Top Items:
Bloomberg:
US Forces Seize Sanctioned Oil Tanker Off Venezuelan Coast — US forces intercepted and seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking a serious escalation of tensions between the two countries. — “We've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela — large tanker …
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NBC News:
U.S. seizes oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, Trump says — President Donald Trump told reporters about the seizure just after he said that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's “days are numbered” in an interview. — The U.S. military has seized an oil tanker off of Venezuela's coast …
Discussion:
Axios, The Atlantic, Fox News, Esquire, Associated Press, Washington Examiner, PBS NewsHour, New York Times, Metro.co.uk, Blaze Media, KDFX-TV, WTTG-TV, New York Sun, Washington Times, Raw Story, IJR, The Daily Caller, The Mahablog, CBS News, The Independent, TheJournal.ie, MS NOW and Joe.My.God.
New York Times:
U.S. Seizes Oil Tanker Off Venezuelan Coast, Trump Says — The seizure comes as the United States builds up its forces in the Caribbean as part of a pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro, the leader of Venezuela. — The United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela …
Reuters:
US seizes oil tanker off coast of Venezuela, officials say
US seizes oil tanker off coast of Venezuela, officials say
Discussion:
The Hill, HotAir, The Atlantic, CBS News, NOTUS, The War Zone, Washington Examiner, CNBC, Daily Mail, The Post Millennial, Modern Diplomacy and Reuters
Morgan Phillips / Fox News:
Trump says US seizes massive Venezuelan oil tanker as showdown with Maduro erupts into new phase
Trump says US seizes massive Venezuelan oil tanker as showdown with Maduro erupts into new phase
Discussion:
New York Times, Reuters, twitchy.com, The Hill, RedState, Townhall, New York Post and CBS News
Politico:
Frustrated Republicans move to force Obamacare vote as warnings mount about the midterms … The move to sidestep Speaker Mike Johnson came as a growing number of mainstream House Republicans publicly warned that their leaders' apparent plan to allow the tax credits to expire without a replacement …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Washington Times, NewsMax.com, CBS News, PoliticusUSA and Axios
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Benjamin Guggenheim / Politico:
New ACA subsidy extension bill draws 16 GOP co-sponsors — A bipartisan bill to extend enhanced Obamacare subsidies has attracted 16 Republican co-sponsors, according to an official list obtained first by POLITICO. The mounting support for the legislation, offered by Reps. Jen Kiggans …
Discussion:
The Hill, NBC News, NewsMax.com, PBS NewsHour, CT Mirror, UPI and ABC News
Meredith Lee Hill / Politico:
House GOP erupts over health care as leaders hunt for a plan
Discussion:
The Independent, Popular Information, KDFX-TV and The Hill
Camilo Montoya-Galvez / CBS News:
Tourists from 42 countries will have to submit 5 years of social media history to enter U.S. under Trump plan — The Trump administration is proposing to ask visitors from several dozen nations that enjoy visa-free travel to the U.S. to submit additional personal information before entering the country …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera, Washington Post, Associated Press, Raw Story, New York Post, Bloomberg, Metro.co.uk and ABC News, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Federal Register:
Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision; Arrival and Departure Record (Form I-94) and Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) — Published Document: 2025-22461 (90 FR 57208) — This document has been published in the Federal Register.
