- Free-market Republicans contort to defend Trump (Politico) "To understand the spell Trump has cast on the Republican Party, just listen to the members of the House Republican Conference these days: The same gang that made slashing spending their singular cause in Congress are now entertaining — and in many cases embracing — the president-elect’s pitch to pump billions into the economy in the form of a massive infrastructure package. The irony, expressed privately by lawmakers and leadership aides, is glaring. Privately, House Republicans complain that Trump’s infrastructure plan reeks of Obama’s stimulus package (though some argue that Trump, unlike Obama, is likely to rely on public-private partnerships, not just federal dollars, and is likely to be paid for). They say his tariff proposal is ridiculous and using the White House to force companies to stay in the U.S. is inappropriate. But the contradiction is hard to overlook. Republicans spent the past decade preaching to anyone who would listen that government spending doesn’t spur economic growth. At one point, their mantra was 'cut-grow': the way to grow the economy is by dramatically reducing federal spending. Charlie Sykes, a 'never Trump' conservative close with Ryan, said Capitol Hill Republicans’ refusal to push back on Trump is a dispiriting thing to watch. 'This was one of my great fears: That if Trump was elected, conservatives would fall in line behind his economic policies,' he told POLITICO. 'If Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama had said what Trump said, free-market conservatives would have had their hair on fire. … Unfortunately, what you’re seeing now feels like a despairing shrug.'" and Republicans admit it: Okay, yes, we really are big hypocrites (WaPo) "It should be noted that many Republicans did support a highway spending package at the end of last year. But now, Republicans are privately conceding that the underlying Keynesian principle that they may well accept under Trump is basically the same one many condemned under Obama — as a dire threat to transform the country into something no longer recognizably American."
BUSINESS:
- Breitbart Treats Kellogg to Its Smash-Mouth Style (New Yorker) "The Breitbart response implied that Kellogg, which is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, had taken an overtly political stance. But it’s not as if the company announced that it was shifting Frosted Mini-Wheats ad dollars to the pages of The Nation. As with most big brands, its only discernible ideology is aversion to controversy; it’s unlikely that anybody involved in the company’s sprawling marketing efforts ever made a considered decision to place advertising on Breitbart in the first place. It was more likely just one of many companies blithely chasing customer profiles without paying enough attention to where that was leading its ads."
- How to Play the Trump Stock Market Rally (NYT)
NEWS:
- C.I.A. Judgment on Russia Built on Swell of Evidence (NYT) "The C.I.A.’s conclusion does not appear to be the product of specific new intelligence obtained since the election, several American officials, including some who had read the agency’s briefing, said on Sunday. Rather, it was an analysis of what many believe is overwhelming circumstantial evidence — evidence that others feel does not support firm judgments — that the Russians put a thumb on the scale for Mr. Trump, and got their desired outcome." and Sarah Palin Trolls ‘Defeated’ Dems: ‘I can keep an eye’ on Russia (Breitbart) "'Russia’s getting out of hand? So says the defeated,' Palin tweeted, appearing to question the CIA report." and Trump Links C.I.A. Reports on Russia to Democrats’ Shame Over Election (NYT) "'I think it’s ridiculous. I think it’s just another excuse,' Mr. Trump said in the interview, on 'Fox News Sunday.' 'I don’t believe it.' He also indicated that as president, he would not take the daily intelligence briefing that President Obama and his predecessors have received. Mr. Trump, who has received the briefing sparingly as president-elect, said that it was often repetitive and that he would take it 'when I need it.' He said his vice president, Mike Pence, would receive the daily briefing. 'You know, I’m, like, a smart person,' he said. 'I don’t have to be told the same thing in the same words every single day for the next eight years.'"
- The World Fears Trump’s America. That’s a Good Thing. (NYT) "During the last eight years, President Obama showed what happens when the world’s greatest power tries strenuously to avoid giving fright. He began his presidency with lofty vows to conciliate adversaries, defer to the opinions of other countries and reduce America’s military commitments. In the real world of geopolitics, however, the results have been catastrophic. The trembling of the rest of the world does not ensure that American foreign policy will be successful. Like any other strategic advantage, it works only when properly exploited through sound strategic decisions. As the world’s most powerful country, and the only one whose leadership can safeguard the world order, the United States must care more about whether it commands international respect than whether it is loved by international elites."
