memeorandum: Trump's first two months prove he's anything but a fascist (Kyle Smith/New York Post)

1:45 AM ET, March 20, 2017

Top Items:

White House installs political aides at Cabinet agencies to be Trump's eyes and ears — The political appointee charged with keeping watch over Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and his aides has offered unsolicited advice so often that after just four weeks on the job …

Discussion: Raw Story and Booman Tribune

Kailani Koenig / NBC News:

Rep. Schiff: ‘Circumstantial Evidence of Collusion’ Between Trump Campaign, Russia — WASHINGTON — Despite denials from some top intelligence officials that there was any evidence of collusion between associates of Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russian operatives while Moscow tried …

Discussion: Occupy Democrats, KTLA, CNBC and Business Insider

Jennifer Vanlaar / Townhall.com:

Devin Nunes' “Fox News Sunday” Interview Was Far More Nuanced Than Reported — Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Sunday: “Was there a physical wiretap of Trump Tower? No, there never was.” — That quote is the one getting the most play in stories about his …

Discussion: RedState and Scripting News

Olivia Beavers / The Hill:

Ex-intelligence official: Napolitano's British wiretapping claim 'didn't get it right' … Larry Johnson, a former intelligence officer, said he served unknowingly as a source of Fox News senior analyst Andrew Napolitano, who incorrectly used his information to back the claim that British intelligence wiretapped Trump Tower.

Discussion: RedState

Tommy Christopher / Shareblue:
Top intel Dem: “circumstantial evidence of collusion” and direct evidence “of deception” on Russia

Discussion: Mediaite

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:
House Intelligence chairman: ‘No evidence of collusion’ between Trump camp, Russia

Discussion: twitchy.com

Ali Dukakis / ABC News:
'It never hurts to say you're sorry,' a GOP House member advises Trump

Discussion: Politico and CANNONFIRE

Kara Swisher / Recode:

Uber president Jeff Jones is quitting, citing differences over ‘beliefs and approach to leadership’ — He is leaving after apparently deciding the current controversies are too much to handle. — Jeff Jones, the president of Uber, is quitting the car-hailing company after less than a year.

Discussion: New York Times, naked capitalism, NBC News, Mashable, NPR and Axios, more at Techmeme »

Emily Q. Hazzard / ThinkProgress:

Ryan announces major changes to Trumpcare, wants vote before Congress learns its impact on Americans — Passing a bill of this size before letting the CBO assess it is unprecedented. — Speaker Paul Ryan announced Sunday he would be willing to make major changes to the Republican health care bill …

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Ian Kullgren / Politico:
Ryan: Health care bill must do more for older people

Discussion: ACASignups.net

Anu Partanen / New York Times: The Fake Freedom of American Health Care

myajc:

Trump voters in South Georgia come to terms with GOP health plan — ATLANTA-NEWS By Craig Schneider and Misty Williams - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Kenneth Peek had a rough year. The South Georgia farm where he and his wife grow corn, wheat and soybeans faced a drought and lost money in 2016.

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Raw Story, The Mahablog and bradford-delong.com

Kurtis Lee / Los Angeles Times:

Here's what Trump supporters mean when they talk about the ‘deep state’ — Donald Trump waits to step out onto the portico of the U.S. Capitol for his inauguration in January. (Patrick Semansky / Associated Press) — Leaks to reporters. Supposed wiretaps of Donald Trump during the presidential campaign.

Carl Hulse / New York Times:

Gorsuch Confirmation Presents Democrats With 2 Difficult Paths — WASHINGTON — When it comes to the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, Senate Democrats appear to have two options: Get out of the way or get run over. — Senate Republicans' enthusiastic backing …

Michael R. Bloomberg / Bloomberg: Democrats: Don't Use Republican Playbook on Gorsuch

Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:

Tracking the special treatment media get when they play nice with the White House — Some people regard Tomi Lahren as a racist. — The social-media star's past commentary on the conservative website the Blaze, including her disparagement of the Black Lives Matter movement …

more at Mediagazer »

Simon Denyer / Washington Post:

In China debut, Tillerson appears to hand Beijing a diplomatic victory — BEIJING — While his boss was goading China over Twitter, new Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been trying to build a constructive and “results-oriented” relationship with the leadership in Beijing.

Discussion: Daily Kos

Erin Dooley / ABC News:

Trump approval rating sinks to new low — President Trump's approval rating has fallen to 37 percent — the lowest of his fledgling presidency, according to Gallup. His disapproval rating rose correspondingly, hitting 58 percent. — At this point in his first term …

Discussion: CNBC, Business Insider, Politicus USA, RedState, Hullabaloo and Daily Kos

Dean Balsamini / New York Post:

Guy wearing Trump hat sues bar for refusing to serve him — Greg Piatek says his pro-Trump hat got him bounced from The Happiest Hour in the Village. — Angel Chevrestt — Bartenders at a West Village hot spot served up discrimination — with a liberal twist — refusing to serve …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Fox News Insider and The Last Tradition

Cleve R. Wootson Jr / Washington Post:

A California waiter refused to serve 4 Latina women until he saw ‘proof of residency’ — It was girls' day out, and Diana Carrillo had abandoned her desire to eat healthy well before she, her sister and two friends got to the Southern California restaurant.

Discussion: Occupy Democrats, IJR and AOL

Christine Mai-Duc / Los Angeles Times:
Waiter fired after asking Latinas for ‘proof of residency’ at upscale Huntington Beach eatery

Discussion: The Guardian

New York Daily News:

Legendary Daily News columnist Jimmy Breslin dead at 88 — Jimmy Breslin was the biggest, the baddest, the brashest, the best columnist in New York City. — And the first to say so, too. — The Pulitzer Prize-winning former Daily News columnist died Sunday at age 88 …

Discussion: Instapundit, more at Mediagazer »

Dan Barry / New York Times:
Jimmy Breslin, Legendary New York City Newspaper Columnist, Dies at 88

Discussion: Gothamist, Althouse, NBC News, alicublog, Balloon Juice and NPR

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

Hawaii judge declines to narrow travel ban injunction — A federal judge in Hawaii who issued a temporary restraining order against key parts of President Donald Trump's revised travel ban last week has turned down a Justice Department request to narrow the injunction.

Discussion: Little Green Footballs