Top Items:


Steve Bannon Calls Jared Kushner a ‘Cuck’ and ‘Globalist’ Behind His Back — Donald Trump's chief strategist Stephen Bannon has called the president's senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner a “cuck” and a “globalist” during a time of high tension between the two top aides …
Discussion:
Occupy Democrats, Raw Story, Hullabaloo, AOL, The Daily Caller, RedState, NBC News, twitchy.com, rubber hose, Atlanta Black Star, Vocativ, Daily Wire and NewsHounds blog
RELATED:


Bannon to associates: “I love a gunfight” — After a series of high-level White House leaks portraying Steve Bannon as fed up with his job and ready to quit, Trump's chief strategist has told associates the stories are “100 percent nonsense” and he's playing for keeps.

Mega-donor urged Bannon not to resign — The man credited with honing Donald Trump's populist message and guiding him into the White House has grown frustrated amid continued infighting in the West Wing, so much so that in recent weeks a top donor had to convince him to stay in his position.


Inside the White House, paranoia and unrest among top staff — (CNN)In the West Wing, Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon occupy some of the most coveted real estate. Priebus, the chief of staff, enjoys the only outdoor patio in the White House. Bannon is mere steps from the Oval Office.
Discussion:
Breitbart and New York Magazine


To Defend Bannon, Breitbart Has Opened Fire On The President's Son-In-Law — Breitbart.com, the pro-Trump propaganda outlet previously run by White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon, is now being deployed against President Donald Trump's son-in-law and top White House staffer Jared Kushner as part of an internal power struggle.
Discussion:
Breitbart, Salon, National Review, Raw Story, Shakesville, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo, Mashable and Lawfare

White House aides clash with GOP leaders over flailing Obamacare push
Discussion:
Raw Story

Trump's hidden back channel to Justice Kennedy: Their kids — After Donald Trump wrapped up his first speech to Congress and worked his way through the crowd, he lingered on his handshake with Anthony Kennedy, the 80-year-old Supreme Court justice. — The boom mics picked up their seemingly private conversation.
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Week, Axios and ABC News
RELATED:


Senate Republicans Deploy ‘Nuclear Option’ to Clear Path for Gorsuch — WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans changed longstanding rules on Thursday to clear the way for the confirmation of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch to serve on the Supreme Court, bypassing a precedent-breaking Democratic filibuster …
Discussion:
Political Wire, Shakesville, Taylor Marsh and TheBlaze


GOP triggers ‘nuclear option,’ gutting filibuster in Gorsuch fight — Senate Republicans on Thursday voted to strip Democrats of the power to filibuster President Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, invoking the so-called nuclear option. — Senators voted 52-48 along party lines to change …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Common Dreams and Occupy Democrats


GOP Begins ‘Nuclear Option’ Rule Change to Advance Gorsuch Nomination
Discussion:
Hit & Run

McConnell Is Finishing What Schumer Started
Discussion:
Axios, The Hill, ABC News, Power Line and Hot Air

Senate Republicans go ‘nuclear,’ pave the way for Gorsuch confirmation to Supreme Court
Discussion:
New York Magazine, The Root, The Mahablog, New York Times and twitchy.com

It's zero hour: Senate to go ‘nuclear’
Discussion:
Common Dreams, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Hot Air

The United States Senate is a failed institution
Discussion:
The Atlantic and The Week


Devin Nunes Steps Aside; Ethics Committee Investigating for Spilling Secrets — Rep. Devin Nunes said Thursday he is stepping aside as chairman of the House intelligence committee because he is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for allegedly disclosing intelligence without proper authorization.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Raw Story, Fox News, New York Magazine, BizPac Review, Politicus USA, Daily Kos, Occupy Democrats and IJR
RELATED:

Nunes steps aside from Russia probe — House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) will temporarily step aside from an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, including interactions between Moscow and the Trump campaign. — The move comes as the House …
Discussion:
ABC News, Dallas Morning News, The Nation, House Committee on Ethics, Shareblue, Hot Air, Daily Wire, vice, The Week, Vocativ, Gizmodo, Towleroad and Common Dreams