- How Much of the Obama Doctrine Will Survive Trump? (New Yorker) "It is a common mistake to interpret this policy as America drawing back into itself and turning against military intervention. The record shows that the Obama Administration has launched, or helped enable, military strikes in more countries than the Bush Administration did, extending the campaign against Islamist extremism to places like Mali and Libya. But, whereas the Bush Administration will always be known for the large-scale wars it initiated in Iraq and Afghanistan, Obama seems to prefer 'waging war in the shadows with a light footprint and if possible limited public scrutiny,' as Andreas Krieg, a foreign-policy expert at King’s College, London, wrote in a recent paper published by Chatham House, a British think tank. 'Externalizing the strategic and operational burden of war to human and technological surrogates has developed into America’s preferred way of war under the Obama administration.' Trump, of course, could choose to reverse this approach, sending in the 101st Airborne whenever it suits him. But that doesn’t seem likely. Like Obama before him, he will be dealing with an American public that is tired of foreign wars and wants the federal government to focus on domestic issues. In Fayetteville, he also repeated his promise to smash ISIS, but he didn’t detail how he’ll do it. His transition Web site says only that a Trump Administration would 'work with our Arab allies and friends in the Middle East in the fight against ISIS. Pursue aggressive joint and coalition military operations . . . international cooperation to cutoff their funding, expand intelligence sharing, and cyberwarfare to disrupt and disable their propaganda and recruiting.' This happens to be a pretty accurate description of what the Obama Administration has been doing in concert with Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and other countries. Flynn and Mattis have both criticized Obama’s campaign against ISIS as half-hearted, but how much further would they, and Trump, go?"
- I’m a former CIA officer and a Democrat. Here’s what Obama still doesn’t get about terrorism (LA Times) "To me and many of my former colleagues at the Central Intelligence Agency, such pronouncements reflect Obama’s greatest blind spot in his fight against terrorism: he has been unwilling to acknowledge that Islamic ideology plays a role in what motivates terrorists to strike. Are we at war with the whole of Islam, or should we be? Of course not. But Islam is a faith in crisis, and to deny that certain strains of the religion are contributing to global instability is to deny reality."
- We Don’t Talk About ‘Radicalization’ When an Attacker Isn’t Muslim. We Should. (NYT) "Radicalization seems to mean something, the gist of which is this: that there is a knowable and coherent process, like a kind of matriculation — that moves a once-normal human being along some grisly progression until he or she is killing people. It’s a sturdy box of a word filled with apparent meaning, yet when pressed upon to deliver the specifics, mostly collapses like cardboard. In current discourse, 'radicalization' tends to limit unthinkable attacks to those carried out by anyone of Middle Eastern descent — but why? Micah Johnson, an African-American man in Dallas, murdered five police officers in the wake of new YouTube videos showing black citizens being fatally shot by the police — was he self-radicalized? Or Jerad and Amanda Miller, the white couple who joined the antigovernment protests at Cliven Bundy’s ranch in 2014 before being asked to leave and then fatally gunned down a civilian and two police officers in Las Vegas — were they radicalized?"
- Mainstream media puts out the call for pro-Trump columnists (WaPo) "Major newspapers, from The Washington Post to the New York Times, have struggled to find and publish pro-Trump columns for months. So have regional ones, such as the Des Moines Register and the Arizona Republic, which has a long history of supporting Republican candidates. The newspapers have plenty of conservative writers, but that’s where the problem begins. Trump, who has defied traditional left-right categories, has offered something for both liberals and conservatives to dislike. The latter never believed that Trump was a true conservative; the former were revolted by his rhetoric from the start. The general lack of Trump-supporting columns, however, puts newspaper editorial editors in an uncomfortable position. Most newspapers try to create a rough balance between left and right opinions on their op-ed pages, which feature staff and guest columnists."
- For the 'new yellow journalists,' opportunity comes in clicks and bucks (Chicago Tribune) "At a time of continuing discussion over the role that hyperpartisan websites, fake news and social media play in the divided America of 2016, LibertyWritersNews illustrates how websites can use Facebook to tap into a surging ideology, quickly go from nothing to influencing millions of people and make big profits in the process. Six months ago, Wade and his business partner, Ben Goldman, were unemployed restaurant workers. Now they're at the helm of a website that gained 300,000 Facebook followers in October alone and say they are making so much money that they feel uncomfortable talking about it because they don't want people to start asking for loans. 'Nothing in this article is anti-media, but I've used this headline a thousand times,' he says. 'Violence and chaos and aggressive wording is what people are attracted to. We're the new yellow journalists,' Wade will say after a day and night when the number of people following LibertyWritersNews on Facebook will swell by more than 20,000. 'We're the people on the side of the street yelling that the world is about to end.'"
