memeorandum: Half of U.S. women have ‘very unfavorable’ view of Trump: poll (Chris Kahn/Reuters)

11:55 PM ET, March 17, 2016

Top Items:

Obama Privately Tells Donors That Time Is Coming to Unite Behind Hillary Clinton — In unusually candid remarks, President Obama privately told a group of Democratic donors last Friday that Senator Bernie Sanders is nearing the point where his campaign against Hillary Clinton will come to an end …

Brent Budowsky / The Hill:

Hillary, Bernie must unite to beat Trump — For purposes of this column, let's assume for today that Hillary Clinton — becomes the presidential nominee for Democrats and Donald Trump — the nominee for Republicans, and consider how the party of FDR and JFK can win an election …

Ken Thomas / Associated Press:
Sanders concedes Missouri Democratic primary; Clinton wins

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Magazine, Independent Journal Review, The Week and Guardian

Mike Sunnucks / Phoenix Business Journal:
New Arizona poll: Trump, Clinton lead but ample undecideds

Discussion: RedState, Washington Examiner, Associated Press, Weekly Standard, CNN, MSNBC, Hot Air, The Right Scoop, New York Post, Shadowproof, The Pulse 2016, Twin Cities and Politico

Juliet Eilperin / Washington Post: Obama wading deeper into the 2016 presidential campaign

Sean Illing / Salon:
I'm with Hillary in November: Listen up, fellow Bernie supporters — you must get behind Clinton to stop Donald Trump

Discussion: naked capitalism, Booman Tribune, AOL and Slantpoint

Erick Erickson / The Resurgent:

Statement From Conservatives Against Trump — This morning I participated in a meeting of grassroots conservative activists from around the country who are committed to opposing Donald Trump. We have agreed to release the statement below: — We are a group of grassroots conservative activists …

Discussion: The Last Tradition, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Post, Political Insider blog and The Daily Caller

Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:

Conservatives call for ‘unity ticket’ to stop Trump — A group of conservative leaders and activists, including RedState.com founder Erick Erickson and former George W. Bush adviser Bill Wichterman, called for the formation of a GOP “unity ticket” on Thursday to stop Donald Trump from becoming the 2016 Republican nominee.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog

Pam Key / Breitbart:
Gingrich: I'm ‘Not Sympathetic’ …

Discussion: Allen B. West

Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:
Spokesman: RNC would support Trump ‘100 percent’

Discussion: Political Wire

Robert Costa / Washington Post:
GOP operatives, conservative leaders meet to thwart Trump

Discussion: Mediaite and Hot Air

Ben Domenech / The Federalist:
If #NeverTrump Wants To Matter, Look To The Libertarians

Discussion: New York Times, Hit & Run and Hot Air

Marc Caputo / Politico:

Rubio nears Cruz endorsement — Marco Rubio is close to endorsing Ted Cruz, but the two proud senators — and recent fierce rivals — have some details to work out first. — Cruz has to ask for the Rubio's endorsement, and both sides need to decide that it will make a difference …

Discussion: Allen B. West, Political Wire and The Right Scoop

Dana Bash / CNN:

First on CNN: Lindsey Graham to fundraise for Ted Cruz's presidential bid — (CNN)In a sign of just how much the Republican presidential primary has turned the party on its head, Sen. Lindsey Graham will host a fundraiser on Monday in support of Sen. Ted Cruz.

Discussion: Raw Story, Washington Post, Political Wire, Talking Points Memo, Hot Air, USA Today, The Atlantic, whorunsGov, Politico, Jewish Insider, RedState, The Last Refuge, The Week, Daily Kos and Allen B. West

Sean Trende / Real Clear Politics:
GOP Primary Outcome Is in Kasich's Hands

Discussion: Hot Air

Tarini Parti / BuzzFeed:
Even Lindsey Graham Knows It's Weird That He's Backing Ted Cruz

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post, The Atlantic and The Week

Rebecca Ballhaus / Wall Street Journal:
Marco Rubio Says He Won't Run for Re-Election — or Governor in 2018

Discussion: Independent Journal Review

Katie Glueck / Politico:
Lindsey Graham throws support to Ted Cruz

Discussion: ABC News, Yahoo Politics, Shakesville, neo-neocon, Independent Journal Review and Western Journalism

Ben Oldach / WHOTV:

Waitress Stiffed: ‘Tips are only for normal-looking people’ … DES MOINES, Iowa — A popular waitress at a popular restaurant closed out one of her table's Tuesday night when she found a note from her patron. — “At first, I felt really upset, I felt attacked, I almost felt …

Discussion: abc13.com, Slantpoint, fox8.com and WWLP-TV

Courtney Crowder / Des Moines Register:

D.M. waitress stiffed: ‘Tips are only for normal looking people’ — The server, Taelor May Beeck, whose Facebook photo shows her with pink hair and a nose piercing, posted a photo of the receipt to her profile and wrote: Shout out “to this girl for stiffing me cuz I look like a weirdo~hope she feels better about herself.”

