memeorandum: Trump's tweets: Judges in government secrecy cases say they are ‘speculation’ and not ‘pure fact’ (Bart Jansen/USA Today)

8:20 PM ET, December 30, 2018

Top Items:

Outgoing White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly defends his rocky tenure … In August 2017, shortly after John F. Kelly became White House chief of staff, he convened crucial meetings on Afghanistan at President Trump's golf club in Bedminster, N.J. — Top officials from the Pentagon and the CIA …

Maggie Haberman / New York Times:

Kelly, on His Way Out, Says Administration Long Ago Abandoned Idea of Concrete Wall — The concrete border wall that President Trump has repeatedly called for as a signature campaign promise is not actually a wall and has not been since “early on in the administration,” …

Discussion: Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA, Bloomberg, Splinter and Mediaite

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

John Kelly paints yet another dim portrait of Trump — A few months ago, a senior Trump administration official wrote a controversial anonymous op-ed in the New York Times that said forces within the administration were working to rein in President Trump's potentially damaging whims.

Discussion: Daily Kos, Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA and Mediaite

New York Times:

Trump Digs In, Darkening Hopes for a Deal to End the Shutdown — WASHINGTON — The television is on. The phone is never far away. And President Trump is repeatedly calling allies such as members of Congress and conservative radio hosts, telling them privately that he will not give in on his demand for funding for a border wall.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, CNN and FOX31 Denver

Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: Who will replace Mattis?

Discussion: Mediaite

Martin Pengelly / The Guardian:
John Kelly: judge me on what Trump didn't do while I was chief of staff

Discussion: Mediaite, Mother Jones and Contemptor

Bart Jansen / USA Today:

Trump's tweets: Judges in government secrecy cases say they are ‘speculation’ and not ‘pure fact’ — “Speculation.” “Unofficial information.” “Political statements rather than assertions of pure fact.” — Those are words federal judges have used to describe President Donald Trump's tweets …

Jonathan Turley / The Hill:

Donald Trump is completely transforming the Democrats — Washington has long been a stranger to principle other than the principle of self advancement. Yet, something new seems to be emerging across the country. Politicians have long felt the need to disguise raw political agendas in the pretense of principle.

Quint Forgey / Politico:
Jeffries: Trump's border wall request ‘a ransom note’

Discussion: Breitbart

David Cohen / Politico:
McAuliffe says Democrats shouldn't ‘give an inch’

Discussion: Breitbart

Roey Hadar / ABC News:

Retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal: President Donald Trump immoral, doesn't tell the truth — The former top commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, retired four-star Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, criticized President Donald Trump's behavior and handling of the presidency …

Discussion: The Atlantic, CNN, IJR, Task & Purpose, Breitbart and Mother Jones

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post: Former U.S. commander calls Trump dishonest and immoral

Los Angeles Times:

Here's how Paradise ignored warnings and became a deathtrap … The fate of Paradise was cast long before a windstorm last month fueled the deadliest fire in California history. — The ridge settlement was doomed by its proximity to a crack in the mighty wall of the Sierra Nevada, a deep canyon that bellowed gale-force winds.

CNN: California's largest utility provider could face murder charges for wildfires, AG says

Will Sommer / The Daily Beast:

Sen. Graham Floats Temporary DACA Permits Deal For Wall Funding — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) floated the idea of a compromise deal to end the government shutdown on Sunday, proposing an extension of work permits for “Dreamers” who entered the country illegally as children in exchange …

Discussion: Breitbart and One America News Network

Shannon Vavra / Axios:
Lindsey Graham to tell Trump to reconsider Syria decision

Discussion: Associated Press, Washington Post and Politico

David Cohen / Politico:
Graham sees potential for deal to end shutdown

Discussion: Breitbart and Washington Post

Nelson W. Cunningham / Politico:

A Holiday Mystery: Why Did John Roberts Intervene in the Mueller Probe? — A mysterious grand jury subpoena case has been working itself through the D.C. courts since August. Doughty reporting by Politico linked the grand jury case to special counsel Robert Mueller.

S.M. / The Economist:
The Supreme Court's term is likely to heat up in 2019

Discussion: Axios

Hunter Walker / Yahoo News:

Stephen Miller steps into spotlight amid chaos in ‘zombie’ White House press shop — WASHINGTON — In recent weeks, the White House has been shaken by an ongoing government shutdown, tumbling markets and the abrupt departure of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis. With

Discussion: Raw Story and Taylor Marsh

Alexandra Topping / The Guardian:

French Resistance hero who saved hundreds of Jewish children dies aged 108 — Georges Loinger escaped from German camp and spent rest of the war helping children cross Swiss border — Georges Loinger used all his skill and cunning - and a large dash of chutzpah - to rescue Jewish children …

The Times of Israel: French hero who saved hundreds of Jewish children dies aged 108

Alex Thompson / Politico:

Bernie alumni seek meeting to address ‘sexual violence’ on '16 campaign — The signees are looking to change what they call a pervasive culture of toxic masculinity in the campaign world. — More than two dozen women and men who worked on Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign are seeking …

Daniel Marans / HuffPost: The Real Reason Why Some Bernie Sanders Fans Have It In For Beto O'Rourke

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:

Glorified and Vilified, Representative-Elect Ilhan Omar Tells Critics: ‘Just Deal’ — WASHINGTON — As a 12-year-old refugee from Somalia adjusting to life in the Virginia suburbs, Ilhan Omar fended off bullies who stuck gum on her scarf, knocked her down stairs and jumped her when she changed clothes for gym class.

Joe Marusak / The Charlotte Observer:

Facebook apologizes for banning evangelist Franklin Graham for 24 hours — Facebook is apologizing to evangelist Franklin Graham for banning him from posting on the site for 24 hours last week, a Facebook spokesperson told The Charlotte Observer on Saturday.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Breitbart, Franklin Graham and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:

A year of unprecedented deception: Trump averaged 15 false claims a day in 2018 — President Trump's year of lies, false statements and misleading claims started with a series of morning tweets. — Over a couple of hours Jan. 2, Trump made false claims about three of his favorite targets …

Dion Nissenbaum / Wall Street Journal:

Mattis, U.S. Commander Sought to Temper Saudi-Led War in Yemen — Backstage effort by defense secretary and Gen. Joseph Votel seen as helping bring about a fragile cease-fire — WASHINGTON—When the United Arab Emirates began drawing up new plans earlier this year to launch a risky operation …

Kevin D. Williamson / New York Post:

These two Democratic senators are waging a bigoted campaign against Catholics … Funny who is an “extremist” these days. — Senators Kamala Harris and Mazie Hirono (Democrats of California and Hawaii, respectively) are challenging the nomination of Brian Buescher to the US District Court …

Peter Whoriskey / Washington Post:

As a grocery chain is dismantled, investors recover their money. Worker pensions are short millions. — MUNCIE, Ind. — Once the Marsh Supermarkets chain began to falter a few years ago, its owner, a private-equity firm, began selling off the vast retail empire, piece by piece.

Discussion: Hullabaloo