Top Items:
Maggie Haberman / New York Times:
Chris Christie Endorses Donald Trump and Calls Marco Rubio ‘Desperate’ — Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey endorsed Donald J. Trump on Friday, a major turn in a wild race and one that gives the New York businessman a significant boost as he heads into the pivotal “Super Tuesday” contests.
RELATED:
Leon H. Wolf / RedState:
This Epic Video Shows that Marco Rubio is Not Done Embarrassing Trump Yet — I'm going to share with you a video here of Rubio making a speech at a rally today. Normally, my policy here is to always include a transcript with these videos, but I'm going to break that policy just this once …
Discussion:
Moe Lane and Shot in the Dark
Eliza Collins / Politico:
Rubio suggests Trump wet his pants on debate stage — Marco Rubio relentlessly mocked Donald Trump on Friday, escalating the attacks he unleashed during Thursday night's debate and even suggesting the Republican frontrunner may have wet his pants on the stage.
Nate Cohn / New York Times:
How Marco Rubio Could Lose Every State on Super Tuesday and Still Win — Marco Rubio has not won a state, a fact that worries allies and pleases skeptics who mock his chances to win the Republican presidential nomination. — It doesn't even sound as if the Rubio team knows when it will win one.
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Public Policy Polling, Associated Press, National Review, SaintPetersBlog, CNN and Outside the Beltway
Nick Gass / Politico:
Haley: I'll support Trump if it comes to that — Despite backing Marco Rubio for the Republican nomination, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says she would support Donald Trump if he emerges as her party's nominee. — “We've said that we would support the nominee if they get the nomination …
Ed O'Keefe / Washington Post:
That time Marco Rubio went full Trump on Donald Trump — Candidates battle for young black votes — “It's time to pull his mask off so that people can see what we're dealing with here. What we are dealing with here, my friends, is a con artist. He is a con artist.
Discussion:
Mother Jones and Vox
Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:
8 times Chris Christie suggested Donald Trump shouldn't be president
8 times Chris Christie suggested Donald Trump shouldn't be president
Discussion:
BuzzFeed, Hit & Run, Mediaite, Washington Post, The Federalist, Jezebel, The Resurgent, Yahoo Politics and The Week
Holly Bailey / Yahoo Politics:
Trump strikes back against rivals with huge Christie endorsement
Trump strikes back against rivals with huge Christie endorsement
Discussion:
Politico
David Weigel / Washington Post:
Trump has bladder issues, suggests Rubio as he unleashes a torrent of attacks at first post-debate rally
Trump has bladder issues, suggests Rubio as he unleashes a torrent of attacks at first post-debate rally
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, Business Insider, Hullabaloo and Politico
Politifact.com Truth-O-Meter rulings from National:
Marco Rubio: Says Donald Trump hired illegal workers “from Poland and he had to pay a million dollars …
Marco Rubio: Says Donald Trump hired illegal workers “from Poland and he had to pay a million dollars …
Discussion:
CNN, Hot Topics, TheStreet.com, ImmigrationProf Blog, Jezebel, The Daily Caller and Naked Politics
Leon H. Wolf / RedState:
Scared Donald Trump to Hide Behind Chris Christie's Skirt
Scared Donald Trump to Hide Behind Chris Christie's Skirt
Discussion:
The Lonely Conservative
Niall Stanage / The Hill:
Winners, losers in final GOP debate before Super Tuesday
Winners, losers in final GOP debate before Super Tuesday
Discussion:
Politico, Yahoo Politics, ABC News, Scared Monkeys and John Hawkins' Right Wing News
Veronica Stracqualursi / ABC News:
Chris Christie Endorses Donald Trump for President
Chris Christie Endorses Donald Trump for President
Discussion:
Politico, Yahoo Politics, Mediaite, The Last Refuge, Associated Press, WBUR, The Right Scoop and Mother Jones
Lynnley Browning / Bloomberg Business:
Trump's 12 Years of Audits ‘Very Unusual,’ Ex-IRS Agent Says — Agency's review doesn't preclude him from releasing returns — Pressure could mount as GOP rivals plan their own releases — Donald Trump's disclosure that his tax returns have been under review by the Internal Revenue Service …
Discussion:
RedState, The Hill, Politico, The Right Scoop, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Week
RELATED:
Naomi Jagoda / The Hill:
IRS: Nothing prevents Trump from releasing tax returns — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump — is not prohibited from releasing his tax returns because he is being audited, according to the Internal Revenue Service. — “Nothing prevents individuals from sharing their own tax information,” the IRS said in a statement.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal and Hot Air
Heidi Hemmat / FOX31 Denver:
Teacher files lawsuit, saying 13-year-old student beat, bullied her … LOVELAND, Colo. — A Colorado teacher is speaking out after she says she was beaten and bullied by her own student, and prohibited by her superiors from reporting the abuse. — “I was told that was my job …
Discussion:
KFOR-TV
Hadas Gold / Politico:
Donald Trump: We're going to ‘open up’ libel laws — Donald Trump said on Friday he plans to change libel laws in the United States so that he can have an easier time suing news organizations. — During a rally in Fort Worth, Texas, Trump began his usual tirade against newspapers …
