Top Items:
Amanda Marcotte / Salon:
Republicans are quiet quitting on Trump — The White House chief of staff says the president has “an alcoholic's personality” — Donald Trump is worried that Republicans aren't as afraid of him as they used to be. Despite his self-billing as a dealmaker, the president has only ever had one tool to control his party: fear.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Axios, Vanity Fair and The Wrap
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Hailey Fuchs / Politico:
Jack Smith makes his case against Trump in closed-door deposition … He maintained that this team found evidence to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and to prevent the lawful transfer of power.”
Discussion:
NBC News, Associated Press, Washington Times, Fox News and CBS News
Justin Glawe / Public Notice:
2025 was a political disaster for MAGA — 🎄🎄🎄 PN HOLIDAY SPECIAL 🎄🎄🎄 Click the button below to sign up for an annual paid subscription for the special price of $40 ⬇️ — 🎅 PN Holiday Special Offer 🎅
Rebecca Beitsch / The Hill:
Jack Smith says he'd do it all over again in testimony on Trump to House GOP
Discussion:
Fox News, Associated Press, Reuters, CBS News, IJR, New Republic, Townhall, Mediaite, New York Post and Raw Story
Jamelle Bouie / New York Times:
The Man Who Rules the Country Presides Over Nothing
The Man Who Rules the Country Presides Over Nothing
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
John Dowd / MS NOW:
I was Donald Trump's lawyer. Jack Smith should be celebrated, not vilified.
I was Donald Trump's lawyer. Jack Smith should be celebrated, not vilified.
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Times and CNN
Politico:
Jack Smith wants to tell Congress about his Trump investigations. That comes with risks.
Jack Smith wants to tell Congress about his Trump investigations. That comes with risks.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, New York Daily News, MS NOW and Fox News
Joyce Vance / Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance:
Jack Smith Testifies Before The House Judiciary Committee
Jack Smith Testifies Before The House Judiciary Committee
Discussion:
Washington Post, Democracy Docket, Agence France-Presse, Washington Times, New Republic, Breitbart and Raw Story
Tim Hanrahan / Wall Street Journal:
GOP Lawmaker Who Backed Trump Impeachment to Quit Congress
GOP Lawmaker Who Backed Trump Impeachment to Quit Congress
Discussion:
NBC News, Fox News, Washington Examiner, The Hill, New Republic, Axios, UPI, The National Pulse, Election Law Blog, Roll Call, IJR, Washington Times, NewsMax.com and The Gateway Pundit
Kevin Freking / Associated Press:
Republicans defy Speaker Johnson to force House vote on extending ACA subsidies — Four centrist Republicans broke with Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday and signed onto a Democratic-led petition that will force a House vole on extending for three years an enhanced pandemic-era subsidy …
Discussion:
ABC News, CNN, The Hill, Straight Arrow News, New York Times, Bloomberg, Associated Press, CNBC, NBC News, New Jersey Online, Raw Story, The Guardian, The Daily Wire, MS NOW, The Parnas Perspective, New York Daily News, NewsMax.com, Truthout, PoliticusUSA, The Independent, RedState, CBS News, Washington Times, Washington Examiner, Salon, UPI and Breitbart
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Axios:
House Republicans help Democrats defy Johnson on ACA in stunning revolt — Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) signed Democrats' discharge petition Wednesday to force a vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies — a pointed rebuke of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Hill, New York Times, NOTUS, CBS News, Associated Press, Raw Story, Politico, Bloomberg, NewsMax.com and Fox News
Meredith Lee Hill / Politico:
GOP Reps. Fitzpatrick and Lawler join Democrats' Obamacare discharge petition
NBC News:
Centrist Republicans revolt, signing a petition to force a vote on Obamacare funding
Centrist Republicans revolt, signing a petition to force a vote on Obamacare funding
Discussion:
The Hill, Fox News, CBS News, Wall Street Journal, NOTUS, HotAir, Mother Jones, UPI, MS NOW, Townhall, Deseret News, Newsweek, NewsMax.com, Politico, Axios, STAT, IJR and Washington Examiner
