Top Items:
New York Times:
Trump Says He Is Willing to Speak Under Oath to Mueller — WASHINGTON — President Trump said on Wednesday that he was willing to speak under oath to Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.
Discussion:
RedState, ABC News, Raw Story, Politicus USA, Political Wire, Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, Towleroad, The Root, Washington Press, New York Magazine, The Week, Althouse and Mediaite
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Trump says he would speak to Mueller under oath in Russia investigation … President Trump said Wednesday he is “looking forward” to testifying before special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and that he would speak under oath. — “I would love to do it, and I would like to do it as soon as possible,” Trump said at the White House.
Carol E. Lee / NBC News:
Flynn kept FBI interview concealed from White House, Trump — WASHINGTON — A year ago today, Donald Trump's newly sworn-in national security adviser, Michael Flynn, met privately in his West Wing office with FBI investigators interested in his communications with Russia's ambassador …
Discussion:
NBC News, Mediaite, Washington Press, Raw Story, The Atlantic, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, CNBC, The Week and Shakesville
Elana Schor / Politico:
Judiciary Democrats want to share Trump Jr. testimony with Mueller — Two Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday pressed the committee's Republican chairman to provide special counsel Robert Mueller with transcripts of the panel's interviews with key witnesses in its Russia probe, including Donald Trump Jr.
Discussion:
Palmer Report, Axios and Political Wire
CNN:
Mueller gives Trump's attorneys possible topics for interview — WH: Trump ‘fully cooperative’ on Russia probe — (CNN)Special counsel Robert Mueller has provided lawyers for President Donald Trump with a range of topics he wants to ask about as part of ongoing negotiations regarding …
Discussion:
Washington Press and Daily Wire
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
One year ago, Paul Ryan made a heartfelt promise to a ‘dreamer.’ Now she's back.
One year ago, Paul Ryan made a heartfelt promise to a ‘dreamer.’ Now she's back.
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog
CNN:
Mueller set to question Bannon on Flynn and Comey
Mueller set to question Bannon on Flynn and Comey
Discussion:
Politico, Business Insider, KTLA, Talking Points Memo, RedState and Axios
Mike Levine / ABC News:
Exclusive: The full ‘secret society’ text between FBI agents: Was it meant in jest? — For the past 24 hours, a number of Republican lawmakers have been suggesting that a months-old text message between two FBI officials reveals a “secret society” of federal law enforcement officials clandestinely plotting …
Discussion:
RedState, Little Green Footballs, Raw Story, NewsBusters and Mediaite
RELATED:
Jake Gibson / Fox News:
Thousands of FBI cellphones affected by glitch that lost Strzok-Page texts, officials say — EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of FBI cellphones were affected by the technical glitch that the DOJ says prevented five months' worth of text messages between FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page …
Discussion:
The Hill, RedState, Daily Wire, The Daily Beast, Talking Points Memo, Hullabaloo, IJR, Balloon Juice, The Daily Caller, The Week and The Gateway Pundit
New York Times:
F.B.I. Texts and Dueling Memos Escalate Fight Over Russia Inquiry — WASHINGTON — The Justice Department warned the House Intelligence Committee chairman on Wednesday that it was “extraordinarily reckless” for Republicans to push to release a committee memo that draws on classified information …
Discussion:
twitchy.com
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Republicans Are Using the Russian Playbook on the FBI
Republicans Are Using the Russian Playbook on the FBI
Discussion:
Hullabaloo
Zack Beauchamp / Vox:
Conservative conspiracy theory about FBI texts is bullshit, according to ... Fox News
Conservative conspiracy theory about FBI texts is bullshit, according to ... Fox News
Discussion:
Latest from Crooks and Liars, The Gateway Pundit and Towleroad
The State News:
