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Anthony Scaramucci Called Me to Unload About White House Leakers, Reince Priebus, and Steve Bannon — He started by threatening to fire the entire White House communications staff. It escalated from there. — On Wednesday night, I received a phone call from Anthony Scaramucci, the new White House communications director.
Discussion:
Telegraph, Raw Story, Washington Post, New York Post, The Hill, Axios, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, Real Clear Politics, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Associated Press, Politico, The Guardian, The Atlantic, Daily Wire, The Times of Israel, Mashable, Balloon Juice, Politicus USA, TheBlaze, Splinter, VICE News, CNBC, Political Wire, The Daily Caller, The Week, Business Insider, Longreads, Daily Kos, Washington Free Beacon, Red Alert Politics, Mother Jones, Talking Points Memo, IJR, CNN, The Root, First Draft, ThinkProgress, Common Dreams and Vox, more at Mediagazer »
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The Scaramucci Show: New Communications Director Unloads Nasty Attack on White House Colleagues to Opposition Party — Move over President Donald Trump. You are yesterday's news. It seems like this is now The Anthony Scaramucci Show. And Trump better get used to it.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Raw Story, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit and Business Insider


With Trump's ‘Green Light,’ Scaramucci Declares Total War on Reince Priebus … President Donald Trump has not only blessed efforts by his new communications director Anthony Scaramucci to wage a battle against chief of staff Reince Priebus, he's actively egging on the very public and painful feud.
Discussion:
CNN, Axios, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Daily Wire, Media Matters for America and Vox, more at Mediagazer »

Why Trump's White House Won't Stop Leaking — The new White House communications director is launching a take-no-prisoners mole hunt, promising to stop future leaks. — He won't succeed. — Over the past 15 years, I've worked in dozens of political organizations that all leaked to varying degrees.
Discussion:
ABC News


Anthony Scaramucci uses vulgar language to lash out at Priebus, make fun of Bannon in interview — Newly-appointed White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci is using vulgar language to lash out against Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and make fun of Senior Adviser Steve Bannon in a new interview.


I do not know how to convey how appalling the GOP's healthcare process or policy is — There is something very wrong with the Republican Party right now. — I honestly don't know how to convey how appalling this process or legislation is. There is no analogue in modern politics.
Discussion:
The Guardian


How Long Can the Trump Tumult Go On? — This has been a wild week, even for him. It also ought to be a wake-up call. — Even for this dramatic administration, the past seven days have been extraordinary. Start a week ago Wednesday, when President Trump said Attorney General Jeff Sessions …
Discussion:
Washington Post and NPR



Newt Gingrich: White House communications director Scaramucci has been ‘divisive,’ ‘full of himself’
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, New York Magazine and IJR

Anthony Scaramucci's full interview on ‘New Day’
Discussion:
Mother Jones, NBC News, Talking Points Memo, The Last Tradition and The Guardian

Anthony Scaramucci's Uncensored Rant: Foul Words and Threats to Have Priebus Fired
Discussion:
The Hill, Politico, Mediaite, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, Politicus USA, IJR, Daily Wire and Business Insider

Reince Priebus's Days Are Numbered, Trump Allies Say
Discussion:
AOL, Business Insider and The Gateway Pundit


GOP aides say “skinny repeal” could become law if it passes the Senate — Despite GOP senators' adamant declarations that they don't want their “skinny repeal” bill to become law if they pass it, there's at least a decent chance that's exactly what happens, some staffers openly say. — “Coin.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress
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The Latest: 2 senators deal a blow to ‘skinny repeal’ effort — The Latest on the effort by congressional Republicans to pass a health care bill (all times local): — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has released the text of his pared-down bill to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act.