Discussion: Raw Story, Eater and KWWL-TV

John Harwood / CNBC:

Another Dem like Obama? Our best days are behind us: Ryan — Ryan on Trump: 'We'll make it work if it happens' — In an exclusive “Speakeasy” interview with CNBC's John Harwood, Speaker Paul Ryan explains how the House is responding to voter sentiment and gives his opinion …

Discussion: The Hill, New York Magazine, Washington Post, The Bob and Chez Show, Infowars, Mother Jones, Western Journalism and The Daily Caller

Jake Sherman / Politico:
Ryan huddles with GOP donors

Discussion: New York Times, The Gateway Pundit, Political Wire, Talking Points Memo and The Hill

Peggy Lee / WNEP-TV:

Religious Sister Charged with Shoplifting Coffee, Soap … BRIAR CREEK — State police in Columbia County say they nabbed a very unlikely thief: a religious sister. — Troopers tracked the woman to her convent in Danville after she allegedly shoplifted from a store.

Discussion: AOL, KTLA, CBS Pittsburgh, WGN-TV and WTVR-TV

CNN:

Grassley: If I can meet with a ‘dictator,’ I can meet with Garland — Hatch: SCOTUS vacancy last November would've made difference — Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said he is willing to meet with Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland — “If I can meet with a dictator in Uganda …

Discussion: WBTW-TV, The Daily Caller, Washington Post, Q13 FOX News, FOX2now.com and The White House

Steven T. Dennis / Bloomberg Business:
Supreme Court Fight Enters New Phase as Garland Meets Senators

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post, The Huffington Post and Daily Kos

Darcie Moran / MLive.com:

Convicted felon sings Adele-inspired ‘sorry’ to judge at sentencing — A convicted felon seemed to feel particularly soulful at his sentencing last week for unlawful imprisonment and carrying a concealed weapon. — Brian Earl Taylor, 21, surprised a courtroom of onlookers when he sang …

Discussion: LawNewz, AOL, The Daily Caller, CBS Pittsburgh, New York's PIX11 and CBS Los Angeles

Andrew Kirell / The Daily Beast:

Fox's Eric Bolling Kicks Michelle Fields to the Curb for His Buddy Donald Trump — The ex-Breitbart reporter is persona non grata on the conservative blowhard's weekly shoutfest now that she's been manhandled by a Trump staffer. — Michelle Fields used to appear weekly on Fox News weekend gabfest Cashin' In.

Discussion: Politico, RedState, Little Green Footballs, Mediaite and The Right Scoop

Thomas Tracy / New York Daily News:

Donald Trump-loving NYC Sanitation workers trade fighting words with driver they blocked with their truck in Brooklyn — They're hauling for Trump — so let the trash talking begin! — A pair of crusty city Sanitation workers were caught on video Thursday morning screaming at a motorist …

Discussion: Raw Story and addictinginfo.org

Scott Adams Blog:

Scott Adams' Blog

Tracy Bloom / KTLA:

Construction Worker on 2nd Day of Job Dies in ‘Not Work-Related’ Fall From 53rd Floor in DTLA — A construction worker on his second day on the job died Thursday after falling from the 53rd floor of the Wilshire Grand Center tower and landing on a passing car in downtown L.A. in an incident …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The Week, Q13 FOX News, AOL, KFOR-TV and New York's PIX11

Eli Lake / BloombergView.com:

Cruz Assembles an Unlikely Team of Foreign-Policy Rivals — In a year when the Republican Party is breaking apart because of Donald Trump, the only man left with a chance to beat him is trying to build a big tent — by GOP standards — when it comes to foreign affairs.

Discussion: New York Magazine, ThinkProgressPage Array, Raw Story, The National Interest, New York Times, Right Wing Watch, Politico, No More Mister Nice Blog, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Week

Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:
Notorious Islamophobe Frank Gaffney To Join Cruz National Security Team

Discussion: Right Wing Watch, Washington Monthly and Daily Kos

Bloomberg Business:

Google Puts Boston Dynamics Up for Sale in Robotics Retreat — Alphabet executives questioned path to marketable products — Toyota, Amazon are among possible acquirers of division — The video, published to YouTube on Feb. 23, was awe-inspiring and scary.

Discussion: Mashable, The Next Web, Fusion, The Verge, Forbes, Engadget, VentureBeat, RT, New York Magazine, Boing Boing and Investor's Business Daily

Allegra Kirkland / Talking Points Memo:

New Video Shows LaVoy Finicum's Last Moments: ‘Go Ahead And Shoot Me’ — Cell phone footage taken from the backseat of Oregon standoff leader LaVoy Finicum's truck shows the final moments before he was fatally shot by state police and the immediate aftermath of the confrontation.

Discussion: Raw Story

Charles Murray / American Enterprise Institute:

An open letter to the Virginia Tech community — Last week, the president of Virginia Tech, Tim Sands, published an “open letter to the Virginia Tech community” defending lectures delivered by deplorable people like me (I'm speaking on the themes of Coming Apart on March 25).

Jess Bidgood / New York Times:

Apple Encryption Engineers, if Ordered to Unlock iPhone, Might Resist — SAN FRANCISCO — If the F.B.I. wins its court fight to force Apple's help in unlocking an iPhone, the agency may run into yet another roadblock: Apple's engineers. — Apple employees are already discussing …

Discussion: New York Magazine, The Verge and Engadget