Top Items:
Philip Klein / Washington Examiner:
Donald Trump has exposed Marco Rubio — In the late stages of his doomed presidential campaign, Sen. Marco Rubio declared that the front-runner for his party's nomination was “a con artist.” But it turns out that Donald Trump wasn't the only GOP presidential candidate pulling the wool over people's eyes.
Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:
Sanders camp: Maybe Trump is ‘chickening out’ of debate — The Bernie Sanders-Donald Trump debate could be one of the biggest televised events of the year. But whether it will even happen is a different story, Sanders' campaign said Friday, accusing the folks in Trump's camp of dragging their feet.
Discussion:
Comedy Central, Political Wire, NPR and Guardian
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Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:
Young Turks host offers $1M for Trump, Sanders debate — The Young Turks online program is offering up $1 million to host a debate between Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders — and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump — “We are now offering $1 million to charity in order …
Discussion:
Washington Post, US News, Independent Journal …, Politico, ABC News, Washington Times, USA Today, The Week, Don Surber and Daily Kos
Yamiche Alcindor / New York Times:
Die-Hard Bernie Sanders Backers See F.B.I. as Answer to Their Prayers — ANAHEIM, Calif. — Senator Bernie Sanders may be trailing Hillary Clinton by hundreds of delegates, and Mrs. Clinton may be treating the Democratic nomination as hers, but Julie Crowell, a stay-at-home mother …
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, alan.com, Raw Story, The Right Scoop, Hullabaloo, The Week, Washington Free Beacon and Business Insider
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Cathleen Decker / Los Angeles Times:
Analysis Why Bernie Sanders keeps popping up in California's out-of-the-way places
Analysis Why Bernie Sanders keeps popping up in California's out-of-the-way places
Discussion:
Mother Jones, New York Times and Washington Free Beacon
Tamara Keith / NPR:
Why Some Clinton Supporters Are Not ‘Really Ready To Go Public’
Why Some Clinton Supporters Are Not ‘Really Ready To Go Public’
Discussion:
Towleroad
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Trump's Delusions of Competence — In general, you shouldn't pay much attention to polls at this point, especially with Republicans unifying around Donald Trump while Bernie Sanders hasn't conceded the inevitable. Still, I was struck by several recent polls showing Mr. Trump favored …
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, Daily Kos and the daily howler
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New York Times:
Donald Trump's Campaign Stumbles as It Tries to Go Big — BISMARCK, N.D. — A constant stream of changes and scuffles are roiling Donald J. Trump's campaign team, including the abrupt dismissal this week of his national political director. — A sense of paranoia is growing among …
Discussion:
Political Wire and The American Spectator
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Howard Kurtz / Fox News:
Nominee or not, why is Trump still smacking Republicans around?
Nominee or not, why is Trump still smacking Republicans around?
Discussion:
Hot Air
David M. Drucker / Washington Examiner:
Donald Trump outsources campaign operations to RNC
Donald Trump outsources campaign operations to RNC
Discussion:
BuzzFeed, Wall Street Journal and RedState
Jonah Bromwich / New York Times:
Chinese Detergent Ad Draws Charges of Racism — A Chinese laundry detergent commercial has spurred outrage online, with many social media users accusing it of blatant racism. — In the commercial for Qiaobi laundry detergent, an Asian woman shoves a detergent pod into the mouth of a black worker …
Discussion:
Vox, Althouse and Shanghaiist
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Jarrod Alonge / BuzzFeed:
We Found It — The Most Racist Ad Of 2016 — This Chinese laundry detergent commercial will likely leave you feeling like you need a shower. UPDATE: the company still doesn't think the ad is racist. — Well. This is a commercial for a Chinese detergent brand called Qiaobi that was uploaded onto YouTube on Wednesday.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Independent Journal …, Los Angeles Times, Shanghaiist and Newser
Kevin Grasha / Cincinnati.com:
At 96, Dr. Heimlich finally uses his life-saving technique — When he heard that a resident was choking, Perry Gaines, maître d' for the Deupree House dining room, ran toward the table. — Gaines has been trained in the Heimlich maneuver and has performed it at least twice …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, The Week, KTLA, Shakesville, Raw Story, WTVR-TV and CBS New York
Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:
Trump Withheld Alimony From Marla Maples When She Threatened His Presidential Ambitions — “Our purpose was to send a message that she was playing close to the fire. That should slow her down,” Trump's lawyer said at the time. — Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images
Peter Sterne / Politico:
The fall of Salon.com — A Facebook page dedicated to celebrating the 20th anniversary of digital media pioneer Salon is functioning as a crowdsourced eulogy. — Dozens of Salon alumni have, over the past several months, posted their favorite stories from and memories …
Discussion:
Instapundit, more at Mediagazer »
Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic:
A Dialogue With a 22-Year-Old Donald Trump Supporter — For several days, I've been corresponding with a 22-year-old Donald Trump supporter. He is white, has a bachelor's degree, and earns $50,000 to $60,000 per year. — He lives near San Francisco. — “I recently became engaged …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Anna Fifield / Washington Post:
The secret life of Kim Jong Un's aunt, who has lived in the U.S. since 1998 — NEW YORK — Wandering through Times Square, past the Naked Cowboy and the Elmos and the ticket touts, she could be any immigrant trying to live the American Dream. — A 60-year-old Korean woman with a soft perm …
Nick Denton / Gawker:
An Open Letter to Peter Thiel — Nearly a decade ago, after you had opened up to friends and colleagues, a gay writer for Gawker shared an item with the readers of Valleywag, a section for news and gossip about the rich and powerful of Silicon Valley. “Peter Thiel, the smartest VC in the world, is gay,” wrote Owen Thomas.
