Top Items:
U.S. Department of Justice:
Iranian Intelligence Officials Indicted on Kidnapping Conspiracy Charges — Iranian Intelligence Services Allegedly Plotted to Kidnap a U.S. Journalist and Human Rights Activist from New York City for Rendition to Iran — A New York federal court unsealed an indictment today charging four Iranian nationals …
Discussion:
The Guardian, Politico and Forbes
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Benjamin Weiser / New York Times:
Iranian Operatives Planned to Kidnap a Brooklyn Author, Prosecutors Say — Masih Alinejad spoke critically of her native country's autocracy. Now an Iranian intelligence official and three others have been indicted in New York. — An Iranian American journalist living in Brooklyn …
Discussion:
The Hill, Bloomberg and Political Wire
Joyce Karam / The National:
US charges four Iranians in plot to kidnap journalist in New York — Accused men monitored and planned to kidnap US citizen of Iranian origin and take her to Iran, officials say — The US Department of Justice on Tuesday charged four Iranian intelligence officials with conspiracy to kidnap …
Discussion:
New York Post, The Daily Beast, NBC New York and Associated Press
Mike Allen / Axios:
Trump unloads on Kavanaugh in new Michael Wolff book — Former President Donald Trump, in a book out Tuesday by Michael Wolff, says he is “very disappointed” in votes by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, his own hard-won nominee, and that he “hasn't had the courage you need to be a great justice.”
Discussion:
New York Times, Washingtonian, Vanity Fair, Spectrum News 1 Central NY, Louder With Crowder, The Daily Beast, Sputnik News, Bulwark+, Power Line, Raw Story, Daily Kos, Mock Paper Scissors, Digby's Hullabaloo, Mediaite, Washington Times, POLITICUSUSA, HotAir, The Hill, Joe.My.God., IJR, HuffPost and The Guardian
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Judi Hershman:
Ken Starr, Brett Kavanaugh, Jeffrey Epstein and Me — As a former professional partisan, I never thought I'd look back decades to my political beginnings and find the map that points to our current moment, when there is serious doubt whether the democracy we took for granted at the time will continue to exist.
Discussion:
The Guardian and ArkansasTimes
Arizona Republic:
Biden names Arizona Republican Jeff Flake as his ambassador pick for Turkey — Ronald J. Hansen Yvonne Wingett SanchezArizona Republic — President Joe Biden intends to nominate former Sen. Jeff Flake as ambassador to Turkey, putting the Arizona Republican on the front lines diplomatically …
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, CNN and Reuters
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Jeff Flake / Medium:
Nomination to be U.S. Ambassador to The Republic of Turkey — Given the strategic importance of the United States' relationship with our long-time NATO Ally, the Republic of Turkey, I am honored and humbled by the trust President Biden has placed in me with this ambassadorial nomination.
Discussion:
New York Times, NBC News, UPI, Wall Street Journal, Insider, Forbes, The Daily Caller, The Hill and CNBC
Washington Post:
William Barr clashes with former Trump appointee from Pa. over handling of election-fraud claims — A war of words broke out Tuesday among former senior Justice Department officials over Pennsylvania politics and the aftermath of the 2020 election, fueled by former president Donald Trump's release …
Discussion:
RedState, Talking Points Memo, Politico and Sputnik News
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Devan Cole / CNN:
Trump said whoever ‘leaked’ info on his White House bunker stay should be ‘executed,’ new book claims — Then-President Donald Trump told a number of his advisers in 2020 that whoever leaked information about his stay in the White House bunker during protests last June had committed treason …
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David Frum / The Atlantic:
There's a Word for What Trumpism Is Becoming — “I became worse.” That's how double impeachment changed him, Donald Trump told a conservative audience in Dallas last weekend, without a trace of a smile. This was not Trump the insult comic talking. This was the deepest Trump self.
Miami Herald:
DeSantis' anti-riot law didn't apply as Cuba protesters shut down a Miami-Dade road. Hmmm . . . Gov. DeSantis should have just laid it on the line when a reporter asked about the hundreds upon hundreds of Cuban-American demonstrators and their supporters who shut down a portion of the Palmetto Expressway in Miami-Dade County.
