memeorandum: Nigeria's Buhari denies dying and being replaced by lookalike (Felix Onuah/Reuters)

11:25 PM ET, December 2, 2018

Top Items:

Jonathan Martin / New York Times:

Despite Big House Losses, G.O.P. Shows No Signs of Course Correction — WASHINGTON — With a brutal finality, the extent of the Republicans' collapse in the House came into focus last week as more races slipped away from them and their losses neared 40 seats.

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Hullabaloo and Political Wire

Andrew Restuccia / Politico:

The art of the G-20, by Donald Trump — President Donald Trump said his trade agreement with China was “one of the largest deals ever made.” He dubbed his new accord with Canada and Mexico the “most significant, modern and balanced trade agreement in history.”

Discussion: One America News Network and Hullabaloo

Julia Davis / The Daily Beast:

Putin's Media Roasts Trump: Russia ‘Should Spit’ on Him and the United States — The on-again-off-again non-meeting with Putin at the G20 was played for laughs in the Kremlin's official media—but with an angry edge. — Following the abrupt cancellation of Donald Trump's G20 meeting …

Discussion: One America News Network, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, CNN and KTLA

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

How December could define Trump — One night in Buenos Aires could define Donald Trump's presidency. Within a few hours, Trump telegraphed ambivalence about the two issues that have defined his time in politics: China and the wall. — Why it matters: Trump's comments mean the next three months may define his presidency.

Discussion: Politico, One America News Network and Raw Story

The White House:
Presidential Message on Hanukkah

Discussion: Breitbart, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Deadline

The White House:
Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding the President's Working Dinner with China

Discussion: NPR, CNBC, Zero Hedge, Bloomberg, Associated Press, Engadget, Mother Jones, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Daily Caller, IJR, BBC, CNN, HuffPost, RedState, New York Times and South China Morning Post

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Government shutdown on ice after Bush's death — Until George H.W. Bush's death on Friday, most of my GOP leadership and White House sources expected the government to partially shut down on Dec. 7, as Democrats won't give Trump the $5 billion he wants for his border wall.

Discussion: Politico and Talking Points Memo

Stuart Stevens / The Daily Beast: George H.W.'s World Modeled the American Greatness Trump Only Talks About

Thomas Boswell / Washington Post:
George H.W. Bush had a love of sports and an affinity for at least one sportswriter

Discussion: Axios, Politico, New York Times, The Atlantic and TheBlaze

Franklin Foer / The Atlantic:
The Last WASP President — The world overflows with affection …

Discussion: Washington Post, twitchy.com, ThinkProgress and Deadline

Ben Kamisar / NBC News:

Cohen cooperation is proof of Russian ‘leverage’ over Trump, incoming House Judiciary chairman says — “The time that he can get away with lying to the American people all the time and evading accountability is coming to an end,” Rep. Nadler said. — WASHINGTON — New York Democrat Jerry Nadler …

Discussion: Daily Kos, Mother Jones, twitchy.com, Contemptor and The Guardian

Kevin Breuninger / CNBC:
James Comey reaches deal with Congressional Republicans to testify about 2016 investigations, drops legal challenge

Discussion: New York Times, The Gateway Pundit, Bloomberg and ThinkProgress

Kelsey Tamborrino / Politico:
Blunt: Lying to Senate panel ‘a big mistake’

Discussion: Breitbart

Kris Schneider / ABC News:
Top House Intel committee Democrat says Trump and his business were ‘compromised’

Discussion: Washington Post, Breitbart, POLITICUSUSA, AOL, Politico and ThinkProgress

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

Feds plan unusual appeal in emoluments suit vs. Trump — The Justice Department is planning an unusual appeal to stop the governments of the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia from using a federal lawsuit to demand access to information about whether President Donald Trump is using …

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

The Patrician President and the Reporterette: a Screwball Story — My faithful correspondent, Poppy Bush, scribbling and typing notes through decades of history. — Nobody understood our relationship — least of all us. — It was, admittedly, odd. — “I like you,” the first President Bush wrote …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog

Felix Onuah / Reuters:

Nigeria's Buhari denies dying and being replaced by lookalike — ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's President Buhari on Sunday denied claims that he had died and been replaced by a Sudanese impostor, breaking his silence on a rumor that has circulated on social media for months.

