December 2018

Trump Foundation

• Trump Foundation to shut down amid lawsuit (Al Jazeera)
• Donald Trump’s troubled charity foundation to shut down (BBC)
• Trump Foundation To Dissolve Amid New York Attorney General’s Investigation by Brian Naylor (NPR)

Russia Investigations / Mueller / Flynn

• Russian operatives targeted Robert Mueller to discredit investigation into Trump, Senate report reveals by Tony Romm, Craig Timberg, Elizabeth Dwoskin (Independent)
• Michael Flynn: Judge suggests ex-Trump aide ‘sold out’ US (BBC)
• Judge blasts Trump ex-adviser Flynn, delays sentencing (Al Jazeera)
• Michael Flynn Sentencing Delayed So He Can Cooperate Further With Mueller Probe by Russ Choma (Mother Jones)
• Federal Judge Delays Michael Flynn Sentencing After Plea Of Lying To Feds by Carrie Johnson, Philip Ewing (NPR)
• Fox News’ Judge Napolitano: Trump may have already been secretly indicted by Matthew Rozsa (Salon)
• Michael Flynn’s Lawyers Appear to Have Badly Miscalculated by Natasha Bertrand, Madeleins Carlisle (The Atlantic)
• New details emerge in secret grand jury case reportedly tied to Mueller — but it’s not what anyone expected by Cody Fenwick (AlterNet)
• Opinion: Two new developments again confirm that Trump’s defenses are cracking by Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent (Washington Post)
• Lying To The FBI? Sarah Huckabee Sanders Hints That Trump Doesn’t Care If He’s Not Involved by Alan Jude Ryland (Hill Reporter)
• ‘I can’t hide my disgust, my disdain’: judge lambasts Michael Flynn by Stephanie Kirchgaessner (Guardian)
• Analysis: The White House implied Trump cares about Cohen’s lies, but not Flynn’s, because Cohen’s directly implicated the president by John Haltiwanger (Business Insider)
• Blaming the Deep State: Officials Accused of Wrongdoing Adopt Trump’s Response by Julian E. Barnes, Adam Goldman and Charlie Savage (NY Times)

Gun Control

• The Trump administration just announced an actual step forward on gun control by Alex Henderson (AlterNet)
• Trump administration moves to ban bump stock firearm devices (Al Jazeera)
• Justice Department Bans Bump Stocks, Devices Used In Deadly Las Vegas Shooting by Ryan Lucas (NPR)
• Trump school shooting report mentions ‘gun control’ just twice — but spends entire chapter analysing media coverage of shootings by Clark Mindock (Independent)
• Trump school safety group backs off his call to arm trained teachers by Kimberly Hefling (Politico)

Other News

• Republicans Killed Much Of Obamacare Without Repealing It by Perry Bacon Jr. (FiveThirtyEight)
• Trump launches unprecedented reelection machine by Alex Isenstadt (Politico)
• Bonkers New Trump Campaign Ad Begs Supporters To Call And Thank Him by Ed Mazza (Huffington Post)
• Trump’s White House Will Have to Go Green Under DC’s New Clean Energy Plan by Marisa Endicott (Mother Jones)
• Trump Revives U.S. Space Command As Pence Unveils Plan In Florida by Bill Chappell (NPR)
• National Enquirer likely has damaging unpublished stories on President Donald Trump and his family by Bob Brigham (Salon)
• Russian Trolls and the Trump Campaign Both Tried to Depress Black Turnout by David A. Graham (The Atlantic)
• Trump backs off $5bn border wall demand to avoid government shutdown by Sarah Harvard (Independent)
• Trump retreats on shutdown by Alexander Bolton and Damian Jordan (The Hill)
• Trump Wants Feds To ‘Feel The Market’ Instead Of Using ‘Meaningless Numbers’ by James Kosur (Hill Reporter)
• Shutdown threat recedes as Trump softens stance on wall by Lisa Mascaro, Matthew Daly and Catherine Lucey (AP)
• Blind creature that buries head in sand named after Donald Trump by Damian Carrington (Guardian)

Opinion

• Trump made the conservative dream of remaking the federal judiciary true by Andrew Gawthorpe (Guardian)

Russia Investigations / Mueller / Giuliani / Flynn

• A Complete Guide to All 17 (Known) Trump and Russia Investigations by Garrett M. Graff (Wired)
• Rudy Giuliani for the Defense by Andrew Kragie (The Atlantic)
• Robert Mueller’s Legal Masterpiece by Matt Ford (The New Republic)
• Donald Trump’s Lawyer Is His Own Worst Enemy by Eric Lutz (Vanity Fair)
• Russia’s Pro-Trump Disinformation Campaign Used Every Major Social Media Platform by Daniel Politi (Slate)
• Maria Butina situation suggests men can’t be trusted with power at all — here’s why by Amanda Marcotte (AlterNet)
• Bijan Rafiekian: Michael Flynn’s former business partner charged over conspiracy to act as foreign government agent by Clark Mindock (Indepenent)
• Flynn business associates charged with illegally lobbying for Turkish government by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• New Reports Detail Expansive Russia Disinformation Scheme Targeting U.S. by Ryan Lucas (NPR)
• Michael Flynn’s Business Partner Indicted Ahead of Trump Aide’s Sentencing by Ryan J. Reilly (Huffington Post)
• Analysis: A look at where the investigations related to Trump stand (AP)
• Russian propagandists targeted African Americans to influence 2016 US election by Jon Swaine (Guardian)
• New report on Russian disinformation, prepared for the Senate, shows the operation’s scale and sweep by Craig Timburg and Tony Romm (Washington Post)