Reports in unmasking controversy were detailed, had info about ‘everyday lives’
Discussion:
Business Insider, RedState, Daily Wire, The Daily Caller, BizPac Review, The Gateway Pundit, The Last Refuge and Hot Air


Speaker Ryan Statement on Chairman Nunes
Discussion:
Mediaite, WTVM-TV, Business Insider and Daily Kos


Partial Transcript: Trump's Interview With The Times — WASHINGTON — The following is a partial transcript of President Trump's interview with The New York Times' Maggie Haberman and Glenn Thrush. It has been lightly edited for content and clarity, and omits several off-the-record comments and asides.
RELATED:


Trump considering options for Syria retaliation, source says — US intel: Syrian warplanes behind gas attack — (CNN)President Donald Trump has told some members of Congress that he is considering military action in Syria in retaliation for this week's chemical attack …
RELATED:


Creeping Toward Crisis
Discussion:
The Atlantic, CNN, vice, Business Insider, Defense One and The Daily Signal

Revisiting the Obama track record on Syria's chemical weapons
Discussion:
RedState, BBC, Washington Free Beacon, NPR and Business Insider

Ivanka's secret Planned Parenthood outreach — In the weeks following her father's inauguration, Ivanka Trump quietly reached out to the president of Planned Parenthood seeking common ground on the contentious issue of abortion. — The first daughter requested a sit-down with Cecile Richards …
Discussion:
ABC News, IJR, BizPac Review, Raw Story, AOL, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, Mediaite, LifeNews.com, twitchy.com, The Week and Political Wire
RELATED:

Ivanka Trump met secretly with Planned Parenthood head: report
Discussion:
RedState, New York Times and Politico


Donald Trump Jr. talks about running for governor of New York — MORE FROM: … Donald Trump Jr. wants to run for political office, telling members of an elite gun club that he could set his sights on becoming governor of New York. — Don Jr. spoke to members of the F6 Labs gun club in Hicksville …
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Daily Caller, New York Magazine, Axios, TheBlaze, vice and The Week

GOP leaders under pressure to bring House back to vote on Trumpcare — House GOP leaders are checking to see whether the latest Trumpcare revisions have changed enough votes to bring it closer to passage — especially with the conservative Freedom Caucus. If there's enough movement …
Discussion:
Vox
RELATED:


Top Democrats Are Wrong: Trump Supporters Were More Motivated by Racism Than Economic Issues — IT ISN'T ONLY Republicans, it seems, who traffic in alternative facts. Since Donald Trump's shock election victory, leading Democrats have worked hard to convince themselves, and the rest of us …
RELATED:

My Most Unpopular Idea: Be Nice to Trump Voters
Discussion:
Power Line


The Husband Of A Trump Supporter Has Just Been Deported Back To Mexico — The man's American wife said she believed “good people” would not be deported under President Trump. Late Tuesday night, her husband was removed to Mexico. — A Mexican man who spent almost two decades living …
Discussion:
Raw Story
RELATED:


Bill O'Reilly's new book talks consent: ‘No means no’ — O'Reilly accuser: I'm not after money — In his new book, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly says he is reaching out to a generation of Americans he believes are under siege. He draws a hard line between “Old School folks” and “Snowflakes.”
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine, Politico and WTVR-TV, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:

Maxine Waters Says That 'Bill O'Reilly Needs to Go to Jail'
Discussion:
MSNBC, TheBlaze, The Week and The Guardian


First on CNN: Secret Service agent on VP's detail caught after meeting with prostitute at Maryland hotel — Secret Service scandals Story highlights — Washington (CNN)CNN has learned from multiple law enforcement sources that a Secret Service agent on Vice President Mike Pence's detail …
RELATED:


Cohn Backs Wall Street Split of Lending, Investment Banks — Senators ask about Glass-Steagall return in private meeting — Trump's top economic adviser said he supports separation — In a private meeting with lawmakers, White House economic adviser Gary Cohn said he supports a policy …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, TheStreet, Business Insider and CNBC