memeorandum: In an Unprecedented No-Show, the U.S. Pulls Out of Planned Human Rights Hearing (Jamil Dakwar/ACLU)

4:35 PM ET, March 21, 2017

Top Items:

John Bresnahan / Politico:

Trump to Republicans: Vote for Obamacare repeal or lose your seat — President Donald Trump arrived on Capitol Hill Tuesday morning with a stern message for Republicans who've been wobbly about dismantling Obamacare: Give me your vote or you may lose your seat in 2018.

Discussion: IJR, New York's PIX11, FOX6Now.com, Mediaite, AOL, Vox, The Hill and Vox Popoli

Jessie Hellmann / The Hill:

Freedom Caucus chairman shrugs off Trump warning on 2018 — Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, says he's not worried about losing his seat in 2018 if the ObamaCare repeal plan fails. — “I serve at the pleasure of the people of western North Carolina …

Discussion: RedState, The Daily Signal and Politicus USA

CNN:

Trump's make-or-break day on health care — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump now confronts the single biggest political test of his presidency: whether he can close the deal on the Republican health care bill. — The President met with House Republicans rally reluctant lawmakers …

Discussion: Politico, The Root, Raw Story, RedState, TheBlaze and Balloon Juice

David Weigel / Washington Post:

Trump to GOP critics of health care bill: 'I'm gonna come after you' — President Trump went to Capitol Hill on Tuesday morning to sell the House GOP leadership's plan to overhaul the health-care system as the legislation races toward an expected vote on the House floor by the end of this week.

Discussion: New York Times, Bloomberg, New York Magazine, The Hill and Politicus USA

Peter Sullivan / The Hill:
GOP leaders unveil changes to healthcare bill

Discussion: Washington Post, Hot Air, Instapundit and Axios

Peter Sullivan / The Hill:
House conservatives say they have the votes to defeat ObamaCare replacement

Discussion: Politico and RedState

The Huffington Post:
Trump Fails To Close Deal On Health Care Repeal

Discussion: Washington Monthly, New York Times and Booman Tribune

Ryan Lizza / New Yorker:

How the White House Got James Comey Wrong — Early on Monday morning, a couple of hours before the start of the first House Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia's involvement in the Presidential election, one of Donald Trump's closest White House advisers made a startling …

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Andrew Kaczynski / CNNMoney:
Kentucky TV station says White House ‘made clear’ Trump wouldn't answer Russia or wiretapping questions

Discussion: Mediaite and Raw Story

Veronica Stracqualursi / ABC News:
The Note: Comey drops a bombshell

Discussion: Politico

Eli Watkins / CNN:
Ivanka Trump to get a West Wing office, WH official says

Discussion: Shakesville, Talking Points Memo and Politico

David Harsanyi / The Federalist:
The Russians Did Not ‘Hack The Election.’ Repeat. The Russians Did Not ‘Hack The Election’

Discussion: Commentary Magazine, Vox and New York Times

Maggie Haberman / New York Times:
Roger Stone, the ‘Trickster’ on Trump's Side, Is Under F.B.I. Scrutiny

Discussion: ThinkProgress, CNN, Raw Story, Political Wire, NBC News, Business Insider and Heat Street

Alice Stewart / CNN:
Plug the leaks and stop blaming Russians for Clinton's loss

Discussion: Instapundit

Maya Rhodan / TIME:
Read Rep. Adam Schiff's Opening Statement on Russian Meddling in the Election

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Raw Story, Common Dreams, Mother Jones, The Federalist, Post On Politics, CNN and Just Security

Ron Nixon / New York Times:

U.S. Limits Devices for Passengers on Foreign Airlines From Eight Countries — Passengers on foreign airlines headed to the United States from 10 airports in eight majority-Muslim countries have been barred from carrying electronic devices larger than a cellphone under a new flight restriction enacted …

Alex Davies / Wired:

THE TSA'S NEW BAN ON LAPTOPS IN CABINS MAY NOT BE THE WORST THING — If you've got travel plans involving the Middle East and Africa, pack some books. The Department of Homeland Security is requiring passengers on some airlines serving those regions to pack their gadgets …

Discussion: Techdirt, Axios, NPR and The Guardian

Washington Post:
Trump won't allow you to use iPads or laptops on certain airlines. Here's why.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Vox, Department of Homeland …, BBC, CNN, CityLab, USA Today, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, New York Magazine, Common Dreams and CBS New York

Oliver Darcy / Business Insider:

Inside the identity crisis at the Independent Journal Review, the outlet that has become a powerhouse in the Trump era — It was supposed to be Independent Journal Review's week to shine. — The upstart, millennial-focused news website, which has emerged as a favorite …

Discussion: Heat Street, Politico, Washington Post, Mediaite, The Daily Caller and twitchy.com, more at Mediagazer »

