December 2017

2017/2018

• The 7 things to watch out for from Donald Trump in 2018 by Chris Sheridan (Al Jazeera)
• 5 Things That Are Better Now Because of Trump by Matt Latimer (Politico)
• For Trump, a year of reinventing the Presidency by Peter Baker (The NY Times)
• The top 10 Governor’s races of 2018 by Daniel Strauss (Politico)
• From Roy Moore to NFL protests, a look back at a year in identity politics by Eugene Scott (Washington Post)

News

• Trump accused of profiting from presidency by hiking up prices for New Year’s Eve party by Ashley Parker, Lori Rozsa, Michelle Ye Hee Lee (Independent)
• Trump: Stocks would be down if Clinton won election by Mallory Shelbourne (The Hill)
• Bernstein: Trump presidency characterized by his lies by Mallory Shelbourne (The Hill)
• Devin Nunes, targeting Mueller and the FBI, alarms democrats and some republicans with his tactics by Karoun Demirjian (The Washington Post)
• Democrats in High-Tax States Plot to Blunt Impact of New Tax Law by Ben Casselman (NY Times)
• Mullen: Threat of nuclear war with North Korea heightened by Brent D. Griffiths (Politico)

 Analysis

• Words fail Trump but for supporters his message is loud and clear by Lucia Graves (Guardian)
• Trump looks to cash in from lavish NYE party at Mar-a-Lago – but is it ethical? by Edward Helmore (Guardian)

2017

• Donald Trump’s First Year as President: A Recap by Lena Felton (The Atlantic)
• One year, many Trumps: 2017’s 10 best theories about our Great Leader by Andrew O’Hehir (Salon)
• Obama is tweeting out the best “good news” stories of 2017, because he knows what we need right now by Jennie Neufield (Salon)

News

• U.S. Military To Allow Transgender Recruits After Trump Administration Drops Appeal by Richard Gonzales (NPR)
• Iran Condemns Donald Trump’s ‘Deceitful and Opportunist’ Tweet Supporting Protests by AP (TIME)
• Pence’s Vacation Neighbors in Aspen Hang “Make America Gay Again” Sign by Daniel Politi (Slate)
• A Drunken Trump Aide Kicked Off the FBI’s Trump-Russia Investigation by Kevin Drum (Mother Jones)
• Trump is “definitely still involved” in his hotel business, a new report says by Emily Stewart (Vox)
• Ticket prices go up for Trump’s ‘very glam’ New Year’s Eve bash at Mar-a-Lago by Michelle Ye Hee Lee, Lori Rozsa and Ashley Parker (Washington Post)

Analysis

• Why Numbers Alone Obscure the Real Deportation Story by Julianne Hing (The Nation)
• How the Russia Inquiry Began: A Campaign Aide, Drinks and Talk of Political Dirt by Sharon LaFraniere, Mark Mazzetti, and Matt Apuzzo (NY Times)
• Republican Attacks on Mueller and F.B.I. Open New Rift in G.O.P. by Nicholas Fandoms (NY Times)
• An ‘effort to erase LGBT people’: Activists denounce Trump’s firing of HIV/AIDs council by Eugene Scott (The Washington Post)
• How the Trump era is changing the Federal Bureacracy by Lisa Rein and Andrew Ba Tran (The Washington Post)
• The ‘Double Punishment’ for Black Undocumented Immigrants by Jeremy Raff (Atlantic)

Opinion

• Republicans are waging class war: It’s time for the left to fight back by Conor Lynch (Salon)
• Trump’s vendetta against federal law enforcement (The Washington Post)

Immigration / Border Wall

• Trump Again Threatens Status Of DACA, Demands Border Wall by Sebastian Murdock (Huffington Post)
• Trump demands border wall, visa changes as part of immigration fix (Reuters)

2017/2018

• 138 things Trump did this year while you weren’t looking by Danny Vinik (Politico)
• 2017 Was a Big Year for Scrubbing Science from Government Websites. Here’s the List. by Megan Jula, Rebecca Leber (Mother Jones)
• The 7 biggest political turning points during Trump’s first year as president by Andrew Prokop (Vox)
• This Land Was Your Land by Elizabeth Shogrun, High Country News (Slate)