Border Wall / Government Shutdown

• Here’s What Would Happen If The Government Shuts Down This Week by Brian Naylor (NPR)
• Standoff over Trump border wall puts U.S. Congress in budget ‘pickle’ by Richard Cowan, Amanda Becker (Reuters)
• With a shutdown on the horizon, retiring House Republicans are simply not showing up for work by Addy Baird (ThinkProgress)
• Trump pitches border wall, rips Dems as shutdown deadline nears by Michael Burkle (The Hill)
• The White House Isn’t Flinching Over Its $5 Billion Border Wall Demand as Possible Shutdown Looms by Hope Yen (TIME)

Healthcare / Obamacare

• What You Need To Know About The Affordable Care Act After Texas Ruling by Daniella Cheslow (NPR)
• Trump says he would work with Democrats on ‘great’ replacement if Obamacare is scrapped by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• Trump: Supreme Court striking down ObamaCare ‘will lead to GREAT’ health care by Brett Samuels (The Hill)

Khashoggi

• Khashoggi murder: Saudi Arabia rejects US Senate vote blaming crown prince for journalist’s killing by Zamira Rahim (Independent)
• Saudi Arabia rejects U.S. resolution condemning Khashoggi murder by Elham Khatami (ThinkProgress)
• Saudi Arabia rebukes US Senate over Khashoggi resolution by Patrick Wintour (The Guardian)

Other News

• Trump ups pressure on Fed to hold off on rate hikes (Politico)
• Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers ‘Not Interested’ in Interior Post by Emily Kopp ((Roll Call)

Analysis

• As Trump Comes Apart, Can Democrats Come Together? by Robert Kuttner (The American Prospect)
• If Trump doesn’t like SNL’s sketches about him, he really shouldn’t turn on European TV by Rick Noack (Washington Post)

Mueller / Russia Investigations / Giuliani

• Giuliani on Trump interview with Mueller: ‘Over my dead body’ by Connor O’Brien (Politico)
• Giuliani: ‘I can produce 20 witnesses’ to defend hush money payments by Quint Forgey (Politico)
• Trump: Cohen only became a ‘rat’ after FBI ‘broke into’ office by Brett Samuels (The Hill)
• New report on Russian disinformation, prepared for the Senate, shows the operation’s scale and sweep by Craig Timburg and Tony Romm (Washington Post)
• Rudy Giuliani: 20 People Knew About Trump’s Hush Money Payments by Jamilah King (Mother Jones)
• Opinion: More Powerful Than a Russian Troll Army: The National Enquirer by Jim Rutenberg (NY Times)

Other News

• Anti-abortion clinics tapping into federal funds under Trump by Victoria Colliver (Politico)
• Trump Threatens to Sue “Saturday Night Live” over “It’s a Wonderful Life” Parody by Jamilah King (Mother Jones)
• Turkey says Trump working on extraditing wanted cleric Gulen (Reuters)
• Trump: ‘Unfair’ coverage should be tested in courts by Kyle Balluck (The Hill)
• Former fossil fuels lobbyist to head interior department as Zinke exits by Emily Holden (The Guardian)
• White House closer to partial shutdown with wall demand by Hope Yen (AP)
• ACA ruling creates new anxieties for consumers and the health-care industry by Amy Goldstein (Washington Post)
• White House prepares for shutdown as both sides dig in over Trump’s wall by Erica Werner, Damian Paletta, and Lisa Rein (Washington Post)
• Trump Hails a Soldier the Army Just Charged with Murder as a “Military Hero” by Cling Hendler (Mother Jones)
• Stephen Miller Doubles Down on Trump’s Promise to Shut Down the Government by Jamilah King (Mother Jones)
• Trump Defends Himself by Citing Rod Blagojevich, the Impeached and Imprisoned Illinois Governor by Jamilah King (Mother Jones)
• Poll: Two-thirds of Iowa Republicans say they would vote to reelect Trump by Justin Wise (The Hill)
• Trump ‘to review’ Mathew Golsteyn Afghan murder case (BBC)
• Five things to know about the Trump inauguration investigation by Olivia Beavers (The Hill)
• Trump adviser Stephen Miller threatens to do “whatever is necessary to build the border wall” by Matthew Rosza (Salon)
• Twist in Green Beret’s Extraordinary Story: Trump’s Intervention After Murder Charges by Helene Cooper, Michael Tackett, and Taimoor Shah (NY Times)

Opinion

• National Enquirer: Trump scandal shows the need for accountability by Emily Bell (The Guardian)
• I led the National Park Service. Ryan Zinke leaves lasting damage by Jonathan B. Jarvis (The Guardian)
• What the President Could Do If He Declares a State of Emergency by Elizabeth Goitein (Atlantic)

