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5:55 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: Washington Post, Vox, Talking Points Memo, Axios, The Week, Daily Kos, Raw Story, NO QUARTER USA NET and Business Insider

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 Daily Caller, Washington Post, Fox News Insider, Politico, Business Insider, Hit & Run, The Guardian, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, BizPac Review, Geller Report, The Gateway Pundit, Talking Points Memo and Raw Story

Adam Entous / Washington Post:

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

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, Little Green Footballs, The Rush Limbaugh Show, Axios and Western Journalism

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, Talking Points Memo and Raw Story

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

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.

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, Mother Jones, Breitbart, Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, IJR, Al Jazeera English, Western Journalism, Common Dreams, CNN, ThinkProgress, Politico, Sunlight Foundation and Vox

Ari Berman / The Nation:

Jeff Sessions Is a Disgrace to the Justice Department — He didn't just lie about Russia—he's put the Trump Administration on the wrong side of every major issue. — By , — US Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) testifies at a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, DC, on January 10, 2017.

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

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

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

Discussion: Washington Post, CNN, Hot Air, Breitbart, Daily Kos and Media Matters for America

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

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

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

Bloomberg: Sessions Removes Himself From Russia Probes Over Envoy

CNN:
Sessions did not disclose meetings with Russian ambassador

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

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

Esme Cribb / Talking Points Memo:
Trump Says He Has ‘Total’ Confidence In Sessions Amid Russia Questions

Discussion: Daily Kos

Wall Street Journal:
Investigators Probed Jeff Sessions' Contacts With Russian Officials

Discussion: The Atlantic, al.com, ThinkProgress, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, Mediaite, Politico, BuzzFeed, Fox News, The Daily Caller and The Resurgent

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

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

Meghan Keneally / ABC News:
Attorney General Jeff Sessions recusing himself from campaign probes

Discussion: Politico, Associated Press, The Daily Caller and Business Insider

John Hudson / Foreign Policy: Trump Taps Putin Critic for Senior White House Position

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

Discussion: Political Wire and The Week

USA Today:
Sessions' credibility is shot: Column

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, Washington Post, The Hill, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, NBC News and IJR

New York Times:
Jeff Sessions Recuses Himself From Russia Inquiry

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

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

Discussion: Hullabaloo

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

Discussion: Breitbart, The Atlantic, Vox, Washington Post and Political Insider blog

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, Mother Jones, Washington Monthly, Bloomberg, The Slot, KTLA and The Resurgent

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

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

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

Discussion: IJR

Sen. Ted Cruz / Politico:
The Right Way to Repeal Obamacare

Discussion: Hot Air

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

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

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

Discussion: Daily Wire, Talking Points Memo and Washington Times

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, Daily Wire, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and CBS Sacramento

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

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: Infowars and Politicus USA

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

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 and New York Magazine