Top Items:
Greg Sargent / New Republic:
Trump Boat Bombings Suddenly on Shakier Ground as Damning Info Emerges — Are Republicans really about to exercise real oversight on President Trump's reprehensible bombings of alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea? They're talking a good transparency game in response to the jarring news …
Discussion:
The Hill, Axios, Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Fox News, The Independent and Raw Story
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Tom Nichols / The Atlantic:
Pete Hegseth Needs to Go—Now — A man with such contempt for the military should not run the Pentagon. — Presidents have always sent people to lead the Pentagon who respect the institutions and personnel of the armed forces, not least because Americans tend to bristle at any sign …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Fox News, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press and New Republic
Spencer Ackerman / FOREVER WARS:
Pete Hegseth And Adm. Mitch Bradley Belong In Prison — MORE THAN a decade ago, Adm. Eric Olson, then the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), warned that his elite forces were “fraying around the edges.” It had already been nearly a decade of relentless deployment across …
Julia Manchester / The Hill:
White House confirms Hegseth authorized second strike on drug boat — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Monday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the second, follow-up strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean in September following …
Paul McLeary / Politico:
White House says admiral approved second deadly boat strike … The Post reported that Hegseth gave a verbal order to kill everyone after surveillance footage showed two men clinging to the wreckage. Bradley, as head of Special Operations Command, ordered the second strike.
Discussion:
NOTUS, HuffPost, Washington Post, CBS News, New York Times, NBC News, New York Post, New York Sun, France 24, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Signal, The Hill and Reason
Just Security:
Unlawful Orders and Killing Shipwrecked Boat Strike Survivors: An Expert Backgrounder — This is part of Just Security's Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers. — The question of when it is lawful for U.S. military personnel to refuse an unlawful order has become a point of discussion in the political arena.
Discussion:
Washington Post, The American Conservative and Media Matters for America
David Bauder / Associated Press:
Outlets that reach millions denied access to rare Pentagon news briefings this week
Ben Finley / Associated Press:
Experts explain what the law says about killing survivors of a boat strike
Experts explain what the law says about killing survivors of a boat strike
Discussion:
ABC News, Washington Examiner, New Yorker, NewsNation, Mediaite and New Republic
Joshua Keating / Vox:
Why is the US on the verge of war with Venezuela?
Why is the US on the verge of war with Venezuela?
Discussion:
Reuters, The Post Millennial, The Independent and Washington Times
Herb Scribner / Axios:
Here are all of Hegseth's boat strikes near Venezuela that we know about
Here are all of Hegseth's boat strikes near Venezuela that we know about
Discussion:
HuffPost, Reuters, The Independent, The Hill, TMZ.com, Scripps News, Steady, Plain Dealer, Raw Story, The Floridian, Mediaite, The Wrap, CBS News, Washington Times, Newsweek, NewsMax.com, IJR, Fox News and Bloomberg
Washington Post:
Trump says Hegseth denied issuing order to kill boat crew
Trump says Hegseth denied issuing order to kill boat crew
Discussion:
Reuters, The Hill, Axios, Politico, Reason, New Republic, New York Magazine, NewsMax.com, Defense One, Raw Story, IJR, Washington Examiner, MS NOW, Civil Discourse …, Fox News, Wonkette, The Post Millennial, Straight Arrow News and Semafor
Mia McCarthy / Politico:
Jeffries says Johnson ‘tanked’ Trump's health care proposal — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is accusing Speaker Mike Johnson of undermining a White House proposal to extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies for two years as Congress stares down a fast-approaching deadline to avoid massive premium hikes.
Discussion:
Breitbart
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Andrew Solender / Axios:
Jeffries says not to expect Dems to pursue Hegseth impeachment — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) signaled Monday that Democrats are unlikely to pursue impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over alleged follow-up strikes against boats in the Caribbean.
Emily Cochrane / New York Times:
Johnson and Trump Try to Avoid an Upset House Loss in Tennessee — Speaker Mike Johnson put the president on speakerphone during a Monday stop in the state, underscoring the unusual amount of national attention on a House special election. — The crowd milling around the sleek multimillion-dollar barn full …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Axios, HotAir, The Guardian, ABC News, The Hill, Associated Press, Roll Call, New York Post, MS NOW, The Daily Wire, PoliticusUSA, Media Matters for America, Blaze Media, Fox News, Washington Times, The Daily Signal, The Independent, Newsweek, Raw Story, NewsMax.com, New Republic and Washington Examiner
Andrew Solender / Axios:
Scoop: House Democrat eyes articles of impeachment against Hegseth
Discussion:
New Republic and Mediaite
Jordain Carney / Politico:
‘Time is not our friend’: Health care scramble begins amid mixed signals from Trump
‘Time is not our friend’: Health care scramble begins amid mixed signals from Trump
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Post, NewsMax.com and Punchbowl News
NBC News:
Costco sues the Trump administration, seeking a refund of tariffs — The wholesaler is the latest company to file a lawsuit against a federal agency over the president's signature economic policy. — Costco Wholesale has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration …
Discussion:
CNBC, Fox Business, The Parnas Perspective and NewsMax.com
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William Kristol / The Bulwark:
Sex Crimes. State Crimes. War Crimes. — You really just can't take breaks around here, huh? While we were all busy digesting dinner Thanksgiving night, Donald Trump was tapping away at his phone doing a little supervillain brainstorming on Truth Social.