Zinke

• Trump: Interior Secretary Zinke to step down at end of year (Al Jazeera)
• Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, under cloud of scandal, forced out by Eli Stokols (LA Times)
• Ryan Zinke Is Resigning, and the Internet’s Reaction Is Priceless by Jackie Flynn Mogensen (Mother Jones)
• Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Will Step Down Amid Ethics Probes by Daniel Politi (Slate)
• Ryan Zinke Is Leaving The Interior Department, Trump Tweets by Nathan Rott (NPR)
• As Zinke departs, Trump says he will name new interior secretary next week by Lesley Wroughton (Reuters)
• Zinke’s Likely Successor Is a Former Oil Lobbyist Who Has Influenced Trump’s Energy Policy by Coral Davenport (NY Times)

Obamacare / ACA

• Republicans Will Finally Get Obamacare in Front of Trump’s Supreme Court Justices by Luke Darby (GQ)
• Federal Judge Rules Obama’s Affordable Care Act Is Unconstitutional by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar (TIME)
• The Affordable Care Act Is Not Dead Yet by Jordan Weissmann (Slate)
• Obamacare ruling delivers new shock to health system by Dan Diamond (Politico)
• As Judge Rules Obamacare Unconstitutional, Democrats Seethe, Republicans Stay Mum by Ian Stewart (NPR)
• Trump hails judge’s ruling against Obamacare as ‘great’ by Caroline Stauffer, Dan Wiessner, Lesley Wroughton, Katanga Johnson, Kevin Drawbaugh, and Daniel Wiessner (Reuters)
• Analysis: Legal experts rip judge’s rationale for declaring Obamacare law invalid by Devlin Barrett (Washington Post)
• GOP feels heat in wake of Obamacare ruling: ‘It’s all the downsides’ by Paul Demco and Adam Cancryn (Politico)

Mueller / Russia Investigations

• Analysis: The Russia Investigations: A Case Still Unproven by Philip Ewing (NPR)
• Trump Says Media Is Ignoring the “REAL Story on Russia” by Jeremy Schulman (Mother Jones)
• Robert Mueller Is Pressing To Interview Trump After President’s Written Answers: CNN by Mary Papenfuss (Huffington Post)

Other News

• Trump names new acting chief of staff (BBC)
• Washington Sends the Saudis a Long-Overdue Bill by Samuel Oakford (The Atlantic)
• How Schumer united Dems against Trump’s wall by Burgess Everett (Politico)
• White House prepares for shutdown as GOP lawmakers struggle for an alternative by Erica Werner, Damian Paletta, and Lisa Rein (Washington Post)
• Tenants today are reportedly still paying for a Trump family tax scheme from the 1990s by Rachel Withers (Vox)
• President Trump Makes Surprise Visit to Arlington National Cemetery for Holiday Commemoration by AP (TIME)

Analysis

• As the Trumps Dodged Taxes, Their Tenants Paid a Price by Russ Beuttner and Suzanne Craig (NY Times)

Mueller Investigation / Cohen / Hush Money

• Mueller Filings: FBI Not to Blame For False Statements Made by Michael Flynn by Eric Tucker (TIME)
• Cohen says Trump knew hush money payment was wrong (BBC)
• Cohen: “Of Course” Trump Knew Hush-Money Payments Were Wrong by Inae Oh (Mother Jones)
• Michael Cohen On Trump In TV Interview: ‘The Man Doesn’t Tell The Truth’ by Bill Chappell, Ryan Lucas (NPR)
• Secret grand jury hearing — reportedly tied to Mueller — forces officials to clear an entire floor of a DC court building by David Badash (AlterNet)
• Trump’s worst legal nightmare isn’t Robert Mueller: Meet Letitia James by Alex Henderson (AlterNet)
• Robert Mueller’s team fires back at Michael Flynn’s attacks on the FBI by Cody Fenwick (AlterNet)
• Reporters shooed away as mystery Mueller subpoena fight rages on by Darren Samuelsohn, Josh Gerstein (Politico)
• Mueller: FBI agents didn’t dupe Flynn by Kyle Cheney (Politico)
• Mueller investigation: Special counsel attacks Flynn criticism of FBI interview by Andrew Buncombe (Independent)
• Mueller probe has cost more than $25M so far by Lydia Wheeler (The Hill)
• Exclusive: Paul Manafort advised White House on how to attack and discredit investigation of President Trump by Murray Waas (Vox)
• Opinion: Sorry, President Trump, collusion IS a crime by Seth B. Waxman (CNN)
• FBI releases part of Russia dossier summary used to brief Trump, Obama by Josh Gerstein, Kyle Cheney (Politico)

Immigration / Border

• The White House Is Committed to Its War on Immigrant Children by Jay Willis (GQ)
• Trump considers delaying border wall fight until January by Eliana Johnson, Burgess Everett, Rachael Bade (Politico)
• ICE arrests of immigrants in U.S. illegally highest since 2014: agency by Yeganeh Torbati (Reuters)
• Trump administration denying federal housing assistance to DACA recipients: report by John Bowden (The Hill)
• Agency Policing Tent City for Immigrant Kids Lacks Experience Investigating Sex Crimes Involving Children by Topher Sanders and Michael Grabell (ProPublica)
• U.S. government watchdog to probe child’s death after border arrest by Yeganeh Torbati, Andrew Hay (Reuters)

