Top Items:
Mark Murray / NBC News:
Donald Trump's Lead Slashed in South Carolina: Poll — Donald Trump is now leading Saturday's South Carolina Republican primary by 5 points — down from his 16-point lead in the state a month ago, according to results from a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll.
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Molly Ball / The Atlantic:
The Great Republican Stalemate — SPARTANBURG, S.C.—You could see why Ted Cruz might be getting a little frustrated. So many of the voters that rightfully belonged to him were, lately, stubbornly choosing to back other candidates instead. — Donald Trump. Marco Rubio. Even—would you believe it?
Discussion:
CNN, CBS News, ThinkProgress and ABC News
Post and Courier:
Pro-Ted Cruz robocall blasting Trump and Gov. Haley on Confederate flag — A pro-Ted Cruz robo-telephone call blasts Donald Trump for his support of the Confederate flag coming down. An honor guard from the South Carolina Highway patrol removes the Confederate battle flag …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Trail Blazers Blog, AMERICAblog NewsAMERICAblog … and Right Wing Watch
MA Towery / Opinion Savvy:
Rubio Surges in South Carolina ahead of Saturday's Primary — We conducted our final poll for the South Carolina Republican presidential primary on February 18th and 19th, and the results show a sizable surge for the Rubio campaign, placing him within 3 points of Donald Trump. — The horse race:
Discussion:
WAGA-TV, RedState, Newsstand, Hot Air and Political Wire
Eli Stokols / Politico:
Bush machine running on fumes — SUMMERVILLE, S.C. — Some of Jeb Bush's most steadfast allies think Saturday might be the end. — Donors, who poured millions into his campaign and super PAC, have stopped giving — one refusing a direct request to raise $1 million this week.
Discussion:
RedState, The Cook Political Report, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway, NBC News and National Review
Niall Stanage / The Hill:
Trump on brink of key win — COLUMBIA, S.C. — The author of “The Art of the Deal” is on the brink of closing his biggest one yet. — Victory for Donald Trump in the GOP primary here on Saturday would copper-fasten his status as the dominant front-runner, catapult him into a significant delegate lead …
Discussion:
Politico, The Right Scoop, Daily Wire, whorunsGov and ABC News
Annie Karni / Politico:
How Bernie Sanders surged in Nevada
How Bernie Sanders surged in Nevada
Discussion:
Guardian, NBC News, USA Today, National Review, New York Times, Yahoo Politics, Common Dreams, TheStreet.com, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, ABC News, The State and The Hill
Henry Olsen / National Review:
I Don't Believe The Latest SC Polls - Here's Why
I Don't Believe The Latest SC Polls - Here's Why
Discussion:
The Right Scoop
Katie Glueck / Politico:
Mark Sanford endorses Ted Cruz
Mark Sanford endorses Ted Cruz
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Washington Post and Hullabaloo
Steven Shepard / Politico:
Insiders predict Trump win in South Carolina, Clinton in Nevada
Insiders predict Trump win in South Carolina, Clinton in Nevada
Discussion:
Politicus USA and Yahoo Politics
McKay Coppins / BuzzFeed:
Rubio Bails Last Minute On Conservative Gathering Packed With Cruz Supporters
Rubio Bails Last Minute On Conservative Gathering Packed With Cruz Supporters
Discussion:
New York Times, Breitbart, RedState, Hot Air, Daily Wire, AOL and Daily Kos
Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:
The Roots of Donald Trump's Candidacy Lie in a South Carolina Cemetery
The Roots of Donald Trump's Candidacy Lie in a South Carolina Cemetery
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
Connor Sheets / al.com:
Harper Lee dead at age of 89: ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ author passes away — Nelle Harper Lee, who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961 for her book, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” has died at the age of 89, multiple sources in her hometown of Monroeville, including the mayor's office, confirmed Friday morning.
Discussion:
NBC News, Raw Story, FiveThirtyEight, Daily Kos, Los Angeles Times, WHNT-TV, ABC News, LGBTQ Nation, Above the Law, CBS Miami, Mashable, Common Dreams, Independent Journal Review, NPR, The Verge, Mediaite, Jezebel, The Week, WTVR-TV, The Atlantic, WGN-TV, fox13now.com, FOX5 San Diego and New York's PIX11
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William Grimes / New York Times:
Harper Lee, Author of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ Dies at 89 — Harper Lee, whose first novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” about racial injustice in a small Alabama town, sold more than 10 million copies and became one of the most beloved and most taught works of fiction ever written by an American, has died.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Gothamist, KTLA, The Atlantic, Outside the Beltway, Talking Points Memo and Mother Jones
Ed Pilkington / Guardian:
Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird author, dies aged 89
Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird author, dies aged 89
Discussion:
American Spectator
Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:
In 2002, Donald Trump Said He Supported Invading Iraq — “Are you for invading Iraq?” Howard Stern asked him, and Trump answered, “Yeah, I guess so.” — w.soundcloud.com — For months, Donald Trump has claimed that he opposed the Iraq War before the invasion began — as an example of his great judgment on foreign policy issues.