The “Skinny” Repeal Republicans Hope to Pass Would Leave Huge Numbers Uninsured
Discussion:
Common Dreams, Rewire, Health Affairs Blog and CBO's Publications

Senate Republicans hope their own Obamacare repeal won't become law
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Weekly Standard, Raw Story, Axios, Pacific Standard, Hullabaloo, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Political Wire, Vox and New York Magazine

House weighs ‘martial law’ for Obamacare repeal
Discussion:
Washington Post and The Daily Caller

GOP Senators threaten to blow up Trumpcare unless they are given an unconstitutional guarantee
Discussion:
Mother Jones

Read the health bill Senate Republicans waited until the 11th hour to release
Discussion:
Daily Kos


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 …


Senate sends Russia sanctions to Trump's desk — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — (CNN)The Senate on Thursday passed sweeping legislation slapping new sanctions on Russia and rebuking President Donald Trump in a bill that now will head to the President's desk. — The bill, which gives Congress …
Discussion:
The Week and Washington Free Beacon
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Scaramucci suggests Trump may veto bipartisan Russian sanctions
Discussion:
Mother Jones, NPR, CNBC, KTLA, Daily Wire, Mediaite and ThinkProgress

Putin: Russia promises retaliation as Senate passes sanctions bill
Discussion:
NPR and Pacific Standard

Congress sends Russia sanctions bill to Trump's desk, but it's unclear whether he will veto it
Discussion:
The Hill, IJR and Balloon Juice

Female senators are increasingly on receiving end of insults from male officials — Republican women senators whose disapproval of the GOP health-care effort has at times endangered its progress are facing an increasingly pointed backlash from men in their own party, including a handful of comments that invoked physical retaliation.
Discussion:
New York Times, The Guardian, CNN, Vox, The Resurgent, Washington Monthly, Common Dreams, CNBC, Snopes.com and Mother Jones
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Murkowski says she's not swayed by pressure from Trump administration over health vote — WASHINGTON — Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski confirmed Thursday that she received a call from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, at the behest of the president, to pressure her about her vote on Senate health care legislation.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, New York Times, ABC News, ThinkProgress, The Hill and Daily Wire


Democrats say they're ready for a culture war as Trump bans transgender people from military service — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — (CNN)This week, Democrats unveiled an agenda for the midterms that carefully avoided any mention of the issues that had led to accusations they'd been playing “identity politics” in recent elections.
Discussion:
Politico, Vox, Washington Post, Mediaite, Vox Popoli and The Federalist
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Intelligence chairman accuses Obama aides of hundreds of unmasking requests — The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee is accusing top political aides of President Obama of making hundreds of requests during the 2016 presidential race to unmask the names of Americans in intelligence reports …
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, The Gateway Pundit and Raw Story


Michiko Kakutani, the Legendary Book Critic and the Most Feared Woman in Publishing, Is Stepping Down from The New York Times — Kakutani, who helped make the careers of writers from Foster Wallace to McEwan, and put fear in the hearts of Mailer and Vidal, will leave her post as one of the most formidable critics in the Times history.
Discussion:
The Atlantic, New York Times and NPR, more at Mediagazer »

Waivers are dead, long live waivers — At 10pm on Thursday, the Senate finally released a “repeal” bill—the Health Care Freedom Act—that may have the votes to pass. If you've been following the reporting, it's mostly as expected. The bill repeals the individual mandate …
Discussion:
Vox, Health Affairs Blog and New York Magazine


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.

Norm Macdonald Sounds Off on SNL: 'I Think They're Playing Into Trump's Hands' … Norm Macdonald is stuck on a golf course. “We have all these children in front of us, so we're not going anywhere,” the 57-year-old comedian tells me by phone as he waits to move on to the next hole.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, IJR and MyNewsLA.com


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:
Geller Report, The Gateway Pundit, RedState and twitchy.com


Healthcare groups blast skinny repeal, warn premiums will spike — Healthcare groups are coming out against the Senate GOP's plan to pass a scaled-down ObamaCare repeal bill, saying it would spike insurance premiums. — The American Medical Association, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association …
Discussion:
RedState, Snopes.com and Politico