memeorandum: As Flynn falls under growing pressure over Russia contacts, Trump remains silent (Washington Post)

9:25 PM ET, February 12, 2017

Top Items:

Turmoil at the National Security Council, From the Top Down — WASHINGTON — These are chaotic and anxious days inside the National Security Council, the traditional center of management for a president's dealings with an uncertain world. — Three weeks into the Trump administration …

Discussion: Politico, Fox News and Talking Points Memo

Washington Post:

As Flynn falls under growing pressure over Russia contacts, Trump remains silent — White House national security adviser Michael Flynn is under increasing political pressure and risks losing the confidence of some colleagues following reports that he misled senior administration officials …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Talking Points Memo and Daily Wire

Wall Street Journal:

Mike Flynn's Position Grows Tenuous in White House — The White House is reviewing whether to retain National Security Adviser Mike Flynn amid a furor over his contacts with Russian officials before President Donald Trump took office.

John R. Schindler / The New York Observer:

The Spy Revolt Against Trump Begins — Intelligence Community pushes back against a White House it considers leaky, untruthful and penetrated by the Kremlin — In a recent column, I explained how the still-forming Trump administration is already doing serious harm to America's longstanding global intelligence partnerships.

Discussion: New York Magazine, Daily Kos, Washington Post, Booman Tribune and The Hill

Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:

Stephen Miller's bushels of Pinocchios for false voter-fraud claims — White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller appeared on ABC's “The Week” on Sunday, spouting a bunch of false talking points on alleged voter fraud. (He also repeated similar claims on other Sunday talk shows.)

Discussion: Power Line, Talking Points Memo, Vox and Mediaite

David Edwards / Raw Story:

‘Talking bag of pus’: Twitter rips Stephen Miller for ‘clearly reading from script’ on Sunday shows — DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY! — After appearing on four Sunday news shows, Stephen Miller, a top adviser to President Donald Trump, was ruthlessly mocked on Twitter.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, LAist, ThinkProgress, BizPac Review and twitchy.com

ABC News:
‘This Week’ Transcript 2-12-17: Stephen Miller, Bob Ferguson, and Rep. Elijah Cummings

Discussion: Fox News, NBC News, Washington Post, Daily Wire, The Week and Talking Points Memo

Mallory Shelbourne / The Hill:
White House adviser: We have provided ‘enormous’ evidence of voter fraud

Discussion: RedState

Meridith McGraw / ABC News:
Trump Adviser Doubles Down on Claims of Voter Fraud and of ‘Thousands’ of Voters Bused Into New Hampshire

Discussion: NPR, The Gateway Pundit, IJR, BostonGlobe.com and CBS News

Nicki Rossoll / ABC News:
White House Senior Adviser: ‘The Judiciary Is Not Supreme’

Discussion: Raw Story, The Hill and Politico

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

Trump friend says Priebus is ‘in way over his head’ — One of President Trump's longtime friends made a striking move on Sunday: After talking privately with the president over drinks late Friday, Christopher Ruddy publicly argued that Trump should replace his White House chief of staff.

Discussion: The Hill, Daily Kos, Mother Jones, The Daily Caller, Outside the Beltway, twitchy.com and Mediaite

Jonathan Swan / Axios: Palace intrigue: Trump friend goes off on Priebus

Mallory Shelbourne / The Hill:

Trump: Media won't report on ‘enthusiastic supporters’ at Mar-a-Lago — President Trump on Sunday again slammed the media, this time claiming that there were “enthusiastic supporters lining the roads” as he left his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. — “Just leaving Florida.

Discussion: Raw Story

Kyle Balluck / The Hill:

Franken: GOP colleagues question Trump's mental health — (D-Minn.) said early Sunday that Republican colleagues have expressed concern to him about President Trump's mental health. — “A few, yeah,” he said on CNN's “State of the Union.” — “We all have this suspicion that, you know, he lies a lot.

