memeorandum: Sanders, joined by rust belt Democrats, praises Trump for nixing TPP (David Weigel/Washington Post)

3:45 PM ET, January 23, 2017

Top Items:

Sources say Trump's CIA visit made relations with intel community worse — U.S. government sources tell CBS News that there is a sense of unease in the intelligence community after President Trump's visit to CIA headquarters on Saturday. — An official said the visit …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Little Green Footballs, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, CNN, No More Mister Nice Blog, Raw Story, Mediaite, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Political Wire, Crooked Timber, Politicus USA, Eschaton and Washington Post, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:

Rocky First Weekend for Trump Troubles Even His Top Aides — WASHINGTON — President Trump's first weekend in office unfolded much the way things often did during his campaign: with angry Twitter messages, a familiar obsession with slights and a series of meandering and at times untrue statements …

Louis Nelson / Politico:

Trump's White House to include ‘Skype’ seats at daily press briefing — White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Monday that beginning later this week, he will take questions at his daily press briefing via Skype from reporters based outside of Washington.

Discussion: Political Wire and ABC News

Jack Shafer / Politico:
Put on Your Big-Boy Pants, Journos

Discussion: Recode, The Guardian, Washington Post, The Week, Sydney Morning Herald, PressThink, CNBC, Salon, Hullabaloo, CNN, Hot Air, TheBlaze, RedState and Liberal Values, more at Mediagazer »

Ryan Struyk / ABC News:
The Note: President Trump's First Monday at the Office

Discussion: Politico, BizPac Review, Associated Press, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and RedState

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
How Sean Spicer messed up, and how he can make it right — from a guy who's been there

Discussion: Business Insider, The Daily Caller, Balloon Juice and Mediaite

Billy House / Bloomberg:
Trump Aide Says He Won't Release Taxes, Breaking Campaign Pledge

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Common Dreams, Shareblue, The Verge, taxpolicycenter.org, Talking Points Memo, The Week, NPR, ABC News and RT

CNBC:

Trump to sign executive order to renegotiate NAFTA and intent to leave TPP — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday intends to sign an executive order that will put in motion the renegotiation of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). — President Trump is also expected to sign …

Discussion: Vox, The Hill, Motherboard, Forbes, BizPac Review and Washington Free Beacon

Jacob Pramuk / CNBC:

Trump tells business leaders he wants to cut regulations by 75% or ‘maybe more’ — Trump meets with CEOs and pledges to cut taxes ‘massively’ — President Donald Trump on Monday told a range of business leaders that he believes his administration can cut regulations by 75 percent or “maybe more.”

Discussion: The Atlantic, NPR and The Gateway Pundit

CNN:
TPP withdrawal Trump's first executive action Monday, sources say

Discussion: The Atlantic, Common Dreams, ABC News, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, LifeNews.com, The Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, Axios, Talking Points Memo and Althouse

David Weigel / Washington Post:
Sanders, joined by rust belt Democrats, praises Trump for nixing TPP

Discussion: Vox and Jamie Dupree

Jenna Johnson / Washington Post:
Trump to CEOs: Stay here, and I'll wipe out 75 percent of regulations, fast-track factories

Discussion: Daily Kos

Peter Baker / New York Times:
Trump Abandons Trans-Pacific Partnership, Obama's Signature Trade Deal

Discussion: The Atlantic and Techdirt

Bloomberg:
Trump to Sign Executive Orders on Nafta, TPP Trade Deals, Official Says

Discussion: Politico, Business Insider and AOL

I believe the president is entitled to:

I believe the president is entitled to significant deference when it comes to his choices for the cabinet. I also believe given the uncertainty surrounding the future direction of our foreign policy that a higher degree of scrutiny is justified in evaluating whoever is nominated to serve as secretary of state.

Discussion: Vox, Washington Post, Business Insider, Common Dreams, The Atlantic, Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine, Politico, New York Times, Hot Air, The Week, IJR and Axios

Ben Kamisar / The Hill:
Rubio to vote for Tillerson

Discussion: ABC News, Political Wire and Politico

Joe Davidson / Washington Post:

Trump's federal hiring freeze draws immediate fire from union — President Trump issued an executive order Monday freezing federal hiring. The hiring freeze excludes national security employees. — A hiring freeze was included in the Trump presidential campaign's “Contract with the American Voter.”

