memeorandum: U.S. Eyes New Tactic to Press China (Bob Davis/Wall Street Journal)

7:30 AM ET, February 14, 2017

Top Items:

Justice Department warned White House that Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail, officials say — BREAKING: Michael Flynn, Trump's embattled national security adviser, is resigning amid controversy over communication with Russian ambassador. — The acting attorney general informed …

CNN:

Flynn resigns amid controversy over Russia contacts — Source: WH knew Flynn misled officials on Russia — Washington (CNN)Embattled White House national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned Monday night, two sources tell CNN. — His departure came just after reports surfaced …

Discussion: The Hill, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Joe.My.God., Hot Air, Daily Kos and Raw Story

New York Times:

Michael Flynn Resigns as National Security Adviser — WASHINGTON — Michael T. Flynn, the national security adviser, resigned on Monday night after it was revealed that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other top White House officials about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

Discussion: Just Security, Towleroad, The Hill, New York Magazine, The Root, Taylor Marsh, Washington Post, Boing Boing, The Last Tradition, Mother Jones, Mashable, Business Insider, The American Conservative, ThinkProgress, Refinery29 and Booman Tribune

Joel B. Pollak / Breitbart:

Flynn Resignation Raises Tough Questions for FBI, Intel Services — The resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn on Monday evening raises troubling questions about the role of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the intelligence services.

Discussion: The Week, Business Insider and Washington Post

Foreign Policy:

The Kremlin Is Starting to Worry About Trump — Vladimir Putin's entourage cheered the outcome of the U.S. election - until they saw exactly what they were dealing with. — In 2016, a senior Russian official explained to a group of visiting foreigners why the government had decided …

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, Raw Story and rubber hose

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

The Wind Is Sown — I had wanted to end my work evening on the post I published just after 8 PM. Let me conclude on this note. Tonight's revelations (by which I mean those which preceded Michael Flynn's resignation) make it even more clear that there is much more going on out of view than we realize.

Eli Stokols / Politico:

Flynn resigns as national security adviser — Michael Flynn resigned as President Donald Trump's national security adviser Monday night, amid a growing scandal over his contacts with Russian officials. — The White House announced the resignation after days of uncertainty about Flynn's fate …

Discussion: RedState, ABC News, Talking Points Memo, Power Line, Washington Post and Political Wire

USA Today:

Flynn apologizes after admitting he may have discussed sanctions with Russia — WASHINGTON — National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has apologized amid reports that Flynn discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with the Russian ambassador in the days before President Trump's inauguration, a White House official said.

David Edwards / Raw Story:

Adam Schiff drops bombshell: Michael Flynn may have used encryption to hide Russia talks from US — DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY! — Rep. Adam Schiff (D-MA) revealed allegations on Monday that President Donald Trump's national security adviser, Michael Flynn …

Discussion: alan.com

Andrew Roth / Washington Post:

Russian lawmakers rush to the defense of Trump's ex-national security adviser — MOSCOW — Leading Russian lawmakers rushed to defend President Trump's former national security adviser on Tuesday after he resigned for misleading senior White House officials, including Vice President Pence, about his contacts with Russia.

Discussion: Political Wire

Mark Hensch / The Hill:
Flynn apologizes to Pence: report

Discussion: Axios, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, TheBlaze, Talking Points Memo, Joe.My.God. and RedState

CNN:
White House was warned Flynn could be blackmailed by Russia

Discussion: BizPac Review, The Guardian, Little Green Footballs, Washington Post, The Stranger …, The Daily Caller, alan.com, The Week, Mother Jones, KXAN-TV, New York Magazine, Hot Air, Joe.My.God. and myfox8.com

Robert Costa / Washington Post:
Harward emerges as front-runner to replace Flynn following talks

Discussion: Business Insider

Callum Borchers / Washington Post:
Trump got through an entire news conference without facing a single question about Michael Flynn

Discussion: IJR, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, CBS New York, New York Magazine and The Guardian

Katie Bo Williams / The Hill:
Flynn seen as standing on thin ice

Discussion: ABC News, RedState, Politico, Breitbart, Liberal Values, CANNONFIRE, Washington Post and Political Wire

Washington Times: Mainstream media whines as Trump calls on less established news outlets

Paul Farhi / Washington Post:

Journalist says Omarosa Manigault bullied her and mentioned a ‘dossier’ on her — Conflict and controversy seem to follow Omarosa Manigault, who stirred up plenty of both as a reality-TV star and a longtime associate of President Trump. — Manigault, who is now a communications official …

Discussion: Media Matters for America, Raw Story and Political Wire, more at Mediagazer »

Wall Street Journal:

Disney Severs Ties With YouTube Star PewDiePie After Anti-Semitic Posts — Move came after the Journal asked about videos in which he included anti-Semitic jokes or Nazi imagery — Felix Kjellberg, who has 53 million subscribers to his “PewDiePie” YouTube channel, reacts as two men hold up a sign saying …

Discussion: Forbes, Althouse, The Verge, Mashable, Business Insider, New York Magazine and The Local, more at Mediagazer »

Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:

White House Grants Press Credentials to a Pro-Trump Blog — The Gateway Pundit, a provocative conservative blog, gained notice last year for its fervent pro-Trump coverage and its penchant for promoting false rumors about voter fraud and Hillary Clinton's health that rocketed around the right-wing internet.