Derek Hawkins / Washington Post:

Trump didn't lie, Jeffrey Lord says on CNN. He just speaks a different language — ‘Americanese.’ — It was a rough night for Jeffrey Lord, CNN's preeminent surrogate for President Trump. — During a panel discussion on “Anderson Cooper 360” Monday evening, Lord and seven …

Discussion: Right Wing Watch and Outside the Beltway

New York Times:
Trump's Weary Defenders Face Fresh Worries

Discussion: Politico, The National Interest, Raw Story, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, Outside the Beltway, BizPac Review, The Resurgent, Taylor Marsh, Balloon Juice, Mediaite, ThinkProgress, Political Wire, Business Insider and Fox News

Erin Corbett / Raw Story:

Michigan Republican caught plotting with aide to smear constituents as ‘un-American’ for booing him — DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY! — Michigan Rep. David Trott (R), who represents the state's 11th district, was met with nearly 1,000 constituents ready to confront him at a Town Hall meeting on March 18.

Discussion: Occupy Democrats

The Sit and Spin Room with LOLGOP & Eclectablog: HOT MIC MOMENT: Millionaire Republican Rep. Trott & team plan to portray constituents as “un-American” after townhall

Stephen Battaglio / Los Angeles Times:

Fox News pulls Judge Napolitano over his Trump wiretap claims — Judge Andrew Napolitano, the senior judicial analyst for Fox News, is being kept off the air indefinitely. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images) — Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano is being kept off …

Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:
Andrew Napolitano absent from Fox after citing anonymous spying claims

Discussion: Telegraph, Media Matters for America, Talking Points Memo, Occupy Democrats, Business Insider and TheBlaze

Fox News:

Chicago girl apparently gang-raped on Facebook Live, police say — A 15-year-old Chicago girl appeared to be the victim of a horrifying gang rape — by a group who streamed the attack on Facebook Live. — None of the roughly 40 people who watched the video called police about the attack, investigators said.

Discussion: Chicago Tribune, WGN-TV, Daily Wire, The Gateway Pundit, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, KFOR-TV, FOX6Now.com, New York's PIX11, KTLA and Mediaite

Mike Moffitt / San Francisco Chronicle:

Spring breakers chant ‘Build that wall!’ during Cancun cruise — A Mexican newspaper condemned American spring breakers who reportedly chanted “Build that wall!” during a family show on a tourist ship off Cancun. — In an editorial Friday, the Yucatan Times called the singing during a …

Discussion: The Nation, The Yucatan Times, Raw Story, Refinery29, rubber hose and No More Mister Nice Blog

Victor Davis Hanson / National Review:

Monasteries of the Mind — When everything is politicized, people retreat into mental mountaintops — dreams of the past and fantasies of the future. … The rapper Snoop Dogg released a video shooting a mock-up of the president. Rapper Bow Wow wants to “pimp” the first lady.

Discussion: Althouse

Philly.com:

D.A. Seth Williams indicted on corruption, bribery-related charges — Federal authorities accused Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams on Tuesday of accepting travel to the Dominican Republic, a custom sofa worth thousands and other gifts in exchange for offers to fix cases …

Discussion: RedState and Eschaton

Margot Sanger-Katz / New York Times:

Fewer Americans Would Be Insured With G.O.P. Plan Than With Simple Repeal — The Congressional Budget Office recently said that around 24 million fewer Americans would have health insurance in 2026 under the Republican repeal plan than if the current law stayed in place.

Discussion: Daily Wire

Peter Grant / Wall Street Journal:

Jared Kushner's White House Role Complicates Skyscraper Deal — Adviser's father talks to other investors for Manhattan building as China buyer teeters — More than two years ago, Charles Kushner had a vision to convert his family's trophy Manhattan office and retail skyscraper …

Discussion: CNBC and Mashable

CNN:

80 times Trump talked about Putin — Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump consistently broke from political orthodoxy in his effusive praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin. — His glowing statements on Putin have become central in stoking the suspicion …

Jamil Dakwar / ACLU:

In an Unprecedented No-Show, the U.S. Pulls Out of Planned Human Rights Hearing — The United States has pulled its participation from hearings planned for today by a regional human rights body that has enjoyed the support of every U.S. administration since its founding.

Discussion: Common Dreams and Just Security

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Gorsuch refuses Whitehouse's request to ask shadowy backers to reveal themselves — Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday pointedly refused Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse — 's (D-R.I.) request that he publicly ask conservative donors funding …

Discussion: RedState

Brian Ross / ABC News:

Russian mafia boss still at large after FBI wiretap at Trump Tower — There, indeed, was an FBI wiretap involving Russians at Trump Tower. — But it was not placed at the behest of Barack Obama and the target was not the Trump campaign of 2016. For two years ending in 2013 …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Raw Story and Daily Kos