- One of the last things John Glenn did before he died was to write Jeff Bezos a letter. This is what it said. (WaPo)
- Mainstream media puts out the call for pro-Trump columnists (WaPo) "Major newspapers, from The Washington Post to the New York Times, have struggled to find and publish pro-Trump columns for months. So have regional ones, such as the Des Moines Register and the Arizona Republic, which has a long history of supporting Republican candidates. The newspapers have plenty of conservative writers, but that’s where the problem begins. Trump, who has defied traditional left-right categories, has offered something for both liberals and conservatives to dislike. The latter never believed that Trump was a true conservative; the former were revolted by his rhetoric from the start. The general lack of Trump-supporting columns, however, puts newspaper editorial editors in an uncomfortable position. Most newspapers try to create a rough balance between left and right opinions on their op-ed pages, which feature staff and guest columnists."
- For the 'new yellow journalists,' opportunity comes in clicks and bucks (Chicago Tribune) "At a time of continuing discussion over the role that hyperpartisan websites, fake news and social media play in the divided America of 2016, LibertyWritersNews illustrates how websites can use Facebook to tap into a surging ideology, quickly go from nothing to influencing millions of people and make big profits in the process. Six months ago, Wade and his business partner, Ben Goldman, were unemployed restaurant workers. Now they're at the helm of a website that gained 300,000 Facebook followers in October alone and say they are making so much money that they feel uncomfortable talking about it because they don't want people to start asking for loans. 'Nothing in this article is anti-media, but I've used this headline a thousand times,' he says. 'Violence and chaos and aggressive wording is what people are attracted to. We're the new yellow journalists,' Wade will say after a day and night when the number of people following LibertyWritersNews on Facebook will swell by more than 20,000. 'We're the people on the side of the street yelling that the world is about to end.'"
- One of the last things John Glenn did before he died was to write Jeff Bezos a letter. This is what it said. (WaPo)
POLITICS:
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are on their way to the White House (WaPo) "Meanwhile, this theory of the Trump presidency leaves a policy environment more fluid and open than any in my political lifetime. Apart from a few vivid campaign promises on immigration and infrastructure— which have also been renegotiated since the election — Trump has radical freedom of action. He owes no one, holds no definite ideology and will be forgiven even the worst heresies by his supporters (at least for the moment). The openness of Trump’s policy options, however, is currently a boon to lobbyists, consultants and advocates of all stripes. If ever talking with the right person at the right time with the right message has been important, it is now. Almost nothing has yet been ruled in or ruled out. Republicans are now finding strategic brilliance in this attempt to keep the whole world off balance. But what happens when President Trump can truly throw the whole world off balance?"
SCIENCE:
- Trump’s team is asking for the names of Energy Department employees who worked on climate issues (Vox) "But the one that’s really eye-catching is question #27, which reads as follows: Can you provide a list of all Department of Energy employees or contractors who have attended any lnteragency Working Group on the Social Cost of Carbon meetings? Can you provide a list of when those meetings were and any materials distributed at those meetings, EPSA emails associated with those meetings, or materials created by Department employees or contractors in anticipation of or as a result of those meetings? What’s unusual here, though, is the request for a list of any career agency employees or contractors who even worked on the issue."
- How NASA is rehearsing for a mission to Mars (WaPo) "This landscape, of course, is not actually Mars, and the people exploring it aren't really astronauts. But the expedition to the Mauna Ulu volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii is a dry run for the distant day when NASA intends to send a real crewed mission to the Red Planet. The Hawaiian mountainside is similar to the landscape scientists think existed on Mars billions of years ago, when the atmosphere was thicker and the planet seethed with volcanic activity."
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are on their way to the White House (WaPo) "Meanwhile, this theory of the Trump presidency leaves a policy environment more fluid and open than any in my political lifetime. Apart from a few vivid campaign promises on immigration and infrastructure— which have also been renegotiated since the election — Trump has radical freedom of action. He owes no one, holds no definite ideology and will be forgiven even the worst heresies by his supporters (at least for the moment). The openness of Trump’s policy options, however, is currently a boon to lobbyists, consultants and advocates of all stripes. If ever talking with the right person at the right time with the right message has been important, it is now. Almost nothing has yet been ruled in or ruled out. Republicans are now finding strategic brilliance in this attempt to keep the whole world off balance. But what happens when President Trump can truly throw the whole world off balance?"
