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GOP leaders fear damage to party's image as Donald Trump doubles down — Since Donald Trump announced his presidential bid, he's drawn plenty of controversy and outrage for his comments on the campaign trail. Here are some of the key moments. (The Washington Post)
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Trump vows long campaign, won't commit to backing GOP nominee — Since Donald Trump announced his presidential bid, he's drawn plenty of controversy and outrage for his comments on the campaign trail. Here are some of the key moments. (The Washington Post)
Discussion:
Hot Air, Daily Kos, The Week, Washington Examiner and Business Insider


The GOP frontrunner: Donald Trump? — Trump leads the GOP pack this week, though few think he will win the nomination — The Republican horserace continues to be a contest of multiple candidates - with frontrunners sometimes ahead by only a few points, and no one dominating the race.
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Mickey Kaus, Business Insider, JP Updates, Hot Air, Public Policy Polling and The Last Refuge


Taking On Donald Trump May Be a Key Step in Getting to the Oval Office — No matter how glittering the political resume, getting elected U.S. president remains one of the great challenges on the planet. As Bill Clinton explains it, presidential candidates must not only make voters …
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The Daily Caller, ABC News, Washington Monthly and Politico


Donald Trump Says R.N.C. Chairman Called to Congratulate Him
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The Atlantic, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, Mediaite, Business Insider and Progress Pond

Donald Trump: Reince Priebus didn't tell me to ‘tone it down’
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US News, NBC News, Washington Post, The Gateway Pundit, Talking Points Memo and Fox News

The GOP's Two Latino Problems
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Washington Post, Democratic Strategist and The Hill


House cancels vote amid fight over Confederate flag — House GOP leaders abruptly canceled a vote Thursday on a spending bill for the Interior Department amid an intraparty split over the display of the Confederate flag. — The bill was pulled after the House moved to vote on an amendment …
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The Atlantic, Yahoo Politics and John Hawkins' Right Wing News
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In Late-Night Move, House GOP Rallies To Defend Confederate Flag — In a sudden late-night reversal Wednesday, House Republicans unexpectedly rallied to the defense of the Confederate flag. The surprise move came just one day after the House passed Democratic amendments to restrict the display …
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Roll Call, Lawyers, Guns & Money, WJTV, Balloon Juice and The Hill


‘New day in South Carolina’: House votes to take down Confederate flag — Rep. Wendell Gilliard and other representatives of the Lowcountry gather to remember the victims of the Emanuel AME Church shootings before the House voted early Thursday morning to bring down the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds.
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NBC News, PoliticusUSA, Hatewatch, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Hinterland Gazette and Common Dreams


Rep. Behind Confederate Flag Vote: GOP Leadership Asked Me To Do It — Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) issued a statement on Thursday explaining his decision to introduce and then cancel a vote on an “important and sensitive issue,” namely his amendment that would have preserved the display of Confederate flag in national parks.
Discussion:
Mediaite and Hullabaloo


Jenny Horne: How a descendant of the president of the Confederacy helped vanquish his flag
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CNN, Yahoo Politics, FOX6Now.com and The Daily Caller

Today, as the Senate did before them, the House of Representatives …
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Washington Post, National Review, Mashable, NBC News, CNN, Associated Press, Daily Kos, WSLS-TV, ThinkProgress and The Week


Jeb Bush and longer working hours: gaffesplainer 2016 — Jeb Bush's stated goal of 4 percent annual GDP growth, though unrealistic, in general sounds nice. But during a New Hampshire Union Leader interview live-streamed on Periscope, Bush got granular about his plan, revealing that part …
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Lawyers, Guns & Money and Talking Points Memo
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Jeb Bush Team Has $114 Million — But we still don't know the big number for Bush. — t michaelcbender — Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush and his supporters have amassed a war chest totalling more than $114 million. — The total, which reflects fundraising by the Bush campaign …
Discussion:
Politico


Democrats 2016: Not Feeling the Bern — Despite big crowds, Sanders remains a huge underdog to Clinton — The Buzz about Bernie has taken hold on the Democratic side of the 2016 campaign, and it's easy to see why. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is drawing huge crowds and great poll numbers …
Discussion:
Progress Pond
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Lost Girls … In 1974, when she was only 14, Jackie Fuchs would wake up way before her parents and catch a ride with friends from her house in the San Fernando Valley across the Santa Monica Mountains and into Malibu. She'd hit the beach and paddle out in the quiet, pre-dawn dark.


Obama administration revives plan once criticized as ‘death panels’ — Six years after end-of-life planning nearly derailed development of the Affordable Care Act amid charges of “death panels,” the Obama administration has revived a proposal to reimburse physicians for talking …
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Washington Monthly, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Outside the Beltway
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Medicare Plans to Pay Doctors for Counseling on End of Life
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ThinkProgress, Vox, Brookings Institute, LifeNews.com, Washington Post, Balloon Juice, The Moderate Voice and The Verge


Updated Controls for News Feed — News Feed is a personalized stream of stories that you build from the people and Pages you've connected to on Facebook. The goal of News Feed is to show you the stories that matter most to you. To do this, we use ranking to order stories based …
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USA TODAY College, The Verge, 9to5Mac, US News and KFOR-TV


The comedy censors' inane assault on Amy Schumer — So, after having the hottest show on Comedy Central, a much-buzzed-about movie opening next week and Chris Rock directing her upcoming HBO special, Amy Schumer has fallen afoul of the modern-day Calvinists.
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Instapundit