memeorandum: New EPA head told Congress he never used personal email for government business. But it turns out he did. (Steven Mufson/Washington Post)

11:05 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: Washington Post, Washington Monthly, The Hill, AOL, NBC News, Hot Air, Balloon Juice, Mediaite, NO QUARTER USA NET, Raw Story, Daily Kos, Vox, The Week, Towleroad, Mother Jones, Talking Points Memo, Axios, 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: The Week, Talking Points Memo and Mediaite

Wall Street Journal:

Jeff Sessions Used Political Funds for Republican Convention Expenses — Records show attorney general used campaign account for travel expenses to Cleveland, where he met Russian envoy — The Trump administration says Attorney General Jeff Sessions was acting as a then-U.S. senator …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Daily Signal, Business Insider, Politico, Talking Points Memo and The Resurgent

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

Esme Cribb / Talking Points Memo:

GOPer: Info On Sessions-Russia Contact ‘Should Never’ Have Become Public — House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) said Thursday that information about Attorney General Jeff Sessions' conversations with a Russian ambassador “should never have made it to the public domain.”

Discussion: Breitbart, NBC News, FiveThirtyEight and Right Wing Watch

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 …

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 …

Matt Zapotosky / Washington Post:
The nearly indestructible bond between Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump

Discussion: Western Journalism, Talking Points Memo, Breitbart, Business Insider, NBC News and IJR

Washington Post:
Six times Jeff Sessions talked about perjury, access and special prosecutors — when it involved the Clintons

Discussion: Fox News Insider, Raw Story, The Huffington Post, NPR, Media Matters for America, CNN, Hit & Run, Politicus USA, New York Magazine and Patterico's Pontifications

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

Discussion: Hullabaloo

John Cassidy / New Yorker:
Sessions Revelations Leave Donald Trump in Another Fine Russian Mess

Discussion: Washington Post, ABC News, al.com, CNN, The Hill, The Guardian and Hullabaloo

Max Greenwood / The Hill:
Two more former Trump aides spoke with Russian ambassador: report

Discussion: Mediaite

Kevin Johnson / USA Today:
Sessions was more than Trump surrogate in meetings with Russian envoy

Discussion: Raw Story and Daily Kos

Bloomberg:
Sessions Removes Himself From Russia Probes Over Envoy

Discussion: ABC News

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

Discussion: Townhall.com, The Last Tradition, Fox News and No More Mister Nice Blog

USA Today:
Sessions' credibility is shot: Column

Discussion: Washington Post, Breitbart, Slate, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, Fox News Insider, Mother Jones, Washington Monthly, The Atlantic, TheBlaze, Western Journalism, Common Dreams, Vox, Daily Kos and EXPOSEDbyCMD

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

Discussion: Common Dreams

Michael Weiss / The Daily Beast:
Did Sessions Meet With a Spymaster? Questions Swirl Around Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak.

Discussion: Washington Post, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Business Insider, Vox, ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo and CNN

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

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

Discussion: Balloon Juice, The Daily Caller, Rewire, Media Matters for America, Washington Post, Breitbart, Vox, Advocate, AOL and Western Journalism

Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:
The Perjury Allegation against Jeff Sessions Is Meritless

Discussion: USA Today, The Daily Beast, Washington Post, Geller Report, The Guardian, The Atlantic, Power Line and Hot Air

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

Tony Cook / Indianapolis Star:

Pence used personal email for state business — and was hacked — Vice President Mike Pence routinely used a private email account to conduct public business as governor of Indiana, at times discussing sensitive matters and homeland security issues. — Emails released to IndyStar in response …

Discussion: Washington Post, Mediaite, The Guardian, Axios, Raw Story, Business Insider, The Week, Engadget, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Daily Caller, Political Wire, Politicus USA, AOL, The Verge, Mashable, The Slot and Fox 59

The Huffington Post:

Dreamer Arrested After Speaking To Media Will Be Deported Without Hearing, Attorney Says — “ICE's assertion that her detention is ‘routine’ is absurd and seems anything but,” one lawmaker said. — WASHINGTON A 22-year-old undocumented immigrant arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Jackson …

Discussion: Washington Post, CBS News, The Slot, New York Times and Daily Kos

The Huffington Post:
Authorities Arrest 22-Year-Old Dreamer After She Speaks To Media

Discussion: Daily Kos, USA Today, KFOR-TV, Common Dreams and ThinkProgress

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: Axios, Infowars, Hot Air and Politicus USA

NBC News:
Senate May Question Ex-British Spy Who Compiled Trump Dossier

Discussion: New York Magazine, more at Mediagazer »

Peter Hasson / The Daily Caller:

EXCLUSIVE: Kellyanne Conway Speaks Out After Congressman Said She Looked ‘Familiar’ On Her Knees — Kellyanne Conway believes the news media would be more outraged about a Democratic congressman's crude joke that the White House staffer looks “familiar” with being on her knees …

Discussion: Hot Air, Washington Post, Western Journalism, Washington Free Beacon, The Gateway Pundit and Liberty Unyielding

Amber Phillips / Washington Post:
Democratic congressman: Kellyanne Conway ‘really looked kind of familiar’ kneeling on Oval Office couch

Discussion: Breitbart, IJR, Business Insider, Western Journalism, Washington Free Beacon, AOL and The Week

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

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

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

Josh Dawsey / Politico:

Trump's advisers push him to purge Obama appointees — Frustrated by the gush of leaks, the president's allies say it's time to take action. — Advisers to President Donald Trump are urging him to purge the government of former President Barack Obama's political appointees and quickly install …

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: Daily Kos, Mediaite, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo and Axios

Ben Lefebvre / Politico:

White House: Keystone exempt from ‘Buy American’ requirements — The Keystone XL pipeline will not be subject to President Donald Trump's executive order requiring infrastructure projects to be built with American steel, a White House spokeswoman said today.

Joshua Rhett Miller / New York Post:

Woman arrested for having sex with high school football players — More On: — A 42-year-old California woman has been arrested for allegedly having sex with three high school football players. — Mary Frances Fletcher, also known as Debbie Fletcher, was arrested Tuesday on charges …

Discussion: Daily Wire

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: Breitbart, USA Today, Hot Air, Daily Wire, CBS Sacramento, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, NESN.com, TheBlaze and The Guardian

George Prayias / The Rush Limbaugh Show:

Barack Obama and His Deep State Operatives Are Attempting to Sabotage the Duly Elected President of the United States — RUSH: It appears, ladies and gentlemen, that the people on our side still haven't learned a single lesson about how to deal with the Democrat Party and the media …

Discussion: Breitbart, Hot Air, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Fox News Insider, Doug Ross, BizPac Review, The Resurgent and Althouse

Steven Mufson / Washington Post:

New EPA head told Congress he never used personal email for government business. But it turns out he did. — Attorney General Jeff Sessions isn't the only Trump Cabinet official being pressed to explain omissions in congressional testimony at his confirmation hearing.

Jack Heretik / Washington Free Beacon:

Judge Under Investigation for Allegedly Helping Illegal Immigrant Escape ICE Through Her Private Entrance — A judge in Multnomah County, Oregon is under investigation for allegedly helping an illegal immigrant evade federal authorities. — On Jan. 27, Mexican national Diddier Pacheco Salazar appeared …

The Southern:

Voice of The Southern: Let the people have their say — “Where is Mike Bost?” — That's the question many 12th District voters have been asking after Rep. Bost did not schedule an in-person town hall meeting during the time he was back in the district last week.

Discussion: Associated Press, Talking Points Memo and FOX2now.com