NYT Interview

• White House surprised, frustrated by Trump’s New York Times interview by Julie Manchester (The Hill)
• Trump’s Rambling New York Times Interview Reveals a Mind in Denial by Tina Nguyen (Vanity Fair)
• FACT CHECK: Trump’s ‘New York Times’ Interview On Russia, Taxes, Health Care And More (NPR)
• Incoherent, authoritarian, uninformed: Trump’s New York Times interview is a scary read by Ezra Klein (Vox)
• In a 30-minute interview, President Trump made 24 false or misleading claims by Glenn Kessler (The Washington Post)
• 10 Falsehoods From Trump’s Interview With The Times by Linda Qui (NY Times)

News

• Trump says he can do whatever he wants with the Justice Department by Matthew Rozsa (Salon)
• Trump Reportedly Terminated All Members Of HIV/AIDS Council Without Explanation by Jenna Amatulli (Huffington Post)
• Trump Scorns Mainstream News, But Not The Christian Broadcasting Network by Sarah McCammon (NPR)
• Trump: Postal Service is ‘dumber and poorer’ for not charging Amazon more by Rebecca Morin (Politico)
• Trump targets Amazon in call for postal service to hike prices by Makini Brice (Reuters)
• Trump: My approval rating is the same as Obama’s was in his first year by Louis Nelson (Politico)
• Donald Trump’s Mental Faculties Continue to Erode by Kevin Drum (Mother Jones)
• Trump thinks climate change isn’t real because it’s cold out. This map proves him wrong. by Brian Resnick (Vox)
• Mike Pence’s tie-breaking vote was key to Republicans’ strategy in 2017 by Tara Golshan (Vox)
• Thousands of Palestinians take part in anti-Trump protests (Reuters)
• Trump says approval stacks up to Obama’s despite Russia probe by Max Greenwood (The Hill)
• ‘Smothered’ and ‘shoved aside’ in rural America by Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan (The Washington Post)
• Trump’s call for some ‘good old global warming’ ridiculed by climate experts by Michael McGowan and Joanna Walters (Guardian)
• Top Intel Dem to Trump: Justice Dept belongs ‘to the American people,’ not you by Brandon Carter (The Hill)
• Tax law creates confusion and uproar in city halls across America by Aaron Lorenzo (Politico)
• Trump terminates HIV/AIDS advisory panel members as he seeks replacements by Jesse Hellmann (The Hill)
• Trump Justice Department Pushes for Citizenship Question on Census, Alarming Experts by Justin Elliot (ProPublica)
• U.S. military to accept transgender recruits on Monday: Pentagon by Lawrence Hurley, Idrees Ali (Reuters)

Analysis

• Weak Suit; Roy Moore’s effort to overturn the Alabama Senate election shows the derangement of the Trump era. by William Saletan (Slate)

Tax Bill

• Trump’s fake news works: Nearly half of Republicans believe he repealed Obamacare by Charlie May (Salon)
• This Tax Loophole For Wealthy Donors Just Got Bigger by Anya Kamentz (NPR)
• Private prison investors set for giant windfall from Trump tax bill by Jamiles Lartey (The Guardian)
• This one weird trick lets blue states avoid Trump’s tax hike by Dylan Matthews (Vox)
• The GOP tax plan means millions in extra profits for private prison corporations by Cory Doctorow (BoingBoing)

Russia Investigation / Mueller

• Why are all these Florida Republicans attacking Bob Mueller? by Heather Digby Parton (Salon)
• Ex-GOP lawmaker praises Mueller: Ignore your critics by Rebecca Savransky (The Hill)
• What we learned about Trump, Russia, and collusion in 2017 by Andrew Prokop (Vox)
• Trump finally turns on the formerly ‘wonderful man’ Michael Flynn by Paul Waldman (Washington Post)
• The big problem with Trump’s strategy to attack Michael Flynn’s credibility: His own mouth by Aaron Blake (Washington Post)
• Trump says Russia inquiry makes U.S. ‘look very bad’ by Michael S. Schmidt and Michael D. Shear (The NY Times)
• Trump: Mueller treating him ‘fairly’ but Russia probe makes U.S. look ‘very bad’ by Kristen East (Politico)

