memeorandum: Restaurants, schools close in ‘Day Without Immigrants’ protest (Perry Stein/Washington Post)

5:15 PM ET, February 16, 2017

Top Items:

Flynn in FBI interview denied discussing sanctions with Russian ambassador — Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn denied to FBI agents in an interview last month that he had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country's ambassador to the United States before President …

Discussion: Mother Jones, The Atlantic, Balloon Juice, Business Insider, NBC News, emptywheel and National Review

Ashley Parker / Washington Post: Trump says ‘I inherited a mess,’ blasts media and detractors at combative news conference

Madeline Conway / Politico:
Trump says he called Justice Department to ask them to investigate leaks

Discussion: RedState and ABC News

Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Pelosi: Sessions too political to oversee Russia probe

Discussion: CNN, Washington Times and Daily Kos

Louis Nelson / Politico:
Trump complains that he ‘inherited a mess’ in rant against media

more at Mediagazer »

Tara Golshan / Vox:
A guide to what the GOP-led House Oversight Committee will and won't investigate on Trump

Discussion: Daily Wire and Business Insider, more at Mediagazer »

Numbers / Pew Research Center:

In First Month, Views of Trump Are Already Strongly Felt, Deeply Polarized — Opposition to Trump's refugee policy; improved views of economy — Less than a month after Donald Trump took office, the public's initial impressions of the new president are strongly felt, deeply polarized and far more negative than positive.

Discussion: The Hill, Daily Kos and The Week

Pew Research Center:

1. Early public attitudes about Donald Trump — Overall, 39% say they approve of how Trump is handling his job as president, while 56% say they disapprove and 6% do not offer a view. Job ratings for Trump are more negative than for other recent presidents at similar points in their first terms.

Discussion: Mother Jones

Rasmussen Reports:

in Politics — The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump's job performance. Forty-five percent (45%) disapprove. — The latest figures include 38% who Strongly Approve of the way Trump is performing and 36% who Strongly Disapprove.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Rush and Washington Free Beacon

Wall Street Journal:

Spies Keep Intelligence From Donald Trump — U.S. intelligence officials have withheld sensitive intelligence from President Donald Trump because they are concerned it could be leaked or compromised, according to current and former officials familiar with the matter.

Ashley Dejean / Mother Jones:
Exclusive: Classified Memo Tells Intelligence Analysts to Keep Trump's Daily Brief Short

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

New York Times:
White House Plans to Have Trump Ally Review Intelligence Agencies

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

Donald Trump's combative, grievance-filled press conference, annotated — A solemn President Trump turned his Thursday afternoon announcement of a new labor secretary nominee into a screed against the media and large-scale defense of his first four weeks as president. — It was remarkable.

Discussion: Vox, New York Post, Daily Kos, Media Matters for America and alicublog, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:

Full Transcript and Video: Trump News Conference — President Trump on Thursday announced his new nominee for labor secretary, Alexander Acosta, during a news conference at the White House. Following is a transcript of that event, as prepared by the Federal News Service.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, CNN, Booman Tribune, New York Magazine, Political Wire and Althouse

Dan Merica / CNN:

On false claims about his Electoral College win's spot in history — “I was given that information, I don't know.” — On his own speech — “I'm not ranting and raving, I'm just telling you you're dishonest people.” — On Obamacare — “Obamacare, they fill up our alleys with people you wonder how they got there.”

Discussion: RedState, KTLA and Balloon Juice

Allegra Kirkland / Talking Points Memo:
The 8 Craziest Moments Of Trump's Impromptu Press Conference

Discussion: rubber hose

Cristiano Lima / Politico:
Trump asks black journalist to help set up meeting with Congressional Black Caucus

Discussion: Washington Post, Vox, ABC News, Talking Points Memo, Mother Jones, Raw Story, Mashable, Mediaite, CBS Baltimore and Gothamist

Bloomberg:

Kremlin Tells Media to Cut Back on Fawning Trump Coverage, Sources Say — Order comes as hopes fade for improved relations with U.S. — Trump was garnering more media mentions in Russia than Putin — The Kremlin ordered state media to cut way back on their fawning coverage of President Donald Trump …

Discussion: New York Magazine, Politico, The Hill, Hot Air, Raw Story, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Axios and Political Wire, more at Mediagazer »

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

About ‘The Press Conference’ — This is that rare time when I think the cliched phrase is appropriate: That press conference speaks for itself. There's very little I can think to add. It all amounts to a confirmation of what most of us already know. This man is not emotionally …

Discussion: RedState

Betsy Woodruff / The Daily Beast:

Leaked Emails Show Justice Clarence Thomas's Wife Pushing Travel Ban — Justice Clarence Thomas's wife is organizing in support of President Donald Trump's agenda. And it might make her husband's life a little complicated. — In an email sent to a conservative listserv on Feb. 13 …

Discussion: Daily Kos, The Root, Raw Story and Axios

Philip Elliott / TIME:

Inside Donald Trump's White House Chaos — For two years, Donald Trump mastered the art of disruption. Name a political precept and he probably broke it during his improbable march to the White House. But disruption in government—the rulemaker breaking the rules—turns out to be more costly.

