memeorandum: Pence to huddle with House GOP on ObamaCare (Melanie Zanona/The Hill)

1:35 PM ET, January 3, 2017

Top Items:

Rachael Bade / Politico:

House GOP reverses course on gutting ethics panel — Following a public outcry, and tweeted criticism from President-elect Donald Trump, House Republicans reversed course Tuesday on a proposal to gut their own ethics watchdog. — House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) …

Discussion: USA Today, Political Wire, CNBC, Washington Post, Daily Kos and The Gateway Pundit

Eric Lipton / New York Times:

With No Warning, House Republicans Vote to Hobble Independent Ethics Office — House Republicans, defying their top leaders, voted Monday to significantly curtail the power of an independent ethics office set up in 2008 in the aftermath of corruption scandals that sent three members of Congress to jail.

Shane Goldmacher / Politico:

Jack Abramoff slams GOP over House ethics changes — Jack Abramoff, the disgraced former lobbyist whose felony crimes eventually helped lead to the creation of the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, ripped House Republicans for their move to gut the independent watchdog.

Discussion: New York Times, Talking Points Memo, ThinkProgress, NPR, TheStreet.com, The Democratic Daily, The Week, Raw Story, RedState and ABC News

Louis Nelson / Politico:

Conway: GOP has ‘mandate’ to gut congressional ethics office — The move by Republicans in Congress to gut the independent Office of Congressional Ethics will cut down on “overzealousness,” incoming counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway said Tuesday morning, while leaving in place a …

Discussion: Vox, Daily Kos and Mediaite

John Bresnahan / Politico:

House Republicans gut their own oversight — In one of their first moves of the new Congress, House Republicans have voted to gut their own independent ethics watchdog — a huge blow to cheerleaders of congressional oversight and one that dismantles major reforms adopted after the Jack Abramoff scandal.

Discussion: ABC News, ThinkProgress, The Nation, Washington Post, Diplopundit, DCist, Raw Story, RedState, Associated Press, New York Magazine, Talking Points Memo, Vox, CREW, The Daily Beast, The Guardian, Alas, a Blog, Daily Kos and The Root

Sarah Mimms / BuzzFeed:
Here Are 6 Things House Republicans Want Ethics Investigators To Stop Doing

Discussion: Hot Air and Shareblue

Washington Post:
Republicans back off gutting of House ethics office after critical Trump tweet

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Melanie Zanona / The Hill:
Pence to huddle with House GOP on ObamaCare

Discussion: Politico, Talking Points Memo and LifeNews.com

Talking Points Memo:
House GOP Reverses Course On Gutting Office Of Congressional Ethics

Discussion: Politico, ThinkProgress, ABC News and The Week

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Republicans Stonewalled Obama. Now the Ball Is in Their Court.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Week

Norm Ornstein / The Atlantic:
The GOP's Ethics Disaster

Discussion: The American Conservative and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Bob Goodlatte / U.S. Congressman Bob Goodlatte:
CONGRESSMAN — Serving Virginia's Sixth Congressional District

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, New York Times, Politicus USA, New York Magazine and Mediaite

CNN:
House GOP guts ethics panel

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Post, alan.com, WTKR-TV, ThinkProgress, Raw Story, Politicus USA and Balloon Juice

Mike DeBonis / Washington Post:
House Republicans vote to rein in independent ethics office

Discussion: Mother Jones, NPR, New York Magazine, Daily Kos, The Democratic Daily and The Week

Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
House Republicans Vote to Rein In Serious Investigation of Republicans

Discussion: Washington Post, Daily Kos, Mediaite and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Jim Rutenberg / New York Times:

Megyn Kelly Is Said to Be Leaving Fox News for NBC — Megyn Kelly, who arrived at Fox News 12 years ago as a television news neophyte but rose to become one of its two biggest stars, has decided to leave the network to take on a broad new role at NBC News for an undisclosed amount, people briefed on the negotiations said on Tuesday.

Discussion: Politico, Talking Points Memo, Political Wire, TheBlaze, The Ring of Fire Network, Raw Story, New York's PIX11, The Gateway Pundit, AOL, The Week, Business Insider, New York Magazine, Mediaite, TVNewser, FOX6Now.com and twitchy.com, more at Mediagazer »

Erika Masonhall / press.nbcnews.com:

MEGYN KELLY JOINS NBC NEWS … JANUARY 3, 2017 — Megyn Kelly, one of America's most prominent news anchors, will join NBC News, it was announced today by Andrew Lack, Chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group. — Kelly will become anchor of a new one hour daytime program that she will develop closely with NBC News colleagues.

Discussion: Politicus USA and IJR, more at Mediagazer »

Jennifer Calfas / The Hill:

Ex-CIA agent on Spicer: ‘What the hell is that dude talking about?’ — A former CIA operative on Tuesday slammed incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer for saying there is “zero evidence” of Russian interference in last year's election. — “What the hell is that dude talking about?”

