memeorandum: Jewish cemetery vandalized in Rochester, NY — third incident in US in less than 2 weeks (Josefin Dolsten/Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

6:55 PM ET, March 2, 2017

Top Items:

Kushner and Flynn Met With Russian Envoy in December, White House Says — WASHINGTON — Michael T. Flynn, then Donald J. Trump's incoming national security adviser, had a previously undisclosed meeting with the Russian ambassador in December to “establish a line of communication” …

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Post, Vox, Talking Points Memo, Axios, Raw Story, The Week, Daily Kos, NO QUARTER USA NET, Business Insider and The Mahablog

Steve Reilly / USA Today:

Exclusive: Two other Trump advisers also spoke with Russian envoy during GOP convention — Attorney General Jeff Sessions is not the only member of President Trump's campaign who spoke to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at a diplomacy conference connected to the Republican National Convention in July.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Mediaite

Alex Griswold / Mediaite:

Claire McCaskill Claims She'd Never Meet With Russian Ambassador, But Tweets Prove She Has — In a pointed tweet Thursday, Democratic Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill attacked Attorney General and her former Senate colleague Jeff Sessions for meeting with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 election …

Discussion: America Rising, The Lid, Washington Post, Politico, Fox News Insider, Business Insider, BizPac Review, Geller Report, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Guardian and The Gateway Pundit

Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:

Rep. Schiff accuses Comey of withholding information on Russia probe — The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday accused FBI Director James Comey of withholding crucial information about its probe into Russian interference in the election and raised the prospect of subpoenaing the agency.

Discussion: ABC News, The Rush Limbaugh Show, Little Green Footballs, Western Journalism and Axios

Kevin Johnson / USA Today:

Sessions was more than Trump surrogate in meetings with Russian envoy — WASHINGTON — At the time Jeff Sessions met with the Russian ambassador to the United States during the midst of last year's bitter campaign, the Alabama senator was not only serving as a surrogate for candidate Donald …

Discussion: Daily Kos

Richard W. Painter / New York Times:

Jeff Sessions Needs to Go — In the wake of Wednesday's revelation that Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke with Russia's ambassador to the United States while working with the Trump campaign, despite denying those contacts during his confirmation hearings, key Republican and Democratic lawmakers …

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly and CNN

Bloomberg:

Sessions Removes Himself From Russia Probes Over Envoy — Move comes amid uproar over meetings with Russian ambassador — Trump said he still has ‘total’ confidence in Sessions — Attorney General Jeff Sessions removed himself from investigations into Russian interference in American politics …

Discussion: ABC News

USA Today:

Sessions' credibility is shot: Column — America needs a top law enforcement officer people can trust, that's why the former senator has to go. — Yesterday's bombshell revelation that Attorney General Jeff Sessions met with Russia's ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak …

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, NBC News, IJR and Common Dreams

Ari Berman / The Nation:
Jeff Sessions Is a Disgrace to the Justice Department

Discussion: Washington Post, Vox, Advocate, Rewire and ThinkProgress

NBC News:
Attorney General Jeff Sessions : ‘I Will Recuse Myself’ If Necessary

Erick Erickson / The Resurgent: The Jeff Sessions Attack Is a Nothingburger

The Huffington Post:
Jeff Sessions Called For A Special Counsel After Loretta Lynch Met With Bill Clinton

Discussion: Washington Post, CNN, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos and Media Matters for America

CNN:
Sessions did not disclose meetings with Russian ambassador

Discussion: The Atlantic, Vox, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, The Hill, Washington Free Beacon, Business Insider, Breitbart, ThinkProgress, ABC News, Shadowproof, Patterico's Pontifications, The Daily Caller, BizPac Review, The Federalist, Mother Jones, Fox News and Axios

Edmund Kozak / LifeZette:
Sessions Under Fire: GOP Rushes to Eat Their Own Again

Discussion: Fox News and No More Mister Nice Blog

Adrienne LaFrance / The Atlantic:
Why Do the Big Stories Keep Breaking at Night?

Discussion: Washington Post, AOL and Talking Points Memo, more at Mediagazer »

Deirdre Shesgreen / USA Today:
Claire McCaskill accused of lying in attack on Jeff Sessions

Discussion: Breitbart, The Atlantic, Vox, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, The Daily Caller and Political Insider blog

New York Times:
Jeff Sessions Recuses Himself From Russia Inquiry

Discussion: Washington Post, Raw Story, Vox, JustOneMinute, Political Wire, MSNBC, ThinkProgress, Balloon Juice, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, Politicus USA, ABC News, Daily Kos and Towleroad

Adam Entous / Washington Post:
Sessions met with Russian envoy twice last year, encounters he later did not disclose

Discussion: Breitbart, ThinkProgress, The Atlantic, Vox, The Hill, Washington Monthly, Slate, al.com, Talking Points Memo, Foreign Policy, Politico, Mother Jones, Fox News, The Guardian, CNN, ACLU, The Daily Beast, Raw Story, Wall Street Journal, Geller Report, ABC News, Fox News Insider, National Review, New York Times, NBC News, BBC, Business Insider, Mediaite, Axios, Common Dreams, PinkNews, TheBlaze, Washington Examiner, NPR, The Rush Limbaugh Show, FiveThirtyEight, JONATHAN TURLEY, Daily Kos, Western Journalism, BuzzFeed, The Nation, Al Jazeera English, Associated Press, IJR, The Daily Caller, EXPOSEDbyCMD, The Week, KTLA, Daily Wire, TheStreet.com, Hit & Run, Rewire, Media Matters for America, Bloomberg, Reuters, Above the Law, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Washington Free Beacon, fox4kc.com, AOL, WTVR-TV, Right Wing Watch, twitchy.com, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, Mashable and Power Line