SOURCE: MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon to step down before end of week — MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon will resign before the week is over, The State News has learned. — According to a knowledgable source to whom we have granted anonymity because the information was told in confidence …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Detroit Free Press, Vox, Axios, Lansing State Journal, AOL, The Big Lead, WOOD-TV and CBS Detroit
RELATED:
David Jesse / USA Today:
MSU President Lou Anna Simon steps down amid fallout from Larry Nassar case
MSU President Lou Anna Simon steps down amid fallout from Larry Nassar case
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, New York Times, NBC News, CBS Detroit, TheBlaze, The Week and Axios
Washington Post:
Michigan State president resigns in wake of abuse scandal involving athletics doctor
Eric Levenson / CNN:
Larry Nassar sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for decades of sexual abuse
Larry Nassar sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for decades of sexual abuse
Charles P. Pierce / SI.com:
Burn It All Down: It's Time For Every Last Coward Who Enabled Larry Nassar To Pay For Their Sins
Burn It All Down: It's Time For Every Last Coward Who Enabled Larry Nassar To Pay For Their Sins
Discussion:
The Mahablog and Eschaton
The Daily Beast:
Devin Nunes' Anti-FBI Memo Names James Comey, Rod Rosenstein, and Andrew McCabe … A controversial Republican memo alleging surveillance abuse specifically names GOP bêtes noires in the Justice Department and FBI, The Daily Beast has learned. Two current top officials …
Discussion:
Washington Press, Raw Story, The White House and Mediaite
RELATED:
Donie O'Sullivan / CNNMoney:
Hundreds of newly created Twitter accounts pushed #ReleaseTheMemo — The viral hashtag campaign #ReleaseTheMemo appears to have been driven at least in part by a swarm of Twitter accounts set up in the past week, a CNN analysis has found. — More than 1,000 accounts that were set up between Thursday …
Discussion:
Conservative Tribune, The Gateway Pundit, emptywheel and IJR, more at Mediagazer »
CNN:
Senate Intelligence Committee not given access to Nunes FISA memo
Senate Intelligence Committee not given access to Nunes FISA memo
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, RedState, ThinkProgress, Raw Story and IJR
Mike Levine / ABC News:
DOJ warns House Intel chairman about purported secret memo on FBI
DOJ warns House Intel chairman about purported secret memo on FBI
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit
Jane Coaston / Vox:
ReleaseTheMemo and the conservative war on the FBI, explained
ReleaseTheMemo and the conservative war on the FBI, explained
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, National Review, IJR, Weekly Standard, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, NPR, Hullabaloo, The Atlantic, American Prospect, Right Wing Watch, CANNONFIRE and Lawfare
U.S. Department of Justice:
Justice Department Demands Documents and Threatens to Subpoena 23 Jurisdictions As Part of 8 U.S.C. 1373 Compliance Review — The Department of Justice today sent the attached letters to 23 jurisdictions, demanding the production of documents that could show whether each jurisdiction …
RELATED:
John Verhovek / ABC News:
Mayors of 3 largest US cities snub WH meeting after DOJ immigration threat
Mayors of 3 largest US cities snub WH meeting after DOJ immigration threat
Discussion:
Breitbart, United States Conference … and twitchy.com
BuzzFeed:
Cecile Richards Plans To Step Down As President Of Planned Parenthood, After More Than A Decade — Richards greatly expanded Planned Parenthood's political prominence, as well as its organizing and fundraising capacities, during her time leading the organization. — Reporting From Washington, DC
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, Washington Post, RedState, The Daily Beast, Breitbart, theGrio, Politico, Women in the World, Refinery29, The Daily Caller, The Stream, The Daily Signal, Live Action News, CNBC, NBC News, IJR, AOL, Jezebel, LifeNews.com, Daily Wire, Axios, TheBlaze, twitchy.com and The Federalist
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Errant court filing suggests feds had informant at Manafort firm — A document that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's attorneys appear to have accidentally filed in court Wednesday suggests that federal investigators had an informant inside Manafort's consulting firm who provided information about his financial dealings.
