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Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

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Donald Trump took office with the unprecedented ability to reshape the federal judiciary, with over 100 vacancies as of the Inauguration. Trump had the possibility of nominating in just one term in office nearly half the federal judiciary. Democrats' removal of the judicial filibuster in 2013 (the so-called Nuclear Option) cleared the way for Republicans to fill these vacancies regardless of Democrat objections, assuming Republicans retain control of the Senate in 2018.

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The July 5,2016 statement by James Comey declining to prosecute Hillary Clinton for her mishandling of classified information never passed the smell test. After Comey spent 15 minutes laying out, in brutal detail, all of Hillary's misdeeds and lies, Comey abruptly determined that no prosecution was warranted because no reasonable prosecutor would bring charges. Yet that wasn't Comey's decision to make as FBI Director, it was a decision for the prosecutors at DOJ.

The GOP's vision of passing a tax bill in the Senate is slowing fading as Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has threatened to vote no on it unless the bill expands the child tax credit. From The Washington Post:
“I understand that this is a process of give and take, especially when there’s only a couple of us fighting for it, the leverage is lessened,” Rubio (R-Fla.) said Thursday in the Senate. “But given all the other changes made in the tax code leading into it, I can’t in good conscience support it unless we are able to increase [the child tax credit], and there’s ways to do it and we’ll be very reasonable about it.”

Democrat Dog Jones pulled off an upset in Alabama's special Senate election, barely beating embattled Republican Roy Moore. High on the Alabama win, Democrats are experiencing delusions of grandeur, believing bamamentum will carry over to the Lone Star State.

The city of Mülheim in northwestern Germany cancelled its official Hanukkah festivities, citing 'security concerns,' German newspaper Bild Zeitung reported. All the outdoor Hanukkah events due to take place in Mülheim and the adjoining region have also been cancelled, the head of the local Jewish community confirmed. The German state of North-Rhine Westphalia, where Mülheim is located, has seen an upsurge of antisemitic attacks in the recent years. In the nearby city of Bochum, the Jewish community leaders have urged Jews to stop wearing kippah, the traditional Jewish skullcap that identifies them as Jews, in public. Last month, the local broadcaster Radio Bochum reported that Jews “routinely faced with insults on public streets when they are recognized as Jews.” The broadcaster identified the perpetrators as “Muslim youths.”

The local ABC station in Victoria, TX, has reported that Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX) will not seek re-election. The station is currently trying to receive more information from his office. His term ends on January 20, 2019. The news comes a day after Michael Rekola, Farenthold's former communications director in 2015, has come forward to reveal the improper behavior towards him from Farenthold, including sexual jokes about his then-fiancée.

The people who rioted in Washington, DC on inauguration day last January are in a world of trouble. Unfortunately for them, this was the United States capital, not the campus of UC Berkeley and there are real consequences for criminal behavior.

In an infamous one-liner aimed at then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R-MA), then-candidate Obama and incumbent president (D) said, “The 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back . . . the Cold War is over.”  This was after Obama's Secretary of State Hillary Clinton bungled the "Russian reset" by skewering the translation on her symbolic "reset" button.  This was also before Obama promised, in an equally-infamous hot mic moment,  "flexibility" with Russia after the 2012 election.

This weekend, I reported on the spate of fires that have erupted though Southern California, which included the Skirball Fire that threatened the famous Getty Center Museum, destroyed several posh Bel Air homes, and shut the 405 freeway. In a move that surprised nobody, Governor Jerry Brown was quick to blame all the infernos on climate change, but a cooking fire by a homeless person started the fire.

Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett was confirmed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals today. Justice Willett is best known for his Twitter account, where he stays away from politics, and is quite funny. Kemberlee put together a Best of (Future SCOTUS?) Justice Don Willett’s Twitter Feed. As we previously reported, during confirmation hearings, Dems tried to attack some of his tweets, Aging, humorless Dem Senator rips judicial nominee Don Willett over Bacon Marriage tweet.

Republicans in the House and Senate have struck a deal on the tax bill. Details of the agreement have started to leak out as Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn said he has confidence it will pass next week. From Politico:
One major deal that fell into place, on the state and local tax deduction, would allow taxpayers to choose a property tax deduction or a deduction for state and local income taxes, up to $10,000 in either case, according to a GOP congressional aide and a person familiar with the process.

Fired? Resigned? Conflicting reports have come out over Omarosa Manigault Newman's departure as director of communications for the White House Office of Public Liasion. The White House said her last day is January 20. From Politico:
"Omarosa Manigault Newman resigned yesterday to pursue other opportunities," the White House said in a statement. "We wish her the best in future endeavors and are grateful for her service."