memeorandum: Officials: Mike Dubke to be named as White House communications director (CNN)

1:30 PM ET, February 17, 2017

Top Items:

David Brooks / New York Times:

What a Failed Trump Administration Looks Like — I still have trouble seeing how the Trump administration survives a full term. Judging by his Thursday press conference, President Trump's mental state is like a train that long ago left freewheeling and iconoclastic, has raced through indulgent …

Discussion: Liberal Values and NBC News

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

The Silence of the Hacks — The story so far: A foreign dictator intervened on behalf of a U.S. presidential candidate — and that candidate won. Close associates of the new president were in contact with the dictator's espionage officials during the campaign, and his national security adviser …

Evan McMullin / New York Times:
A Party to the Russian Connection

Discussion: Politicus USA

New York Times:
Bring On the Special Prosecutor

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Common Dreams, Simple Justice, Salon, CNN, Hullabaloo, IJR, NPR and Washington Post

David Leonhardt / New York Times:
A Big Week for Health Care

Discussion: Vox and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Michael Goodwin / New York Post:

Sorry media — this press conference played very different with Trump's supporters — MORE FROM: — Maybe it's not a coincidence that Barnum & Bailey is folding its tents this year. After all, how could the circus possibly compete with Donald Trump? — The president proved once again that he is the greatest show on earth.

Discussion: The Atlantic, Washington Monthly, BizPac Review, Geller Report and Liberal Values

Asawin Suebsaeng / The Daily Beast:

Journalists Whisper at Trump's Crazy Press Conference: ‘This Is Insane’ — On Thursday afternoon, President Donald Trump's staff corralled the White House press corps into the East Room of the White House so that he could sing the praises of his new Labor Secretary pick, Alexander Acosta.

Discussion: Salon, Hullabaloo, CNBC, Daily Kos, Raw Story, Real Clear Politics, American Greatness and Vox

John Podesta / Washington Post:
Trump's dangerous strategy to undermine reality

Discussion: Politico

Mark Hensch / The Hill:
Trump: ‘Fake media not happy’ with press conference

Discussion: Washington Post, RedState, Raw Story and Talking Points Memo

George Prayias / Rush:
Trump Triumphs Over Press

Discussion: Business Insider

Laurie Goodstein / New York Times:

A Jewish Reporter Got to Ask Trump a Question. It Didn't Go Well. — Jake Turx is a newly minted White House correspondent for a publication that has never before had a seat in the White House press corps: Ami Magazine, an Orthodox Jewish weekly based in Brooklyn.

Discussion: RedState, ThinkProgress, BizPac Review, Haaretz, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Week and CNN, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:
In 77 Chaotic Minutes, Trump Defends ‘Fine-Tuned Machine’

Discussion: Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos, New York Magazine, Mother Jones, The Week, Balloon Juice and Eschaton, more at Mediagazer »

Eli Watkins / CNN:
Trump tells Jewish magazine's reporter to ‘sit down,’ blames anti-Semitism on ‘the other side’

Discussion: Newsmax, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Washington Post, Vox, The Hill, Mediaite, Lawyers, Guns & Money and New York Magazine

Wall Street Journal:

Jared Kushner Delivers Critique of CNN to Time Warner Executive — Trump's son-in-law and adviser complains that coverage has been slanted against the president — Jared Kushner, senior White House adviser, has expressed the administration's deep concerns about CNN's news coverage.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Politico, TheBlaze, New York Magazine, The Week and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Erin Corbett / Raw Story:
‘Little Jared complaining about me’: Ana Navarro slams Kushner for complaints about her Trump coverage

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Brooke Seipel / The Hill:
Ana Navarro hits Kushner for complaining about CNN: 'Oh, baby boy, I'm so sorry'

Discussion: The Guardian and RedState, more at Mediagazer »

Tim Alberta / Politico:

'I'm a Dead Man Walking' — None of this feels normal. The congressman greets me inside his Washington office wearing a wrinkly collared shirt with its top two buttons undone, faded denim jeans and grungy, navy blue Crocs that expose his leather-textured feet.

Discussion: The Week, AOL, Balloon Juice, Raw Story and Axios

CNN:

Officials: Mike Dubke to be named as White House communications director — Washington, D.C. (CNN)Crossroads Media founder Mike Dubke is expected to be named as White House Communications Director, two administration officials tell CNN. — The appointment is expected to be announced as early as Friday, the officials say.