Discussion:
TheGrio and Joe.My.God.
RELATED:
Nora Gámez Torres / Miami Herald:
Raúl Castro reappears in emergency meeting prompted by massive protests in Cuba
Raúl Castro reappears in emergency meeting prompted by massive protests in Cuba
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Florida Politics, Breitbart and spectatorworld.com
Dylan Byers / NBC News:
The Atlantic thrived through Trump and the pandemic. The future is harder. — Nicholas Thompson, the chief executive of The Atlantic, gave a presentation to employees last month in which he disclosed some uncomfortable truths about the state of the magazine.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Page Array and The Hill, more at Mediagazer »
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
The good and the bad in Biden's blistering attack on GOP voter suppression — President Biden just delivered a slashing indictment of the GOP's ongoing assault on democracy in a speech in Philadelphia, and it contained good news and bad news. — The good news is that Biden went further …
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Asma Khalid / NPR:
Vice President Harris Hints That She Has Discussed Filibuster Changes With Senators
Vice President Harris Hints That She Has Discussed Filibuster Changes With Senators
Discussion:
New York Times, Fox News, New Republic, Washington Post, VICE, NBC News, 6abc, National Review, Associated Press, Deadline, Houston Public Media, ABC News, The Hill, Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg
Laura K. Field / The Bulwark:
What the Hell Happened to the Claremont Institute? — [A printable PDF of this article is available here.] — Just before 11 o'clock on the morning of January 6—an hour before President Donald Trump began riling up his “Save America” rally in front of the White House …
Patrick Svitek / The Texas Tribune:
Texas House Republicans vote to track down absent Democrats and arrest them if necessary — The procedural move carries little apparent weight since the Democrats who fled the state to break quorum are beyond the jurisdiction of Texas law enforcement. — Copy link
Washington Post:
‘I Alone Can Fix It’ book excerpt: Inside Trump's Election Day and the birth of the ‘big lie’ … Finally, Election Day had arrived. The morning of Nov. 3, 2020, President Trump was upbeat. The mood in the West Wing was good. Some aides talked giddily of a landslide.
John Stoehr / The Editorial Board:
For white evangelical Protestants, the degradation of democracy is not regrettable. It's desirable — The point is rule by God's chosen. — 3 hr ago — Members of the pundit corps seem to believe white evangelical Protestants (WEPs) have politicized their faith.
Discussion:
Washington Post
Paul Gattis / al.com:
Judge dismisses Roy Moore lawsuit against comedian Sacha Baron Cohen — A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed the lawsuit brought by former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore against the comedian who ridiculed him on his cable television show. — U.S. District Judge John Cronan of the Southern District …
Discussion:
HuffPost, Raw Story and Joe.My.God.
RELATED:
Jonathan Stempel / Reuters:
Sacha Baron Cohen, Showtime win dismissal of Roy Moore defamation lawsuit
Sacha Baron Cohen, Showtime win dismissal of Roy Moore defamation lawsuit
Discussion:
Politico, New York Post, Courthouse News Service and Insider, more at Mediagazer »
Jeremy Barr / Washington Post:
Newsmax vouches for vaccines after host Rob Schmitt says shots are ‘against nature’ — “From time to time, a guest or host may not be as supportive of these efforts,” the conservative network said. “However, they do not reflect the position of Newsmax.” — Rob Schmitt, a primetime host …
Discussion:
HuffPost, The Daily Beast, Raw Story, Patterico's Pontifications, HotAir and New York Times
Laura Vozzella / Washington Post:
Youngkin to skip marquee debate over moderator's donation to Clinton Bush Haiti Fund — RICHMOND — Republican Glenn Youngkin will skip what is typically the premier debate of the Virginia governor's race, saying he objects to the moderator, PBS NewsHour host Judy Woodruff …
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Scott Cohn / CNBC:
Virginia is back as America's Top State for Business in 2021
Virginia is back as America's Top State for Business in 2021
Discussion:
Virginia Mercury, Washingtonian, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, The Hill and ARLnow.com
Washington Post:
Senate Democrats, Republicans grapple with price tag for Biden's infrastructure agenda — A bipartisan coalition is meeting on public-works spending as Democrats strategize on a broader plan including expanding Medicare. — Two groups of senators labored Tuesday to try to assemble massive proposals …
Discussion:
Politico, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Bangor Daily News and Common Dreams
RELATED:
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
How Republicans hope to scam Democrats into committing political suicide
How Republicans hope to scam Democrats into committing political suicide
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The American Independent, Raw Story, Daily Kos and Politico
Washington Post:
Inside the secret plan for the Texas Democratic exodus: A phone tree, a scramble to pack and a politically perilous trip — They activated the plan with a phone tree late Sunday: Pack your bags — and make sure they weigh no more than 45 pounds. Be ready to leave Austin at noon tomorrow.
