IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

First Read's Morning Clips

A roundup of the most important political news stories of the day

CONGRESS: It wasn’t easy

Here's the rundown of how it played out, from our NBC News team.

From the New York Times: "The final vote was a blow to Ms. Pelosi, the liberal wing of the party and Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, who led the charge against the Dodd-Frank rollback. Mr. Boehner built a coalition of 162 Republicans and 57 Democrats, a rare achievement for a Congress that has often operated along strict party lines. Congress also passed a two-day funding measure to give the Senate time to pass the legislation."

The Washington Post's take: "For the Warren wing, what they see as siding with banks over average Americans is among the most unforgivable of sins, and the showdown exposed just how disruptive and demanding this populist bloc plans to be."

The Associated Press on what happens next: " It's now up to the Senate to pass a huge $1.1 trillion spending bill to keep the government running, but not before a battle between old school veterans and new breed freshmen such as tea partier Ted Cruz and Elizabeth Warren, a liberal with a national following. The smart money's on old school types such as Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and GOP Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky."

The NYT editorial board isn't happy with the riders in the bill. "When the long-lost grail of bipartisan compromise finally re-emerged on Capitol Hill this week, the spending bill for 2015 turned out to be weighted with some of the most devious and damaging provisions imaginable for good government. "

Lobbyists think they'll see more changes to Dodd-Frank, but not an overhaul, in 2015, according to Reuters.

From Roll Call: “The House Ethics Committee cleared Rep. Alcee Hastings of a sexual harassment case in the waning hours of the 113th Congress, but chided the Florida Democrat for unprofessional behavior with a female employee of the United States Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.”

OBAMA AGENDA: Brennan’s address

The Wall Street Journal, on John Brennan's address on the CIA report: "Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan staunchly defended his agency Thursday, but distanced himself from the disputed interrogation techniques used against detainees and from claims about their effectiveness."

Via the AP: "Their disputes over who spied on whom and censoring the Senate's scathing torture report are history. But the personal feud between Sen. Dianne Feinstein and CIA Director John Brennan may only be getting worse."

Former President George H.W. Bush, a onetime CIA director, reiterated his “confidence” in the CIA Thursday evening.

Obama's actions on climate change are building goodwill for the president abroad, reports the New York Times.

Congressional staffers protesting the Ferguson and Staten Island verdicts staged a walkout Thursday.

OFF TO THE RACES: Third time’s a charm for Mitt?

POLITICO reports: "While some people close to Romney insist he hasn’t moved from saying he has no plans to run, the 2012 Republican nominee has sounded at least open to the idea in recent conversations, according to more than a dozen people who’ve spoken with him in the past month. In his private musings, Romney has sounded less than upbeat about most of the potential candidates in the 2016 Republican field, according to the people who’ve spoken with him, all of whom asked for anonymity in order to speak freely." And MORE: "He has said, among other things, that Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, would run into problems because of his business dealings, his work with the investment banks Lehman Brothers and Barclays, and his private equity investments."

The Washington Post's look at Hillary Clinton's timeline: "Hillary Rodham Clinton is considering the nitty-gritty details of how and when to organize a presidential campaign amid signs that she will postpone making her shadow campaign official until later in 2015 than expected, according to advisers and Democratic strategists. Clinton and her small circle of close advisers are weighing legal advice to set up a strict firewall between her and the numerous outside groups backing her presumed 2016 candidacy, according to a person familiar with the talks. The quarantine would run for a set period of time before she would announce her candidacy, as a way to make sure that the campaign and outside groups do not run afoul of federal election rules."

Dr. Ben Carson is going to Israel, writes the Washington Times.

Mike Pence is going to Israel, too, per The Hill.

Wendy Davis won the Texas Monthly’s “Bum Steer” Award (not a good thing).

PROGRAMMING NOTES.

*** Friday’s “News Nation with Tamron Hall” line-up: Tamron Hall interviews Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) on the government funding bill vote; Author of “Death at Seaworld,” David Kirby on Seaworld CEO steps down; USA Today Entertainment reporter Arienne Thompson on the Bill Cosby accusations; Panola County DA John Champion on the Mississippi teen burned alive; and Scott Foundas, Variety’s chief film critic, on the Exodus casting controversy.

*** Friday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews Sen. John McCain, Sen. Robert Menendez, Sen. Chris Murphy, NFL VP of Public Policy and Government Affairs Cynthia Hogan, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell and Luke Russert.