The Hill's Morning Report — Trump shakes up his staff with eye on 2020, legal threats | Search is underway for new Trump chief of staff | Mueller probe gains strength with focus on “Individual 1” | House GOP to get another shot at Comey | McConnell under pressure to allow a vote on criminal justice reform bill | The uphill climb for GOP women in the House | Trump’s nominee for attorney general to be scrutinized for his views on the special counsel | Senators seek to rebuke Saudi Arabia, Trump tied to Khashoggi death

© Getty Images   Welcome to The Hill's Morning Report and happy Monday! Our newsletter gets you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch, co-created by Jonathan Easley and Alexis Simendinger. (CLICK HERE to subscribe!) On Twitter, find us at @joneasley and @asimendinger.   📺 Hill.TV's "Rising" program, starting at 8 a.m., features former federal prosecutor Gene Rossi on the Mueller probe; WSOC-TV journalist Joe Bruno on the North Carolina 9th Congressional District allegations of election fraud; New Hampshire political journalist Paul Steinhauser, on Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who is eyeing a White House bid; and Rep.-elect Johanna Hayes, a newcomer to Congress. http://thehill.com/hilltv   A long-awaited shake-up at the top levels of the White House and administration is underway.   President Trump is rearranging his chessboard as the legal threats around him grow and as his allies prepare for a brutal campaign cycle.   The biggest headline from a busy weekend: Chief of staff John Kelly will be gone by the end of the year. The president does not have a replacement in line at the moment.   Here's a rundown of who's in, who's out, and who's taking on new roles:   At the White House   > In the end, Kelly, a four-star retired Marine Corps general who was brought on to instill discipline in a chaotic West Wing, fell out of favor with the president.   Trump thought he might replace Kelly with Vice President Pence's chief of staff Nick Ayers, the 36 year-old wunderkind with a reputation as a sharp-elbowed political animal.   But The Hill's Jordan Fabian and Brett Samuels report that Ayers took himself out of consideration on Sunday after he couldn't come to an agreement with Trump about the terms of his service.   The president was seeking a long-term commitment from Ayers, who has decided instead to return to his home state of Georgia with his wife and children. Ayers will run a pro-Trump Super PAC.   © Twitter   That leaves the president at square one with the clock ticking down to Kelly's departure.   © Twitter   One name Trump is throwing around? House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), according to Axios. Meadows is a loyal Trump ally who would bring much-needed congressional experience to the West Wing. But remember, Meadows will be in the minority next year and someone else will be chairman of the Freedom Caucus.     Another possibility to replace Kelly: Former Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.), who heads the Office of Management and Budget.   The Associated Press: Trump looking at several candidates for chief of staff. Bradley Blakeman: Trump needs a political chief of staff with eye on 2020.    > White House political director Bill Stepien and Justin Clark, the director of the office of public liaison, will leave to join Trump's 2020 reelection campaign. Deputy White House political director Brian Jack is expected to replace Stepien, who kept a low profile at the White House. In addition, GOP Whip Steve Scalise's (R-La.) floor director Ben Howard started on Friday as deputy assistant to the president for legislative affairs.   > Pat Cipollone is now White House counsel, which might be the most difficult job in Washington at the moment. Cipollone, who replaced Don McGahn, will deal with special counsel Robert Mueller and House Democrats, who are preparing a blizzard of investigations when they control the majority in January.   Within the Administration   > The president has tapped William Barr to replace Jeff Sessions as attorney general.   Barr, 68, had this job before, albeit in a very different Washington under former President George H.W. Bush from 1991 to 1993.   Expect senators from both parties to grill Barr at his confirmation hearing on his views of the special counsel investigation. They'll be seeking a commitment from Barr to let Mueller finish his work, as pressure mounts on Senate Republicans to vote on a bill to protect the investigation.   The Hill: Five things to know about Barr.   >  State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, a former Fox News anchor, is nominated to succeed Nikki Haley as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. That was a Cabinet-level position for Haley, but will not be for Nauert.   > Shortly before attending the Army-Navy football game on Saturday, Trump announced that he would nominate Army chief of staff Gen. Mark Milley to become the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. If confirmed, Milley would succeed Gen. Joseph Dunford as the nation's highest-ranking uniformed officer.   LEADING THE DAY INVESTIGATIONS: The special counsel probe is gaining strength and moving closer to "Individual- 1," which is how Mueller's team and prosecutors at the Southern District of New York referred to Trump in legal filings over the weekend.   