Discussion:
RedState, ThinkProgress, Little Green Footballs, Daily Mail, New Republic, Guardian, Washington Post, neo-neocon, Power Line, Daily Wire, Salon, Mediaite, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, Betsy's Page, Reuters, Hullabaloo, Hot Air, addictinginfo.org, The Stranger …, NBC News, ABC News, CNN, Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, Wall Street Journal, Politico, Weasel Zippers, CBS New York, New York Times, Yahoo Politics, The Week, Mother Jones, Hit & Run, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Slantpoint, Independent Journal Review, The Last Refuge and The Right Scoop
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Streiff / RedState:
Donald Trump Says He Supports the ObamaCare Mandate — Anderson Cooper interviews Donald Trump on a CNN candidate town hall. — Last night Donald Trump was on CNN with Anderson Cooper. The subject of health care came up. Naturally it resulted in a dumpster fire of nitwit-ish blather …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Power Line, The Right Scoop, Daily Wire and John Hawkins' Right Wing News
Scott Bixby / Guardian:
Campaign live: Pope Francis walks back Donald Trump ‘not a Christian’ remarks
Campaign live: Pope Francis walks back Donald Trump ‘not a Christian’ remarks
Discussion:
Mother Jones
Salon:
Hillary Clinton just can't win: Democrats need to accept that only Bernie Sanders can defeat the GOP — Bernie Sanders will become our next president and it should come as no surprise to people actually paying attention — In one major poll, Bernie Sanders is now leading Hillary Clinton nationally.
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Harper Neidig / The Hill:
Nevada Dems threaten to prosecute people who vote in both caucuses — The Nevada State Democratic Party on Friday vowed to prosecute people who “violate the integrity of the caucus process” after a local College Republicans chapter encouraged GOP voters to participate in the contests of both parties.
Discussion:
Politicus USA and Joe.My.God.
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Liam Stack / New York Times:
In Defense of Trump, Some Point (Wrongly) to Vatican Walls — Supporters of Donald J. Trump were quick to suggest on Thursday that Pope Francis was being hypocritical to criticize as un-Christian Mr. Trump's proposal to build a wall between the United States and Mexico because the pontiff himself lives …
Discussion:
The Hill, CNN, Business Insider, American Spectator, CBS New York, Politicus USA, dcclothesline.com, Telegraph, USA Today, Raw Story, Cincinnati.com, Reuters, Althouse, FiveThirtyEight, New York Times and Mediaite
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Daily Mail:
Trump triumphs over the Pope: Francis backs down over ‘not Christian’ …
Trump triumphs over the Pope: Francis backs down over ‘not Christian’ …
Discussion:
The Last Refuge, TPNN, National Review and NPR
Crispian Balmer / Reuters:
Pope's comments on Trump not a personal attack - papal spokesman
Pope's comments on Trump not a personal attack - papal spokesman
Discussion:
Vox, The Hill, Washington Post, NBC News, UK - The Huffington Post and Politico
Mike Levine / ABC News:
Discussion:
Business Insider, MarketWatch, AppleInsider, TheStreet.com, Hit & Run, Investor's Business Daily, abc11.com and Associated Press
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Eliza Collins / Politico:
Trump pushes for a boycott of Apple
Trump pushes for a boycott of Apple
Discussion:
The Verge, The Next Web and The Right Scoop
Cristobal Herrera / Washington Post:
Ted Cruz birther lawsuit makes it to Cook County courtroom — Justin Wm. Moyer — January 1, 1900 — Not along ago, Illinois pharmacist and attorney Lawrence Joyce began to realize his country and his political party were facing what he considered to be a nightmare.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Bloomberg Business, LawNewz and The Daily Caller
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Ted Cruz / Yahoo Politics:
At Cruz rally in S.C., ‘Duck Dynasty’ star condemns ‘perversion’
At Cruz rally in S.C., ‘Duck Dynasty’ star condemns ‘perversion’
Discussion:
CNN and Right Wing Watch
Nico Hines / The Daily Beast:
Bernie Sanders's Brother: He Backs ‘Class Warfare,’ Bill Clinton Was Worse Than Bush — Larry Sanders says Bernie is a ‘genuine socialist’ trying to save the Democratic Party from ‘dreadful’ Bill Clinton, who is either a ‘terrible rapist or a nice rapist’ to the media.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and Politico
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Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:
Bernie's brother: Media can't decide if Clinton is ‘terrible rapist’ or ‘nice rapist’
Bernie's brother: Media can't decide if Clinton is ‘terrible rapist’ or ‘nice rapist’
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit
Michael Grunwald / Politico:
Biden hints at centrist Supreme Court pick — Echoing some recent Republican arguments about judicial nominations, Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday suggested that President Barack Obama will not nominate a staunch liberal to replace Justice Antonin Scalia at a time when the ideological balance of the Supreme Court is up in the air.
Discussion:
ABC News, Washington Post, Yahoo Politics, Hullabaloo, Associated Press and abc11.com
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Carol E. Lee / Wall Street Journal:
Joe Biden Says Clinton, Sanders Campaigns Too Gloomy for His Taste
Joe Biden Says Clinton, Sanders Campaigns Too Gloomy for His Taste
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Politico, Associated Press and Washington Post
Tierney Sneed / Talking Points Memo:
GOP Sen. Murkowski Backtracks On Giving Obama's SCOTUS Nom A Hearing — Moderate GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK), one of the few Republicans initially willing to break ranks on whether President Obama's nominee to succeed Antonin Scalia should be considered, reversed course Thursday evening.
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money, Daily Kos and Booman Tribune
Donald Trump / Yahoo Politics:
Trump is accused of financially threatening woman during secret deposition — Real estate mogul & TV star Donald Trump at a press conference to announce ‘Trump University’ which will offer learning programs for business professionals by top scholars held at Trump Tower. (Dan Herrick/KPA/ZUMA Press)
Discussion:
Washington … and Political Wire