Discussion: Daily Wire, Mashable, Business Insider and Mother Jones

Josh Dawsey / Politico:
Priebus struggles to control fractious White House

Discussion: The Hill, Raw Story and Hot Air

Jon Schwarz / The Intercept:

Carter Page, at Center of Trump Russian Investigation, Writes Bizarre Letter to DOJ Blaming Hillary Clinton — Carter Page, briefly a foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump's presidential campaign, sent a peculiar, rambling letter this week to the Department of Justice, asking it to review …

Discussion: Raw Story, Talking Points Memo and Balloon Juice

PBS NewsHour:
CARTER PAGE: Yes.

Discussion: Washington Times

Chicago Tribune:

Former Obama aide fined $90,000 for illegally lobbying Emanuel on Uber's behalf — David Plouffe speaks before United States President Barack Obama appears at campaign fundraiser at Navy Pier in Chicago, IL on April 14, 2011. — A former senior executive for Uber who once served …

Discussion: Axios and Business Insider

Anthony Capaccio / Bloomberg:

Trump's F-35 Calls Came With a Surprise: Rival CEO Was Listening — Boeing CEO said to be in room as Trump phoned program chief — Lockheed has faced Trump attacks over cost of F-35 contract — Days before taking office, President-elect Donald Trump made two surprise calls …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, RedState, USNI News, Balloon Juice, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and The Week

Hannah Devlin / The Guardian:

Woolly mammoth on the verge of resurrection, scientists say — Scientist leading ‘de-extinction’ effort says Harvard team just two years away from creating a hybrid embryo, in which mammoth traits would be programmed into an Asian elephant — The woolly mammoth vanished from the Earth 4,000 years ago …

Discussion: Telegraph, Mashable, AOL, garnetnews.com and Infowars

E.J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:

Admit it: Trump is unfit to serve — Let's not mumble or whisper about the central issue facing our country: What is this democratic nation to do when the man serving as president of the United States plainly has no business being president of the United States?

Discussion: Hullabaloo, WWLP-TV, Mediaite and Talking Points Memo

German Lopez / Vox:

Trump keeps lying about his Electoral College victory — He made two false claims about his win at a news conference on Thursday. — President Donald Trump made two false claims about his 2016 victory early in his news conference on Thursday: He said he won 306 Electoral College votes …

Discussion: Politico

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:

G.O.P.'s Grand Visions for Congress Now Look Like a Mirage — WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans, who craved unified control of the government to secure their aggressive conservative agenda, have instead found themselves on a legislative elliptical trainer, gliding toward nowhere.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Daily Kos, Politico and The Atlantic

Bloomberg:

Tillerson Forced to Stay at Sanitarium in German Village for G-20 — Russian foreign minister asks why reporters were ushered away — Secretary of State is in ‘listening mode,’ official says — On his first trip abroad as U.S. secretary of state, Rex Tillerson was forced to stay …

Katie Mettler / Washington Post:

‘This is really unprecedented’: ICE detains woman seeking domestic abuse protection at Tex. courthouse — A hearing in El Paso County in Texas went from ordinary to “unprecedented” last week when half a dozen Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showed up at a courthouse …

Discussion: twitchy.com, Washington Free Beacon, TheBlaze, The Nation, The Hill, Hit & Run, Business Insider, Balloon Juice, USA Today, The Week, ThinkProgress, The Huffington Post, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit and New York Magazine

Chris Brito / New York's PIX11:

Man found dead with zip-ties around neck inside TriBeCa jewelry store — TRIBECA, Manhattan - A man was found dead with zip-ties around his neck inside his TriBeCa jewelry store, NYPD sources said Thursday. — The grisly discovery was made around 6 p.m. Wednesday at the family-owned World …

Discussion: WREG-TV and Gothamist

David Brody / CBN.com:

This Just In From CNN: More Fake News! — Have you heard? Did you know, “the fix is in” when it comes to so-called “conservative media outlets” coverage of the Trump administration? Hey, Jim Acosta said it live on CNN yesterday so it HAS to be true. They only report the facts on CNN right?

Discussion: BizPac Review

New York Times:

A HUD Official Once Criticized Trump. Now He's an Ex-Official. — WASHINGTON — A top aide to President Trump's housing secretary nominee, Ben Carson, was fired and led out of the department's headquarters by security on Wednesday after writings critical of Mr. Trump surfaced in his vetting …

Discussion: ThinkProgress and The Huffington Post

Perry Stein / Washington Post:

Restaurants, schools close in ‘Day Without Immigrants’ protest — Upscale restaurants canceled long-standing reservations. Some ubiquitous fast-casual chains were closed. And teachers posted pictures on social media of their empty classrooms. — Immigrants across the country …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Fox News, NPR, New York Times, USA Today, Media Matters for America and BizPac Review

Daniel Burke / CNN:

‘Telephone terrorism’ has rattled 48 Jewish centers. Is anyone paying attention? — More bomb threats, anti-Semitic vandalism in US — (CNN)Samantha Taylor was at Orlando's Jewish Community Center for a morning meeting when she heard reports of a bomb threat crackle from the director's walkie-talkie.

Discussion: Vox, Washington Post and New York Magazine