NBC News:
Foreign tourists could be required to disclose 5 years of social media histories under Trump administration plan — The Customs and Border Protection proposal would apply even to countries that don't require visas to enter. — The Trump administration plans to require all foreign tourists …
Noah Robertson / Washington Post:
House passes Pentagon bill pressuring Hegseth to release boat strike evidence — The Senate could approve the measure in coming days, and lawmakers say they are confident President Donald Trump will sign it into law. … The House on Wednesday approved a must-pass defense policy bill …
Discussion:
Salon, IJR and NewsMax.com
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Megan Mineiro / New York Times:
Live Updates: House Passes $900 Billion Bill That Would Put Trump's Stamp on Military
Discussion:
Roll Call, Townhall, The Independent, Scripps News and Crooks and Liars
Connor O'Brien / Politico:
House passes defense bill, forcing Pentagon's hand on boat strike videos
House passes defense bill, forcing Pentagon's hand on boat strike videos
Discussion:
Associated Press, New York Post, Joe.My.God., The Daily Signal, KDFX-TV, CBS News, The Hill, Dailyfly News, The War Zone and MS NOW
Jordain Carney / Politico:
Senate Judiciary Dems request administration records related to ‘Seditious Six’
Morgan Phillips / Fox News:
House passes $901B military defense bill after Republican revolt collapses
House passes $901B military defense bill after Republican revolt collapses
Discussion:
New York Times, RedState, Dailyfly News and Deseret News
Erin Doherty / Politico:
New poll paints a grim picture of a nation under financial strain … Americans are struggling with affordability pressures that are squeezing everything from their everyday necessities to their biggest-ticket expenses. — Nearly half of Americans said they find groceries, utility bills …
Discussion:
Salon, The Independent, Quartz, Alternet.org, The Hill, Roll Call, So What, Democrats and New Republic
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Politico:
Trump's blind spot
Discussion:
Paul Krugman, New York Magazine, El País, HuffPost, Mock Paper Scissors, New Republic and Alternet.org
Adriana Gomez Licon / Associated Press:
What a Democrat's victory in the Miami mayoral election may mean for Trump
What a Democrat's victory in the Miami mayoral election may mean for Trump
Discussion:
The Daily Wire, One America News Network, CBS News, USA Today, The Independent, Washington Times, Alternet.org, UPI, NBC News, El País, Raw Story, New York Post and The Gateway Pundit
Amber Phillips / Washington Post:
How voters really feel about affordability
How voters really feel about affordability
Discussion:
The Red Letter, Newsweek, CNN, Raw Story, Mediaite, CBS News and Washington Times
Daniel Nichanian / Bolts:
In 2025, Democrats Flipped 21 Percent of GOP-Held Legislative Seats — At the start of Donald Trump's first presidency, in 2017, large Democratic victories in New Jersey and Virginia, paired with overperformances in special elections, foreshadowed the blue wave of the 2018 midterms.
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Wonkette, CNN, New Republic, Florida Politics, Alternet.org and The Hill
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J. David Goodman / New York Times:
What Could Thwart the G.O.P.'s Plan to Pick Up 5 House Seats in Texas
What Could Thwart the G.O.P.'s Plan to Pick Up 5 House Seats in Texas
Discussion:
Election Law Blog
Erika Edwards / NBC News:
South Carolina measles outbreak is ‘accelerating,’ driving hundreds into quarantine — Some students who remain unvaccinated are now in a second 21-day quarantine since the beginning of the school year. — The measles outbreak in South Carolina is “accelerating” with no end …
Discussion:
KDFX-TV, Ars Technica and Gizmodo
Jeff Cox / CNBC:
Divided Fed approves third rate cut this year, sees slower pace ahead — A Federal Reserve split over where its priorities should lie cut its key interest rate Wednesday, but signaled a tougher road ahead for further reductions. — Fulfilling expectations of a “hawkish cut,” …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, PBS NewsHour, Bloomberg, NPR, The Hill, RedState, The Guardian, Washington Times, Townhall, The Gateway Pundit, Daily Caller News Foundation, The Daily Signal, Fortune, UPI, El País, HousingWire, Washington Examiner, Straight Arrow News, Scripps News, San Diego Union-Tribune, The Post Millennial and New York Sun
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Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing / Politico:
'He's going to be next': Trump threatens Colombian president … Trump's comments mark a sharp escalation of Trump's threats against the Colombian leader. In a conversation with POLITICO earlier this week, the U.S. president floated expanding his anti-drug trafficking military operation …
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Jonathan Chait / The Atlantic:
What Explains Trump's Aggression Toward Venezuela? Who Knows.
What Explains Trump's Aggression Toward Venezuela? Who Knows.