Discussion: alan.com

Tom Boggioni / Raw Story: Sen. Al Franken confirms to CNN's Tapper that GOP senators are concerned about Trump's mental health

Ed O'Keefe / Washington Post:
Bernie Sanders calls Trump a ‘pathological liar’; Al Franken says ‘a few’ Republicans think Trump is mentally ill

Discussion: The Guardian and Political Wire

Loren Grush / The Verge:

A US-born NASA scientist was detained at the border until he unlocked his phone — Two weeks ago, Sidd Bikkannavar flew back into the United States after spending a few weeks abroad in South America. An employee of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Bikkannavar had been on a personal trip …

Discussion: Gizmodo, Mashable and Balloon Juice

Aaron Short / New York Post:

Trump's White House eyes potential foes in 2020 election — The White House is already tracking which Democrats could challenge President Trump in 2020 and Gov. Cuomo and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand aren't on the list, sources told The Post. — Trump's chief strategist, Steve Bannon …

Discussion: New York Times, Business Insider, Liberal Values, The Hill, AOL, RedState, Althouse and Political Wire

Dwain Price / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Mark Cuban warns CEOs to be careful with talk about President Trump

Discussion: IJR, BizPac Review, Business Insider and The Week

Erin McCann / New York Times:

Trump Criticized Obama for Golfing. Now He Spends Weekends on the Links. — As a private citizen, Donald J. Trump was repeatedly critical of President Obama's fondness for relaxing with a round of golf. — “Can you believe that, with all of the problems and difficulties facing the U.S., President Obama spent the day playing golf.”

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

John Wagner / Washington Post:
A hastily called news conference caps a surreal day for Trump in South Florida

Discussion: New York Magazine and CNN

Joy Villa / Breitbart:

Photos: Joy Villa Unveils Donald Trump Dress at Grammys — Pop singer Joy Villa arrived Sunday at the 2017 Grammy Awards wearing a simple white outfit- until she removed it on the red carpet, revealing a dress in the style of Donald Trump's “Make America Great Again” presidential campaign posters.

New York Post:

$325K wedding nixed after brawl erupts at rehearsal dinner, suit says — Till death do us punch. — A ritzy Manhattan wedding-rehearsal dinner descended into a brawl after the groom's parents objected to a toast on the eve of the couple's $325,000 nuptials at The Pierre hotel, according to a lawsuit between warring would-be in-laws.

Matt Latimer / Politico:

Hillary Clinton Is Running Again — Hillary Clinton will run for president. Again. — No inside information informs this prediction. No argument is advanced as to whether her run is a good or a bad idea—there are many ways to make a case either way.

Discussion: Hot Air

UN Watch:

Walk of shame: Sweden's “first feminist government” don hijabs in Iran — Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Google+Share on LinkedinShare on PinterestShare on Xing — Trade minister Ann Linde and other members of Sweden's “first feminist government in the world” …

Discussion: presstv.ir, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and RedState

Stan Collender / Forbes:

GOP Grand Scheme On Obamacare Repeal & Tax Reform Quickly Going South — The GOP strategy on quickly repealing the Affordable Care Act and enacting tax reform that seemed to be so creative and smart when it was first revealed right after the election may soon become the prime source of legislative hell for House and Senate Republicans.

Discussion: Political Wire

Ryan Sabalow / Sacramento Bee:

BREAKING: Oroville under immediate evacuation as spillway collapse feared — “It's uncontrolled. It's uncontrolled.” — Fearing a gush from Lake Oroville if the emergency spillway collapses, officials are releasing as much as 100,000 cubic feet per second from the main …

Discussion: Raw Story

Fox News:

Actress Meryl Streep renews harsh criticism of Trump in emotional speech — In an emotional speech on Saturday night, actress Meryl Streep doubled down on her harsh criticism of President Donald Trump, and spoke of becoming a target at the Golden Globes in January.

Discussion: Daily Wire, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, TheBlaze and twitchy.com