2017/2018

• Trump’s world: his impact so far and what to watch in 2018 by Julian Borger (The Guardian)
• The world according to Trump: 2017 was a busy year of hurling insults globally by Adam Gabbatt (The Guardian)
• Trump builds his 2018 political message by rebranding Obama’s economic legacy by Ben White, Nancy Cook (Politico)

Roy Moore

• Moore files suit to block Alabama election result by Olivia Beavers (The Hill)
• Alabama officials to certify Jones as Senate winner despite Moore challenge (Reuters)
• Democrat Jones officially declared winner over Roy Moore by Kim Chandler (AP)
• Alabama certifies Jones’ Senate victory by Maggie Severns (Politico)

News

• Trump vows to kill 50 years of federal protections by Elliot Negin (Salon)
• Roy Moore Files Complaint Seeking To Delay Certification Of Senate Vote by Bill Chappell (NPR)
• Trump taunts Vanity Fair over Clinton apology by Nolan D. McCaskill (Politico)
• Trump hits Vanity Fair for apologizing for Hillary video by Jordan Fabian (The Hill)
• Trump rips China for alleged oil sales to North Korea by Jordan Fabian (The Hill)
• Evangelical Christians ‘uncritical’ in support for Trump, UK bishop says by Harriet Sherwood (Guardian)
• Virginia Dem slams Trump ‘global warming’ tweet by John Bowden (The Hill)
• Excerpts from Trump’s interview with the times (The NY Times)
• White House looks to make internal changes amid worries of a tough year ahead by Ashley Parker and Josh Dawsey (The Washington Post)
• Trump tweets we could use a little ‘good old Global Warming’ by Kendra Pierre-Louis (The NY Times)
• Trump, the insurgent, breaks with 70 years of American foreign policy by Mark Landler (The NY Times)
• U.S. to Roll Back Safety Rules Created After Deepwater Horizon Spill by Lisa Friedman and Hiroko Tabucci (NY Times)

Analysis

• Trump the Insurgent, Breaks with 70 Years of American Foreign Policy by Mark Landler (NY Times)
• Why Trump is attacking Vanity Fair Anna Wintour on twitter by Jen Kirby (Vox)

Opinion

• Sessions Says to Courts: Go Ahead, Jail People Because They’re Poor by Chiraag Bains (NY Times)
• America and the Great Abdication by Richard Haass (Atlantic)
• A storm is gathering by Joe Scarborough (The NY Times)

Tax Bill

• The Tax Law’s New Way Of Measuring Inflation Could Take A Toll On Taxpayers by Jim Zarroli (NPR)
• 44 percent of Republicans think Trump repealed Obamacare by Sarah Kliff (Vox)

2017

• Trump didn’t complete his foreign policy to-do list in 2017. That’s a good thing. (Vox)
• Trump Signed 96 Laws In 2017. Here Is What They Do And How They Measure Up by Tamara Keith (NPR)

Jerusalem

• Jerusalem latest: Donald Trump to have new Israeli train station near Western Wall named after him by Ben Kentish (Independent)
• Jerusalem: Israel plans ‘Trump station’ near Western Wall (BBC)

Russia Investigation / Mueller

• Mueller investigators question RNC staffers about work with Trump campaign by Charlie May (Salon)
• Mueller Probe Outgrows Its ‘Witch Hunt’ Phase by Michael Isikoff (Huffington Post)
• Mueller team questioning RNC staffers on 2016 digital operation: report by Julia Manchester (The Hill)
• Federal prosecutors in N.Y. requested Kushner Cos. records on Deutsche Bank loan by Michael Kranish (Washington Post)
• Trump legal team readies attack on Flynn’s credibility by Carol D. Leonnig (Washington Post)