Discussion: New York Magazine and The Gateway Pundit, more at Mediagazer »

Media Matters for America:
A Dangerous Troll Is Now Reporting From The White House

Discussion: Joe.My.God., RedState and The Gateway Pundit

Marianne LeVine / Politico:

Oprah gives tape with Puzder abuse allegations to Senate — Senators in both parties have viewed an episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in which President Donald Trump's Labor Secretary nominee Andrew Puzder's former wife leveled allegations of physical abuse against him, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Discussion: New York Magazine, Washington Post, The Hill and Mediaite

Ed O'Keefe / Washington Post:
At least four GOP senators are on the fence about Labor Dept. nominee Andrew Puzder

Discussion: Axios

John King / CNN:
Labor secretary nominee Andrew Puzder in jeopardy

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Week and Political Wire

Betsy Woodruff / The Daily Beast:

Virginia Judge Blocks Trump's Travel Ban—Maybe Forever — A federal judge in Virginia just handed down one of the biggest defeats yet to President Donald Trump's travel ban. Judge Leonie Brinkema issued a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of the ban in Virginia until it can be fully argued out in court.

Bob Davis / Wall Street Journal:

U.S. Eyes New Tactic to Press China — The White House is exploring a new tactic to discourage China from undervaluing its currency to boost exports, part of an evolving Trump administration strategy to challenge the practices of the U.S.'s largest trading partner while stepping back from direct confrontation.

Discussion: Axios and Instapundit

Richard Johnson / Page Six:

Trump ties to Upper East Side school stirs moms — Donald Trump Jr. and President Donald Trump — MORE FROM: — Upper East Side moms are having a spirited online debate over whether to boycott a school where a grandchild of President Trump is a student.

Discussion: Fox News Insider

Kelsey Sutton / Politico:

N.Y. Times reprimands reporter for sharing ‘unfounded rumor’ about Melania Trump — Editors at the New York Times have reprimanded a reporter for referring to first lady Melania Trump as a “hooker” at an event Sunday night, calling the remarks “completely inappropriate.”

Discussion: Mediaite, Page Six, Red Alert Politics, TheBlaze, Hot Air, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Althouse, AOL, Refinery29, twitchy.com and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

T. Becket Adams / Washington Examiner:

More mainstream media mess-ups: The Muslim Olympian 'detained because of President Trump's travel ban' was detained under Obama — Reporters are at it again - and again, and again and again. — The latest spun-up, anti-President Trump story involves Ibtihaj Muhammad …

Discussion: twitchy.com, RedState, Mediaite and The Gateway Pundit

Matt Fuller / The Huffington Post:

Conservatives Take A Hard Line On Obamacare Repeal, Putting GOP In A Bind — Wait, is this how Republicans end up preventing an Obamacare repeal? — Congressional Reporter, The Huffington Post — WASHINGTON Conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus voted among themselves Monday night …

Discussion: Axios and Balloon Juice

Damian Carrington / The Guardian:

‘Extraordinary’ levels of pollutants found in 10km deep Mariana trench — Presence of manmade chemicals in most remote place on planet shows nowhere is safe from human impact, say scientists — Scientists have discovered “extraordinary” levels of toxic pollution in the most remote …

Discussion: The Week, Daily Mail and Gizmodo

Yashar Ali / New York Magazine:

Here's a Video of Trump Crashing a Wedding Right After Giving His North Korea Statement — On Saturday, as President Donald Trump was hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Trump's private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, news broke that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan.

Discussion: New York Times, The Atlantic, Washington Post, Mediaite, Daily Kos and Axios

Mallory Shelbourne / The Hill:
Mar-a-Lago guest takes picture with nuclear ‘football’ briefcase

Discussion: Raw Story, The Guardian, New York Times, The Mahablog, Politico, TheBlaze, Washington Post, Gizmodo, Political Wire and RedState

Jordain Carney / The Hill:

Senate confirms Mnuchin as Treasury secretary — The Senate is poised to clear Steve Mnuchin to be President Trump's Treasury secretary, largely along party lines. — As of 7:27 p.m., Mnuchin had 52 votes. The vote remains open, but the longtime Goldman's executive has more than the simple majority needed for confirmation.

Discussion: Politico and ABC News