Politics

The Hill reports: Outgoing White House chief of staff John Kelly is blaming former Attorney General Jeff Sessions for a policy that led to the separations of thousands of migrant families at the southern border. “What happened was Jeff Sessions, he was the one that instituted the zero-tolerance process on the border that resulted in both people being detained and …

The Wall Street Journal today looks at the growing number of retailers, some of them chain restaurants, that no longer accept cash. Lawmakers are starting to react. Massachusetts is the only state that currently requires retailers to accept cash. Some New Jersey legislators are working to make their state next. New York City Councilman Ritchie Torres of the Bronx recently …

The New York Times reports: About two-thirds of Republicans returning to the House for the 116th Congress this week have never experienced the exquisite pain of being on the outs in an institution where the party in charge is totally in charge. Majority control runs the gamut from determining the floor agenda to determining access to the prime meeting space. …

The New York Daily News reports: House Republicans say more investigation is needed into decisions made by the FBI and the Justice Department in 2016 as they brought an unceremonious end to their yearlong look at the department’s handling of probes into Democrat Hillary Clinton’s emails and Donald Trump’s ties to Russia. The wrapping up of the congressional investigation, done …

The Detroit Free Press reports: Republican Gov. Rick Snyder on Friday signed a law making it harder for groups to put proposals on the Michigan ballot, imposing a geographical-based requirement that could prevent them from gathering signatures for petitions mainly from the most populated areas. The move followed voters’ passage of three Democratic-backed proposals last month and Republicans’ unprecedented tactic …

The Washington Post reports: Incoming House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer said Friday that Democrats next week will not seat a North Carolina Republican amid allegations of election fraud in the state’s 9th Congressional District. “Given the now well-documented election fraud that took place in NC-09, Democrats would object to any attempt by [Mark] Harris to be seated on January …

CNBC reports: President Donald Trump has cancelled his New Year’s plans and will stay in Washington, D.C., as the government shutdown continues, incoming acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said in an interview with Fox News on Friday. “He cancelled his plans for Christmas, now he’s cancelled his plans for New Year’s,” Mulvaney said. “The president is very heavily engaged …

Maine Public Radio reports: Gov. Paul LePage has certified the results of the election in Maine’s Second Congressional District. The governor tweeted a photo of the certificate naming Jared Golden Maine’s next congressman. The photo shows that the governor wrote “Stolen election” next to his signature on the certificate. Congressman-elect Jared Golden will begin his term on January 3. I’ve …

The Washington Post reports: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will head a U.S. delegation to Brazil seeking to foster closer ties with the far-right incoming president, Jair Bolsonaro, and discuss ways to counter the Venezuelan government. Pompeo will leave Washington for Brasilia on New Year’s Eve to attend Bolsonaro’s inauguration the following day before heading to Colombia. He plans to …

The New York Times reports: The North Carolina state elections board dissolved on Friday under a court order, two weeks before its much-anticipated hearing to consider evidence of possible absentee ballot fraud in the disputed November election for the Ninth District’s seat in Congress. The unwinding of the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement is a consequence of a …

Just posted to Barack Obama’s Facebook page: As 2018 draws to a close, I’m continuing a favorite tradition of mine and sharing my year-end lists. It gives me a moment to pause and reflect on the year through the books, movies, and music that I found most thought-provoking, inspiring, or just plain loved. It also gives me a chance to …

The Huffington Post reports: In a court filing Thursday, a Russian company indicted early this year referred to a “nude selfie” obtained by special counsel Robert Mueller. No other details were provided, including the identity of the individual or individuals in the selfie. “Could the manner in which he [Mueller] collected a nude selfie really threaten the national security of …

Politico reports: Nancy Pelosi and her top lieutenants are considering several options that would refuse Trump the $5 billion he’s demanded for the wall and send hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal employees back to work, according to senior Democratic sources. While the strategy is fluid, House Democrats hope to pass a funding bill shortly after members are sworn in. …

Politico reports: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday slammed “Wall Street Democrats” campaigning against his progressive goals while teasing a possible 2020 White House bid. Sanders slammed think tank Third Way for running ads in early primary states that single him out, accusing the group of attempting to undermine his progressive goals. In a fundraising email, Sanders asked for donations …

The Daily Beast reports: The hits keep coming from Fox News to President Trump. The day after his surprise visit to U.S. troops in Iraq—his first to soldiers in a war zone since taking office nearly two years ago—the hosts of Outnumbered shared some sharp criticism of his impromptu “campaign rally” overseas. “I just don’t think it’s ever worked out …

The New York Times reports: Some of his top congressional supporters won’t commit to backing him if he runs for president again — and two may join the 2020 race themselves. A handful of former aides might work for other candidates. And Bernie Sanders’s initial standing in Iowa polls is well below the 49.6 percent he captured in nearly defeating …

Washington DC’s WTOP radio reports: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser penned a letter to President Donald Trump Wednesday urging him to end the partial government shutdown. Bowser’s letter, on behalf of the 702,000 D.C. residents and businesses, said that the city will experience a severe impact if the shutdown continues. “Indeed, many DC residents, businesses including restaurants and hotels, and federal …

Reuters reports: According to a new HarrisX poll released Thursday, a majority of registered voters (52 percent) are doubtful about surveys they hear about in the news media. Twenty-nine percent of respondents said they don’t believe most polls but do trust a few while 19 percent said they “almost never” believe that polls are accurate. While the majority were mistrustful …

CNBC reports: Billionaire Mike Bloomberg is prepared to spend well over the $100 million he put into his last campaign for New York City mayor if he runs for president in 2020. And he does not plan to accept any outside money from political action committees if he jumps into the race, CNBC has learned. Howard Wolfson, Bloomberg’s top political …

Gallup reports: For the first time in 17 years, a woman other than Hillary Clinton has been named by Americans as the woman they admire most. Former first lady Michelle Obama, who finished second to Clinton three times and is currently touring to promote her recently released autobiography, won by a significant margin this year. Oprah Winfrey was second, with …