Top Items:
New York Times:
Fight Erupts in Trump Administration Over Transgender Students' Rights — WASHINGTON — A fight over a draft order that would rescind protections for transgender students in public schools has erupted inside the Trump administration, pitting Attorney General Jeff Sessions against the secretary of education, Betsy DeVos.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Mother Jones, Business Insider, Political Wire, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Towleroad, Eduwonk and Washington Blade
RELATED:
Ryan Gaydos / Fox News:
Trump administration working on new transgender bathroom directive
Trump administration working on new transgender bathroom directive
Discussion:
Washington Post and IJR
Moriah Balingit / Washington Post:
Trump administration poised to change transgender student bathroom guidelines
Trump administration poised to change transgender student bathroom guidelines
Discussion:
Reuters, ThinkProgress, Axios, Mediaite and Politico
Dave Itzkoff / New York Times:
Bill Maher, Faulted for Booking Milo Yiannopoulos, Takes Credit for His Fall — If you were disappointed that Bill Maher brought Milo Yiannopoulos onto his HBO show “Real Time” last week, Mr. Maher is not especially bothered. — In a telephone interview on Tuesday night …
Discussion:
Vox, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, The Atlantic, IJR, BizPac Review, Mediaite, twitchy.com, Washington Post, Business Insider, Shakesville and Althouse, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
Joe Concha / The Hill:
Maher takes credit for Milo Yiannopoulos's downfall — HBO's Bill Maher is taking credit for sudden and dramatic fall of former Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos, declaring that his decision to book the alt-right provocateur on his Friday show led to his demise.
Discussion:
RedState, New York Times and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
Tara Palmeri / Politico:
How Trump's campaign staffers tried to keep him off Twitter — President Donald Trump's former campaign staffers claim they cracked the code for tamping down his most inflammatory tweets, and they say the current West Wing staff would do well to take note. — The key to keeping Trump's …
Discussion:
Political Wire and The Week, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
William McGurn / Wall Street Journal:
Stop Chuck Todd Before He Tweets Again
New York Times:
The Pruitt Emails: E.P.A. Chief Was Arm in Arm With Industry — WASHINGTON — During his tenure as attorney general of Oklahoma, Scott Pruitt, now the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, closely coordinated with major oil and gas producers, electric utilities and political groups …
Discussion:
RedState and The Daily Caller
RELATED:
EXPOSEDbyCMD:
OKLAHOMA AG RELEASES 7,564 PAGES IN RESPONSE TO CMD REQUEST — OKLAHOMA AG RELEASES 7,564 PAGES IN RESPONSE TO CMD REQUEST — Under court order, Oklahoma Attorney General's office releases previously withheld emails and holds back others; more emails expected on February 27
Discussion:
Reuters, The Guardian and The Verge
Eric Holthaus / Mother Jones:
“We Will Never Stop”: An EPA Employee Blasts the Trump Administration
“We Will Never Stop”: An EPA Employee Blasts the Trump Administration
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, National Geographic Society, Washington Post, Common Dreams, Mashable and PRI
Brady Dennis / Washington Post:
Thousands of emails detail EPA head's close ties to fossil fuel industry
Thousands of emails detail EPA head's close ties to fossil fuel industry
Discussion:
Engadget
Dylan Byers / CNNMoney:
Kellyanne Conway sidelined from TV after Flynn debacle — Kellyanne Conway, once the most visible spokesperson for the Trump White House, has been sidelined from television appearances for making statements that were at odds with the administration's official stance, White House sources told CNNMoney on Wednesday.
RELATED:
Richard Sisk / Military.com:
McMaster Would Need Trump's OK to Bump Bannon from NSC
McMaster Would Need Trump's OK to Bump Bannon from NSC
Discussion:
The Week
Steven Shepard / Politico:
Poll: Support for Obamacare is rising — The 2010 health care law is becoming more popular, even as it heads toward the chopping block — further complicating efforts by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans to repeal and replace it. — While both Trump and Republicans …
Discussion:
RedState, Washington Post, The Hill and The Week
RELATED:
David Anderson / Baltimore Sun:
Rep. Harris is a no-show for Affordable Care Act town hall at Harford Community College
Rep. Harris is a no-show for Affordable Care Act town hall at Harford Community College
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Morning Call, cbs8.com and sandiegouniontribune.com
Farhad Manjoo / New York Times:
I Ignored Trump News for a Week. Here's What I Learned. — I spent last week ignoring President Trump. Although I am ordinarily a politics junkie, I didn't read, watch or listen to a single story about anything having to do with our 45th president. — What I missed, by many accounts …
Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Here you go: Pick a politician, watch them get yelled at — One of the legitimate marvels of the American political system is that regular old Americans can yell at our elected officials. It's not a particularly nice thing to do, of course, but you're not going to, say …
RELATED:
Jenna Portnoy / Washington Post:
The women got up in Brat's grill, and then some
The women got up in Brat's grill, and then some
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, CNN, Politico, Daily Kos, Balloon Juice, Washington Times and Business Insider
The Hill:
Ellison holds edge in DNC race — As Democrats head to Atlanta this weekend to vote on their party's next chair, the race to lead the Democratic National Committee chair is coming down to its two leading candidates. — Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.) has the edge over former Labor secretary Tom Perez …
Discussion:
Politico, The Daily Caller and Axios
RELATED:
Matt Stoller / The Intercept:
DNC Chair Candidate Tom Perez's Bank-Friendly Record Could Kneecap the Democratic Party
DNC Chair Candidate Tom Perez's Bank-Friendly Record Could Kneecap the Democratic Party
Discussion:
naked capitalism
Laurie Penny / Pacific Standard:
On the Milo Bus With the Lost Boys of America's New Right — What happens when a movement of gamers recognizes they're not players, but pawns? — Have you heard the one about the boy who cried Fake News? — This is a story about truth and consequences.