Chief of Staff / Mulvaney

• Christie says he doesn’t want to be Trump’s chief of staff by Nancy Cook, Matthew Choi (Politico)
• Trump names budget director Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff by Philip Rucker, Josh Dawsey, and Damian Paletta (Washington Post)
• Trump Names Mick Mulvaney as Chief of Staff. Er, “Acting” Chief of Staff. by Molly Olmstead (Slate)
• President Trump Names Mick Mulvaney As Acting White House Chief Of Staff by Jessica Taylor (NPR)
• Trump picks Mulvaney as chief of staff – for now by Roberta Rampton, Steve Holland (Reuters)

Obamacare

• Obamacare enrollment continues despite judge striking down the law by Tammy Luhby (CNN)
• A Republican Federal Judge Just Sided With Trump and Ruled That Obamacare Is Unconstitutional by Stephanie Mencimer (Mother Jones)
• Federal Judge Strikes Down Affordable Care Act As Unconstitutional by Richarcd Gonzales (NPR)

Inaugural Spending

• Ivanka Trump played an undisclosed role funneling inauguration funds to the family business — raising the ‘potential for undue enrichment’ by Ilya Marritz, Justin Elliot (AlterNet)
• Schiff says House Intelligence panel will examine possible foreign funding of Trump’s inaugural committee by Tom Hamburger and Michael Kranish (Washington Post)
• The Trump Organization Tried to Massively Overcharge Trump’s Own Inaugural Committee for Hotel Space, LOL by Ben Mathis-Lilley (Slate)

Other News

• California’s chief justice quits the Republican Party over Kavanaugh by Ian Millhiser (ThinkProgress)
• Maria Butina Claimed to Have a “Signed Cooperation Agreement” With the National Rifle Association by Mike Spies, Uri Blau, Mark Follman (Mother Jones)
• Trump crows as China buys another 300K tons of U.S. soybeans by Doug Palmer (Politico)
• Eight newly elected Dem governors miss meeting with Trump by Chris Mills Rodrigo (The Hill)
• Trump lawyers try to halt evidence collection in emoluments case by Tax Axelrod (The Hill)
• Wisconsin’s Scott Walker Signs Bills Stripping Powers From Incoming Governor by Mitch Smith and Monica Davey (NY Times)
• New Jersey Attorney General Probes Immigrant Harassment At Trump Golf Course: Reports by Mary Papenfuss (Huffington Post)

Analysis

• Trump’s Ability to Manipulate the News Cycle by Elaina Plott (The Atlantic)
• Challenging judges’ orders, Trump aims to enlist Supreme Court by Andrew Chung (Reuters)

Inauguration Spending

• Federal prosecutors probing Trump inauguration spending: report (Al Jazeera)
• Manhattan federal prosecutors are now investigating Trump’s shady inauguration spending and potential criminal bribes: report by Cody Fenwick (AlterNet)
• Report: Trump Inaugural Committee Under Investigation for Possible Finance Crimes by Molly Olmstead (Slate)
• Trump inauguration spending ‘under criminal investigation’ after materials seized in Cohen case by Chris Riotta (Independent)
• The Trump inauguration is now being criminally investigated by Andrew Prokop (Vox)

Mueller Investigation / Cohen / Hush Money

• What You Need To Know About Another Wild Week In The Russia Investigation by Philip Ewing (NPR)
• Trump Denies Directing Cohen to “Break the Law” by Inae Oh (Mother Jones)
• Did Michael Flynn Try to Strike a Grand Bargain With Moscow as it Attacked the 2016 Election? by David Corn, Dan Friedman (Mother Jones)
• Trump ducks for legal cover after Cohen sentencing by Caitlin Oprysko, Josh Gerstein, Darren Samuelsohn (Politico)
• Trump responds to former lawyer Michael Cohen’s bombshell claims in rambling Twitter denial by Chris Riotta, Tombury-Dennis (Independent)
• Russia probe expands to the Middle East: Robert Mueller reportedly looking at Trump’s ties to Saudis by Tom Boggioni (Salon)
• It’s Only Breaking the Law If You Say the Words “Let’s Break the Law” Out Loud, President Suggests by Ben Mathis-Lilly (Slate)
• Analysis: Everything Trump Did Before Entering Office That Could Justify Impeachment by Frank Bowen (Slate)
• Analysis: Evaluating Trump’s latest legal defense on the 2016 hush-money payments by Philip Bump (Washington Post)
• Michael Cohen emerges as a valuable asset as prosecutors open a criminal probe into Trump’s inauguration spending by Sonam Sheth (Business Insider)
• Trump Defends Hush-Money Payments In Fox News Interview by Scott Horsley (NPR)
• President Trump Is Said to Have Been in the Room During Hush-Money Meeting by Patricia Hurtado, Shahien Hasiripour (TIME)
• Intel panel expects to refer more cases of suspected lying to Mueller by Morgan Chalfant (The Hill)
• Ex-US attorney: Mueller ‘absolutely’ has Trump’s tax returns by Owen Daughterty (The Hill)

