memeorandum: Behind Trump's CPAC deal gone bad (Kenneth P. Vogel/Politico)

9:00 PM ET, March 4, 2016

Top Items:

O.J. Simpson — Buried Knife Found at O.J.'s Estate — A construction worker found a knife buried on the perimeter of the former O.J. Simpson estate ... and it's currently being tested by the LAPD in a top secret investigation ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ. — The story is incredible.

Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times:

Knife found on O.J. Simpson property being tested by LAPD — O.J. Simpson reacts as he is found not guilty of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. With him are members of his defense team, F. Lee Bailey, left, and Johnnie Cochran Jr.

Discussion: CNN, CBS Los Angeles, Infowars, Western Journalism, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, KQED News, The Moderate Voice, Washington Free Beacon, NPR, USA Today, Fusion, The Atlantic, KLFY-TV, Refinery29 and TMZ.com

Kenneth P. Vogel / Politico:

Behind Trump's CPAC deal gone bad — NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland Donald Trump spent five years building a mutually beneficial relationship with the organization that hosts the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, filling its coffers with at least $150,000 in cash …

Discussion: The Hill, Oliver Willis, Political Insider blog, National Review, Western Journalism and Yahoo Politics

Nick Gass / Politico:

Trump pulls out of CPAC — Donald Trump has pulled out of the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, opting to campaign in Kansas and Florida instead. … The Trump campaign released a statement to reporters announcing that it would be in “Witchita, Kanasas [sic] for a major rally on Saturday prior to Caucus.”

Guy Benson / Townhall.com: Vanity, Fear: Why Trump Dropped Out of CPAC

Kira Lerner / ThinkProgressPage Array:
CPAC Reacts To Trump's Decision To Back Out Of Convention: 'He's A Pansy'

Discussion: Political Insider blog, New York Magazine, The Right Scoop, Washington Post, TheBlaze.com and The Atlantic

Jennifer Bendery / The Huffington Post:
Marco Rubio Not Sorry For Bringing Dick Jokes Into Presidential Race

Discussion: NBC News, Daily Kos, Fusion and Talking Points Memo

CNN:
Donald Trump backs out of CPAC

Discussion: addictinginfo.org, Western Journalism and 2016 Election Central

Damian Paletta / Wall Street Journal:

Trump Reverses His Stance on Torture — Leading GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump said he wouldn't order the U.S. military to break international laws, addressing criticism from military and legal experts that his policies regarding torture and killing the family members of terrorists would violate the Geneva Convention.

Discussion: Mother Jones, Washington Examiner, The Huffington Post, RedState, Washington Post, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, Guardian, Mediaite, Slantpoint, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, The Resurgent, The Right Scoop, Hit & Run, Political Wire, The Week and BuzzFeed

Ryan Browne / CNN:
Donald Trump reverses position on torture, killing terrorists' families

Discussion: Althouse, Right Wing Watch and Washington Times

Alice Ollstein / ThinkProgressPage Array:
Trump Suddenly Backpedals On Torture

Discussion: The Hill and TIME

Chico Harlan / Washington Post:

The debilitating economic disaster Louisiana's governor left behind — BATON ROUGE, La. — Already, the state of Louisiana had gutted university spending and depleted its rainy day funds. It had cut 30,000 employees and furloughed others. It had slashed the number of child services staffers …

Discussion: Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times and addictinginfo.org

Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:
Bobby Jindal Blames President Obama For Donald Trump's Rise

Discussion: The Bob and Chez Show

Bobby Jindal / Wall Street Journal:
President Obama Created Donald Trump

Discussion: New York Magazine and Prairie Weather

Eliza Collins / Politico:

Jim Webb: I won't vote for Clinton, but I may for Trump — Former Democratic presidential candidate Jim Webb won't be voting for Hillary Clinton, but he hasn't ruled out casting his ballot for Donald Trump. — Webb, who briefly flirted with an independent bid before deciding against it …

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Washington Post, RedState, Shakesville, The Last Tradition and The Gateway Pundit

Kendall Breitman / Bloomberg Business:
Romney Would Support Play to Stop Trump at Convention

Discussion: The Hill, New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, New York Magazine and CNN

David Brooks / New York Times:
Donald Trump, the Great Betrayer

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog

Gawker:

Voicemails Appear to Reveal Donald Trump's Cozy Relationship With the Liberal Media — Early Thursday morning, Gawker received an anonymous email with an attachment that purported to contain recordings from Donald Trump's voicemail inbox. Among the recordings were messages that appear …

Discussion: Mediaite, Death and TaxesDeath and Taxes, U.S. Uncut and Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »

Christian Datoc / The Daily Caller:

During a monologue Friday about Donald Trump's Thursday night debate performance, radio host Glenn Beck said that if he “had a knife, the stabbing just wouldn't stop.” — Beck's co-host, Stu Burguiere, told The Daily Caller Friday — after this article's publication — that …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and Politico

J.D. Durkin / Mediaite:
No, Glenn Beck Did Not Say He Would Have Stabbed Trump at Last Night's GOP Debate

Discussion: Infowars and Joe.My.God.

Greg Margason / Fox 59:

Joey Feek from Joey + Rory passes away after battle with cancer — ALEXANDRIA, Ind. (March 4, 2016) - Hoosier native Joey Feek of the country music duo Joey + Rory passed away Friday, her husband Rory wrote. — “My wife's greatest dream came true today,” Rory wrote. “She is in Heaven.”

