Top Items:
Reuters:
Exclusive: Trump campaign had at least 18 undisclosed contacts with Russians: sources — Michael Flynn and other advisers to Donald Trump's campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails during the last seven months of the 2016 presidential race …
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Michael Isikoff / Yahoo:
As investigators circled Flynn, he got a message from Trump: Stay strong — Late last month, fired National Security Adviser Michael Flynn—under investigation by federal prosecutors, with his lawyer seeking immunity for him to testify to Congress-met with a small group of loyalists at a restaurant in the northern Virginia suburbs.
The Daily Beast:
Donald Trump Talked Michael Flynn Into White House Job … President Donald Trump pressured a “reluctant” Michael Flynn into accepting a job as the White House's top national security official even after Flynn warned the president that he was under investigation over undisclosed lobbying …
Maureen Groppe / USA Today:
Mike Pence insists he didn't know Flynn was under investigation for Turkey lobbying
Discussion:
The Atlantic, Talking Points Memo, Mother Jones, Washington Post, Politico, CNBC, The Guardian and Axios
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
BuzzFeed sues for records on Trump-Obama tapping tweets
Discussion:
The Week
William Cummings / USA Today:
Special counsel vs. special prosecutor: What's the difference? — 1.4k Shares — On Wednesday, former FBI director Robert Mueller was appointed to be a special counsel to oversee the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and the possibility of collusion between Russia and President Trump's campaign.
Discussion:
Fox News, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, neo-neocon, emptywheel and Reuters
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Eli Lake / Bloomberg:
The Special Counsel Who Just Might Save Trump's Presidency
Discussion:
The American Interest, The Atlantic, Geller Report, Power Line, NBC News, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite and No More Mister Nice Blog
CNN:
Trump lashes out over special counsel appointment
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, CNBC, Washington Post, Raw Story, Geller Report, The Atlantic, Congressman Ted Lieu, Talking Points Memo, New York Times, Refinery29, The Daily Caller, Washington Monthly, White House Dossier, Power Line, Mediaite, Infowars, CBS New York, The National Interest, The Resurgent, Hot Air and IJR
New York Times:
'There's no collusion' between Trump and Russians, he says.
Discussion:
The Atlantic, CNN, Politico, New York Magazine, The White House, Refinery29, The Daily Caller, The Times of Israel, CNBC, Raw Story, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Common Dreams, RedState, Vox, IJR, Washington Monthly, Fox News Insider, AOL, Mashable, Outside the Beltway, RT, NPR, twitchy.com, Mother Jones, Political Wire, Washington Times and CBS Dallas
Billy House / Bloomberg:
House May Be Forced to Vote Again on GOP's Obamacare Repeal Bill — Two weeks after passage, measure still not sent to Senate — CBO report could force Ryan, other party leaders into redo — House Republicans barely managed to pass their Obamacare repeal bill earlier this month …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Politico, ThinkProgress, Mother Jones, Political Wire, NBC News, Hot Air, Politicus USA, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Daily Kos and ACASignups.net
RELATED:
Jonathan Swan / Axios:
House leaders worry more meetings secretly recorded
Discussion:
Breitbart, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Shareblue, Salon, Hullabaloo, ThinkProgress, Balloon Juice, New York Magazine, Media Matters for America and AOL
Michael Crowley / Politico:
Lieberman emerges as front-runner for FBI post — Joe Lieberman, the former Democratic vice-presidential nominee, is the front-runner to be named FBI director, according to several White House officials and advisers. — Senior administration officials have told others in the last 12 hours …
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Matthew Yglesias / Vox:
Joe Lieberman might be FBI director. Really. — The perfect choice for America's troll-in-chief. — Joe Lieberman, the former Democratic senator from Connecticut with a complicated history with his political party, has emerged as the frontrunner to replace the now-fired James Comey as FBI director …
Discussion:
Politico, Newsweek, The Atlantic, Daily Kos and Political Wire
Annie Karni / Politico:
Trump weighs downsizing Spicer's public role — President Donald Trump is considering scaling back White House press secretary Sean Spicer's public role, according to several officials familiar with the president's thinking, as Trump also weighs a broader shakeup of his communications shop in the wake of several scandals.
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
Comey Is Said to Have Become Unsettled by Interactions With Trump — WASHINGTON — President Trump called the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, weeks after he took office and asked him when federal authorities were going to put out word that Mr. Trump was not personally under investigation, according to two people briefed on the call.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Just Security, Infowars and Fox News Insider
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New York Times:
Advisers Urge Trump to Hire Outside Lawyer in Russia Inquiry — WASHINGTON — Several White House advisers and personal associates of President Trump have urged him to hire an experienced outside lawyer to help him deal with issues arising from a surging controversy over whether his campaign …
Discussion:
Politicus USA, JustOneMinute, The Week, The Daily Caller, The Federalist and Political Wire
Devlin Barrett / Washington Post:
Comey prepared extensively for his conversations with Trump
Discussion:
Political Wire
Olivia Beavers / The Hill:
Senate Dems: Deputy AG knew Comey was being removed before writing memo
Discussion:
Politico and Political Wire
Rachael Bade / Politico:
Chaffetz to announce early departure from Congress — Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) is expected to announce Thursday that he is resigning before the end of this congressional term, according to three sources familiar with his plans. — Chaffetz did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.