Maria Butina

• Maria Butina’s plea is the worst news ever for Trump by Lucian K. Truscott IV (Salon)
• Maria Butina Pleads Guilty to Participating in a Russian Conspiracy Against the US by Hannah Levintova (Mother Jones)
• Maria Butina Guilty In Foreign Agent Case, Admits Clandestine Influence Scheme by Carrie Johnson, Philip Ewing (NPR)
• Maria Butina Admits She Worked as Russian Secret Agent to Infiltrate NRA by Polly Mosendz, Greg Farrell, Andrew Harris, Erik Larson (TIME)
• Read: accused Russian spy Maria Butina’s plea agreement by Jen Kirby (Vox)
• Maria Butina Pleads Guilty to Role in a Russian Effort to Influence Conservatives by Matthew Rosenberg (NY Times)
• Maria Butina’s Defiant Plea and Yet Another Russian Ploy by Natasha Bertrand (The Atlantic)

Immigration / Border

• Judges Ask ICE to Make Courts Off Limits To Immigration Arrests by Matthew S. Schwartz (NPR)
• Almost 15,000 Migrant Children Now Held At Nearly Full Shelters by John Burnett (NPR)
• Trump back to saying Mexico will pay for wall, after threatening to shut government over funding it by Ryan Koronowski (ThinkProgress)
• Trump claims new trade pact will ensure Mexico pays for border wall by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• Trump says trade deal pays for border wall, Democrats scoff by Doina Chiacu, Anthony Esposito (Reuters)
• Trump administration could deport thousands of Vietnamese refugees after immigration rules changed by Tim Wyatt (Independent)
• Trump administration may target Vietnamese refugees for deportation under new rules by Igot Derysh (Salon)
• The Border Wall Is Going to Be an Environmental Disaster by Luke Darby (GQ)
• Migrant caravan: Girl dies in custody after crossing US-Mexico border (BBC)
• 7-Year-Old Migrant Girl Dies Of Dehydration And Shock In Border Patrol Custody by Richard Gonzales (NPR)

Khashoggi / Saudi Arabia

• Senate votes to condemn Saudi crown prince for Khashoggi killing, end support for Yemen war by Karoun Demirjian (Washington Post)
• Washington Post to run full-page ad on Khashoggi killing by Jason Schwartz (Politico)
• Senate passes resolution naming crown prince ‘responsible’ for Khashoggi slaying by Jordain Carney (The Hill)
• Outraged over Khashoggi’s murder, Senate votes to end U.S. support of Saudi Arabia in Yemen war by D. Parvaz (ThinkProgress)
• Senate votes to end US military support for Saudis in Yemen by Julian Borger (The Guardian)

Other News

• US magazine National Enquirer admits paying off Playboy model to protect Trump’s 2016 election campaign by Mike McIntire, Charlie Savage, Jim Rutennberg (Indendent)
• How a Compromise on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal Paves the Way Forward for Progressives by Kara Voght (Mother Jones)
• Senate passes compromise bill to combat sexual harassment on Capitol Hill by Marianne Levine (Politico)
• Melania Trump Attacks Media as ‘Opportunists,’ but Admits She Sometimes Disagrees With Husband’s ‘Tone’ by Mahita Gajanan (TIME)
• Trump ‘cancels’ White House Christmas party for journalists, as feud with media escalates by Tom Embury-Dennis (Independent)
• Trump cancels White House holiday party for press: report by Emily Birnbaum (The Hill)
• Oil company played major role in influencing car emissions rollback by Miranda Green (The Hill)
• Trump Moves to Gut the Clean Water Act by Michelle Chen (The Nation)
• Melania Trump’s approval rating drops 11 points in CNN poll by Matthew Choi (Politico)
• DeVos cancels $150M in student loan debt after losing court battle by Michael Stratford (Politico)
• House Democrats to seek Trump tax returns: Pelosi by Ginger Gibson (Reuters)
• Trump administration asks Supreme Court to temporarily allow transgender military ban by Lydia Wheeler (The Hill)
• Trump Considering Son-In-Law Jared Kushner For Next Chief Of Staff by S.V. Date (Huffington Post)
• Trump Is Considering Jared Kushner for Chief of Staff Because He’s Been So Good at Everything Else by Elliot Hannon (Slate)

Analysis

• The Oil Industry’s Covert Campaign to Rewrite American Car Emissions Rules by Hiroko Tabuchi (NY Times)

Mueller Investigation / Cohen

• Michael Cohen’s Three-Year Prison Sentence Should Make Donald Trump Very Nervous by Jay Willis (GQ)
• Michael Flynn Asks To Avoid Prison Because He Cooperated With Russia Investigation by Liza Hearon (Huffington Post)
• Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen sentenced to three years in prison (Al Jazeera)
• What Trump’s Attorney General Pick Could Mean For The Mueller Investigation by Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux (FiveThirtyEight)
• Michael Cohen blames Trump’s ‘dirty deeds’ as he is jailed (BBC)
• Michael Cohen Sentenced To 3 Years In Prison Following Plea That Implicated Trump by Ryan Lucas, Philip Ewing (NPR)
• Trump Warns Republicans Would “Revolt” Over Impeachment by Eric Lutz (Vanity Fair)
• Trump Says “the People Would Revolt” if He Were Impeached by Molly Olmstead (Slate)
• Butina’s Boyfriend Admits to Setting up Trump-Russia Backchannel via the NRA by Melissa Stusinski (Hill Reporter)
• Trump ex-lawyer Cohen given three years in prison, blames ‘blind loyalty’ by Brendan Pierson, Nathan Layne, and Karen Freifeld (Reuters)
• Trump’s Latest Claims About His Hush Payments to Two Women Just Crumbled by Dan Friedman (Mother Jones)