Discussion: RedState, Business Insider, Common Dreams, The Gateway Pundit and The Geller Report

Andrew Restuccia / Politico:

Revenge of the bureaucrats — President Donald Trump is setting himself up for a messy clash with the country's 2.1 million federal employees as his administration quietly preps plans to cut the size of the government workforce. — As one of his first acts Monday, Trump signed an executive order freezing most federal hiring.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Ben Smith / New York Times:

Why BuzzFeed News Published the Dossier — Since BuzzFeed News published a 35-page dossier of unverified allegations about ties between President Donald J. Trump and Russia, I've heard a chorus of criticism from journalists who say we abdicated our role as gatekeeper, and a chorus of thanks …

Discussion: The Hill, RedState, BizPac Review, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, TheBlaze, Politico and Althouse, more at Mediagazer »

Charles M. Blow / New York Times:
We Are Dissidents; We Are Legion — On Friday, Donald J. Trump …

Discussion: Raw Story, The Week and Daily Kos

Jessie Hellmann / The Hill:

Trump reinstates ban on US funds promoting abortion overseas — President Trump on Monday morning signed an executive order blocking foreign aid or federal funding for international nongovernmental organizations that provide or “promote” abortions. — The order comes one day after the 44th anniversary …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Center for American Progress, AOL, Hot Air, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Washington Free Beacon

Jennifer Haberkorn / Politico:
Trump revives funding ban to groups providing abortion overseas

Discussion: Reuters, The Daily Signal, Shakesville and The Week

Evan Osnos / New Yorker:

Doomsday Prep for the Super-Rich — Some of the wealthiest people in America—in Silicon Valley, New York, and beyond—are getting ready for the crackup of civilization. — Steve Huffman, the thirty-three-year-old co-founder and C.E.O. of Reddit, which is valued at six hundred million dollars …

Discussion: Business Insider

Simón Rios / WBUR:

WBUR Poll: Republican Gov. Baker More Popular Than Democrat Sen. Warren 04:56 — Play — Over four years in office, Elizabeth Warren has staked her claim as the Senate's liberal lion. And many Massachusetts voters like it — 51 percent view her favorably.

Discussion: RedState, Politico, Power Line, The Lid, Mediaite, Hot Air, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Daily Caller, Politicker and TheBlaze

Gabriel Debenedetti / Politico:

Hillary Clinton plots her next move — LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — In a series of private meetings and phone calls at their home in Chappaqua, in New York City and in Washington, Bill and Hillary Clinton are slowly starting to puzzle through their political future, according to over a dozen people …

Discussion: Hot Air, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller, The Week and Political Wire

Judith Thurman / New Yorker:

Philip Roth E-Mails on Trump — In 2004, the writer published “The Plot Against America,” about an election that upends the country. Has it happened here? — In 2004, Philip Roth published “The Plot Against America.” The four main characters of the novel, which takes place between June …

Discussion: Liberal Values, Hullabaloo and Axios

Stephen Rodrick / Rolling Stone:

The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence — He's trampled on the rights of women, LGBTQ folks and the poor. Then there's the incompetence. Meet, quite possibly, the next president — During his time as Indiana governor, Mike Pence made a name for himself as virulently anti-abortion and anti-LGBT.

Discussion: The Week

Stephen F. Hayes / Weekly Standard:

Republicans: Schumer Broke His Word on Pompeo Confirmation — An inside look at the behind-the-scenes drama. — Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., nominee for director of the Central Intelligence Agency, testifies during his Senate Select Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing in Dirksen Building, January 12, 2017.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, BizPac Review, Booman Tribune, The Daily Caller, Power Line, Instapundit and New York Times

Sasha Savitsky / Fox News:

NBC won't comment on ‘SNL’ writer's controversial Barron Trump tweet — NBC won't comment on a “Saturday Night Live” writer's tweet that went after President Donald Trump's youngest son Barron. — Katie Rich said Friday in a now-deleted tweet that Barron Trump “will be this country's first homeschool shooter.”

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post, Washington Free Beacon, IJR, TheBlaze, KFOR-TV, New York Post and Instapundit

Tim Alberta / Politico:

Meet the ‘New Ted Cruz’ — It was a sleepy Wednesday morning last June when Ted Cruz tipped his hand. — John McCain had sponsored an amendment to expand the FBI's online surveillance capabilities, and it was a no-brainer for the many devout constitutionalists on Cruz's Senate staff.

Discussion: The Daily Caller and The Week

Wall Street Journal:

U.S. Eyes Michael Flynn's Links to Russia — U.S. counterintelligence agents have investigated communications that President Donald Trump's national security adviser had with Russian officials. Michael Flynn is the first person inside the White House whose links are known to have faced scrutiny …