Discussion:
Mother Jones, CNBC, The New York Observer, Wall Street Journal, Techdirt, New York Times, Overlawyered, Washington Post, Bloomberg, The Daily Caller, PinkNews, TechCrunch, New York Magazine, ABC News, Newser, Tech Times, The Federalist, Talking Points Memo, Big Think, Mediaite, Towleroad, Mashable, Deadline, Vox, Consumerist, National Review and Associated Press, more at Mediagazer »
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Joe Pompeo / Politico:
‘Surreal’ Trump tangent—Thiel-Denton duel
‘Surreal’ Trump tangent—Thiel-Denton duel
Discussion:
New York Times, Media Matters for America and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
Nick Gass / Politico:
Cruz vows to fight Trump on abortion plank in RNC platform — Though Marco Rubio suggested on Thursday that he expects his delegates to be released for Donald Trump and even volunteered to speak on his behalf, Ted Cruz signaled on Friday that he would take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to Cleveland.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, LifeNews.com, The Right Scoop, Mediaite and ABC News
Jacob Pramuk / CNBC:
Yellen: Rate hike probably appropriate in the coming months — This is breaking news. Please check back for updates. — Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said Friday an interest rate hike is “probably” appropriate in the coming months if economic data improve.
New York Times:
Text of President Obama's Speech in Hiroshima, Japan — The following is a transcript of President Obama's speech in Hiroshima, Japan, as recorded by The New York Times. — Seventy-one years ago, on a bright cloudless morning, death fell from the sky and the world was changed.
Telegraph:
Elderly couple who cut wealthy neighbour's grass verge for 12 years given land in ‘squatters’ rights' ruling — A couple who cut a grass verge outside their wealthy neighbour's home for 12 years have been given the land by a judge in a “squatters' rights” ruling following a lengthy court battle.
Discussion:
Newser
Gabriel Debenedetti / Politico:
RNC scrambles to calm state GOP officials — The Republican National Committee is scrambling to respond to increasingly frantic concerns from state GOP officials that the party has not provided enough field organizers and will be badly outgunned by Democrats in battleground states.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, Daily Kos and Hot Air
Monica Langley / Wall Street Journal:
Behind Mitt Romney's Increasingly Lonely Challenge to Donald Trump — The 2012 GOP presidential nominee reflects on the waves he created by attacking the 2016 candidate and how he increasingly finds himself a voice in the wilderness — SAN DIEGO— Mitt Romney's advisers begged him not to go to war with Donald Trump.
Discussion:
Political Wire and The Week
Mark Plotkin / The Hill:
Why Wasserman Schultz must go — The role of Democratic Party chair is a high honor. Holding that position requires a combination of many attributes. Beyond being the face and chief messenger of the party, you must possess the skills of a consummate diplomat. Above all, the members of your party must trust you.
Edgard Portela / NewsBusters:
Bernie Hits Bump on Univision: Speechless on Socialism's Failures — The Democrats' socialist candidate for President of the United States, Bernie Sanders, was seriously tripped up this week in an interview with Univision's León Krauze. — When asked to explain the failure …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Truth Revolt, Hit & Run, Independent Journal … and The Daily Caller
David Roberts / Vox:
Donald Trump's horrifying gullibility, as revealed in his energy speech — Donald Trump's speech this week at a petroleum conference in North Dakota showcased the energy policies we can expect from a Trump administration. But more importantly, it revealed a great deal about how Trump will develop and manage policy.
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Sub sailor's photo case draws comparisons to Clinton emails — A Navy sailor entered a guilty plea Friday in a classified information mishandling case that critics charge illustrates a double standard between the treatment of low-ranking government employees and top officials like former Secretary …
Discussion:
Hot Air
Jack Shafer / Politico:
How Donald Trump Destroyed the Interview — The interview is the Niagara that fills the news ocean. A quick check of the front page of the New York Times, a scan of any 30-minute block of CNN, or a few clicks on the POLITICO home page establish it: For generations, the interview …
Telegraph:
Obama's naive idealism has caused havoc as America makes the same mistakes over and over again — How do you distinguish a foreign policy “idealist” from a “realist,” an optimist from a pessimist? Ask one question: Do you believe in the arrow of history? Or to put it another way, do you think history is cyclical or directional?
CNN:
Obama in Hiroshima calls for ‘world without nuclear weapons’ — Hiroshima (CNN)Barack Obama on Friday became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, where he called for a “world without nuclear weapons” during his remarks at the city's Peace Memorial Park. — Obama visits Hiroshima
Discussion:
USA Today, UPI, Reuters, Los Angeles Times, The American Spectator, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, The Week, Washington Free Beacon and Joe.My.God.