Associated Press:
Live updates: Republicans force House vote to extend ACA subsidies, defying Speaker Johnson
Live updates: Republicans force House vote to extend ACA subsidies, defying Speaker Johnson
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Raw Story, So What, NewsMax.com and American Greatness
Carol Leonnig / MS NOW:
FBI's No. 2 quietly tells colleagues he's moving on — Speculation and anticipation have gripped the nation's premier law enforcement agency over the future of one of its top leaders, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. — Bongino has quietly told confidants he plans to formally leave …
Discussion:
CNBC, New York Daily News, Townhall, Mediaite, BizPac Review and Crooks and Liars
Joey Garrison / USA Today:
Trump moves to dismantle major US climate research center in Colorado — WASHINGTON ‒ The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
Discussion:
Axios, Watts Up With That?, Ars Technica, Scientific American and The Colorado Sun
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New York Times:
National Center for Atmospheric Research to Be Dismantled, Trump Administration Says — Russell Vought, the White House budget director, called the laboratory a source of “climate alarmism.” — The Trump administration said it will be dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado …
Discussion:
The Hill and The Colorado Sun
Ruby Mellen / Washington Post:
Trump administration to dismantle key climate research center
Discussion:
E&E News, The Guardian, NewsMax.com, CBS News and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Gregory Svirnovskiy / Politico:
Vought says National Center for Atmospheric Research will be dismantled
Vought says National Center for Atmospheric Research will be dismantled
Discussion:
NOTUS, Washington Times, Raw Story and Crooks and Liars
Ron Dicker / HuffPost:
Senator Reaches Damning Conclusions After Classified Briefing With Hegseth, Rubio — Sen. Chris Murphy trashed a meeting with the Cabinet duo about the Trump administration's boat bombings. — Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said a classified meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth …
Discussion:
New Republic, UPI, Raw Story, Reuters, The Hill, Washington Examiner, twitchy.com, Straight Arrow News, New York Sun, ABC News, NewsMax.com and CBS News
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Connor O'Brien / Politico:
Senate passes defense bill that defies Trump and forces sharing of boat strike videos
Discussion:
New York Times, Fox News, Washington Examiner, The Independent and New York Sun
Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:
December 16, 2025 — While President Donald J. Trump was gloating over the horrific murders …
December 16, 2025 — While President Donald J. Trump was gloating over the horrific murders …
Discussion:
New York Times, The Good in Us, The Dispatch, The Independent, al.com, Daily Mail, The Hill, Reuters, NOTUS, Washington Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CT Mirror, Politico and Scripps News
New York Times:
Trump Dangles Cash Payments to Buoy Voters' Views of the Economy — With tariffs unpopular and prices still high, the White House has teased the promise of tariff rebates and large tax refunds next year. — Tariffs are unpopular, prices remain stubbornly high and Americans are souring on President Trump's handling of the economy.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Reason, The Independent and Fox News
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Josh Boak / Associated Press:
Trump is previewing his 2026 agenda in an address to the nation as his popularity wanes
Discussion:
Scripps News, The Hollywood Reporter, WWL-TV, The Hill and NewsMax.com
William Kristol / The Bulwark:
Why Aren't Dems Going After Trump's Tariffs?
Why Aren't Dems Going After Trump's Tariffs?
Discussion:
Semafor, Fox News and The Daily Wire
Reuters:
They prosecuted the Capitol rioters. Now the rioters and the DOJ are after them. — After Trump's mass pardons of the U.S. Capitol rioters, some have gained influence inside the Justice Department, meeting with officials to push for prosecutions of the federal lawyers who once helped convict them, Reuters found.