Discussion: RedState

Sarah K. Burris / Raw Story:
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY! — Former CIA operative …

Discussion: portal.liberalamerica.org

Jennifer Calfas / The Hill:

WikiLeaks founder: Obama admin trying to ‘delegitimize’ Trump — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says there's an “obvious” reason the Obama administration has focused on Russia's alleged role in Democratic hacks leading up to Donald Trump — 's electoral win.

Discussion: AOL, EndingFed News Network, TheBlaze, The Geller Report and We Are Change

Ian Schwartz / RealClearPolitics:
Assange To Hannity: Source For WikiLeaks Was Not Russian Government

Discussion: Hit & Run, Hot Air, The Point, BizPac Review, Scared Monkeys and The Last Tradition

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

Inside Trump's strategy to remodel the Supreme Court — Donald Trump has narrowed his short list for his first Supreme Court pick down to roughly a half-dozen finalists but the president-elect and his top advisers are already thinking about a second selection, as they seek to quickly remodel …

Discussion: The Daily Caller

CNNMoney:

Ford cancels Mexico plant. Will create 700 U.S. jobs in ‘vote of confidence’ in Trump — Ford CEO: U.S. plant expansion is ‘vote of confidence’ in Trump — Ford is canceling plans to build a new plant in Mexico. It will invest $700 million in Michigan instead, creating 700 new U.S. jobs.

Discussion: CNBC, Booman Tribune, FOX40, KTLA, Washington Free Beacon and The Week

Ricky Shoff / Facebook:

I've been a little hesitant to post this. But I feel it's not only to bring awareness, but it is also incredible. We are so grateful for the bond that these twin brothers share. We know Bowdy was not alone in moving the dresser off of Brock. And feel blessed that he is ok.

Discussion: IJR, BizPac Review, Mashable, myfox8.com, WTVR-TV, CBS Sacramento, WREG-TV, AOL, Fox News Insider and FOX31 Denver

Judy Kurtz / The Hill:

Celebs call on Congress to ‘Stand Up’ to Trump — #StandUpForUS from Art Not War on Vimeo. — A slew of high-profile stars — including Sally Field, former “The View” co-host Rosie Perez, “Westworld's” Jeffrey Wright, Keegan-Michael Key and “Boardwalk Empire” actor Steve Buscemi …

Discussion: RedState, The Daily Caller and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Timothy W. Martin / Wall Street Journal:

The Champions of the 401(k) Lament the Revolution They Started — The dominant vehicle for retirement savings has fallen short of its early backers' rosy expectations; longer life spans, high fees and stock-market declines — Herbert Whitehouse was one of the first in the U.S. to suggest workers use a 401(k).

Discussion: Mother Jones and FiveThirtyEight

Julia Edwards Ainsley / Reuters:

Exclusive: Trump team seeks agency records on border barriers, surveillance — In a wide-ranging request for documents and analysis, President-elect Donald Trump's transition team asked the Department of Homeland Security last month to assess all assets available for border wall and barrier construction.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Political Wire, The Daily Caller and The Week

Donn Marten / Downtrend:

Kaepernick's Foolish Crusade Ends Up Costing 49ers Coach and General Manager Their Jobs — San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly has now officially become collateral damage due to Colin Kaepernick's season long campaign against the cops and the flag. The organization pulled the flush chain …

Houman Salem / Los Angeles Times:

Op-Ed Leaving for Las Vegas: California's minimum wage law leaves businesses no choice — The “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign on July 14, 2009. (Sarah Gerke / Sarah Gerke) — Houman Salem — California's minimum wage jumped to $10.50 an hour at the start of the new year.

Deborah Cole / Yahoo:

Hitler's ‘Mein Kampf’ becomes German bestseller — Berlin (AFP) - The first reprint of Adolf Hitler's “Mein Kampf” in Germany since World War II has proved a surprise bestseller, heading for its sixth print run, its publisher said Tuesday. — The Institute of Contemporary History of Munich …

Discussion: Althouse

Mother Jones:

I Was a Terrorist...Seriously! — Ex-jihadist Kamal Saleem tells tales of palling around with Arafat, Qaddafi, and Saddam. But his story has some big holes in it. — TIM MURPHY MARCH/APRIL 2012 ISSUE — As Michigan state legislators considered a plan to curb illegal immigration last fall …

Discussion: Right Wing Watch

Jennifer Calfas / The Hill:

GM defends practices after Trump tweet — General Motors defended its business practices on Tuesday after President-elect Donald Trump — ripped the carmaker for making cars in Mexico and sending them back to the United States. — GM, the nation's biggest automaker …