News

• ‘We have tapped into something’: Impeachment drive builds digital army to take on Trump by Carla Marinucci, David Siders (Politico)
• Howard Dean: Trump is running a ‘criminal enterprise out of the White House’ by Rebecca Savransky (The Hill)
• Ex-Watergate prosecutor: Trump FBI attacks may amount to obstruction of justice by Rebecca Savransky (The Hill)
• Trump Spends Second Day At Golf Course After Saying ‘It’s Back To Work’ During Holidays by Jenna Amatulli (Huffington Post)
• President Trump Is the Second-Most Admired Man in America, Gallup Poll Finds by Terrence Dopp (TIME)
• Trump legal team planning to attack Flynn’s credibility: report by Brandon Carter (The Hill)

Analysis

• ‘Never Trump’ Will Be the Only Faction Still Standing When He’s Gone by Conor Friedersdorf (The Atlantic)
• Most Americans do not support making cuts to programs for people with low incomes by Eugene Scott (Washington Post)

Opinion

• Where is the mass resistance against Trump? by Andrew Mitrovica (Al Jazeera)

FBI

• Trump claims FBI used ‘bogus’ dossier to go after his campaign by Rebecca Morin (Politico)
• GOP lawmaker calls for ‘purge’ of FBI by Rebecca Savransky (The Hill)
• Trump slams FBI, Obamacare in post-Christmas tweets by Michelle Ye Hee Lee (Washington Post)

UN Budget

• US Ambassador hails $285m cut in funding for UN as ‘big step in the right direction’ by Samuel Osborne (Independent)
• Trump Administration Touts A Smaller U.N. Budget (And Takes Credit For It) by Laurel Wamsley (NPR)

News

• Where is Trump’s Cabinet? It’s anybody’s guess. by Emily Holden (Politico)
• Impeachment debate divides Democrats as 2018 wave builds by Kyle Cheney, Heather Caygle (Politico)
• Hey, remember Roy Moore? Two weeks later, he still hasn’t conceded by Matthew Sheffield (Salon)
• Donald Trump has spent nearly a third of his presidency at his own properties, report says by Tom Barnes (Independent)
• Tree that’s been at White House since 1800s scheduled to be removed by Rebecca Savransky (The Hill)
• Former top Bush official: State Dept being ‘weakened’ under Trump by Olivia Beavers (The Hill)
• Trump is first president in nearly a century to not host a first-year state dinner by Rebecca Savransky (The Hill)
• Trump hits the golf course after Christmas by Jordan Fabian (The Hill)
• Trump predicts GOP and Dems will agree on health care plan (AP)
• Donald Trump will end the first year of his presidency without hosting a state dinner by Andrea Willits (Independent)
• New York’s attorney general in battle with Trump by David Hakim and William K. Rashbaum (NY Times)
• In Less Than A Year, Trump Has Stripped Back Workers’ Ability To Unionize by Dave Jamieson (Huffington Post)

Analysis

• What happens when Trump targets you on Twitter by Annie Karni (Politico)
• Let’s Not Forget the Apathy That Made Trump’s Presidency Possible by Isaac J. Bailey (VICE)

Opinion

• Trump’s blatant racism: A Christmas surprise that’s no surprise by Chauncey DeVega (Salon)

News

• Following Trump, Guatemala to move embassy to Jerusalem (Al Jazeera)
• Where’s the party? No state dinner in Trump’s first year by Darlene Superville (AP)
• The Tax Bill’s Gift to Big Coal by Emily Atkin (New Republic)
• Trump has spent almost one-third of presidency at one of his properties: report by Rebecca Savransky (The Hill)
• Republicans knock holes in affordable care act but don’t demolish the law by Amy Goldstein (The Washington Post)
• The many ways Mike Pence looks at Trump by Bastien Inzaurralde (The Washington Post)
• Taking Credit for U.N. Budget Cut, Trump’s Envoy Hints at More to Come by Rick Gladstone (NY Times)

