Today in 5 Lines
During a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Trump stuck by his claim that former President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower, citing “a certain very talented legal mind” he had seen on Fox News. Fox News anchor Shep Smith said later that the network “cannot confirm Judge Napolitano’s commentary” and “knows of no evidence of any kind” to support Trump’s claims. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speaking in Seoul, said that “all options are on the table” if North Korea continues to escalate its nuclear-weapons program, signaling that the administration would consider military action. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said the House will vote on the Republican health-care bill next week. Trump said he was “100 percent behind” the American Health Care Act, after meeting with the Republican Study Committee to discuss the legislation.
Today on The Atlantic
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Trust Fall: Bob Woodson, a community organizer and civil-rights veteran, thought he’d finally found a loyal ally when he began advising Paul Ryan on policy issues related to poverty in 2012. But that faith is being put to the test in the wake of Ryan’s new health-care bill. (McKay Coppins)
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Taking a Gamble: A new report confirms long-held skepticism of a government supported-program designed to derail people “at risk” of engaging in terrorism. Now that the Trump administration is considering a replacement, however, civil-liberties groups “may not like what comes next.” (Emma Green)
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Spy v. Spy: Marcy Wheeler writes that the indictment of Russian hackers for the Yahoo cyber attack disclosed in September highlights the advantages U.S. hackers have over their Russian counterparts, “thanks to the fact that so many of the world’s tech companies are located in the United States.”