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Trump has ‘total’ confidence in Sessions

Discussion: Political Wire and The Week

Mark Hensch / The Hill:
Sessions offers to recuse himself from Russia investigation

Discussion: ABC News, Politico, New York Magazine, Common Dreams, ThinkProgress, Washington Post, Breitbart, Western Journalism, RedState and Daily Kos

USA Today:
Trump says he 'wasn't aware' of Sessions' meetings with Russian ambassador

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, The Hill, Raw Story, Breitbart, ThinkProgress, Mother Jones, Daily Kos, IJR, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, Al Jazeera English and Western Journalism

Matt Shuham / Talking Points Memo:
Nunes Tells Reporters: ‘Do You Want Us To Conduct An Investigation On You?’

Discussion: Hullabaloo

USA Today:
Trump team issued at least 20 denials of contacts with Russia

Discussion: Common Dreams

Katie Pavlich / Townhall.com:
BREAKING: House Oversight Chairman Calls On Sessions to Recuse Himself, Clarify Russia Testimony

Discussion: The Hill, Hot Air and The Resurgent

Karoun Demirjian / Washington Post:
Attorney General Jeff Sessions will recuse himself from any probe related to 2016 presidential campaign

Discussion: Power Line, Hit & Run, New York Magazine, Talking Points Memo, Breitbart, Hot Air, National Review, Media Matters for America, Mediaite and Balloon Juice

Paul McLeod / BuzzFeed:

Lawmakers Hunt The Capitol For An Obamacare Bill Moved Between Secret Locations — Speaker Paul Ryan says Republicans are unified behind the secret Obamacare replacement plan, but lawmakers were searching in vain for the bill on Thursday. The committee working on the bill says it is still a work in progress.

Discussion: New York Magazine and The Week

Paulina Firozi / The Hill:

Rand Paul blasts GOP for keeping ObamaCare bill in ‘secure location’ — (R-Ky.) on Thursday blasted House Republicans for keeping their ObamaCare repeal and replace legislation under wraps. — “I have been told that the House Obamacare bill is under lock & key, in a secure location …

Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Monthly, Mother Jones, Bloomberg, The Slot and TheBlaze

Tim Chapman / The Hill:
Voters won't forgive Republicans if they fail to repeal ObamaCare

Discussion: IJR

Burgess Everett / Politico:
Paul blocked from seizing GOP Obamacare bill

Discussion: ThinkProgress, New York Daily News, Hot Air and Political Wire

Sarah Kliff / Vox:
“We cannot find the bill”: inside the frantic hunt for the GOP Obamacare replacement

Discussion: Common Dreams, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Axios

David Weigel / Washington Post:
Rand Paul protests outside room where House Republicans are hammering out Obamacare replacement

Discussion: Daily Wire, Washington Times and Talking Points Memo

Wall Street Journal:

Donald Trump Jr. Was Likely Paid at Least $50,000 for Event Held by Hosts Allied With Russia on Syria — October appearance by son of then-candidate is one of string of contacts between members of the president's inner circle and individuals connected to Moscow

Discussion: Mediaite, Raw Story and Talking Points Memo

Brian Ross / ABC News:
For Donald Trump Jr., lingering questions about meeting with pro-Russia group

Discussion: Hullabaloo

ESPN:

Colin Kaepernick to stand during national anthem next season — Quarterback Colin Kaepernick will stand during the national anthem next season, sources told ESPN on Thursday. — Kaepernick no longer wants his method of protest to detract from the positive change he believes has been created, sources told ESPN.

Discussion: USA Today, Breitbart, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Daily Wire and CBS Sacramento

Kim Sengupta / The Independent:

US Senate calls on British spy Christopher Steele to give evidence on explosive Trump-Russia dossier — Exclusive: Republicans and Democrats in Congress keen to facilitate discreet meetings in the UK or on neutral territory, as pressure grows on President — Christopher Steele …

Discussion: NBC News, Axios, Infowars and Politicus USA

The Huffington Post:

Authorities Arrest 22-Year-Old Dreamer After She Speaks To Media — “I feel like I am an American,” Daniela Vargas said. — WASHINGTON Federal immigration authorities arrested a 22-year-old woman in Jackson, Mississippi, on Wednesday shortly after she spoke to the media about the detention of her family.

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Times, ThinkProgress, USA Today, KFOR-TV, CBS News, Daily Kos and Common Dreams

Amber Phillips / Washington Post:

Democratic congressman: Kellyanne Conway ‘really looked kind of familiar’ kneeling on Oval Office couch — On the list of things to say about any woman — let alone one of the most powerful women in Washington right now — well, this tops it. — At Wednesday's annual Washington Press Club …

Discussion: Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Breitbart, IJR, Business Insider, Washington Free Beacon, Western Journalism and AOL

Benny Johnson / IJR:

Sec. Mattis Has a New Nickname to Replace ‘Mad Dog’... Oh, and He Does His Own Laundry at The Pentagon, Too — You never know who you are going to run into when the President of the United States addresses Congress. — Rounding a corner in the Capitol building approximately one hour …