Khashoggi

• Khashoggi murder: Trump says he stands by Saudi crown prince (Al Jazeera)
• Mike Pompeo gets grilled on Fox News, undercuts CIA intelligence on Khashoggi murder by Matthew Rozsa (Salon)
• Khashoggi murder: US needs to have ‘serious, hard talk’ with Saudi Arabia, says Trump’s UN envoy by Clémence Michallon (Independent)

Border

• On the border, Trump’s wall pledge casts long shadow by Patrick Strickland (Al Jazeera)
• Trump, Pelosi and Schumer bicker over border wall (BBC)
• ICE Detained This Outspoken Activist. Here’s What She Had to Say the Day Before a Judge Ordered Her Deportation by Danielle Campoamor (Teen Vogue)
• Trump Won’t Win a Shutdown Over the Border Wall by William Saletan (Slate)
• Trump Uses France Terror Attack To Push For His Border Wall by Nina Golgowski (Huffington Post)
• Nearly 70 Ex-Judges Want ICE To End Immigration Arrests At Courthouses by AP (Huffington Post)
• Donald Trump’s shutdown theater: It’s ludicrous, but not entirely clueless by Amanda Marcotte (Salon)
• Trump doesn’t want the wall. He wants a fight about the wall. by Ezra Klein (Vox)
• How Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer got Trump to own a government shutdown by Ella Nelson (Vox)

Other News

• Trump Basically Admits Chinese Tech Exec Is His Political Prisoner by Bess Levin (Vanity Fair)
• NRA Ties to Russian Operatives Draw Growing Scrutiny From Congress by Mark Follman, Dan Friedman (Mother Jones)
• Maria Butina’s boyfriend claimed he set up Trump-Russia NRA “conduit” as campaign funds flowed by Igor Derysh (Salon)
• Senate votes to overturn Trump donor disclosure rule by Marianne Levine (Politico)
• Trump to sign order aimed at revitalizing economically distressed communities by Naomi Jagoda (The Hill)
• The Trump administration hid a report about campus financial products. Here’s why it matters. by Casey Quinlan (ThinkProgress)
• The National Enquirer just flipped on Donald Trump by Matthew Rozsa (Salon)
• Cohen Sentencing Casts Cloud Over Trump’s Chief of Staff Search by John T. Bennett (Roll Call)
• Dozens More Cambodian Immigrants to Be Deported From U.S., Officials Say by Charles Dunst (NY Times)
• Trump Moves to Deport Vietnam War Refugees by Charles Dunst and Krishnadev Calamur (The Atlantic)
• National Enquirer Parent Company Admits to Helping Trump Commit Criminal Violation of Campaign Finance Law by Ben Mathis-Lilley (Slate)
• Feds hold biggest Utah oil and gas auction in years, setting off heightened concerns from environmentalists by Brian Maffly (Salt Lake Tribune)

Opinion

• It’s ridiculous that it’s unconstitutional for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for president by Matthew Yglesias (Vox)
• What does it take to become Trump’s chief of staff? Jared and Ivanka’s approval by Gabby Orr (Politico)

Journalists

• Jamal Khashoggi and Journalists Targeted for Their Work Are Time’s Person of the Year by Inae Oh (Mother Jones)
• ‘Time’ Person Of The Year For 2018: Journalists Fighting ‘War On Truth’ by Bill Chappell (NPR)
• Time names Khashoggi, endangered journalists as 2018 person of the year by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)

Mueller Investigation / Indictment

• How Trump’s Next Attorney General Could Derail the Mueller Probe by William Barr (Politico)
• Trump lovers rattled by Mueller disclosures and no longer buying president’s ‘witch hunt’ claims by Tom Boggioni (AlterNet)
• Donald Trump and Robert Mueller: The End Game by Robert Kuttner (The American Prospect)
• Trump Should Fear Indictment More Than Impeachment by Matt Ford (The New Republic)
• Trump could be indicted in 2021 — unless he’s re-elected by Darren Samuelsohn (Politico)
• Time’s 2018 Person of the Year runner-up is special counsel Robert Mueller by Jen Kirby (Vox)
• Mueller Investigations Finally Begin To Worry Trump Allies by Jonathan Lemire, Alan Fram, Elana Schor (Huffington Post)

Environment

• Leaked Memo: Government Scientists Warned Trump’s Oil Plan Would Threaten Alaska’s Polar Bears by Adam Federman (Mother Jones)
• Trump EPA Proposes Major Rollback Of Federal Water Protections by Nathan Rott (NPR)
• Trump proposes to roll back decades of water protections by Annie Snider (Politico)
• Trump administration to strip pollution protections, harming vital wildlife by Emily Holden, Oliver Milman (The Guardian)
• Trump Administration Redefines “Waters of the U.S.” by Ariel Wittenberg (Scientific American)