Discussion: WISH-TV, WNEP-TV, Associated Press, The Scoop Blog, KTLA, WANE-TV, fox8.com and Full Feed

Hot Air:

Cruz tries to take out Rubio in Florida, opens 10 campaign offices across the state — The Texas senator has opened 10 campaign offices in the Sunshine State ahead of the March 15 primary, volunteers told the Miami Herald. The campaign confirmed the new offices Friday …

Patricia Mazzei / Naked Politics:
Ted Cruz makes play for Florida

Discussion: RedState, Hot Air, The Week and The Right Scoop

Nate Cohn / New York Times:

If Super Tuesday Voting Pattern Continues, Donald Trump Will Reach Delegate Target — Donald Trump did not amass a majority of delegates on Super Tuesday. But he could soon. — If the people in the rest of the nation vote as the Super Tuesday results suggest they would …

Discussion: Yahoo Politics and Outside the Beltway

Steven Shepard / Politico: Insiders: Convention is only chance to stop Trump

Jamie Feldman / The Huffington Post:

Whole Foods Sells Peeled Oranges In Plastic Containers, World Revolts — This is pretty bad, any way you peel it. — Whole Foods encourages shoppers to bring their own shopping bags and prides itself on an ability to provide healthy options to shoppers in the best possible way.

Discussion: Eater, The Atlantic, Gizmodo, fox8.com, FOX 61, Fox News Insider, FOX31 Denver, Mashable, LAist, KTLA and Althouse

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:

Clinton has most retweeted tweet of GOP debate — 's campaign mocking the shouting matches between Republican candidates became the most retweeted moment of the Thursday GOP debate. — The tweet showed a clip of Donald Trump — jawing at each other with subtitles stating " …

Discussion: Chicagoist, Hollywood Life, Death and TaxesDeath and Taxes, Washington Post, Infowars and The Right Scoop

Paul Schwartzman / Washington Post:

Psychologists and massage therapists are reporting ‘Trump anxiety’ among clients — To the catalogue of anxieties her patients explore during therapy — marriage, children, and careers — psychologist Alison Howard is now listening to a new source of stress: the political rise of Donald Trump.

Discussion: Raw Story, Mediaite, Fusion, The Daily Caller, The Week, CNBC and Independent Journal Review

Tal Kopan / CNN:

Ben Carson to lead Christian voter group — Ben Carson: ‘I do not see a political path forward’ — The retired neurosurgeon effectively ended his presidential bid earlier this week, citing no “political path forward” — Washington (CNN)Ben Carson on Friday announced his next move …

Discussion: The Atlantic and KLFY-TV

Eliza Collins / Politico:
Carson lands new job as national chairman of My Faith Votes

Discussion: Jezebel, The Week and Independent Journal Review

Daily Mail:

Hillary Clinton promises to ‘get to the bottom of UFO mystery’ if elected, and ‘maybe send a task force’ to alleged alien prison Area 51 — Podesta pressured Bill Clinton and Barack Obama to declassify files while working for their administrations — While Donald Trump continues to promise …

Discussion: New York Magazine and The American Mirror

Joe Schoffstall / Washington Free Beacon:
Hillary Paid Herself $250,000 From Campaign Funds

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News and The Daily Caller

Karoli Kuns / Latest from Crooks and Liars:

Michele Fiore Loses It, Challenges Opponent To Fight — It's fight time in Nevada! In one corner, Republican candidate for Congress, certifiable wingnut and Bundy family enabler Michele Fiore. — In the other, Annette Teijeiro, another challenger, who posted the video to Facebook.

Discussion: Raw Story

Dan Snierson / EW.com:

PRESIDENT OBAMA THANKS MYTHBUSTERS FOR PROVING THAT AMERICA DID ACTUALLY LAND ON THE MOON — Exclusive video: The President pays tribute to the Discovery series in its post-finale reunion speical — Discovery will unleashes the final episode on Saturday at 8 p.m., but the show will not go gently into the night.

Discussion: Comicbook.com and Raw Story

Kimberly Veklerov / San Francisco Chronicle:

Suit: Black passenger insulted, ordered off Greyhound in Oakland — A Greyhound bus driver ordered a San Francisco woman to the back of the bus, called her a racial epithet and had a security guard escort her off, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Alameda County Superior Court.

Discussion: Raw Story, addictinginfo.org and theGrio

South Florida / Sun-Sentinel:

Why we can't endorse Trump, Rubio, Cruz or Kasich — Editorial Page Editor Rosemary O'Hara announced Friday that the Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board will not endorse any of the GOP candidates in Florida's March 15 presidential primary. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board … Privacy Policy

Discussion: Florida Politics

Jerry Markon / Washington Post:

Can a 3-year old represent herself in immigration court? This judge thinks so. — A senior Justice Department official is arguing that 3- and 4-year-olds can learn immigration law well enough to represent themselves in court, staking out an unconventional position in a growing debate …

Discussion: ThinkProgressPage Array, The Scoop Blog and Eclectablog

Sophie Jamieson / Telegraph:

Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall marry on Friday - but when and where is the celebration and which celebrities are on the guest list? — The media mogul and former model have wed and will celebrate their marriage this weekend in London at a Fleet Street church