Discussion:
The Hill and Washington Post, more at Mediagazer »
John Koblin / New York Times:
Melissa Harris-Perry Walks Off Her MSNBC Show After Pre-Emptions — Melissa Harris-Perry said she was refusing to go on the MSNBC show she hosts this Saturday, following several weeks of pre-emptions and what she described as a loss of editorial control. — In an email sent to people …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, TVNewser, Jezebel, theGrio and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
Detroit Free Press:
Top Snyder aides urged going back to Detroit water — The city of Flint, Snyder's top legal aide wrote in October 2014, “should try to get back on the Detroit system as a stopgap ASAP before this thing gets too far out of control.” — Two of Gov. Rick Snyder's top lawyers privately advocated moving …
Discussion:
Guardian, Common Dreams, Progress Michigan, Jezebel, ThinkProgressPage Array, Shakesville, Alas, a Blog and Balloon Juice
RELATED:
Chad Livengood / Detroit News:
Emails: Flint water warnings reached gov's inner circle
Emails: Flint water warnings reached gov's inner circle
Discussion:
Detroit Free Press, New York Magazine and The Bob and Chez Show
CNN:
Pony leads California police on a wild unicorn chase — Escaped ‘unicorn’ sends officers on a wild chase — (CNN)A fairy-tale photo shoot turned into an episode of “COPS” when a “unicorn” made a break for it. — Wednesday night, Juliette, a white pony adorned with a fake horn …
Discussion:
Jezebel and myfox8.com
RELATED:
New York Times:
Kansas Gunman Got Court Warning Just Before Attack — NEWTON, Kan. — A gunman who killed three people and injured more than a dozen at a Kansas manufacturing plant worked at that factory, and had been served with a restraining order just 90 minutes before he began his shooting spree, the county sheriff said Friday.
Discussion:
Walid Shoebat, The Week, Slantpoint and Talking Points Memo
RELATED:
Peter Shane / Washington Monthly:
What Do We Call Options Worse Than “Nuclear?” — Remember when the Democrats' move in 2012 to partially curtail the use of the Senate filibuster was called the “nuclear option?” I fear the blogosphere will soon be tasked to generate hyperbolic epithets yet more cataclysmic.
Discussion:
Booman Tribune and Discourse.net
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Twilight of the Apparatchiks — Lack of self-awareness can be fatal. The haplessness of the Republican establishment in the face of Trumpism is a case in point. — As many have noted, it's remarkable how shocked — shocked! — that establishment has been at the success of Donald Trump's racist, xenophobic campaign.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Politico, New York Magazine, ABC News and Daily Kos
Jesse / CBS New York:
Man Slashed On Subway In Midtown; Latest Crime Stats Reveal Disturbing Trend Across NYC — NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A man was slashed on the subway Friday morning in Midtown in an incident that's part of a disturbing trend across the city, both above and underground.
Discussion:
New York Magazine
Scott Bland / Politico:
Donors ask GOP consulting firm to research independent presidential bid — Conservative donors have engaged a major GOP consulting firm in Florida to research the feasibility of mounting a late, independent run for president amid growing fears that Donald Trump could win the Republican nomination.
Discussion:
ballot-access.org
David Mastio / USA Today:
Poll finds Sanders & Clinton backers twice as racist as Rubio supporters: David Mastio — The rest of the story about that goofy YouGov survey that found Trump voters were fans of slavery — Bernie Sanders supporters are 50% more likely than Hillary Clinton supporters to disapprove …
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, Slate and Instapundit
BBC:
Iran election: Counting starts after high turnout — Polls have closed in Iran's first election since a deal with world powers over the country's nuclear programme and the lifting of sanctions. — Voting was extended three times as crowds reportedly flocked to polling stations. Turnout was said to be high.
Discussion:
Hit & Run, The Week, Al Jazeera English and Algemeiner.com
Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:
WATCH: Lindsey Graham Roasts His ‘Batsh*t’ Republican Colleagues — During a press dinner on Thursday night, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) let loose on the Republican party and the GOP presidential candidate, telling his party that it's going to have to “up its game.”
Discussion:
Towleroad, Washington Post and Charleston City Paper
The Local:
‘Soldiers of Allah’ to counter Soldiers of Odin in Norway — People with known ties to the Oslo Islamist scene claim to have created the group ‘Soldiers of Allah’ (Jundullaah) to counter the controversial Soldiers of Odin group now patrolling Norwegian streets.
Discussion:
Infowars
Eric Lipton / New York Times:
Scalia Took Dozens of Trips Funded by Private Sponsors — WASHINGTON — Antonin Scalia was the longest-tenured justice on the current Supreme Court and the country's most prominent constitutionalist. But another quality also set him apart: Among the court's members, he was the most frequent traveler …
Discussion:
LawNewz, Prairie Weather and Trail Blazers Blog