RELATED:
Paul Krugman:
An A+++++ Economy, My A++ — Trump made big boasts but he isn't delivering — When Politico recently asked Donald Trump to grade the current U.S. economy, he replied “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus.” He made this boast at a time when actual economic data were still scarce …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Fortune, Truthout, Eye On Housing, UPI, The Post Millennial, Blue Virginia and emptywheel
RELATED:
Philip Bump / MS NOW:
Trump and Vance give the economy high marks — the numbers say otherwise
Trump and Vance give the economy high marks — the numbers say otherwise
Discussion:
Cafe Hayek and New York Times
ProPublica:
Inside the Trump Administration's Man-Made Hunger Crisis — On July 18, a mild, overcast night in Nairobi, Kenya, a team of President Donald Trump's top foreign aid advisers ducked into a meeting room at the Tribe Hotel, their luxury accommodations in the city's diplomatic quarter, for a private dinner.
New York Times:
Harvard Secretly Investigates Students Over Larry Summers Video on Epstein — The students face discipline for recording Mr. Summers, the former Harvard president, discussing his ties to Jeffrey Epstein in a Harvard class. — Harvard officials have opened a secret disciplinary investigation …
Vivek Ramaswamy / New York Times:
What Is an American? — There are two competing visions now emerging on the American right, and they are incompatible. One vision of American identity is based on lineage, blood and soil: Inherited attributes matter most. The purest form of an American is a so-called heritage American …
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Examiner, Mediaite and Raw Story
Jenny Goldsberry / Washington Examiner:
Trump allies promote Melania documentary — The release of the trailer for the documentary Melania on Wednesday was met with excitement from friends of the Trump family. — First lady Melania Trump shared the trailer on X, and it received over 1.6 million views in the first three hours.
The New York Editorial Board:
John Catsimatidis on Donald Trump, Immigration, and New York Republicans — John Catsimatidis — a businessman, Republican, political donor, radio host and station owner, 2013 candidate for New York City mayor, Donald Trump ally, and (former) Curtis Sliwa employer — spoke with The New York Editorial Board …
John Podhoretz / Commentary Magazine:
Norman Podhoretz, 1930-2025 — My father died tonight, December 16, a month shy of his 96th birthday. Norman Podhoretz passed peacefully and without pain, with a new translation of The Odyssey on his desk that had been sent to him by his friend Roger Hertog.
Discussion:
New York Times, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Plain Dealer, The Forward and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
Marist Poll:
2026 Economic Outlook, December 2025 — More Than Six in Ten Say Economy is Not Working for Them Personally.... Economic Pessimism for 2026 Widespread — Americans have serious concerns about the economy and how these larger economic forces will influence their personal finances in 2026.
Discussion:
PBS NewsHour, NPR, The Independent, Houston Public Media, New Jersey Online, Mediaite and Newsweek
Politico:
Appeals court clears way for Trump to keep National Guard on DC streets … In particular, the judges said it would be “constitutionally troubling” for the president to borrow National Guard troops from one state to conduct law enforcement missions in another “non-consenting” state.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Associated Press, Democracy Docket, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Hill, Bloomberg, UPI, Townhall, Washington Times and Law & Crime
Claire Thornton / The Boston Globe:
Faneuil Hall immigrant oath ceremonies were canceled due to ‘hateful’ Trump policies, Boston mayor says — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Tuesday condemned federal immigration authorities for turning people away earlier this month as they were preparing to take their citizenship oaths.
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money
Victoria Craw / Washington Post:
Marjorie Taylor Greene says ‘dam is breaking’ within GOP against Trump — In a CNN interview, the Georgia congresswoman said Trump's reaction to the death of Rob Reiner was “classless” and she didn't see the GOP winning in the midterms. … Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) …
David Gilbert / Wired:
The Most Powerful Politics Influencers Barely Post About Politics — New research shows that social media creators have enormous influence over their audiences' politics—especially those who don't normally share political content. — Donald Trump's appearances on the podcasts of Joe Rogan and Theo Von …
Dahlia Lithwick / Slate:
Why Are Democrats So Afraid to Even Mention the Source of Trump's Political Power? … Discussions of race are everywhere and nowhere in 2025. On one hand, President Donald Trump is openly insulting Somali immigrants, describing entire nations as “shithole” countries, and insisting …
Discussion:
Raw Story
