memeorandum: Barack Obama Will Return To National Stage For Award Honoring JFK's 100th Birthday (Ruby Cramer/BuzzFeed)

2:10 PM ET, March 2, 2017

Top Items:

Sessions met with Russian envoy twice last year, encounters he later did not disclose — Then-Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) spoke twice last year with Russia's ambassador to the United States, Justice Department officials said, encounters he did not disclose when asked about possible contacts between members …

Discussion: Mother Jones, CNN, The Atlantic, Talking Points Memo, Vox, ThinkProgress, The Nation, ABC News, Mediaite, Breitbart, The Hill, Raw Story, Daily Kos, BuzzFeed, Power Line, Politico, Media Matters for America, Business Insider, RedState, TheStreet.com, WTVR-TV, Fox News, Bloomberg, The Guardian, Washington Examiner, Western Journalism, The Daily Caller, Right Wing Watch, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, twitchy.com, Reuters, Common Dreams, Mashable, The Week, TheBlaze, The Mahablog, IJR, The Slot, Hot Air, Townhall.com, Political Insider blog, PinkNews, BizPac Review, Fox News Insider, emptywheel, Shakesville, The Gateway Pundit, Q13 FOX News, Taylor Marsh, CANNONFIRE, Daily Wire, Outside the Beltway, Gothamist, Hullabaloo, NBC News, Politicus USA, Towleroad, AOL, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Infowars, FiveThirtyEight, CBS San Francisco, Patterico's Pontifications, Above the Law, Washington Free Beacon, New York Magazine, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Axios and The Last Tradition

New York Times:

Obama Administration Rushed to Preserve Intelligence of Russian Election Hacking — WASHINGTON — In the Obama administration's last days, some White House officials scrambled to spread information about Russian efforts to undermine the presidential election — and about possible contacts between associates …

Discussion: Breitbart, Washington Monthly, The Moderate Voice, Shadowproof, Towleroad, AOL, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, Daily Kos, Daily Wire, No More Mister Nice Blog, Raw Story, BGR, Statistical Modeling …, Fox News Insider, Joe.My.God., Althouse, Power Line and The Last Tradition

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, Politico, RedState, Washington Post, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Gateway Pundit, Talking Points Memo, Liberty Unyielding, Business Insider, Geller Report, Raw Story, The Guardian and AOL

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: Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Raw Story and Axios

Wall Street Journal:

Investigators Probed Jeff Sessions' Contacts With Russian Officials — Communications from the then-senator occurred during presidential campaign — WASHINGTON—U.S. investigators have examined contacts Attorney General Jeff Sessions had with Russian officials during the time he was …

Discussion: Townhall.com, Politico, Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, Washington Post, The Resurgent, The Hill, Mediaite, Balloon Juice, Politicus USA, ThinkProgress and The Daily Caller

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, Washington Monthly, Talking Points Memo, The Nation, Vox, CNN, Hot Air, TheBlaze and Politico

NBC News:

Attorney General Jeff Sessions : ‘I Will Recuse Myself’ If Necessary — Attorney General Jeff Sessions denied meeting with Russian officials during the course of the presidential election to discuss the Trump campaign, he told NBC News in exclusive remarks early Thursday.

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, ThinkProgress, The Atlantic, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The Hill, NPR, Raw Story, Daily Kos, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Western Journalism, Media Matters for America, CNN, Business Insider and AOL

John Hudson / Foreign Policy:

Trump Taps Putin Critic for Senior White House Position — The hiring of Brookings scholar Fiona Hill comes as the Trump administration comes under fire for contacts with Russian officials. — The Trump administration has offered a well-respected scholar and sober critic …

Discussion: Washington Post and New York Magazine

Mark Hensch / The Hill:

Sessions offers to recuse himself from Russia investigation — said early Thursday that he would be willing to recuse himself from any investigation of Russian involvement in the Trump campaign. — “I have said whenever it's appropriate, I will recuse myself,” he told NBC News.

Discussion: ABC News, New York Magazine, Politico, ThinkProgress, RedState, Hot Air and Common Dreams

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 subpoeanaing the agency.

