Top Items:
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 …
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Natasha Bertrand / Business Insider:
Another Trump adviser has significantly changed his story about the GOP's dramatic shift on Ukraine — The Trump campaign's national-security policy representative for the Republican National Convention, J.D. Gordon, told CNN on Thursday that he pushed to alter an amendment to the GOP's draft policy …
Discussion:
Mediaite and Talking Points Memo
New York Times:
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:
Vox, Raw Story, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, NBC News, The Root, Hot Air, Washington Post, Israpundit, AOL, Mediaite, The Hill, The Week, Mother Jones, Washington Monthly, Balloon Juice, NO QUARTER USA NET, Towleroad, Daily Kos, Axios, Talking Points Memo, The Mahablog, Political Wire, Business Insider and fox4kc.com
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Goodbye Spin, Hello Raw Dishonesty — The latest big buzz is about Jeff Sessions, the attorney general. It turns out that he lied during his confirmation hearings, denying that he had met with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign. In fact, he met twice with the Russian ambassador …
Kaitlan Collins / The Daily Caller:
Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak Appeared As Obama White House Visitor At Least 22 Times — Attorney General Jeff Sessions came under fire this week for meeting with him — Attorney General Jeff Sessions Just Made A Major Announcement About His Future — POLITICS | KAITLAN COLLINS
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, The Gateway Pundit, twitchy.com and The Last Tradition
Steve Reilly / USA Today:
Exclusive: Two other Trump advisers also spoke with Russian envoy during GOP convention
Exclusive: Two other Trump advisers also spoke with Russian envoy during GOP convention
Discussion:
The Atlantic, ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo, The Guardian, CANNONFIRE, The Week, The Hill, NBC News, Mediaite and Business Insider
New York Times:
Sergey Kislyak, Russian Envoy, Cultivated Powerful Network in U.S.
Sergey Kislyak, Russian Envoy, Cultivated Powerful Network in U.S.
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Week, Washington Post and NBC News
Ryan Struyk / ABC News:
The Note: Sessions steps aside from Russia inquiries
The Note: Sessions steps aside from Russia inquiries
Discussion:
Associated Press, Political Wire and Bloomberg
Fox News Insider:
Jeff Sessions Russia Tucker Carlson Ambassador Recuse Investigation Trump Campaign Flynn
Jeff Sessions Russia Tucker Carlson Ambassador Recuse Investigation Trump Campaign Flynn
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and BizPac Review
Michael Crowley / Politico:
Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak is Washington's most dangerous diplomat
Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak is Washington's most dangerous diplomat
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Mediaite, The American Conservative and The Daily Beast
Matt Zapotosky / Washington Post:
The nearly indestructible bond between Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump
The nearly indestructible bond between Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump
John Cassidy / New Yorker:
Sessions Revelations Leave Donald Trump in Another Fine Russian Mess
Sessions Revelations Leave Donald Trump in Another Fine Russian Mess
Discussion:
Breitbart, Power Line, PolitiFact, MelaniePhillips.com, CNN, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Snopes.com and Hullabaloo
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:
Vox, ThinkProgress, Raw Story, Geller Report, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, NPR, Mediaite, Gizmodo, Mashable, CBS Pittsburgh, Shakesville, New York Magazine, Associated Press, The Daily Beast, FOX31 Denver, New York Times, The Daily Caller, Fox News Insider, Sunlight Foundation, Forbes, NBC News, RedState, BizPac Review, BGR, Balloon Juice, The Guardian, Towleroad, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Business Insider, The Week, Joe.My.God., Engadget, TheBlaze, Politicus USA, AOL, Fox 59, The Verge, The Slot, Axios and Political Wire
Mike Allen / Axios:
1 big thing: When the smoke is the fire — Attorney General Jeff Sessions, accompanied by Chief of Staff Jody Hunt, at yesterday's presser / AP's Susan Walsh — Good morning, Day 43 of the Trump presidency — a week from halftime of the 100 days. — I was chatting with a smart Republican …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, Economist, Washington Post, New York Times, Hit & Run and Western Journalism
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James McAuley / Washington Post:
European Parliament lifts Marine Le Pen's immunity for tweeting gruesome images of violence — PARIS — The European Parliament has voted to lift Marine Le Pen's immunity from prosecution for tweeting violent images, a crime that in France can carry up to three years in prison.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Instapundit and Washington Monthly
Paul Demko / Politico:
New details in GOP Obamacare replacement leaked — Latest plan still includes a tax credit that conservatives panned as a new entitlement. — House Republicans aren't backing down from their Obamacare repeal plan that sparked backlash from the party's conservative wing.
