Intel vets demand proof of Russian “hacking” from Obama at his last news conference on Wednesday, Putin praises Russian prostitutes….--in open letter to Obama, dozens of intelligence veterans demand proof of Russian interference in election, urge Obama to end the ambiguity
--Putin denies Russia tried to groom Trump, and laughs off golden shower story with compliments to Russian hookers
--in closed hearings, House and Senate Dems slam James Comey, who Rep. Maxine Waters says “has no credibility”
--days before the November election, FBI conducted nationwide sweep of over 200 Muslim men, using pretext of US killing of al Qaeda leader
--in new in-depth interview, we talk with MondoWeiss contributor Jonathan Ofir and in this excerpt he comments on Trump and Clinton positions on Israel
--responding to unsolicited advice from almost-former CIA Director Brennan, Trump blasts back on Twitter, suggesting Brennan leaked info about dossier
--former CIA officer John Kiriakou says we don’t need a CIA
--in first report for Buzzfeed, Jason Leopold reviews new CIA website with 12 million pages of declassified history
Part 2
As clock ticks on final days, speculation builds that Obama may grant clemency to Chelsea Manning, 10 more released from Gitmo….
--White House press secretary hints that Manning deserves relief more than Snowden
--10 more prisoners released from Guantanamo, 40 are expected to remain
--many House Dems will boycott inauguration, Trump’s attacks on John Lewis may swell those numbers
--more than 200,000 protesters expected in DC for Friday and Saturday
--former contestant on “Apprentice” sues Trump for defamation, for claiming he didn’t grope her
--at The Intercept, Lee Fang and Steve Horn report that Secretary of State pick Rex Tillerson sought help for Exxon-Mobil from State Department
--Trump’s nominee to kill Obamacare, Rep. Tom Price, is part of GOP group that has big investments in obscure Australian biotech startup
--while corporate media has lost interest in the contradictions of the Orlando shooting investigation, accused shooter Omar Mateen’s widow is arrested
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