SCIENCE:
- Trump’s team is asking for the names of Energy Department employees who worked on climate issues (Vox) "But the one that’s really eye-catching is question #27, which reads as follows: Can you provide a list of all Department of Energy employees or contractors who have attended any lnteragency Working Group on the Social Cost of Carbon meetings? Can you provide a list of when those meetings were and any materials distributed at those meetings, EPSA emails associated with those meetings, or materials created by Department employees or contractors in anticipation of or as a result of those meetings? What’s unusual here, though, is the request for a list of any career agency employees or contractors who even worked on the issue."
- How NASA is rehearsing for a mission to Mars (WaPo) "This landscape, of course, is not actually Mars, and the people exploring it aren't really astronauts. But the expedition to the Mauna Ulu volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii is a dry run for the distant day when NASA intends to send a real crewed mission to the Red Planet. The Hawaiian mountainside is similar to the landscape scientists think existed on Mars billions of years ago, when the atmosphere was thicker and the planet seethed with volcanic activity."
SPORTS:
- Oregon law could be college football’s version of the ‘Rooney Rule’ (WaPo) "In a sport in which a majority of players are African American, Taggart became the seventh black man in charge of a Power 5 conference football team, of which there are 65. In all of major college football, 13 of 128 schools are coached by African Americans."
TECHNOLOGY:
- Michigan Just Passed the Most Permissive Self-Driving Car Laws in the Country (Fortune) "The four bills, 995, 996, 997, and 998, establish regulations for the testing, use, and eventual sale of autonomous vehicle technology and are meant to more clearly define how self-driving vehicles can be legally used on public roadways. The new laws allow testing of vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or needed human control--an important allowance that aims to propel Michigan ahead of California, a hotbed of driverless car development."
- Fast Lane to the Future (Wired) "Meet Olli, an on-demand driverless vehicle designed to make quick local trips and bring hurrying commuters to transport hubs. Olli doesn’t look futuristic: It’s a window-filled rectangle that’s more like a people mover at a theme park—but it provides a glimpse of things to come. The next generation of public transport will involve not only steel, pavement, and rails but also semiconductors and wireless signals, marking the most dramatic shift in the way people move en masse since the early days of the auto, experts say."
- Why you may have good reason to worry about all those smart devices (WaPo) "So far, smart things have proven to be pretty stupid. In their rush to get intelligent fitness trackers, mattresses and Christmas tree lights to market, developers just aren’t paying enough attention to privacy and security issues. That oversight now seems to be slowing consumer adoption."
BOTTOM OF THE NEWS:
- Delta Upgrades Its Selection of Free Snacks (Fortune) "The new line of free snacks will be available on flights over 250 miles, and will include treats such as Snyder’s of Hanover pretzels, Squirrel Brand Honey Roasted peanuts, and NatureBox Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Bars, keeping in line with its ranking for healthier airplane food."
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- Oregon law could be college football’s version of the ‘Rooney Rule’ (WaPo) "In a sport in which a majority of players are African American, Taggart became the seventh black man in charge of a Power 5 conference football team, of which there are 65. In all of major college football, 13 of 128 schools are coached by African Americans."
TECHNOLOGY:
- Michigan Just Passed the Most Permissive Self-Driving Car Laws in the Country (Fortune) "The four bills, 995, 996, 997, and 998, establish regulations for the testing, use, and eventual sale of autonomous vehicle technology and are meant to more clearly define how self-driving vehicles can be legally used on public roadways. The new laws allow testing of vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or needed human control--an important allowance that aims to propel Michigan ahead of California, a hotbed of driverless car development."
- Fast Lane to the Future (Wired) "Meet Olli, an on-demand driverless vehicle designed to make quick local trips and bring hurrying commuters to transport hubs. Olli doesn’t look futuristic: It’s a window-filled rectangle that’s more like a people mover at a theme park—but it provides a glimpse of things to come. The next generation of public transport will involve not only steel, pavement, and rails but also semiconductors and wireless signals, marking the most dramatic shift in the way people move en masse since the early days of the auto, experts say."
- Why you may have good reason to worry about all those smart devices (WaPo) "So far, smart things have proven to be pretty stupid. In their rush to get intelligent fitness trackers, mattresses and Christmas tree lights to market, developers just aren’t paying enough attention to privacy and security issues. That oversight now seems to be slowing consumer adoption."
BOTTOM OF THE NEWS:
- Delta Upgrades Its Selection of Free Snacks (Fortune) "The new line of free snacks will be available on flights over 250 miles, and will include treats such as Snyder’s of Hanover pretzels, Squirrel Brand Honey Roasted peanuts, and NatureBox Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Bars, keeping in line with its ranking for healthier airplane food."
Sign up for email distribution of the Day's Most Compelling News below or by visiting Top of the News
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