Garry Kasparov / New York Daily News:

Trump first: U.S. foreign policy is now in the service of one man — President Trump's body flew to Argentina for the G20 meeting of national leaders on Friday, but his mind was clearly elsewhere. If Trump's Twitter account is a Fitbit of his mental health, his latest flurry of panicky tweets …

CNN:

Jamal Khashoggi's private WhatsApp messages may offer new clues to killing — London (CNN)In his public writings, Jamal Khashoggi's criticism of Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was measured. In private, the Washington Post columnist didn't hold back.

Discussion: The Week and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Washington Post:
Saudi crown prince exchanged messages with aide alleged to have overseen Khashoggi killing

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA

Barbie Latza Nadeau / The Daily Beast:

Pope Francis Goes Full Homophobic, Now ‘Very Worried’ About Homosexuality in the Church — Pope Francis once adorned the cover of Advocate magazine for his seemingly liberal stance on gay priests. Now he's changing his tune. — ROME—Remember back in 2013, shortly after Pope Francis …

Opheli Garcia Lawler / The Cut:

Michelle Obama Is Done With the Gospel of ‘Lean In’ — Michelle Obama set the record straight during an appearance at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday night, one of the many stops on her Becoming book tour. Speaking about work life balance, and finding a way to excel in your career and marriage …

Discussion: Axios and Mediaite

Jim Rutenberg / New York Times:

News Networks Fall Short on Climate Story as Dolphins Die on the Beach — NAPLES, Fla. — Most people from the Northeast move to Florida to get out of the cold. Colleen Gill came to Naples because she heard the call of the wild. — She had vacationed on this slice of coastal paradise for 20 years.

Sonja Sharp / Los Angeles Times:

New York is charmed by a stunning Mandarin duck that mysteriously ended up in Central Park … He was first spotted in early October, napping in the duck pond in Central Park. — “I never saw a bird like that in my life,” said 52-year-old Joe Amato of Queens, who was among the first to film him.

Genie Gratto / NBC News:

Sen. Kamala Harris nears decision on 2020 presidential bid — “Over the holiday, I will make that decision with my family,” she told Mika Brzezinski at the Know Your Value conference in San Francisco on Saturday. — Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris of California announced on Saturday …

Discussion: Washington Post, AOL and Axios

Quint Forgey / Politico:
Harris to make 2020 decision ‘over the holiday’

Discussion: VTDigger, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and CNN

Alissa J. Rubin / New York Times:

Macron Returns to Turmoil, as France Weighs State of Emergency — PARIS — President Emmanuel Macron returned to France on Sunday from a summit meeting in Argentina to find his country in turmoil after a day of violent protests, surveying the destruction for himself even as his government weighed declaring a state of emergency.

Discussion: Townhall and The Atlantic

Alex Seitz-Wald / NBC News:

Obama aides say Beto O'Rourke reminds them of the ex-president. Obama agrees. — Ex-staffers have reached out to the Texas Democrat to offer advice — and encouragement — as he weighs a bid for the White House. — WASHINGTON — Rep. Beto O'Rourke may have lost in Texas, but he's winning in Obamaland.

Discussion: Political Wire

William March / Tampa Bay Times:

Ross Spano acknowledges possible ‘violation’ of campaign finance law — The newly elected congressman made a news release Saturday. — Newly elected congressman Ross Spano has acknowledged that his campaign financing “may have been in violation” of federal law.

Washington Post:

‘Twists but no plot’: Trump's diminishing foreign travel reflects a president scaling back foreign ambition — After midterm elections in which their party loses political power in Washington, American presidents have traditionally used foreign travel to change the subject and more easily flex their executive muscle.

Discussion: Raw Story

Adam Behsudi / Politico:

Trump says he will withdraw from NAFTA, pressuring Congress to approve new trade deal — ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — President Donald Trump said Saturday he intends to formally notify Canada and Mexico of his intention to withdraw from the nearly 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement in six months.

Discussion: ABC News and Splinter