Discussion:
New York Times, more at Techmeme »
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Paul Krugman:
Trump: Pro-crypto or Pro-crime?
Discussion:
Deseret News, The Nation and New York Times
Max Boot / Washington Post:
No wonder Trump is outraged by warnings about illegal orders
No wonder Trump is outraged by warnings about illegal orders
Discussion:
New York Times and USA Today
New York Times:
Appeals Court Says Alina Habba Is Unlawful U.S. Attorney — The judges wrote that the Trump Administration appeared to have become frustrated by legal and political barriers that have prevented its preferred U.S. attorneys from leading federal prosecutors' offices.
RELATED:
Mike Catalini / Associated Press:
Former Trump lawyer Alina Habba disqualified as New Jersey prosecutor, US appeals court rules
Former Trump lawyer Alina Habba disqualified as New Jersey prosecutor, US appeals court rules
Discussion:
Politico, MS NOW, NBC News, Fox News, Breitbart, Washington Post, CNN, Axios, Democracy Docket, The Hill, HotAir, Raw Story, The Daily Signal, Reason, NOTUS, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, MeidasTouch News, New York Daily News, The National Pulse, RedState, CBS News, Bloomberg, New Republic, Blaze Media, CNBC, Mediaite, ABC News, Crooks and Liars and Newsweek
Miranda Devine / New York Post:
Damning report labels FBI ‘rudderless ship’ under Kash Patel — with him and Dan Bongino more concerned with building ‘personal résumés’ — FBI Director Kash Patel is facing withering criticism from an alliance of active-duty and retired agents and analysts …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Washington Examiner, The Hill, Salon, New York Sun, IJR, The Daily Caller, New Republic, The Guardian, Raw Story, emptywheel, New Jersey Online and The Independent
RELATED:
NBC News:
At least 9 Indiana Republicans were targeted in swatting attacks amid redistricting pressure from Trump — The threats came after Trump publicly called on state lawmakers to pass new congressional maps that would benefit Republicans. — At least nine elected Republicans in Indiana …
Discussion:
ABC News, Roll Call, The Hill, IJR, Washington Examiner, Raw Story, Townhall and Democracy Docket
Jonathan Lemire / The Atlantic:
The Bubble-Wrapped President — For a decade, Donald Trump's rallies were intertwined with his political identity. His big crowds were how he first got the media and the Republican Party to take him seriously, and they provided real-time feedback. Those who followed him closely could watch …
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Parnas Perspective, Mediaite, The Independent, The Hill and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Maxine Joselow / New York Times:
In a Reversal, FEMA Won't Reinstate Suspended Workers — Employees suspended in the summer after signing a letter critical of the president were told they could return to work. But the reinstatement was short-lived. — The Trump administration said on Monday that it was revoking …
Discussion:
New York Sun, Bloomberg and GovExec.com
RELATED:
Emily Peck / Axios:
FEMA reinstates workers put on leave for criticizing the White House
FEMA reinstates workers put on leave for criticizing the White House
Discussion:
CNN
Richard Eberwein / Heartland Signal:
Republican mayor in Kansas facing deportation over voter fraud — Joe Ceballos, a longtime Republican and small-town mayor in Kansas, is facing felony voter fraud charges and possible deportation from the presidential administration he voted for. — Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Erin Reed / Erin In The Morning:
Dem. Senator Gallego's Leaked Texts Echo Far-Right Gender Panic And Misogyny — Erin In The Morning is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a subscriber. — In recent months, a handful of Democrats have tried to court a strain …
Discussion:
LGBTQ Nation
Associated Press:
US air travelers without REAL IDs will be charged a $45 fee — Air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID will be charged a $45 fee beginning in February, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday. — The updated ID has been required since May, but passengers without …
Discussion:
New York Times, Axios, USA Today, Washington Examiner, CBS News, Boston Herald, Townhall, WAGA-TV, KARE-TV, NewsMax.com and Bloomberg
David M. Halbfinger / New York Times:
Netanyahu's Pardon Request Borrows From Trump's Playbook — In many ways, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request mimics how President Trump has assailed his perceived enemies and attacked legal proceedings against him. — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request on Sunday for a pardon …
Politico:
Thune casts doubt on passing government funding bills before Christmas — Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged Monday that his chamber might not have time this month to pass another package of government funding bills, after trying for more than two weeks to fire up debate.
Alec Hernandez / Politico:
Top Mace adviser leaves her campaign, citing loyalty to Trump … That conversation, he said, was the catalyzing moment behind his decision to leave the campaign. POLITICO has not independently verified the claim. — “My name has been used publicly, while going back on her word to pay me …
Discussion:
NOTUS, Washington Examiner, The Hill, Raw Story, New York Sun, The Independent and NewsMax.com
Washington Litigation Group:
Former DOJ Employee Sues To Defend Title VII — Former DOJ immigration judge Tania Nemer filed suit today in a case in which the government has asserted that the President and the Attorney General have constitutional authority to discriminate against federal employees, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
Discussion:
MS NOW, NPR, New Republic and Raw Story
Politico:
Record-setting personnel issues are marring Trump's second term … The pace of withdrawals, the highest since at least the Ronald Reagan presidency, has flown below the radar in the day-to-day churn on Capitol Hill, with many Republican senators expressing surprise at the data in interviews.
Discussion:
The Independent and Raw Story
