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'I'm Urging You Not to Run': How Schumer Pushed Biden to Drop Out — The New York senator, who swallowed concerns for months and then dragged his feet on sharing them with President Biden, ultimately told him he risked going down as one of the “darkest figures.”
Discussion:
Power Line and The Daily Caller
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Biden says he spent too much time on policy, not enough on politics — President Biden said that he spent too much time on policy and not enough time on politics while reflecting on his presidency in his final interview just days away from leaving office. — Biden sat down with MSNBC host …
Discussion:
CNN, HuffPost, Fox News, Deadline, Raw Story, Deseret News, New York Post, Washington Examiner, DNyuz and PoliticusUSA

How Biden Destroyed His Legacy — The president's accomplishments are considerable, but on his signature issue of preserving democracy, he failed spectacularly. — During his four years in office, Joe Biden notched significant legislative victories with the narrowest of majorities in the Senate.
Discussion:
HuffPost, Associated Press, Washington Examiner, New York Times, CBS News, Breitbart, Reuters and The Japan Times

‘One of the great tragedies of American politics’: Biden ends 5 decades in public life — Biden leaves behind a complicated legacy of legislative wins and economic gains, along with a trail of fractured relationships and grievances within his own party. — Joe Biden ascended to the highest office …
Discussion:
Mediaite and Chronicles

1/17/25 ☀️ AM: — Freedom Caucus-backed freshmen aren't joining hardline group yet — Cocktails & Conversation: Inauguration 2025 — Democrats' TikTok dilemma … Democrats thought they'd be able to back the Chinese government into a corner with legislation forcing the sale of TikTok …
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Biden administration has no plans to fine companies if TikTok ban goes into effect
Discussion:
Reason, Forbes, Iowa Capital Dispatch and RTI Radio Taiwan International
ABC News:
Biden administration will leave it to Trump to implement TikTok ban
Biden administration will leave it to Trump to implement TikTok ban
Discussion:
The Verge, Forbes, DNyuz, New York Post, SheKnows, Daily Mail, Variety, Althouse, The Post Millennial, Bloomberg and Reuters, more at Techmeme »
Sophia Cai / Politico:
TikTok to sponsor Trump inauguration party
TikTok to sponsor Trump inauguration party
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, @amuse and New York Times

Biden to Commute Sentences of Nearly 2,500 Drug Offenders — The action, aimed at inmates who received harsher sentences based on old disparities in drug laws, will be the broadest commutation of individual sentences ever issued by a U.S. president. — President Biden announced on Friday …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Fox News, NBC News, Washington Examiner, Scripps News, USA Today, The Hill, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, NPR and DNyuz
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The White House:
Statement from President Joe Biden on Additional Clemency Actions — Today, I am commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses who are serving disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Washington Examiner, UPI, DNyuz and Power Line

Eric Adams Heads to Mar-a-Lago to Meet With Trump — The New York mayor, who is under federal indictment, has spoken warmly about President-elect Donald J. Trump in recent weeks and has said he is open to receiving a pardon from him. — Mayor Eric Adams of New York City was on his way to Florida …
Discussion:
The official website …, The City, The Hill, Axios, abc7NY, Mediaite, USA Today, New York Daily News, New York Magazine, ABC News, Raw Story, New York Post and Washington Examiner
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Pamela Paul Is Out at the Times Opinion Section — The New York Times Opinion section is negotiating the exit of columnist Pamela Paul, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Her impending departure is part of a handful of job cuts being made at the section.

Doris Kearns Goodwin: ‘The robber barons probably thought they were God too’ — The presidential biographer on tech titans, what Trump could learn from Lincoln and why she remains optimistic about America — Doris Kearns Goodwin is already seated in the foyer, bantering with a well-wisher, when I arrive a few minutes early.
The White House:
Statement from President Joe Biden on the Next Fifteen Drugs Selected for Medicare Drug Price Negotiation — Today, I'm proud to announce that my Administration has selected the next 15 drugs for Medicare drug price negotiation. The drugs treat conditions such as diabetes and cancer, and seniors across the country rely on them.

Trump selections for top jobs advance, despite initial controversy — No lawmakers have said they will oppose Hegseth, though a handful have not made their intentions clear.