Border / Shutdown

• Chaos Erupts as Trump and Democratic Leaders Clash in Front of Cameras by Inae Oh (Mother Jones)
• Trump administration spent more than $13 million to hire 2 border agents by Rebekah Entralgo (ThinkProgress)
• Trump threatens to have military build ‘remaining sections’ of US border wall by Kristin Hugo (Independent)
• Trump, Democrats battle over wall in Oval Office spat by Jordan Fabian (The Hill)
• Trump says he’s ‘proud’ to shut down government during fight with Pelosi and Schumer by Burgess Everett, Sarah Ferris, Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• Trump Battles With Nancy Pelosi And Chuck Schumer Over Border Wall Funding by Marina Fang (Huffington Post)
• Trump: I secured the border. Trump an hour later: I need billions for a wall to secure the border. by Aaron Rupar (Vox)
• Wall Street pulls back after Trump’s government shutdown threat by Medha Singh (Reuters)
• Senators dumbfounded by Trump vow to shut down government by Alexander Bolton (The Hill)
• Trump Is Trying to Use Credit Scores to Keep Immigrants Out of the U.S. by Amy Traub (Slate)
• Trump Administration Paid $13.6 Million to Consulting Firm That Has Recruited Just Two Border Patrol Employees by Molly Olmstead (Slate)

Other News

• The Man Who Destroyed Donald Trump’s Hollywood Star Explains Himself by Jesse Barron (GQ)
• Senate confirms Trump’s pick to be deputy Treasury secretary by Naomi Jagoda (The Hill)
• Jared Kushner plays down Saudi crown prince’s role in death of Jamal Khashoggi in Hannity interview by Shira Tarlo (Salon)
• Stormy Daniels Ordered To Pay Trump $293,000 In Fees In Defamation Lawsuit by Jessica Taylor (NPR)
• Judge orders Stormy Daniels to pay Trump $293K in legal fees by Avery Anapol (The Hill)
• Trump says would intervene in arrest of Chinese executive by Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, Roberta Rampton (Reuters)
• Ivanka Trump And Jared Kushner Could Profit From Tax Break They Pushed: AP by Stephen Braun, Jeff Horowitz, Bernard Condon (Huffington Post)

Opinion/Analysis

• The Republican Party Exists to Protect Millionaires and Billionaires by Jay Willis (GQ)

Chief of Staff

• Trump chief of staff: Speculation mounts over job (BBC)
• Trump Eyes Four New Candidates For Chief Of Staff by Zeke Miller, Jill Colvin, Catherine Lucey (Huffington Post)
• New setback for Trump as Pence aide Nick Ayers turns down chief of staff role by Martin Pengally (The Guardian)
• Why Trump Can’t Find Anyone to Be His Chief of Staff by David A. Graham (The Atlantic)
• Trump considering several candidates for chief of staff: sources by Jeff Mason (Reuters)

Maria Butina

• NRA Darling And Russian Spy Maria Butina Prepares To Sign A Plea Deal by James Kosur (Hill Reporter)
• Alleged Russian agent Maria Butina poised to plead guilty in case involving suspected Kremlin attempts to influence NRA by Rosalind S. Helderman and Spencer Hsu (Washington Post)
• New report reveals the stunning details of alleged Russian spy Maria Butina’s infiltration of conservative politics by Matthew Chapman (AlterNet)
• Alleged Russian agent pleads guilty to conspiracy, agrees to cooperate with authorities: report by Justin Wise (The Hill)
• Maria Butina, Accused Of Being Russian Agent, Reaches Plea Deal With Feds by Carrie Johnson (NPR)

Mueller Investigation / Russia

• The Russia Investigations: Maybe The End Is In Sight. Maybe It Isn’t by Philip Ewing (NPR)
• Even if Trump Tries to Fire Mueller, He Can’t Fire the Grand Jury by Peter M. Shane (Slate)
• More than a dozen Trump associates had contact with Russia before inauguration by Eliabeth Preza (Salon)
• Russia expert: Mueller’s probe is also putting pressure on Vladimir Putin by Matthew Rozsa (Salon)
• Analysis: Where Trump-related investigations stand by Eric Tucker (AP)
• Analysis: A growing list: Trump associates who have pleaded guilty by Mary Clare Jalonic and Michael Basalmo (AP)
• 44 ex-senators warn U.S. is ‘entering a dangerous period’ by Quint Forgey (Politico)

Other News

• Trump’s Latest Meltdown Shows Even He Knows This Could Be the Beginning of the End by Inae Oh (Mother Jones)
• U.S. top court, Kavanaugh spurn Planned Parenthood defunding case by Andrew Chung (Reuters)
• How the Supreme Court Handled Its First Test of Abortion Rights Since Kavanaugh Joined by Tara Law (TIME)
• U.S. Withdrawing Thousands of Troops From President Trump’s Border Mission in Time for Christmas by Lolita C. Baldor (TIME)
• Trump claims Cohen hush money payment was ‘simple private transaction’ by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• Supreme Court Declines Key Planned Parenthood Case by Domenico Montanaro (NPR)
• Trump calls hush money payments a ‘simple private transaction’ (Reuters)
• Shutdown Fears Abound, Despite Temporary Reprieve by Paul M. Krazak (Roll Call)
• Top House Dems raise prospect of impeachment, jail for Trump by Hope Yen (AP)
• House Republicans Took One Final Shot at Comey—and Discredited Themselves by William Saletan (Slate)
• Washington Post columnist predicts Trump will resign 10 minutes before Pence so Pence can pardon him by Avery Anapol (The Hill)
• Trump administration hid report revealing Wells Fargo charged high fees to students by Michael Stratford (Politico)
• Trump expected to name Pence aide Calabria as top housing regulator by Katy O’Donnell (Politico)
• It’s official: Trump’s asylum crisis is driven by people coming legally by Dara Lind (Vox)
• Trump administration poised to strip protections from up to two-thirds of California streams and millions of acres nationwide by Evan Halper (LA Times)
• Trump’s Businesses Have Charged $1.1 Million To His Own Re-election Campaign: Forbes by Mary Papenfuss (Huffington Post)
• That was awkward — at world’s biggest climate conference, U.S. promotes fossil fuels by Griff Witte and Brady Dennis (Washington Post)