Discussion:
NPR, ACASignups.net, Axios, Washington Post and USA Today
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Aaron Katersky / ABC News:
Man accused of making threats against Jewish community centers arrested in St. Louis — A man accused of making at least eight threats against Jewish Community Centers was arrested by the FBI in St. Louis, Missouri, this morning. — The suspect, 31-year-old Juan Thompson …
Reuters:
Exclusive: Trump aides' bid to plug leaks creates unease among some civil servants — President Donald Trump's Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin used his first senior staff meeting last month to tell his new aides he would not tolerate leaks to the news media, sources familiar with the matter said.
Discussion:
Axios, AOL and The Week, more at Mediagazer »
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Josh Dawsey / Politico:
Trump's advisers push him to purge Obama appointees
Trump's advisers push him to purge Obama appointees
Discussion:
Political Wire
myfox8.com:
NC man accused of committing anti-gay attack: ‘You live in Trump country now’ — RICHLANDS, N.C. — A North Carolina man was arrested after police in Florida say he yelled anti-gay slurs and threats at a couple last month. — Around 1 a.m. on Feb. 23, Kevin Seymour and Kevin Price …
Discussion:
Raw Story
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Washington Post:
Garfield's a boy ... right? How a cartoon cat's gender identity launched a Wikipedia war. — Garfield is lazy; Garfield is a cat; Garfield likes lasagna. — Is there really much more to say about Garfield? The character is not complicated. Since the comic debuted in 1978 …
Matt Vespa / Townhall.com:
Sorry Liberals, Ellison and DWS Remained Seated During Roughy Two-Minute Standing Ovation Honoring Fallen Navy SEAL's Widow … Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) remained seated during the honoring of Carryn Owens, whose husband, Ryan, a Navy SEAL, was killed in action in Yemen back in January.
Discussion:
twitchy.com, The Daily Caller, AOL and Hot Air
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:
Talking Points Memo, FOX2now.com, CBS Chicago and Associated Press
RELATED:
Chase Masters / The Hill:
GOP lawmakers lead way in holding town halls
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:
Daily Kos, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Week, New York Times, The Other McCain, The Slot, CBS News and Common Dreams
Seth Fiegerman / CNNMoney:
One California high school just made millions from Snap's IPO — Pondering Snap's IPO over laser tag and paintball — Earlier this week, Simon Chiu watched Snapchat's team put on an IPO presentation for investors in San Francisco. He was surrounded by investment bankers from firms like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.
Discussion:
Mashable, ABC News and NBC New York
Amy Krouse Rosenthal / New York Times:
You May Want to Marry My Husband — I have been trying to write this for a while, but the morphine and lack of juicy cheeseburgers (what has it been now, five weeks without real food?) have drained my energy and interfered with whatever prose prowess remains.
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.
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 …
MSNBC:
TRMS Exclusive: DHS document undermines Trump case for travel ban — The Rachel Maddow Show has obtained, exclusively, a Department of Homeland Security intelligence assessment document. The document, from the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, makes the case that most foreign-born …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Week, Media Matters for America, The Intercept and Raw Story
Felicia Gans / BostonGlobe.com:
Hillary Clinton speaks at Wellesley College in a private, closed-to-the-press program — Hillary Clinton appeared at a private event at Wellesley College Thursday night, speaking to students at her alma mater about the presidential election and her time at the college.