Discussion: Little Green Footballs

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

Discussion: Daily Kos

CNN:
Sessions did not disclose meetings with Russian ambassador

Discussion: ABC News, Talking Points Memo, Mother Jones, Axios, Washington Post, ThinkProgress, Breitbart, Vox, The Federalist, Political Wire, Business Insider, Mediaite, Politico, Washington Free Beacon and Fox News Insider

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

Discussion: Washington Post and Daily Kos

NBC News:
Sessions Met With Russian Ambassador but Didn't Mislead Senate: Spokeswoman

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, The Hill, Sputnik International, NBC News, AOL and Fox News Insider

Louis Nelson / Politico:
McCarthy walks back suggestion that Sessions should recuse himself from Russia investigation

Discussion: Business Insider and The Week

Travis Gettys / Raw Story:
Morning Joe shreds Sessions: Why 'lie about something that you don't have to lie about?'

Discussion: Washington Post, BuzzFeed, Breitbart and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Brooke Seipel / The Hill:
Bush's ethics lawyer on Sessions talks with Russia ambassador: ‘Good way to go to jail’

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, The Atlantic, Daily Kos, Townhall.com, The Guardian, ABC News and Political Wire

Karoun Demirjian / Washington Post:
Top Republicans call on Sessions to recuse himself from Russia investigation

Discussion: Mediaite, Media Matters for America, Talking Points Memo and The Week

ACLU:
ACLU Calls for Investigation Into Potential Perjury by Sessions

Discussion: Raw Story

Jordain Carney / The Hill: Dem senator: Sessions should resign

Chuck Ross / The Daily Caller:
CONFIRMED: Obama Admin Sabotaged Trump's Transition To The White House

Discussion: Western Journalism and Raw Story

Brooke Seipel / The Hill:
Pelosi calls for Sessions's resignation

Discussion: Politico, Townhall.com, New York Magazine, Daily Kos, Business Insider, BizPac Review, Talking Points Memo, Vox Popoli, The Week and Mediaite

Austin Wright / Politico:
Sessions under fire over Russia meetings

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, ABC News, The Resurgent, Power Line, Washington Post, Sunlight Foundation and The Atlantic

Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Key Republicans Ask Jeff Sessions to Recuse Himself in Russia Case

Discussion: Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, ABC News, Politicus USA, The Guardian, Business Insider, MSNBC, Mediaite and The Stranger …

Leon Wagener / Daily Mail:

EXCLUSIVE: Barack Obama's close confidante Valerie Jarrett has moved into his new DC home, which is now the nerve center for their plan to mastermind the insurgency against President Trump — Obama's goal is to oust Trump from the presidency either by forcing his resignation or through his impeachment …

Discussion: Fox News, Western Journalism, Fox News Insider, Washington Free Beacon, FOX News Radio, The Resurgent, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Geller Report, The Gateway Pundit, BizPac Review, Althouse, Infowars, The Daily Caller, Hollywood Life, The Last Tradition and Instapundit

Josh Dawsey / Politico:

Trump's team nixed ethics course for White House staff — President Donald Trump's team rejected a course for senior White House staff, Cabinet nominees and other political appointees that would have provided training on leadership, ethics and management, according to documents obtained by POLITICO.

Discussion: Mediaite, Common Dreams, Raw Story, RedState, New York Magazine and AOL

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, ThinkProgress, USA Today, CBS News, Fusion, twitchy.com, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Business Insider

Olivia Beavers / The Hill:

Obama to receive JFK award — Former President Obama will return to the national spotlight to accept the John F. Kennedy “Profile in Courage” Award on the 100th anniversary of Kennedy's birth. — Caroline Kennedy, Kennedy's daughter, and her son, Jack Schlossberg, will present the award to the 44th president this spring.

Discussion: RedState

Ruby Cramer / BuzzFeed:
Barack Obama Will Return To National Stage For Award Honoring JFK's 100th Birthday

Discussion: Mediaite

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: IJR, Western Journalism and AOL

Rene Stutzman / Orlando Sentinel:

Judge: Casey Anthony may have killed her child by accident — Former Circuit Judge Belvin Perry Jr. on Wednesday said he believes Casey Anthony may have killed her daughter by accident when she tried to quiet the child with chloroform and simply used too much.

Discussion: AOL, CBS Pittsburgh and KTLA

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: Bloomberg, Talking Points Memo, Politico and Business Insider

Jose A. DelReal / Washington Post:

Ben Carson, outsider with no government experience, confirmed to lead HUD — Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson was confirmed Thursday as secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, bringing into President Trump's Cabinet a Washington outsider with no prior government experience …

Discussion: Politico, Western Journalism and The Root