Analysis

• Why It Might Be Impossible To Overturn A Presidential Pardon by Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux (FiveThirtyEight)
• Donald Trump finds an attorney general: But will Bill Barr be his “Roy Cohn”? by Heather Digby Parton (Salon)
• 9th Circuit: New asylum restrictions likely violate federal law; Bybee wrote opinion by Debra Cassens Weiss (ABA Journal)
• The evidence undermining Trump’s attempt to defend the Stormy Daniels payment by Philip Bump (Washington Post)
• Meet the Bottomless Pinocchio, a new rating for a false claim repeated over and over again by Glenn Kessler (Washington Post)

Opinion

• Jared Kushner did what? by Jennifer Rubin (Washington Post)

Mueller Investigation / Indictments

• Future Judiciary Committee Chair Just Said Prosecutors Outlined “Impeachable Offenses” Against Trump by Madison Pauly (Mother Jones)
• All The Criminal Charges To Emerge So Far From Robert Mueller’s Investigation by Jason Breslow (NPR)
• Watergate hero John Dean predicts Donald Trump will be impeached by Matthew Rozsa (Salon)
• Trump could face jail time, Schiff warns by Martin Matishak (Politico)
• Conservatives and liberals agree Trump indictments seem likely by Zack Ford (ThinkProgress)
• Opinion: The Guardian view on Donald Trump: the net closes by Editorial Board (Guardian)
• Trump ‘at center of massive fraud against Americans’, top Democrat says by Erin Durkin (Guardian)
• Top House Dems raise prospect of impeachment, jail for Trump by Hope Yen (AP)
• Republicans defend Trump amid brewing legal storm by Felicia Sonmez and Arianna Eunjung Cha (Washington Post)
• Conspiracy theorist sues Mueller alleging illegal leaks and surveillance by Josh Gerstein (Politico)

Jared Kushner / Khashoggi / Saudi Arabia

• Jared Kushner Gave Saudi Crown Prince Advice After Khashoggi Slaying: NY Times by Dominique Mosbergen (Huffington Post)
• How Jared Kushner became Saudi Arabia’s most valuable friend in the Trump administration by David D. Kirkpatrick, Ben Hubbard, Mark Landler, Mark Mazzetti (Independent)
• Kushner urged Saudi prince to ‘weather the storm’ after Khashoggi killing: New York Times by Sam Fulwood III (ThinkProgress)
• Jared Kushner And Saudi Crown Prince Continued Talks After Khashoggi Murder by Chris Walker (Hill Reporter)
• Saudi foreign minister rules out extraditing suspects in Khashoggi case by Stephen Kalin and Tuqa Khalid (Reuters)
• Khashoggi murder: Saudis refuse Turkey extradition request (BBC)
• Transcript Reveals Jamal Khashoggi’s Last Words: “I Can’t Breathe” by Daniel Politi (Slate)

James Comey

• A Close Reading of the 235-Page Comey Transcript by Andrew Kragie (The Atlantic)
• Trump lashes out at Comey over House testimony: ‘All lies!’ by Brett Samuels (The Hill)
• Trump, without evidence, accuses James Comey of lying to House Judiciary Committee by Devan Cole (CNN)
• Comey: FBI probe of Russia initially looked at 4 Americans by Eric Tucker, Chad Day, and Mary Clare Jalonick (AP)
• James Comey: If Trump Weren’t President He’d Be ‘In Serious Jeopardy’ Over Cohen by Nick Visser (Huffington Post)

Chief of Staff / Ayers

• With new chief of staff, Trump tries again to reset White House by Roberta Rampton (Reuters)
• News Reports Say Nick Ayers Has Turned Down Job as Trump’s Chief of Staff by Madison Pauly (Mother Jones)
• Ayers won’t be Trump’s chief of staff by Andrew Restuccia, Nancy Cook (Politico)
• Nick Ayers Refuses Trump’s Offer to Become Chief of Staff by Daniel Politi (Slate)

Other News

• Migrant caravan causing Mexico businesses to suffer by Hoda Abdel-Hamid (Al Jazeera)
• Trump administration departure list: Everyone who has been fired by Trump or quit since he took office by Adam Forrest (Independent)
• Trump reverses course, tells Pentagon to boost budget request to $750 billion by Wesley Morgan (Politico)
• US and Russia ally with Saudi Arabia to water down climate pledge by Jonathan Watts and Ben Doherty (Guardian)

Opinion

• Senate Republicans are responsible for the most unethical and incompetent administration ever by Jennifer Rubin (Washington Post)