News

• Trump told friends at Mar-a-Lago ‘you all just got a lot richer’ after tax bill passed: report by Rebecca Savransky (The Hill)
• Trump Explains the GOP Tax Bill to His Wealthy Friends: “You All Just Got a Lot Richer” by Luke Darkby (GQ)
• Donald Trump redoubles attack on FBI deputy director in row over Hillary Clinton emails by Samuel Osborne (Independent)
• FBI investigates Russian-linked Cyprus bank accused of money laundering by Stephanie Kirchgaessner, Sara Farolfi (The Guardian)
• North Korea declares latest U.N. sanctions ‘an act of war’ by Amy B. Wang (Washing Post)
• Trump slams FBI leadership in series of tweets by Brent D. Griffiths (Politico)
• A Twitter Tirade on Christmas Eve by Yoni Appelbaum (Atlantic)
• Flake: If Trump fired Mueller, it would be a ‘big problem’ by Brent D. Griffiths (Politico)
• Trump defends new tax-cut bill amid negative polls by Olivia Beavers (The Hill)
• Media criticizes Trump for retweet portraying CNN as blood on his shoe by Julia Manchester (The Hill)
• President Trump Sends Christmas Greetings to Troops by Darlene Superville (TIME)
• Trump Celebrates Bringing ‘Merry Christmas’ Back. Twitter Reacts Accordingly. by Rebecca Shapiro (Huffington Post)

Analysis

• The Supreme Court’s Travel Ban Off-Ramp by Garrett Epps (The Atlantic)
• No longer a ‘lonely battle’: How the campaign against the Mueller probe has taken hold by Michael Kranish, Devlin Barrett, and Karoun Demirjian (Washington Post)

News

• The Russia Investigations: Battle Lines Drawn Over Mueller, Justice Dept. And The FBI by Philip Ewing (NPR)
• Fox News host: ‘Mueller’s basically the Democrat candidate for president’ by John Bowden (The Hill)
• Appeals court: Trump exceeded authority with travel ban by Jennifer Since and Martha Belleisle (AP)
• Stoking Fears, Trump Defied Bureaucracy to Advance Immigration Agenda by Michael D. Shear and Maggie Haberman (NY Times)
• F.B.I. Director wants to move forward wants to move forward, but the President is making his job harder by Adam Goldman and Maggie Haberman (The NY Times)
• White House vows to stand firm on Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital by Anne Gearan (The Washington Post)
• Judge blocks Trump refugee order by Josh Gerstein (Politico)
• Federal judge partially lifts Trump’s latest refugee restrictions by Yeganeh Torbati (Reuters)
• Trump’s angry tweets about FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, explained by Zack Beauchamp (Vox)
• Trump looks ahead to 2018: ‘Good’ GOP candidates will ‘win BIG’ by Jacqueline Thomsen (The Hill)
• Federal judge blocks delay of rule to help low-income people obtain housing by Jaqueline Thomson (The Hill)
• Trump ratchets up feud with FBI by Max Greenwood (The Hill)
• Trump administration considering family separation policy for asylum seekers by Clark Mindock (Independent)

Analysis

• 12 things we can definitively say the Russia investigation has uncovered so far by Amber Philips (Washington Post)
• 5 things Trump did this week while you weren’t looking by Danny Vinik (Politico)
• Charities fear tax bill could turn philanthropy into a pursuit only for the rich by Todd C. Frankel (The Washington Post)

Tax Bill

• U.S. tax break could push startups to share the wealth by Heather Somerville (Reuters)
• Trump to sign tax bill Friday morning without public ceremony by Louis Nelson (Politico)
• Tax Bill Is Great for Accountants — Unless They Have Holiday Plans by Tiffany Hsu and Julie Creswell (NY Times)
• Republican tax plan to dent U.S. home sales next year by Arunima Banerjee (Reuters)
• Trump signs, lauds tax overhaul, off to Florida for holidays by Laurie Kellman and Jonathan Lemire (AP)
• Trump signs tax, government spending bills into law by Susan Heavey, Lisa Lambert (Reuters)
• Donald Trump signs $1.5 trillion tax bill into law by Emily Shugerman (Independent)
• Trump signs tax bill into law by Naomi Jagoda (The Hill)
• Expanded child tax credit may not be as generous as it seems by Sarah Skidmore Sell (AP)
• The Republican Tax Bill Will Devastate Science by Ed Perlmutter (Scientific American)

