Top Items:
Mike Allen / Axios:
White House communications director resigns — more moves expected — Mike Dubke, President Trump's communications director, is leaving the White House — the start of a wave of changes as the West Wing struggles to cope with burgeoning scandals and a stalled agenda.
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Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Dubke resigns as White House communications director — Mike Dubke has resigned as White House communications director in the first of what could be a series of changes to President Trump's senior staff amid the growing Russia scandal. — Dubke, who served in the post for three months, tendered his resignation May 18.
Discussion:
Mediaite and Joe.My.God.
Veronica Stracqualursi / ABC News:
The Note: The White House staff shakeup begins — WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY — In the first signs of a staff shakeup, President Trump's communications director Mike Dubke is leaving the White House, though his last day has not yet been set. Dubke resigned on May 18 …
Discussion:
Politico, Associated Press, Political Wire and TheBlaze
Matthew Nussbaum / Politico:
Six things to watch as Trump faces his new reality
Six things to watch as Trump faces his new reality
Discussion:
War in Context, Mediaite and ABC
Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Trump's communications director is out as larger shakeup looms
Trump's communications director is out as larger shakeup looms
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon
CNN:
Sources: Russians discussed potentially ‘derogatory’ information about Trump and associates during campaign — Sources: Russians talked potentially ‘derogatory’ info — (CNN)Russian government officials discussed having potentially “derogatory” information about then-presidential candidate Donald …
Discussion:
RedState, Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, Politicus USA, Political Wire, AOL, Raw Story, Mediaite, War in Context and twitchy.com
Jim Geraghty / National Review:
God Save America From Naive Princelings — Just a point to add to Andy McCarthy's raking Jared Kushner over the coals for the “galactically stupid” idea... I get why someone who voted for Donald Trump would defend the president. Trump descended that escalator and went about the process of winning over your vote.
Discussion:
Fox News, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Washington Examiner and Fox News Insider
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Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
How President Trump consumes — or does not consume — top-secret intelligence — President Trump consumes classified intelligence like he does most everything else in life: ravenously and impatiently, eager to ingest glinting nuggets but often indifferent to subtleties.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, theGrio, New York Magazine, Raw Story, The Week and Mother Jones
Fox News:
Jared Kushner didn't suggest Russian communications channel in meeting, source says — A December meeting between Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and one of the senior advisers in the Trump administration, and Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak at Trump Tower focused on Syria …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Lawfare, Daily Wire, Washington Post, Mediaite, The Resurgent, Joe.My.God., The Last Tradition, The Right Scoop, Doug Ross and AOL
New York Post:
Pissed off artist adds statue of urinating dog next to ‘Fearless Girl’ — Artist Alex Gardega put his own Pissing Pug next to Wall Street's Fearless Girl. — Gabriella Bass — Gee whiz, artists are so sensitive! — City sculptor Alex Gardega — seething over the Fearless Girl statue …
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, Jammie Wearing Fools, The Daily Caller and The Last Tradition
Isaac Chotiner / Slate:
Putin's Defender — An American Russia scholar on why he doesn't believe the New York Times, doesn't think the DNC was hacked, and just wants the U.S. and Russia to get along. — Stephen F. Cohen has long been one of the leading scholars of Russia and the Soviet Union.
Discussion:
Raw Story
Gus Bova / The Texas Observer:
Texas Republican Called ICE on SB 4 Protesters, Threatened to Shoot Colleague — A Texas Republican threatened to “put a bullet in one of his colleague's heads” during a scuffle on the House floor over the state's new anti-'sanctuary cities' law on Monday, the final day of the regular legislative session.
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Wall Street Journal:
The Fourth Circuit Joins the ‘Resistance’ — Taking a stand against Trump, the judges are also defying Supreme Court precedent.
Discussion:
Instapundit
Rachael Bade / Politico:
Debt fight blindsides Congress — President Donald Trump's top economic aides are urging Capitol Hill leaders to raise the debt ceiling by the end of July. And Congress is totally unprepared to do so. — Lawmakers in both parties thought they'd have until the fall to act …
Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Pence to make campaign push amid GOP concerns over Trump — Vice President Mike Pence is embarking on a cross-country summer campaign tour amid rising fears that the GOP, reeling from a barrage of Trump-fueled controversies, is headed for a midterm election disaster.
Discussion:
Political Wire, Raw Story and The Week
William D. Cohan / Vanity Fair:
How Stephen Miller Rode White Rage from Duke's Campus to Trump's West Wing — At the young age of 31, Stephen Miller has his own office in the West Wing and the President's ear. He also has held a shocking worldview since he was a teenager. From his writings on the 2006 Duke lacrosse-team rape scandal …
Discussion:
The Week
Mallory Shelbourne / The Hill:
GOP rep avoids saying whether every American is entitled to eat — Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) on Saturday avoiding directly answering a question on whether all Americans are entitled to eat. — During an interview with NPR's “Weekend Edition Saturday,” Smith discussed farm subsidies and cutting food stamps with host Scott Simon.
Sarah D / Los Angeles Times:
Rep. Devin Nunes says Democrats are using Russia investigation to justify Clinton's loss — House Select Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes speaks at the Tulare County Lincoln Dinner. — Embattled House Select Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes told hundreds of local Republicans …
Discussion:
New York Times and Political Wire
Maxine Bernstein / Oregonian:
Portland MAX hero's last words: ‘Tell everyone on this train I love them’ — Gallery: Vigil for Portland MAX attack victims — Even with headphones on, Rachel Macy said, she heard a man shouting and spewing foul language as soon as he boarded the eastbound MAX Green Line train Friday night at Lloyd Center.
Discussion:
The Guardian, Althouse, The Week, Talking Points Memo, Little Green Footballs and Al Jazeera English
Jason Wilson / The Guardian:
Portland Republican says party should use militia groups after racial attack — County GOP chair James Buchal says security forces may be appropriate as tensions rise after two people died in a racial attack on public transport — As tensions continue in Portland following the racially charged murder …
Ryan Cooper / The Week:
Let's take stock of all the horrible stuff Trump and the GOP have done this month — Are you tired of all the winning yet? — No? You're not? Oh. Maybe it's because the last month of Republican rule has brought a parade of scandal, incompetence, cruelty, and violence coming so fast …
McKay Coppins / The Atlantic:
Speaker of the House of Trump — A few weeks after the 2016 election, Newt Gingrich appeared at the Heritage Foundation to deliver what had been billed as a speech on the “Principles of Trumpism.” Tellingly, he spent most of his time instead talking about the brilliance of Trump the Man …