Discussion:
ABC News, The Daily Caller, TheBlaze, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, IJR, Talking Points Memo, Washington Times, The Week, Fox News and Washington Free Beacon
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Jason Chaffetz / Chaffetz:
Chaffetz Letter to Utah's 3rd Congressional District — f t # e — Dear 3rd District Constituents: — Serving you in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly nine years has been a rare honor and privilege. When I first ran for Congress in 2008 I promised I would get in, serve, and get out.
Discussion:
The Atlantic, Hot Air, The Gateway Pundit, Shareblue, Vox, NPR, Washington Post, twitchy.com, TheBlaze and The Daily Caller
Rachael Bade / Politico:
Gowdy poised to replace Chaffetz as Oversight chief
Discussion:
Axios, New York Magazine, IJR, Washington Free Beacon and DCist
Jenna McLaughlin / Foreign Policy:
Trump Team Planning Possible Retaliation for Classified Leak Allegations — White House officials concoct “ludicrous” revenge plan targeting former Obama administration. — President Donald Trump's inner circle is war-gaming how best to respond to the Washington Post's bombshell report …
Discussion:
The Week, PRI, Common Dreams and ThinkProgress
Bill O'Reilly / USA Today:
Roger Ailes had my back at Fox News — Roger experienced hatred, and it killed him. — CONNECT — To say that Roger Ailes led a full life is a massive understatement. A force of nature with an agenda, RA, as fellow executives called him, was a man on a mission.
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Erin McClam / CNNMoney:
Roger Ailes, who built Fox News into a powerhouse, dies at 77
Discussion:
New York Times, Washington Post, CNBC, Common Dreams, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mediaite, Washington Free Beacon and The Root
Noam N. Levey / Los Angeles Times:
Health insurers and state officials say Trump is undermining Obamacare, pushing up rates — President Trump meets in February with the heads of major health insurers. Many industry officials and state regulators now believe they cannot rely on Trump to effectively manage the country's insurance markets.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Axios and New York Magazine
Jack Moore / Newsweek:
TRUMP CANCELS VISIT TO ANCIENT MASADA SITE AFTER ISRAEL REFUSES HELICOPTER LANDING — WORLD ISRAEL TRUMP — President Donald Trump has canceled a planned visit and speech at the ancient mountain fortress of Masada in Israel after authorities told him that he could not land his helicopter on top of the UNESCO-listed site.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Hill, Axios, Mashable, Common Dreams, The Week and Mother Jones
Chuck Ross / The Daily Caller:
Video Emerges Of Turkey's President Watching As His Goons Attack Protesters [VIDEO] — Video has emerged showing Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan calmly looking on as members of his security detail attack a group of Kurdish protesters outside of the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.
Discussion:
Voice of America
RELATED:
Megan R. Wilson / The Hill:
Turkish Embassy calls violent clash with protesters in DC ‘self-defense’
Discussion:
Associated Press, Fox News, Washington Post, The Week, IJR, NPR and Mother Jones
Morgan Chalfant / The Hill:
Russia tried to take over Pentagon Twitter accounts: report — Russia tried to gain access to the Twitter accounts of Defense Department officials using messages carrying malware, according to Time magazine. — Russia is said to have sent messages to over 10,000 Pentagon Twitter users …
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
That Didn't Go Great — Let me share a few thoughts on the press conference President Trump just held with the President of Colombia. In the nature of the moment, I'll just focus on the questions President Trump fielded on the investigations. — First, on question one …
Discussion:
Mother Jones
RELATED:
Burgess Everett / Politico:
Senators: Rosenstein knew Comey would be fired before writing memo
Discussion:
Axios
CBS News:
U.S. aircraft conduct strike on Syrian army convoy — BEIRUT — The U.S. sent aircraft to strike Syrian regime vehicles on Thursday that violated a deconfliction zone set up around al-Tanf, an army base where special forces are training Syrian militias, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports.
Discussion:
Reuters, Congressman Ted Lieu, RedState, CBS New York, Common Dreams and The Atlantic
Laurel Raymond / ThinkProgress:
Sen. Lindsey Graham: Congress should abandon Russia investigation, go back to Clinton's emails — “There's a new front opening here.” — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News on Thursday that now that special counsel has been appointed to investigate alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia …
Discussion:
RedState and The Gateway Pundit
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