Discussion:
Townhall, Rolling Stone and Mediaite
CBS News:
Tony Dokoupil named anchor of the “CBS Evening News” — Emmy Award-winning journalist Tony Dokoupil has been named anchor of the “CBS Evening News,” the network announced Wednesday. He begins his new role on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, ushering in an ambitious new era for America's longest-running …
Will Weissert / Associated Press:
Trump's ‘gold card’ program goes live, offering US visas starting at $1 million per person — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that his long-promised “ gold card ” was officially going on sale, offering legal status and an eventual pathway to U.S. citizenship for individuals paying $1 million …
Discussion:
Vox, Politico, New York Times, The Guardian, Bloomberg, Scripps News, Axios, Blaze Media, The Independent, Raw Story, Washington Times and Joe.My.God.
RELATED:
Josh Christenson / New York Post:
Trump unveils hotly-anticipated immigration ‘gold card’ at White House
Trump unveils hotly-anticipated immigration ‘gold card’ at White House
Discussion:
Mediaite
Washington Post:
DHS inks contract to create its own fleet of Boeing 737s for deportations — The agency will spend nearly $140 million to buy the planes, funding that comes from a massive budget increase for immigration enforcement approved by Congress. … The Department of Homeland Security recently signed …
Discussion:
The Guardian, CNBC, Fox News, RedState, Financial Times, NewsMax.com, One America News Network, Raw Story, New Republic, UPI, The Hill, Bloomberg, The Independent and Joe.My.God., more at Techmeme »
Molly Guinness / archive.ph:
Father's anger at girl's potentially fatal testosterone dose — The child, who was 15 at the time, was given the prescription by the private GenderGP clinic after one online counselling session — The father of a child who was prescribed a potentially fatal dose of testosterone …
Ben Jacobs / New York Magazine:
The Messy New York GOP Fight Trump Tried and Failed to Avoid — What he told Bruce Blakeman about challenging Elise Stefanik for governor. — Bruce Blakeman's announcement that he is running for governor against fellow Republican Elise Stefanik caught many by surprise, not least of which was the White House.
Discussion:
Raw Story and Washington Examiner
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Grace Ashford / New York Times:
Trump Didn't Clear a Path for Stefanik in the N.Y. Governor's Race
Trump Didn't Clear a Path for Stefanik in the N.Y. Governor's Race
Discussion:
NewsMax.com, Politico and Washington Examiner
Andrew Solender / Axios:
GOP bill would rename Black Lives Matter Plaza after Charlie Kirk — Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on Wednesday introduced a bill to rename Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C., after assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk. … - The House and Senate both passed resolutions honoring Kirk's …
Discussion:
The Hill, Representative Nancy Mace, NewsMax.com, Joe.My.God., Fox News and WUSA
Humeyra Pamuk / Reuters:
Exclusive: US threatens new ICC sanctions unless court pledges not to prosecute Trump — President Donald Trump's administration wants the International Criminal Court to amend its founding document to ensure it does not investigate the Republican president and his top officials …
Discussion:
The Parnas Perspective, Foreign Policy, New Republic and Raw Story
Arthur Jones II / Reuters:
Trump administration moves to end major student loan forgiveness plan: 'We won't tolerate it' — “The law is clear: if you take out a loan, you must pay it back.” — Education Secretary Linda McMahon speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Nov. 20, 2025, in Washington.
Discussion:
CBS News, PBS NewsHour, USA Today, HotAir, MS NOW, WUSA and American Greatness
Adam Downer / The Daily Beast:
Lauren Boebert Torched for Using Campaign Funds to See Rumored Rockstar Lover — ROCK RECEIPTS — It's unclear how seeing Kid Rock contributed to Lauren Boebert's campaign. — Rep. Lauren Boebert is being blasted for tapping into her campaign funds to see her rumored boyfriend, MAGA rockstar Kid Rock, in concert.
Discussion:
Daily Mail, TMZ.com, The Independent, Raw Story, Joe.My.God., Alternet.org and NewsMax.com
Lexi Lonas Cochran / The Hill:
Family sues school district over student's Charlie Kirk message — The parents of a student who painted a pro-Charlie Kirk message on a school's spirit rock are suing Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for its handling of the incident. — The parents of a student at Ardrey Kell High School …
Discussion:
The Daily Signal and Blaze Media