Jerusalem

• UN Jerusalem vote list: The 128 countries that didn’t back US over their Israel capital decision by Jeff Farrell (Independent)
• Jerusalem: Palestinians won’t accept any US peace plan, says Mahmoud Abbas by Chris Baynes (Independent)
• Former CIA Director slams Trump’s UN Israel vote vengeance by Matthew Rozsa (Salon)
• Opinion: After Trump’s Jerusalem gambit, the world must recognise a Palestinian state by Daniel Barenboim (The Guardian)

Russia Investigation

• Republicans Quietly Warn Trump: Don’t Fire Mueller by Dan Friedman (Mother Jones)
• GOP lawmakers to Trump: Don’t fire Mueller by Max Greenwood (The Hill)
• Trump -Russia investigation: Steve Bannon asked to testify before House Intelligence Committee by Andrew Buncombe (Independent)
• Russia probe looms over Trump’s Mar-a-Lago retreat by Darren Samuelsohn (Politico)
• F.B.I. Director Wants to Move Forward, but the President Is Making His Job Harder by Adam Goldman and Maggie Haberman (NY Times)

Travel Ban

• Trump travel ban should not apply to people with strong U.S. ties: court (Reuters)
• Appeals Court Rules Trump’s Third Travel Ban Again Violates Federal Law by Dan Levine (Huffington Post)
• 9th Circuit rules against Trump’s third attempt at travel ban by Max Greenwood (The Hill)

News

• U.S. backs re-election of Honduran president despite dispute (Reuters)
• Poll: Most People Believe the Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Trump Are True by Nash Jenkins (TIME)
• All 6 Defendants Not Guilty In Key Felony Trial Of Trump Inauguration Protesters by Ryan J. Reilly (Huffington Post)
• McConnell privately saying GOP could lose House and Senate in 2018: report by Jacquqline Thomsen (The Hill)
• Trump Promised to Protect Steel. Layoffs Are Coming Instead. by Ana Swanson (NY Times)
• Trump’s ambassador to the Netherlands just got caught lying about the Dutch by Amanda Erikson (Washington Post)
• Trump advisers vent frustrations about 2018 strategy as president listens by Josh Dawsey and Robert Costa (Washington Post)
• Former US attorneys, GOP officials come to Mueller’s defense by Jill Colvin (AP)
• Republicans warn Trump of 2018 bloodbath by Alex Isenstadt (Politico)
• Trump eyes former aides as West Wing staffers depart by Andrew Restuccia and Anni Karni (Politico)
• The Trump Administration Might Be Trying to Strip the Citizenship of an American Detainee Held in Secret by Dror Ladin (ACLU.org)
• Trump ends year in character – dodging questions and singing his own praises by David Smith (Guardian)
• State Department Told Some Refugee Offices They Should Plan To Close Next Year by Willa Frej (Huffington Post)
• It’s ‘very gold’: The presidential coin undergoes a Trumpian makeover by David Nakamura and Lisa Rein (Washington Post)
• Trump touts UN vote on North Korea sanctions: ‘The world wants peace, not death’ by Max Greenwood (The Hill)
• Trump Throws Support Behind Ron DeSantis For Florida Governor by Paige Lavender (Huffington Post)
• Democrats block dozens of Trump nominees by Andrew Restuccia, Seung Min Kim (Politico)
• U.S. memo weakens guidelines for protecting immigrant children in court by Mica Rosenberg (Reuters)
• Second court rejects Trump bid to stop transgender military recruits by Staff (Reuters)

Analysis

• Trump, Putin and the New Cold War by Susan B. Glasser (Politico)
• The Trump administration’s immigration approach hits a new low by Rachel Leah (Salon)
• More than 4 in 5 enrolled in ‘Obamacare’ are in Trump states by Ricardo Alonso-Zalvidar and Kevin S. Vineys (AP)

Opinion

• The days of rightwing evangelicals swaying politics are numbered by Daniel José Camacho (Guardian)
• The cameras go off, and then comes the collapse by Dana Milbank (Washington Post)
• I’ve never loved my country more by Ruth Marcus (Washington Post)