Giuliani Keeps His Home in Settlement of Defamation Case — The former mayor of New York City was at risk of forfeiting his sole remaining home, a Palm Beach apartment, to election workers he defamed after the 2020 vote. — Rudolph W. Giuliani has reached a settlement with two Georgia election workers …
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New York Daily News, The Hill, Associated Press, DNyuz, The Guardian, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, UPI, Law & Crime, Politico, Business Insider, Courthouse News Service, CBS News, Axios, Washington Post, NPR, New York Post, Forbes, The Post Millennial, ABC News, New Republic and Progress Pond
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Jonathan Taplin on our new Trumpian oligarchy — “It's just people who are craven cowards bowing down and kissing the ring.” — ∙ Paid — 🧑💻 Subscribe to Public Notice 🧑💻 — As you've probably noticed by now, it's discount season on big tech billionaires.

This Storm-Battered Town Voted for Trump. He Has Vowed to Overturn the Law That Could Fix Its Homes. — Cynthia Robertson could be forgiven for feeling that the banner was aimed at her. Its white-on-black lettering — “FUCK BIDEN AND FUCK YOU FOR VOTING FOR HIM” — hung from the wooden house right across the street from her own.
Discussion:
Arizona Mirror

Trump Picks a Jet-Setting Pal of Elon Musk to Go Get Greenland — Negotiations over an 836,000-square-mile island may fall to a close friend of Elon Musk with experience in deal-making. Just not that kind of deal-making. — Ken Howery is a quiet, unassuming tech investor who prioritizes discretion.
Discussion:
Townhall

Scoop: Trump team sweats McConnell's vote on Tulsi Gabbard … - Gabbard's team isn't banking on McConnell's vote, sources tell Axios. — McConnell is studiously avoiding public or private indications that he'll support Trump's nominees, three people familiar with the matter tell Axios.
Discussion:
Raw Story, New Jersey Online and Townhall

FBI closed DEI office in December, agency says — EXCLUSIVE: The FBI has closed its DEI office, Fox News can confirm. — “In recent weeks, the FBI took steps to close the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), effective by December 2024,” the agency told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

An Expert in Grand Strategy Thinks Trump Is on to Something — Do you want a future in which Canada defects to the EU, Russia rules the Arctic and China runs Latin America? That's the default outcome of non-action. — Our inbound president Donald Trump generates torrents of diplomatic angst …

Fetterman was elected to challenge convention. Now, he's challenging his fellow Democrats — When Democrat John Fetterman got elected to Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate seat, many backers hoped he'd challenge convention and the status quo. He did and has — just not in the way many had expected.
Discussion:
The Hill, USA Today, The Daily Beast and Townhall

Trump inauguration signals a warmer tone than 2017 … - There's a “One America, One Light” prayer service for Trump donors and a “Candlelight Dinner,” also for donors. … - “Light signifies hope, it signifies a new beginning, it signifies a pathway forward.
Discussion:
The Hill and Fox Business

Donald Trump taps Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson and Jon Voight to be Hollywood ‘ambassadors’ — Lights, camera, action. — President-elect Donald Trump tapped a group of well-known actors to become “special ambassadors” − not to represent the U.S. overseas but rather at home.
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Mike Johnson faces bipartisan shock, fury for ousting Intel chair … - Turner's replacement is Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), who is closer to MAGA world on issues like Ukraine, Axios' Hans Nichols reported. … - “This is not a President Trump decision. … - “It's a new Congress.
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Politico, The Hill, Jewish Insider, Breitbart, Esquire, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, New York Post, New York Times, USA Today, HuffPost, Plain Dealer, NPR, ABC News, Bloomberg, NBC News and Mediaite

Trump's official portrait released - and it looks like his mugshot — Unlike his smiling photo from his first term, Trump is seen glaring at the camera like he does in the image taken at Fulton County Jail — The official US presidential and vice-presidential portraits of Donald Trump …
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Althouse, Spectrum News NY1, PinkNews, CNBC, Sky News Australia, Twitchy, New Republic, HuffPost, The Guardian, al.com, USA Today, Digby's Hullabaloo, The Hill, Daily Kos, Metro.co.uk, RedState, Axios, ABC News, The Independent, Fox News and The Gateway Pundit

Stephen Miller, Channeling Trump, Has Built More Power Than Ever … In less than a decade, Stephen Miller has risen from an anti-immigrant agitator on Capitol Hill to one of the most powerful unelected people in America.Doug Mills/The New York Times — When Stephen Miller met with Mark Zuckerberg …
Discussion:
NBC News, Fortune, New York Post, Politico and Raw Story, more at Techmeme »

Trump's attorney general pick owned at least $3.9 million in Truth Social stock and made $1 million as a lobbyist last year — Pam Bondi owned $3.9 million in Truth Social stock as of mid-December, per financial documents. — She also earned more than $1 million last year from lobbying.