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Newt Gingrich: White House communications director Scaramucci has been ‘divisive,’ ‘full of himself’ — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — (CNN)Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich harshly criticized White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci in a radio interview Thursday, calling his recent actions “divisive” and “unhelpful.”
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The Real Story Behind Mooch's War on Reince — Anthony Scaramucci just accused Reince Priebus of a felony. For no reason. — Anthony Scaramucci has had some difficulty over the course his first few days as White House communications director, but as he wrapped up his first week on the job …
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Washington Post, Vox, Mother Jones, National Review, Breitbart, New York Times, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, IJR, The Gateway Pundit, AOL, Mediaite, Conservative News Today, The Atlantic, TheBlaze, RedState, Business Insider, The Week, Talking Points Memo, VICE News, The Guardian, The American Mirror, The Daily Caller, Axios and CNBC


Ryan drops border-tax proposal as GOP unifies around principles — The White House and congressional GOP leaders said Thursday that they are no longer looking at a border-adjustment tax as they work to get tax reform legislation enacted this year. — In a statement backed by Speaker Paul Ryan


Trumpism Distilled — If the facts of the situation are as they appear this morning, in his first days on the job, Anthony Scaramucci has managed to become a compressed, crystallized version of all the ridiculousness of Trumpism. He has gone to the unprecedented and almost unimaginable extremity …
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Fox News and bradford-delong.com


Scaramucci Calls for Inquiry After ‘Leak’ of Financial Form
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CNN, Raw Story, Weekly Standard, Axios, Politico, Shareblue, Washington Post, TheBlaze, Fox News, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, IJR, CNBC, RedState, ThinkProgress, PEN America, Common Dreams, The Gateway Pundit, VICE News, The Daily Caller, Washington Monthly, NPR, Jezebel, New York's PIX11, Daily Kos, Townhall.com, AOL, The Week, Washington Times, Hot Air, twitchy.com, The Resurgent, New York Magazine and TVNewser


From the Chief: Our Perspective on the Presidential Visit — In the last two weeks, we have celebrated the best of Scouting at our 20th National Jamboree with nearly 40,000 participants, volunteers, staff and visitors. The 2017 National Jamboree has showcased and furthered the Scouting mission …
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Boy Scouts official apologizes for ‘political rhetoric’ of Trump speech
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RedState and Scared Monkeys

Boy Scouts leader apologizes for Trump speech's ‘political rhetoric’


US Joint Chiefs blindsided by Trump's transgender ban — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — Washington (CNN)The Joint Chiefs of Staff, including chairman General Joseph Dunford, were not aware President Donald Trump planned to tweet a ban on transgender service members, three US defense officials told CNN …
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Joint Chiefs: No change in transgender policy until Trump sends Pentagon direction — The highest-ranking military officer in the country said that the military's transgender policy won't actively change until President Trump sends specific directions to the Pentagon.
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ABC News, Axios, ThinkProgress, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Splinter and Washington Free Beacon

Transgender People Can Still Serve for Now, U.S. Military Says
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Refinery29, The Daily Caller, Outside the Beltway, Political Wire, Daily Kos, Business Insider, Washington Post, Deadline and Associated Press

Top U.S. general says no changes yet to transgender policy
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Mother Jones, Mediaite, VICE News and The Daily Caller

Joint Chiefs: ‘No modifications’ to transgender policy from Trump tweet
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Shareblue, Vox, Above the Law, Rewire, Religion News Service and Hot Air


Trump administration signals that Murkowski's health care vote could have energy repercussions for Alaska — WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump isn't going to just let Sen. Lisa Murkowski's no vote on Tuesday's health care motion go. — Early Wednesday, Trump took to Twitter to express displeasure with Murkowski's vote.
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CNN, Mother Jones, Politico, Vox, Talking Points Memo, The Guardian, CNBC, New York Times, The Hill, The Atlantic, Washington Post, Washington Monthly, Snopes.com, The Daily Caller, Refinery29, KRQE-TV, Axios, Daily Kos, NBC News, AOL, ThinkProgress, Shareblue, Business Insider, IJR, NPR, New York Magazine, Washington Times, Mediaite, Grist, Jezebel, twitchy.com and Townhall.com