The president faces legal threats on multiple fronts:   > Trump's former attorney and "fixer" Michael Cohen has pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations pertaining to election-year payments he made to bury stories from women who claim to have had extramarital affairs with the president. Cohen has said Trump directed him to make the payments. Prosecutors appear intent on pursuing this line of inquiry to the end.   The New York Times: Done with Cohen, prosecutors shift focus to Trump family business.   > Mueller's team said in filings that Cohen and Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn have provided crucial information pertaining to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. It appears they're homing in on conversations both men had with White House officials over the past two years, as well as the Trump Organization's pursuit of a real estate project in Moscow in 2016.   The Hill: Five takeaways from the bombshell Cohen filings. The Associated Press: Russia probe threatens Trump, those in his orbit.   Democrats reacted triumphantly to the news.   "There's a very real prospect that on the day Donald Trump leaves office, the Justice Department may indict him. That he may be the first president in quite some time to face the real prospect of jail time." – Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee   Of course, Trump has not been accused of a crime and would mount a vigorous defense against any campaign finance allegations, which exist in a fuzzy legal zone.   Meanwhile, former FBI Director James Comey spent a tense day being grilled by House Republicans on Friday about the origins of the investigation into the Trump campaign.   The Associated Press: Comey says FBI probe initially looked at four Americans. The Hill: Comey reveals new details on Russia probe in House testimony.   Comey will return for a second round of questioning on Dec. 17.   That might be the last chance for House Republicans to question a central figure in their investigation into allegations of political misconduct at the FBI and Department of Justice.   Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who is poised to lead the House Judiciary Committee next year when Democrats are in control of the House, says he'll shut down the GOP-led investigations.   "It is a waste of time." – Nadler   Perspectives and Analysis   Dana Milbank: The utterly lawless `Individual-1.' Prof. Clancy Martin: Why does Paul Manafort lie? Chris Swecker: Comey is a disgrace to the FBI. Andrew McCarthy: Why Trump is likely to be indicted by Manhattan U.S. attorney. Harry Litman: Can Trump presidency survive latest court filings? Ed Kilgore: House Democrats should probably learn from their opponents' experience. There are investigations to pursue and Trump initiatives to kill.   IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES CONGRESS: A bipartisan criminal justice reform bill in the Senate continues to be controversial this week. GOP backers say Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is bucking his Republicans colleagues, as well as Trump and Democratic senators who believe the bill could become law this year if allowed to come to the floor (The Hill).   Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who supports the measure, says passage is possible this year, with Trump's support.   © Twitter   "If they can attract the support of more Republican senators, there's still an opportunity for that to be finished this year. If not, obviously, it will be taken up again next year." – Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), interviewed on CBS's "Face the Nation"   Washington Post: McConnell resists action this year on a bipartisan criminal justice reform measure, infuriating some GOP colleagues.   © Getty Images   House Republicans: House GOP women are facing a far tougher climb than their male counterparts as they seek to replenish their dwindling ranks on Capitol Hill (The Hill).   Saudi Arabia: Senators will vote on a resolution this week aimed at ending U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. With only days left in the congressional work year, senators are already laying the groundwork to revive the bill and a broader sanctions measure next year. House Democrats are also expected to push to crackdown on Saudi Arabia once they regain the majority (The Hill).   > Punish Trump: On a bipartisan basis, senators are edging closer to publicly rebuking the president this week over his refusal to distance the United States from the Saudi royal family following the brutal murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi (The Hill).   OPINION Republicans in Wisconsin, Michigan and North Carolina seem intent on subverting the will of the voters, The New York Times editorial board.   Focus on Yemen, not the Saudi crown prince, by Dov Zakheim, opinion contributor, The Hill. http://bit.ly/2Pt7pp6   WHERE AND WHEN The Senate convenes today at 4 p.m. and resumes consideration of the nomination of Justin Muzinich to be deputy secretary of the Treasury.   The House meets at noon. Votes are scheduled at 6:30 p.m.   The president has lunch with the vice president.   Pence also participates in a swearing-in ceremony for the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at 5 p.m.   Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Senegalese Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne at 9:30 a.m., and attends the signing ceremony for the Millennium Challenge. He delivers remarks to the Marine Corps Reserve at the Toys for Tots ceremonial presentation event at 1:30 p.m. at the State Department. At 3 p.m., Pompeo officiates at the ceremonial swearing-in ceremony for the department's assistant secretary for legislative affairs, Mary Elizabeth Taylor.   