discussion: Raw Story, PinkNews, Business Insider, CBS News, The Guardian and Politico

Axios:

Dems warm to conservative media after rough 2024 … - They say they no longer can look past the huge audiences offered by Fox News and conservative podcasts, whose messaging power became evident when Republicans swept the White House and both chambers of Congress in last month's election.

Discussion: Raw Story

Associated Press:

Biden signs defense bill despite objections to ban on transgender health care for military children — The president also objected to language prohibiting the use of money earmarked to transfer detainees held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to some foreign countries and into the U.S.

Discussion: Politico

Joseph R. Biden Jr / The White House:
Statement from President Joe Biden on H.R. 5009, Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025

Discussion: The Hill, UPI, PinkNews and Bloomberg

Shadi Hamid / Washington Post:

How eight years changed one conservative's mind about Trump — Michael Brendan Dougherty's shift toward Trump reflects changes in the American electorate. — I voted for Kamala Harris, though grudgingly due to her support for the war in Gaza. I hoped she would win. She didn't.

Discussion: Raw Story

Robert E. Rubin / New York Times:

If You're Worried About the Future of Our Country, Do Something About It — In the early 1990s, when I was a co-senior partner at Goldman Sachs, younger people sometimes asked me for advice. I told them, “First, become really good at what you do, and then branch out to get involved …

Public Notice:

How Democrats can win the messaging war — “Liberals trust the mainstream media — foolishly, I think. The trust is not deserved,” Ryan Cooper tells us. — ∙ Paid — 🎅☃️🎁🌟🎄 SUPPORT INDEPENDENT MEDIA THIS HOLIDAY SEASON 🎄🌟🎁☃️🎅

NBC News:

Bill Clinton is hospitalized for observation and testing after developing a fever — A source close to the 42nd president told NBC News that the situation is “not urgent” and that Clinton is “awake and alert.” — Former President Bill Clinton has been hospitalized in Washington after developing a fever …

Fox News:
Bill Clinton admitted to hospital for ‘testing and observation’ after falling ill

Discussion: Associated Press and Alternet.org

Kathryn Watson / CBS News:
Bill Clinton hospitalized for “testing and observation” after developing fever

Discussion: TMZ.com, The Sun, Axios, One America News Network, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Politico, The Hill, USA Today and Just Jared

Brian Stelter / CNN:

Trump's FCC pick sends stern letter to Bob Iger, blasting ‘erosion in public trust’ — New York CNN — The incoming chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is sending a stern message to the owners of television stations and networks. And he is using ABC's recent settlement …

Discussion: The Hill, Raw Story, BizPac Review, Deadline, Mediaite and Alternet.org, more at Mediagazer »

Alina Selyukh / NPR:

Walmart illegally opened delivery drivers' deposit accounts, U.S. says — A federal lawsuit alleges that Walmart deceived more than a million delivery drivers by creating deposit accounts without their knowledge or consent, using their Social Security numbers and other personal information.

Discussion: UPI, Orange County Register, CBS News and The Verge

Associated Press:

Relief, defiance, anger: Families and advocates react to Biden's death row commutations — Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences.

The Hill:
Biden's death row commutations draws chorus of mixed reactions

Kevin Breuninger / CNBC:

Here's why business leaders are spending big on Trump's inaugural committee … Top CEOs and their companies are pledging to donate millions of dollars to President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural committee, as they seek to get on his good side and make inroads before he takes office.

Discussion: The Hill

Associated Press:

Judge rules Arkansas law allowing criminal charges against librarians is unconstitutional — A federal judge on Monday struck down key parts of an Arkansas law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing “harmful” materials to minors.