Here's what's in ‘skinny repeal’ — Senate Republicans are still editing their “skinny repeal” of the Affordable Care Act, but it's changed since yesterday to include slightly more than the law's mandates but no repeal of the law's industry taxes, per two senior GOP aides. — Here's what's now in it:
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Vox, Talking Points Memo, Jezebel, The Week, STAT, New York Times, The Atlantic, Daily Kos, Washington Post and Politico
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It's time to vote, and the health care bill isn't finished
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Vox, New York Magazine and Politico

Senate Republicans' approach to health care is bizarre and appalling
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ThinkProgress, bradford-delong.com, Conservative News Today and Daily Kos

Senate Republicans plan to defund Planned Parenthood in ‘skinny’ repeal
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National Review and The Daily Caller

Senate Republicans hope their own Obamacare repeal won't become law
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Axios, Pacific Standard, New York Magazine, Vox and ThinkProgress


Graham: Firing Mueller would be ‘beginning of the end’ of Trump's presidency — Sen. Lindsey Graham sent a sharp warning Thursday to President Donald Trump that it “could be the beginning of the end” of his presidency if he makes moves to fire special counsel Robert Mueller.
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Washington Post, ABC News, Business Insider, NPR, IJR, Conservative News Today, Raw Story, NBC News, Political Wire, Washington Times, The Gateway Pundit, Shareblue and The Atlantic
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Trump urged to use recess appointment to replace Sessions — is that possible?
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Shareblue and Washington Post

Allies Warn Trump of Conservative Revolt Unless He Backs Off Sessions
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The Guardian, Washington Post, Hit & Run, National Review, New York Magazine, RedState, First Draft, Talking Points Memo, Hot Air and Business Insider

Sen. Lindsey Graham: “There will be holy hell to pay” if Trump fires Sessions
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Politico, The Nation, Foreign Policy, CNBC, Business Insider and IJR


Top Middle East Advisor Out On the National Security Council — National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster has removed Derek Harvey, the top Middle East advisor on the National Security Council (NSC), from his post on Thursday, according to a source with knowledge of the personnel move.
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Derek Harvey Out at NSC
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The Atlantic, Washington Free Beacon and The Daily Caller


Look, It's Time to Collectively and Officially Give Up on Ivanka Trump — It was Groundhog Day, dystopia edition, yesterday morning when the president banned all transgender servicepeople from the U.S. military, unfurling yet another reversal of an historic Obama-era policy.


Hillary Clinton lets her “guard down” in new memoir after stunning election defeat — For the first time since her stunning 2016 presidential election defeat to Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton reveals personal details of the unprecedented campaign through her tell-all book “What Happened.”
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Althouse, Mediaite, The Root, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and CBS Philly
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Hillary Clinton calling new book ‘What Happened’
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The Gateway Pundit, Mashable and Washington Times

Jeff Bezos Surpasses Bill Gates as World's Richest Person — His net worth climbs more than $1 billion in intraday trading — Gates has held top spot on Bloomberg wealth index since 2013 — A surge in Amazon.com Inc. shares Thursday morning in advance of the online retailer's earnings report …
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Business Insider, KTLA, The Verge, Gizmodo, New York Magazine and Mashable, more at Techmeme »
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Palin to subpoena two dozen reporters in defamation suit — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin plans to subpoena close to two dozen New York Times reporters, editors and other workers as part of her defamation lawsuit against the newspaper, it was revealed in court documents Wednesday. — SEE ALSO
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Power Line, CNNMoney, TheBlaze and Washington Free Beacon
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State health care waivers violate Senate budget rules — The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that another big piece of the GOP health care bill violates Senate budget rules, Senate Budget Committee Democrats announced this afternoon. Republicans want to expand the Affordable Care Act's …
Discussion:
Political Wire and Daily Kos


Sources: A top FBI lawyer is under an investigation for allegedly leaking classified information — EXCLUSIVE: FBI General Counsel James A. Baker is purportedly under a Department of Justice criminal investigation for allegedly leaking classified national security information to the media …
Discussion:
RedState, The Gateway Pundit and twitchy.com