NASA's Advisory Council meets today and Tuesday at NASA headquarters in Washington to discuss space policy. Members listed HERE gather today from 1:30-6 p.m.   The White House Historical Association holds its 2018 holiday book fair and shopping event from 11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Location: 1610 H St. N.W. Former White House chef Roland Mesnier and 13 other authors will sign copies of their books; Bill Barker of Colonial Williamsburg will portray former President Thomas Jefferson and the annual White House ornament and other gifts are available there and online: shop.whitehousehistory.org.   ELSEWHERE > Amazon HQ a bonanza: The Washington, D.C., area will see $15 billion in new economic activity and 62,000 new jobs by 2030 with the arrival of Amazon's corporate offices in Northern Virginia. The Virginia Chamber Foundation predicts in a new report that operations of the Amazon offices alone will produce an estimated annual $6.4 billion from 2019 to 2030, supporting an average 27,928 jobs each year in the region (The Washington Post).   > France: President Emmanuel Macron will address his country today as he seeks to placate "yellow vest" anti-government protesters who wreaked havoc in Paris over the weekend. Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud said Macron is to announce "concrete and immediate" measures, but not a higher minimum wage (Reuters).   > China and trade: The Trump administration says March 1 is now the "hard" deadline on reaching a trade agreement with China, or new tariffs will be imposed (Reuters).   > Adenovirus: 30 cases of adenovirus have been confirmed at the University of Maryland, where eight people have been hospitalized and one freshman student died … (The Baltimore Sun) … Adenovirus has killed 12 people in Maryland and New Jersey. What is the common contagion that affects the respiratory system? (WebMD).   THE CLOSER And finally … 🍪 Holiday cookies ... 'tis the season to bake!  From church bazaars, to holiday cookie-exchange parties, to office contests (The Hill's employees have their second annual baking contest going on this month) — sugar is key.   "Cookiers" turn home-baked skills into edible art, successful businesses, personal therapy and social media fame (The New York Times).   There are royal icing artists and cookie portraitists who enjoy huge followings. Former art director Liz Joy is now a "sugar artist" and transforms baked goods into creative masterpieces (Twitter fan's video is HERE).   © Instagram   Patti Paige and her custom cookie cutters have appeared in The Washington Post, her own cookbook and, of course, on Instagram.   © Instagram   The allure of holiday cookies enlivens fundraising events, publicizes grandmothers' recipes and traditions, and reels in strangers. For example, Midwestern innkeepers devised a sweet gimmick this holiday season with the West Michigan Bed & Breakfast Christmas Cookie Tour (MLive.com).   And if you're baking for friends, coworkers and neighbors, cookie tips and recipes are endless. The Washington Post: Cookie perfection.   Bon Appetit: Six holiday cookies to bake, swap, and share on repeat Adirondack Daily Enterprise: Holiday cookie traditions for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.   And the satisfaction is oh-so sweet!   © Twitter   The Morning Report is created by journalists Jonathan Easley jeasley@thehill.com & Alexis Simendinger asimendinger@thehill.com. Suggestions? Tips? We want to hear from you! Share The Hill's reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE!   To view past editions of The Hill's Morning Report CLICK HERE To receive The Hill's Morning Report in your inbox SIGN UP HERE Morning Report Sign Up FORWARD Morning Report Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2018 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

News Alert: Congress digs in for prolonged Saudi battle

View in your browser     Congress digs in for prolonged Saudi battle The brewing fight between President Trump and Congress on Saudi Arabia is poised to spill over into next year. The U.S.-Saudi relationship has emerged as a point of contention between both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue in the wake of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, with a growing number of senators convinced that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is responsible for the journalist’s death. Read the full story here           Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for News Alerts     Forward News Alerts     You Might Like       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

News Alert: John Kelly’s exit raises concerns about White House future

View in your browser     John Kelly’s exit raises concerns about White House future The departure of White House chief of staff John Kelly is raising concerns about how the White House will face potential legal and political challenges in 2019.  Kelly, who was thought to bring order to an often chaotic White House, will leave the West Wing as special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election appears to be zeroing in on President Trump. Trump will also face a divided Congress next year, with Democrats slated to take control of the House in January, giving the party subpoena power. Read the full story here           Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for News Alerts     Forward News Alerts     You Might Like       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.