Discussion:
New York Times, The Stranger …, Balloon Juice and Unfogged, more at Mediagazer »
Reuters:
Mexico says will ‘not accept’ unilateral U.S. immigration policies — Mexico will not accept new “unilateral” U.S. immigration proposals, and will not hesitate in approaching the United Nations to defend immigrants, the country's Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said on Wednesday, ahead of a meeting with senior U.S. officials.
Discussion:
Politico, Political Wire and The Daily Caller
Judy Maltz / Haaretz:
Muslim-led Campaign to Fix Vandalized Jewish Cemetery Triples Goal in Less Than One Day — A Muslim-led crowdfunding campaign to help restore a vandalized Jewish cemetery near St. Louis has been overwhelmed with donations, allowing it to reach its goal within just three hours, according to one of its organizers.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Politicus USA and Washington Post
RELATED:
Karma Allen / ABC News:
Muslim activists raise over $70,000 to aid vandalized Jewish cemetery
Muslim activists raise over $70,000 to aid vandalized Jewish cemetery
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Root, The Week, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Associated Press and CNN
Ryan Grenoble / The Huffington Post:
Rep. Marsha Blackburn Besieged By Boos At Tennessee Town Hall — “We are not stupid,” a constituent yelled at one point. “Stop this.” — A passionate group of constituents and protesters alike greeted Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) at a meeting in Fairview, Tenn., on Tuesday afternoon.
Discussion:
Vox, Denver Post, The Daily Caller, Common Dreams, Politico, Tennessean.com, AOL and New York Times
RELATED:
John Gramlich / Pew Research Center:
5 facts about crime in the U.S. — Donald Trump made crime-fighting an important focus of his campaign for president, and he cited it again during his inaugural address in January. With the White House and Justice Department announcing steps to address violence in American communities …
Discussion:
Washington Post
NY1 News:
NY1 Online: Hearing from the Senator — NY1 VIDEO: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand sat down with Bobby Cuza for a comprehensive interview. — Despite her opposition to Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand says she thinks he will be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
RELATED:
Curtis Tate / Lexington Herald-Leader:
McConnell gets a taste of town-hall protests at luncheon in Kentucky
McConnell gets a taste of town-hall protests at luncheon in Kentucky
Discussion:
NPR
New York Times:
Mr. Trump's ‘Deportation Force’ Prepares an Assault on American Values — The homeland security secretary, John Kelly, issued a remarkable pair of memos on Tuesday. They are the battle plan for the “deportation force” President Trump promised in the campaign.
Discussion:
John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Department of Homeland … and TheBlaze
New York Post:
Interracial couple charged $700 per week for racist graffiti on their home — An interracial Connecticut couple refuses to cover up a racial slur that was spray painted on their garage door until authorities conduct a thorough investigation - even though the “blight” is costing them a $100-a-day fine.
Ed Kilgore / New York Magazine:
Trump Is Unpopular, But Not As Unpopular As Liberals Think — Do you wonder why Donald Trump thinks he's wildly popular beyond the nefarious precincts of those enemies of the people, the liberal news media? The president himself offered a succinct talking point on that subject near …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
Noah Smith / Bloomberg:
The Myth of the U.S. Immigration Crisis — With the rise of Donald Trump, anti-immigrant sentiment has reached levels not seen in decades in the U.S. Anger against illegal immigration and fear of refugees, previously confined to the fringes of the Republican base, are now at the center of public dialogue.
Discussion:
Mother Jones and NBC News
The Huffington Post:
The Movement Resisting Donald Trump Has A Name: The (Local) Democratic Party — While outside groups are getting the attention, local Democratic parties nationwide are seeing a surge of interest. — Local Democratic parties are confronting a problem in the Trump era that is as confounding as it is unexpected: space.
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money
NBC News:
Poll: Majority of Americans Worried About War, Feel Favorably Toward NATO — Nearly two-thirds of Americans, divided sharply along party lines, are worried that the United States will become engaged in a major war in the next four years, according to results from the latest NBC News| SurveyMonkey poll.
Discussion:
Washington Times, Talking Points Memo and Political Wire