Discussion: RedState, Hot Air, The Root, Need To Know Network, The Week and Washington Times

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
GOP strategist Dubke to run White House communications

Discussion: Associated Press, Washington Post, New York Magazine and Hot Air

Stephen Collinson / CNN:
An amazing moment in history: Donald Trump's press conference

Discussion: US News, Chicago Tribune, Media Matters for America, Washington Post, Associated Press, The Gateway Pundit and Mediaite

Associated Press:

Chaffetz seeks charge of ex-Clinton aide in email inquiry — WASHINGTON — The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, who has refused Democratic requests to investigate possible conflicts of interest involving President Donald Trump, is seeking criminal charges …

Discussion: Political Wire and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Page Six:
Hillary ‘a big fan’ of her ‘SNL’ impersonator Kate McKinnon

Discussion: Fox News Insider, Washington Times, AOL, Mashable, Mediaite, New York Magazine and New York Post

Laurel Raymond / ThinkProgress:
Republicans won't investigate Trump, but they're still going after Hillary's emails

Discussion: garnetnews.com

Oliver Holmes / The Guardian:

Suspect in North Korea killing ‘thought she was taking part in TV prank’ — Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, duped and ‘not aware it was assassination attempt by alleged foreign agents’, says head of police — An Indonesian woman arrested for suspected involvement in the killing …

Associated Press:

Trump Weighs Mobilizing National Guard for Immigration Roundups — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (GARANCE BURKE) — (AP) — The Trump administration is considering a proposal to mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants, including millions living nowhere near …

Discussion: RedState, IJR, Snopes.com and Eschaton

Teresa Welsh / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Trump wouldn't be first president to mobilize National Guard for immigration enforcement

Discussion: TheBlaze

James Hohmann / Washington Post:

The Daily 202: The price of loyalty to Trump is high and rising — THE BIG IDEA: Donald Trump has an unending need to feel like he's in total control of his surroundings. That helps explain why he's felt so frustrated and lashed out so much over the past month.

Discussion: Politico, Hot Air, ABC News and The Daily Caller

CBS News:
Vice Admiral Robert Harward turns down national security adviser job

Discussion: CNN, Reuters, Politico, Washington Post, USA Today, Business Insider, The Daily Beast, CBS New York, Media Matters for America, The Week, Mother Jones, Instapundit, Talking Points Memo, CBS Philly, War in Context and ThinkProgress

New York Times:
Trump's Pick to Replace Flynn Turns Down the Job

Discussion: Raw Story, Washington Post, AOL, alan.com and TheBlaze

Amy Harder / Wall Street Journal:

Senate Set to Confirm Scott Pruitt as EPA Chief — Move would likely lead to a rollback of Obama-era climate and environmental regulations — WASHINGTON—The Senate is set to confirm Scott Pruitt on Friday to be President Donald Trump's administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency …

Discussion: Axios

Coral Davenport / New York Times:
E.P.A. Workers Try to Block Pruitt in Show of Defiance

Discussion: CNN, Gizmodo, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Washington Times, CNBC, Washington Free Beacon, Common Dreams, The Daily Caller, BillMoyers.com, Gothamist, Politico, Daily Wire, The Week, The Hill, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo and Political Wire

Michael Barthel / Pew Research Center:

For election news, young people turned to some national papers more than their elders — Younger Americans have long been less likely to read newspapers than their elders. But a Pew Research Center survey has revealed a significant twist, at least for certain newspapers with a more national focus …

more at Mediagazer »

Madeline Conway / Politico:
Priebus: Reports of Trump campaign-Russia contact ‘exaggerated’

Discussion: Daily Kos

New York Post: Bogus Times scoops on Trump, Russia are recycled propaganda

BostonGlobe.com:

Christie says Trump made him order the meatloaf at meal together — TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says President Donald Trump made him order meatloaf when they dined together at the White House this week. — Christie and his wife, Mary Pat, joined Trump at the White House on Tuesday.

Discussion: IJR, Towleroad, The Week, Political Wire and The Daily Caller

Cristina Marcos / The Hill:

Democrats raise questions about Trump's mental health — A growing number of Democrats are openly questioning President Trump's mental health. — Rep. Earl Blumenauer — (D-Ore.) in a floor speech this week called for a review of the Constitution's procedures for removing a president.

Discussion: Raw Story, New York Times, alan.com, Booman Tribune, The Week, NBC News and New York Magazine

Margaret Brennan / CBS News:

State Dept. carries out layoffs under Rex Tillerson — While Rex Tillerson is on his first overseas trip as Secretary of State, his aides laid off staff at the State Department on Thursday. — Much of seventh-floor staff, who work for the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources …

Discussion: RedState

Sydney Brownstone / The Stranger …:

Detained Dreamer's Lawyers Say Government Doctored Document to Justify False Gang Affiliation — Daniel Ramirez Medina's lawyers say the government doctored his request to be removed from the Northwest Detention Center's gang unit. — Lawyers for Daniel Ramirez Medina, the twice-authorized …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Seattle City Council Insight, ThinkProgress and The Seattle Times

Sheera Frenkel / BuzzFeed:

White House Staff Are Using A “Secure” App That's Really Not So Secure — Some senior officials are using a new messaging app that may not be as secure as it claims. “We would not recommend this app to someone looking for secure messaging,” one expert told BuzzFeed News.

Discussion: Axios

Aram Roston / BuzzFeed:

Betsy DeVos's Brother Is Setting Up A Private Army For China, Sources Say — The controversial Blackwater founder says he is setting up bases in two Chinese provinces, but his company says “this does not involve armed personnel.” — Red Army soldiers marching. — VCG / Getty