Top Items:
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:
The Atlantic, Washington Post, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Washington Press, Business Insider, CNBC, Shakesville, amp.dailycaller.com, NBC News, Reuters and The Week
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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.
Discussion:
ABC News, Politico, Axios, Salon, Raw Story, NPR, CNN, Breitbart, The Week, Hullabaloo, Washington Monthly, Shareblue Media, Washington Free Beacon, New Republic, JONATHAN TURLEY, Media Matters for America, Talking Points Memo, Splinter, theGrio, New York Times, Palmer Report and Boing Boing
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:
Talking Points Memo, The Root, Towleroad, Washington Press, Politicus USA, The Week, Althouse and Mediaite
CNN:
Mueller set to question Bannon on Flynn and Comey
Mueller set to question Bannon on Flynn and Comey
Discussion:
Business Insider, RedState, KTLA and Axios
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, Towleroad, ABC News, Talking Points Memo, The Week, CNN, Raw Story and Mediaite
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 Daily Beast, Talking Points Memo, The Week, IJR, Balloon Juice, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit and Daily Wire
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Zack Beauchamp / Vox:
Conservative conspiracy theory about FBI texts is bullshit, according to ... Fox News — A new FoxNews.com article contradicts wild claims made by, among others, Fox News's leading television hosts. — Fox News just published a story that directly cuts against a conspiracy theory being pushed …
Discussion:
Latest from Crooks and Liars, Towleroad and ThinkProgress
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
Michael Goodwin / New York Post:
Evidence suggests a massive scandal is brewing at the FBI
Evidence suggests a massive scandal is brewing at the FBI
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Scared Monkeys, CANNONFIRE and JustOneMinute
Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:
Clinton-Obama Emails: The Key to Understanding Why Hillary Wasn't Indicted
Clinton-Obama Emails: The Key to Understanding Why Hillary Wasn't Indicted
Discussion:
Power Line, twitchy.com and The Gateway Pundit
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 Post, Washington Free Beacon, Politico, RedState, Breitbart, NBC News, theGrio, The Daily Signal, The Daily Beast, Refinery29, CNBC, The Stream, Axios, Women in the World, The Daily Caller, Live Action News, AOL, Jezebel, LifeNews.com, IJR, Daily Wire, The Federalist, TheBlaze and twitchy.com
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 …
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CNN:
Democratic mayors blast Trump, decline White House invite
Democratic mayors blast Trump, decline White House invite
Discussion:
USA Today, Axios, Governing magazine, Politico, FOX 61 and Washington Free Beacon
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, CBS New York and Axios
Matt Zapotosky / Washington Post:
Justice Department threatens to subpoena records in escalating battle with ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions
Justice Department threatens to subpoena records in escalating battle with ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions
Discussion:
The Week
Mike Levine / ABC News:
DOJ warns House Intel chairman about purported secret memo on FBI — The Justice Department is urging the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, whose staff has compiled a secret memorandum purporting to show “shocking” political bias within the FBI, to give the department a chance …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit
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Eric Levenson / CNN:
Larry Nassar sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for decades of sexual abuse — Judge to Nassar: I signed your death warrant — (CNN)Once a world-renowned sports physician treating America's foremost Olympic women gymnasts, Larry Nassar now will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
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New York Times:
More than 160 women say Larry Nassar sexually abused them. Here are his accusers in their own words.
More than 160 women say Larry Nassar sexually abused them. Here are his accusers in their own words.
Discussion:
Daily Wire, theGrio, Women in the World and Just Jared
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
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, Business Insider, Balloon Juice, The Week, New Republic, Raw Story and thecut
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:
Axios
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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 Monthly, Booman Tribune, Washington Press and Political Wire
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:
Breitbart, The Root, The Daily Caller, TMZ.com, East Bay Times, Mediaite, TheBlaze, theGrio, Jezebel and Just Jared
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 …
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 …
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
Aaron Rupar / ThinkProgress:
Sessions congratulates Trump for ending imaginary crime wave — Attorney General Jeff Sessions is crediting President Trump for leading an effort to end a violent crime wave in America. There's just one problem — that crime wave never existed in the first place.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Federal Bureau …, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller and Politico
Michael Scherer / Washington Post:
Potential citizenship question in 2020 Census could shift power to rural America — A request by the Justice Department to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census could shift the nation's balance of political power from cities to more rural communities over the next decade and give Republicans …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and Balkinization
Leinz Vales / CNN:
Evangelical leader Franklin Graham says Trump is a ‘changed person’ — (CNN)President Donald Trump is a “changed person” amid recent reports of an alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, said the president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Discussion:
The Hill, the way of improvement …, theGrio, RedState, Right Wing Watch, Talking Points Memo, Friendly Atheist, Mediaite, New York Magazine and Raw Story
Nick Wadhams / Bloomberg:
Tillerson's Overhaul at State in Doubt as USAID Suspends Role — The U.S. Agency for International Development has suspended cooperation with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's bid to overhaul the State Department, a move that highlights rising discord and impatience with the top diplomat's signature initiative.
Ben Caspit / Jerusalem Post:
Kerry to Abbas confidante: ‘Stay strong and do not give in to Trump’ — The former US Secretary of State also surprised his interlocutor by saying he was seriously considering running for president in 2020. — While the White House confirms that since the “Jerusalem Declaration” …
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, Front Page Magazine, AOL, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, Daily Wire, IJR and Elder Of Ziyon
Ryan Nobles / CNN:
McCabe did not vote in 2016 general election, but did vote in 2016 GOP presidential primary — (CNN)FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe did not vote in the 2016 presidential general election, but did vote in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, according to two Virginia campaign consultants …
Discussion:
Washington Post, No More Mister Nice Blog, ThinkProgress and The Week
Andrea Drusch / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Democratic poll: O'Rourke within single digits of Cruz — WASHINGTON — Democrat Beto O'Rourke trails Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz by single digits — 45-37 percent — according to new internal polling released by a Democratic group aimed at keeping corporate money out of politics.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Forbes and IJR
Burgess Everett / Politico:
Budget breakthrough in reach, 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 breakthrough on spending talks, but one that could face opposition from their House counterparts.
Discussion:
Political Wire
TMZ.com:
‘Storm Chasers’ Star Joel Taylor Dead From Suspected Overdose (UPDATE) — 10:50 AM PT — Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, “It appears the death could be an overdose and Joel Taylor was consuming controlled substances.” — A passenger who interacted with Joel tells TMZ …
Discussion:
Towleroad, Decider and myfox8.com
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