memeorandum: I wrote ‘The Art of the Deal’ with Trump. His self-sabotage is rooted in his past. (Tony Schwartz/Washington Post)

9:00 AM ET, May 17, 2017

Top Items:

Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:

Comey Memo Says Trump Asked Him to End Flynn Investigation — WASHINGTON — President Trump asked the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, to shut down the federal investigation into Mr. Trump's former national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, in an Oval Office meeting in February …

Discussion: USA Today, New Yorker, Washington Monthly, Politico, CNN, Raw Story, The Daily Beast, Washington Post, Hit & Run, The Guardian, The Week, CNBC, NPR, Mediaite, Washington Examiner, New York Magazine, Real Clear Politics, CBS Boston, The Atlantic, TheBlaze, Grabien News RSS, Axios, Talking Points Memo, Fox News, Shareblue, The Hill, DCReport.org, Fox News Insider, Just Security, Lawfare, NBC News, National Review, Althouse, Common Dreams, AOL, Snopes.com, Informed Comment, Financial Times, Power Line, Breitbart, twitchy.com, The Daily Caller, Media Matters for America, Gizmodo, Political Insider blog, Al Jazeera English, IJR, The Resurgent, Daily Mail, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, ThinkProgress, The Last Tradition, Outside the Beltway, Vox, Daily Kos, Mother Jones, FiveThirtyEight, Politicus USA, Mashable, The Mahablog, CBS New York, KQED News, Patterico's Pontifications, The Gateway Pundit, TheStreet, KFOR-TV, Shakesville, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Hot Air and WTVR-TV, more at Mediagazer »

The Daily Beast:

Trump Officials on Comey Memo: 'Don't See How Trump Isn't Completely F*cked' … If you come at James Comey, you best not miss. — The former FBI director—who President Donald Trump fired and then later threatened on Twitter last week—reportedly kept notes of their conversations …

Discussion: IJR, The Week, Washington Post, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo, Politicus USA, TheBlaze, New York Times, NPR, Hit & Run, The Moderate Voice, New York Magazine, Mother Jones, The Atlantic and twitchy.com

Matthew Nussbaum / Politico:

White House on edge: ‘We are kind of helpless’ — It was, in the words of one senior White House official, the worst day of Trump's presidency. — White House officials spent early Tuesday wondering who was leaking details of President Donald Trump's classified conversations with Russian officials …

Discussion: The Week, Mediaite, Raw Story and New York Magazine

Mike Allen / Axios:

After Comey memos, Trump's survival at stake — Republicans close to the White House fear that yesterday's revelations could take President Trump into a legal or constitutional realm where his staff and supporters can't save him. — “A whole new door has opened,” said a well-known Republican operative …

Discussion: Washington Post, The Daily Beast, The Daily Caller, The Week, Daily Kos and Raw Story

Fox News:

Gregg Jarrett: Comey's revenge is a gun without powder — James Comey was lying in wait. — His gun was cocked, he took aim and fired. But his weapon was empty. — Three months ago, the then-FBI Director met with President Trump. Following their private conversation …

Discussion: Viking Pundit

Bob Brigham / Raw Story:

Republican Darrell Issa gives reporter the silent treatment — and the finger — for asking about Comey memos — DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY! — With scandal upon scandal piling up for the Republican Party, the stress is clearly getting to some prominent Republicans.

Discussion: Politico, Daily Kos, Politicus USA, RedState and The Daily Caller

Noah Feldman / Bloomberg:

Trump Should Worry: Comey Memo Describes a High Crime — Trying to end the Flynn investigation isn't a legal crime, but it is an impeachable offense. — If President Donald Trump asked FBI Director James Comey to stop investigating National Security Adviser Mike Flynn and his ties to Russia, that's obstruction of justice.

Discussion: Politico, New York Times, Take Care Blog, Washington Post and The Week

Washington Post:

Notes made by former FBI Director Comey say Trump pressured him to end Flynn probe — President Trump asked the FBI to drop its investigation into his former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and urged the FBI director James B. Comey instead to pursue reporters in leak investigations …

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Trump's Protective Republican Wall In Congress Cracks

Discussion: Daily Kos, Vox and RedState

Liam Donovan / Politico:
When Will Republicans Dump Trump?

Discussion: Crooked Timber

Wall Street Journal:
Trump Asked Comey to Drop Flynn Investigation, According to Memo Written by Former FBI Director

Discussion: Instapundit

Seung Min Kim / Politico:
White House rocked by allegation Trump tried to shut down FBI's Flynn probe

Discussion: Political Wire, ABC News, The Week, Vox and Axios

Joel B. Pollak / Breitbart:
New York Times Oversells 'Comey's Revenge' Story

Discussion: New York Times, Politico, The Week, The Hill, New York Magazine, Washington Post, Power Line, Media Matters for America, IJR, Daily Kos, CNBC, Vox, The Guardian, The Daily Caller, TheBlaze and Talking Points Memo

Matt Ford / The Atlantic:
Did President Trump Obstruct Justice?

