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1:30 PM ET, March 5, 2017

Top Items:

Jon Schwarz / The Intercept:

If Trump Tower Was Wiretapped, Trump Can Declassify That Right Now — If in fact Trump Tower was wiretapped during the 2016 presidential campaign, as President Trump claimed in several tweets Saturday morning, he can do much more than say so on twitter: Presidents have the power …

Kailani Koenig / NBC News:

Former DNI James Clapper: ‘I Can Deny’ Wiretap of Trump Tower — WASHINGTON — Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on Sunday denied any suggestion that Trump Tower communications were wiretapped before the election. — For the part of the national security apparatus that he oversaw …

Discussion: Politico, New York Magazine, NBC News and CNBC

New York Times:

Trump Seeks Inquiry Into Allegations That Obama Tapped His Phones — WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Trump, a day after leveling a widely disputed allegation that President Barack Obama had ordered the tapping of his phones, demanded a congressional inquiry into whether Mr. Obama abused …

Discussion: The Atlantic, National Review, Mother Jones, Taylor Marsh, Althouse, Raw Story and The Root

Associated Press:

The Latest: Senator: Intel panel to look at alleged wiretap — The Latest on President Donald Trump's claim that then-President Barack Obama had Trump's telephones tapped during last year's election (all times EST): — A Republican member of the Senate Intelligence Committee …

Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:

The Obama Camp's Disingenuous Denials on FISA Surveillance of Trump — President Trump's early Saturday morning tweeting has exploded to the forefront an uncovered scandal I've been talking about since early January (including in this weekend's column): The fact that the Obama Justice Department …

Discussion: Power Line and Politico

Ted Mann / Wall Street Journal:

Trump Faces Furor Over Unsubstantiated Claim Obama Wiretapped Him — President adds meeting with attorney general and homeland security secretary as allies and foes react to his claims on Twitter — PALM BEACH, Fla.—President Donald Trump called together several top advisers Saturday …

Alex Mohajer / The Huffington Post:

Trump Advisor Roger Stone Launches Into Vulgar Twitter Rant, Admits Contact With Assange During Clinton Leaks — What did Donald Trump know, and when did he know it? Roger Stone may have the answer. — Renowned Republican strategist and long-time Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone launched …

Discussion: Breitbart, Mediaite, The Week, Raw Story, CANNONFIRE, IJR, TheBlaze, Politicus USA, Deadline and Fox News Insider

Robert Barnes / LawNewz:
Yes, There Could Be Serious Legal Problems if Obama Admin Involved in Illegal Surveillance

Discussion: RedState, Vox Popoli and The Last Refuge

CNN:
Trump plans to sign updated travel ban early next week

Discussion: RedState and ImmigrationProf Blog

CNN:
Trump falsely accuses Obama of wiretapping his phone

John Hinderaker / Power Line:
The Associated Press Springs to Obama's Defense

Discussion: Associated Press

Timothy P. Carney / Washington Examiner:

It's literally pay to play at Mar-a-Lago — If you pay $200,000 a year to the company Donald Trump owns, you too can have access most weekends to the president and his top officials. As an alternative, your organization could cut a $150,000 check to bring in a couple of hundred people …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Kristina Webb / Palm Beach Post:

Trump mingles with Mar-a-Lago guests outside charity ball — President Donald Trump mingled with guests outside a charity ball at his Mar-a-Lago Club on Saturday night. — As attendees danced inside the ballroom where the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute held its gala, the president was spotted nearby …

Discussion: Politico

CNN:

Trump angry and frustrated at staff over Sessions fallout — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump is extremely frustrated with his senior staff and communications team for allowing the firestorm surrounding Attorney General Jeff Sessions to steal his thunder in the wake of his address to Congress, sources tell CNN.

Discussion: Hullabaloo and Balloon Juice

Jonathan Karl / ABC News:
Trump flashes anger over Sessions recusal, Russia stories in tense Oval Office meeting

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Mediaite

Nancy Cook / Politico:
Trump fumes over Sessions' recusal from Russia probe

Discussion: Raw Story, ABC News, Mother Jones, Business Insider, New York Magazine, New York Times, The Mahablog and The Moderate Voice

WND:

Loretta Lynch: Need more marching, blood, death on streets — Senate Dems post her impassioned plea on Facebook page as ‘words of inspiration’ — WASHINGTON - The Obama administration's former Attorney General Loretta Lynch has made an impassioned video plea for more marching …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and twitchy.com

Dan Balz / Washington Post:

Russia is the slow burn of the Trump administration, and it's not going away — Russia has become the slow burn of President Trump's administration. It is the issue that he and his team cannot get beyond. — They cannot get beyond it because they are skittish about accepting what is already known.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Politico and The Daily Caller

Neil Munro / Breitbart: Obama's State Department Sponsored 2016 Meeting of Russian Ambassador with Sen. Sessions

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

SNL has a blockbuster in search of a hero: The Republican who stands up to Trump — “Saturday Night Live” just ran a two-minute liberal's dream sequence disguised as a movie trailer. — The trailer for “Republican” features a notable omission: a title character.

New York Times:

President Trump's Island Mentality — Throughout history, American presidents have declared it their job to protect and advance the interests of the United States and its citizens. President Trump has shoehorned that wholesome, uncontroversial idea into a narrow-minded …

Kyle Balluck / The Hill:

White House calls on Congress to investigate Trump's wiretap claims — White House press secretary Sean Spicer early Sunday said investigations into Russian attempts to influence the election should include President Trump's claims that the Obama administration “abused” its investigative powers in 2016.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, CBS New York, The Gateway Pundit, TheBlaze and The Week