The Daily Beast:
Bill O'Reilly's Accuser Finally Breaks Her Silence — HER STORY … In an exclusive interview, Andrea Mackris reveals the full scope of Bill O'Reilly's alleged harassment of her—and why she doesn't care if telling all means blowing up her NDA. … New York litigator David Ratner shouted at his client …
Bruce Love / LAW.com:
‘A Real Disquiet’: FTC Staff Attorneys Are Job Hunting … Seeing a pile of resumes already, several leaders of law firm antitrust practices are predicting many more government attorneys heading for private practice in the coming months as a new-look Federal Trade Commission forms under the leadership of chairperson Lina Khan.
Discussion:
Marginal REVOLUTION
Judd Legum / Popular Information:
The obscure foundation funding “Critical Race Theory” hysteria — Critical Race Theory (CRT), once a little-known academic concept, is now at the center of the national political discussion. CRT is discussed incessantly on Fox News. It is featured in campaign advertisements.
ABC News:
Norwegian Cruise Lines sues state of Florida over vaccine passport ban — The CEO previously threatened to move its ships out of Florida over the ban. — Norwegian Cruise Lines is suing Florida after the state banned vaccine passports, saying it cannot safely resume sailings without ensuring …
Discussion:
Politico
Andy Newman / New York Times:
New York's Plan to Move Homeless People From Hotels Is Blocked by Judge — The city was transferring homeless people to group shelters without adequate consideration for their health, a federal judge ruled. — In a boutique hotel near the Empire State Building that has served as a shelter …
Matt Katz / Gothamist:
'We're Not Teaching Sodomy In 6th Grade': GOP Nominee For N.J. Governor Wants To End LGBTQ Curriculum — The Republican nominee for governor in New Jersey, Jack Ciattarelli, is vowing to roll back school curricula that centers LGTBQ inclusivity, falsely claiming that “sexual orientation” …
Discussion:
Joe.My.God.
The Daily Beast:
Feds: New Hampshire Firm Shipped WMD Tech to Russian Spies — Newly unsealed documents allege that a U.S. company “intentionally falsified shipping documents” to send scientific instruments to Moscow's domestic intelligence agency, the FSB. … The FBI and federal prosecutors are investigating …
Marina Villeneuve / Associated Press:
New York takes conservative approach counting virus deaths — ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The federal government's count of the COVID-19 death toll in New York has 11,000 more victims than the tally publicized by the administration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, which has stuck with a far more conservative approach to counting virus deaths.
Cortney O'Brien / Fox News:
Greenwald hammers media on Avenatti: ‘Utter bulls—t’ to claim they couldn't have known he was a crook — 'If you can't recognize what Avenatti is, you can't see anything' — Journalist Glenn Greenwald blasted the media Tuesday for their coverage of disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti …
Ann Marimow / Washington Post:
Gun laws barring sales to people under 21 are unconstitutional, appeals court rules — Laws preventing firearms dealers from selling handguns to anyone under age 21 are unconstitutional and violate the Second Amendment, a federal appeals court said Tuesday in a ruling that could have implications …
Discussion:
Associated Press, USA Today, The Western Journal, Reason, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, The Federalist, Lucianne and Townhall