Discussion: Politico and The Week

Dan Balz / Washington Post:
As Trump's woes mount, congressional Republicans arrive at a moment of reckoning

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Talking Points Memo

Austin Wright / Politico:
Graham invites Comey to testify before Senate panel

Discussion: The Hill, twitchy.com and The Atlantic

Brian Ross / ABC News:

Trump's disclosure endangered spy placed inside ISIS by Israel, officials say — The life of a spy placed by Israel inside ISIS is at risk tonight, according to current and former U.S. officials, after President Donald Trump reportedly disclosed classified information in a meeting with Russian officials last week.

Discussion: Associated Press, Hot Air, Mediaite, Axios and Political Wire

New York Times:

At a Besieged White House, Tempers Flare and Confusion Swirls — WASHINGTON — The disclosure that President Trump divulged classified intelligence to two high-ranking Russian officials was a new blow to an already dispirited and besieged White House staff still recovering from the uproar …

Discussion: Washington Post, Balloon Juice, Hot Air, Liberal Values, AOL, USA Today, Shareblue, Hullabaloo, RedState, No More Mister Nice Blog, Raw Story and The Guardian

CNN:

Russia claims to have transcript of Trump meeting with Lavrov — (CNN)Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia is ready to provide US Congress with a transcript of the talks between President Donald Trump and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, Washington Times, The Week, McClatchy Washington Bureau, New York Times, Washington Free Beacon, Politico, The Root, The Daily Signal, The Guardian, Center for Security Policy, RealClearPolitics and Media Matters for America, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:
Israel Was Source of Secret Intelligence That Trump Gave to Russians, Officials Say

Sheera Frenkel / BuzzFeed:
Israeli Official: Trump Sharing Intelligence With Russia Is “Worst Fears Confirmed”

Discussion: Washington Post, Axios, The Times of Israel, Daily Kos, New York Times, CNN, The Hill, PRI, AOL and Balloon Juice

Alayna Treene / Axios:
Putin offers WH transcript to Congress, if Trump agrees

Discussion: Politico

Evan Perez / CNN:
Inside the US effort to keep laptop bomb intel secret

Discussion: Politico, New York Times, Washington Post, Hullabaloo, Hot Air, The Week, Al Jazeera English, ABC News, Politicus USA, The Daily Caller, Infowars, CBS Philly, The Times of Israel, fox5sandiego.com and Sputnik International

Oliver Darcy / CNNMoney:

Story on DNC staffer's murder dominated conservative media — hours later it fell apart — It took only hours for one of the biggest stories in conservative media this week, which some outlets had chosen to focus on over news that President Trump disclosed classified information to senior Russian officials, to fall apart.

Discussion: Media Matters for America, The Week, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES and Balloon Juice

Joseph Bernstein / BuzzFeed:
Meet The Private Detective Who Ignited A Clinton Conspiracy Theory

Discussion: Media Matters for America

Alex Seitz-Wald / NBC News:
DNC Staffer's Murder Draws Fresh Conspiracy Theories

Discussion: Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Daily Kos, DCist, Mediaite, Right Wing Watch and Snopes.com

Ross Douthat / New York Times:

The 25th Amendment Solution to Remove Trump — It was just three days and a lifetime ago that I wrote a column about Donald Trump's unfitness for the presidency that affected a world-weary tone. Nothing about this White House's chaos was surprising given the style of Trump's campaign, I argued.

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money

Casey Tolan / Mercury News:

Exclusive: Kimberly Guilfoyle says she's talking with Trump administration about press secretary job — The Fox News host and former First Lady of San Francisco tells the Bay Area News Group: 'I'm a patriot, and it would be an honor to serve the country.' — NEW YORK — Kimberly Guilfoyle …

Discussion: Washington Post, CNNMoney, The Week, The Gateway Pundit, Daily Kos, New York Times, AOL, Politico, TheBlaze and RedState, more at Mediagazer »

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Right pushes Trump to make staff, press changes

Discussion: Raw Story

Wall Street Journal:

Loose Lips Sink Presidencies — The Russian intel story shows the price of Trump's lost credibility.

Tony Schwartz / Washington Post:

I wrote ‘The Art of the Deal’ with Trump. His self-sabotage is rooted in his past. — The president's behavior, explained. … President Trump's behavior hasn't changed in decades. It probably never will. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) — Why does Donald Trump behave …

Discussion: The Week

The Guardian:

'Erdoan's bodyguards' in violent clash with protesters in Washington DC — Nine people hurt and two arrests made during the altercation at the Turkish ambassador's residence in the US capital … Nine people were hurt and two arrests were made during an altercation at the Turkish ambassador's residence …

Discussion: CNN, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, CNBC, Mediaite, The Daily Caller and The Week

Josh Rogin / Washington Post:

Trump to unveil plans for an ‘Arab NATO’ in Saudi Arabia — When President Trump arrives in Riyadh this week, he will lay out his vision for a new regional security architecture White House officials call an “Arab NATO,” to guide the fight against terrorism and push back against Iran.