Samantha Cole / Motherboard:
We Are Truly Fucked: Everyone Is Making AI-Generated Fake Porn Now — In December, Motherboard discovered a redditor named ‘deepfakes’ quietly enjoying his hobby: Face-swapping celebrity faces onto porn performers' bodies. He made several convincing porn videos of celebrities …
Burgess Everett / Politico:
Budget talks progress, as Senate Dems drop Dreamer demand — Senate Democrats are willing to drop their demand that relief for Dreamers be tied to any long-term budget agreement — a potential boost for spending talks, but one that could face opposition from their House counterparts.
Discussion:
IJR and Political Wire
YouTube:
Burger King | Whopper Neutrality … The repeal of Net Neutrality is a hot topic in America, but it can be very difficult to understand. That's why the BURGER KING® brand created WHOPPER® Neutrality, a social experiment that explains the effects of the repeal of Net Neutrality …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Engadget and Reuters
David Marchese / Vulture:
In Conversation: Erykah Badu — “I'm gathering ideas,” says Erykah Badu, talking over dinner at a vegan restaurant in midtown Manhattan. “I'm uploading.” Badu, in a baggy sweater, oversized eyeglasses, and giant fedora, is talking about why she hasn't released an album of new material since 2010's …
Discussion:
The Root, The Daily Caller, Breitbart, TMZ.com, East Bay Times, Mediaite, TheBlaze, Jezebel, Just Jared and theGrio
Bloomberg:
Inside the Dysfunctional Relationship of Donald Trump and Theresa May — When Theresa May returned to the grandeur of the British Embassy on Washington's Massachusetts Avenue in January last year, her aides had no idea how spectacularly awry her visit to Donald Trump's White House had gone.
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Mediaite, Washington Press, The Week, Business Insider, Balloon Juice, thecut, New Republic and Raw Story
Julia Ainsley / NBC News:
Report: Felons, people under foreign influence got national security clearances — WASHINGTON — A Defense Department report obtained by NBC News found that 165 defense contractors had their initial security clearances revoked last year after further investigation linked the recipients …
Kansas City Star:
With Pence breaking 49-49 tie, U.S. Senate advances Brownback's nomination — WASHINGTON — Kansas Republican Sam Brownback, one of the most unpopular governors in the country, barely survived a key vote on his bid for a big Trump administration job on Wednesday, as Vice President Mike Pence broke …
Discussion:
Washington Press, Washington Monthly, Booman Tribune and Political Wire
Jean Marc Manach / The Intercept:
NSA DELETES “HONESTY” AND “OPENNESS” FROM CORE VALUES — The National Security Agency maintains a page on its website that outlines its mission statement. But earlier this month, the agency made a discreet change: It removed “honesty” as its top priority.
Discussion:
Mashable and Boing Boing
Lauren Thomas / CNBC:
Toys R Us to close 180 stores across the US — Toys R Us is planning to shutter roughly 180 stores across the country, or about one-fifth of its U.S. store fleet. — Toys R Us is planning to shutter roughly 180 stores across the country, or about one-fifth of its U.S. store fleet …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, The A.V. Club, WFLA-TV, Bangor Daily News and WCMH-TV
Derek Hawkins / Washington Post:
How an Arizona couple's innocent bath-time photos of their kids set off a 10-year legal saga — Lisa and A.J. Demaree's decade-long legal ordeal started with, by all accounts, an utterly innocent family moment. — In 2008, the couple took their three daughters, then ages 5, 4 and 1½, on a vacation to San Diego.
Discussion:
Hit & Run and Instapundit
Reuters:
North Korea sends rare announcement to all Koreans, calls for unification — SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea sent a rare announcement addressed to “all Koreans at home and abroad” on Thursday, saying they should make a “breakthrough” for unification without the help of other countries, its state media said.
Discussion:
Axios, The Conversation, One America News Network and The Week