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
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
Ted Cruz / Yahoo Politics:
At Cruz rally in S.C., ‘Duck Dynasty’ star condemns ‘perversion’ — MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, held a presidential campaign event here on Friday that was equal parts church sermon and political rally. The event included calls to prayer, fiery declarations about the country's morals …
Discussion:
Right Wing Watch
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
Cristobal Herrera / Washington Post:
Ted Cruz birther lawsuit makes it to Cook County courtroom
Ted Cruz birther lawsuit makes it to Cook County courtroom
Discussion:
Washington Post, Bloomberg Business, LawNewz and The Daily Caller
Annie Karni / Politico:
How Bernie Sanders surged in Nevada
How Bernie Sanders surged in Nevada
Discussion:
NBC News, New York Times, Yahoo Politics, National Review, TheStreet.com, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, ABC News, The State, The Hill, Liberal Values and Instapundit
Katie Glueck / Politico:
Mark Sanford endorses Ted Cruz
Mark Sanford endorses Ted Cruz
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Washington Post and Hullabaloo
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, National Review and NPR
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
Melanie Eversley / USA Today:
Reports: Chicago court to hear case to knock Cruz off White House ballot
Reports: Chicago court to hear case to knock Cruz off White House ballot
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, Daily Wire, Hot Air, AOL and Daily Kos
Sophie Tatum / CNN:
Ted Cruz suggests Phil Robertson for U.N. ambassador
Ted Cruz suggests Phil Robertson for U.N. ambassador
Discussion:
addictinginfo.org and Little Green Footballs
Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:
The Roots of Donald Trump's Candidacy Lie in a South Carolina Cemetery
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, Washington Post, Guardian, New Republic, neo-neocon, Daily Wire, Power Line, Salon, Mediaite, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, Betsy's Page, Reuters, Hullabaloo, Hot Air, addictinginfo.org, The Stranger …, NBC News, Raw Story, CNN, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, Politico, Wall Street Journal, Weasel Zippers, CBS New York, New York Times, Yahoo Politics, The Week, Mother Jones, Hit & Run, Slantpoint, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, 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:
Power Line and John Hawkins' Right Wing 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:
Trail Blazers Blog and Right Wing Watch
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, Los Angeles Times, FiveThirtyEight, Daily Kos, WHNT-TV, ABC News, Common Dreams, LGBTQ Nation, Above the Law, CBS Miami, Mashable, Independent Journal Review, NPR, The Verge, Mediaite, Jezebel, The Week, WTVR-TV, WGN-TV, The Atlantic, FOX5 San Diego, fox13now.com 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, Author of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ Dies at 89
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Atlantic, Gothamist, KTLA, Outside the Beltway, Talking Points Memo and Mother Jones
Mike Levine / ABC News:
Discussion:
Business Insider, AppleInsider, Hit & Run, Investor's Business Daily, Associated Press and abc11.com
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Jacob Pramuk / CNBC:
DoJ files motion to compel Apple to comply with FBI order
DoJ files motion to compel Apple to comply with FBI order
Discussion:
Washington Post and NBC News
Sara Sjolin / MarketWatch:
Apple's iPhone sales fall for the first time, says Gartner
Apple's iPhone sales fall for the first time, says Gartner
Discussion:
TheStreet.com
Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:
Justice Department Calls Apple's Refusal to Unlock iPhone a ‘Marketing Strategy’
Justice Department Calls Apple's Refusal to Unlock iPhone a ‘Marketing Strategy’
Discussion:
The Week
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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Amy Chozick / New York Times:
A Deck of Cards Could Determine Some Nevada Caucus Results — When in Las Vegas ... what better way to break a tie in a political caucus than a deck of cards? — On Friday, the Nevada Democratic Party released answers to frequently asked questions ahead of the caucuses on Saturday.
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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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
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, Telegraph, CBS New York, Politicus USA, dcclothesline.com, USA Today, Raw Story, Cincinnati.com, Reuters, Althouse, FiveThirtyEight, New York Times and Mediaite
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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, Washington Post, Daily Mail, NBC News, UK - The Huffington Post and Politico
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:
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