Top Items:
The Daily Beast:
Sean Hannity Has Been Advising Donald Trump on the Nunes Memo, Because of Course He Has … President Donald Trump is at odds with his own chief law enforcement officers over a controversial memo fueling Republican allegations of a conspiracy against the Trump presidency.
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Joe Walsh / Washington Post:
Devin Nunes is acting like a partisan hack. That's just how I remember him. — My former colleague doesn't seem to grasp what his job in Congress is. — I served in Congress with Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). Based on my experience working with him, nothing about the way he's behaving …
Jonathan Swan / Axios:
Rising White House fear: Nunes memo is a dud — Inside the Trump administration, sources who've been briefed on the Nunes memo expect it will be underwhelming and not the “slam dunk” document it's been hyped up to be. — What we're hearing: There is much more skepticism inside the administration …
Kimberley A. Strassel / Wall Street Journal:
Memo Reading for Nonpartisans — Ignore the spin. When the document goes public, here's what to look for. — The White House looks set to release the House Intelligence Committee memo on 2016 government surveillance abuses, which means the attacks on the document by Democrats …
CNN:
White House worried FBI director could quit over Nunes memo release — White House and FBI clash over GOP memo — Washington (CNN)Top White House aides are worried FBI Director Christopher Wray could quit if the highly controversial Republican memo alleging the FBI abused its surveillance tools …
Discussion:
The Week, Politico, bizpacreview.com, Washington Examiner, CBS News, Washington Post, Balloon Juice, RedState, The Daily Beast, Roll Call, Politicus USA, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, NPR, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, Outside the Beltway, twitchy.com, New York Magazine, Hit & Run, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Hill and New York Times
Washington Post:
A process that tarnishes the House — “WHAT THIS is not is an indictment of our institutions, of our justice system,” House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said Thursday about the now infamous “Nunes memo.” “It does not impugn the Mueller investigation or the deputy attorney general,” the speaker insisted.
New York Times:
The Republican Plot Against the F.B.I. — So this is what a partisan witch hunt really looks like. — In a demonstration of unbridled self-interest and bottomless bad faith, the Trump White House and its Republican minions in Congress are on the cusp of releasing a “memo” …
Discussion:
Just Security, Daily Kos, The Week, Crooked Media, Politico, IJR, Mediaite and New York Magazine
Ben Riley-Smith / Telegraph:
Donald Trump's FBI memo release ‘risks revealing British spying methods’
Donald Trump's FBI memo release ‘risks revealing British spying methods’
Discussion:
Raw Story
Tim Weiner / New York Times:
In Trump vs. the F.B.I., Trump Will Lose
Mike Dorning / Bloomberg:
Comey Blasts ‘Weasels’ in Tweet Apparently Aimed at GOP Memo
Comey Blasts ‘Weasels’ in Tweet Apparently Aimed at GOP Memo
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Fox News and The Daily Caller
Gregory Krieg / CNN:
Devin Nunes is acting like he's in a spy thriller
Ellen Nakashima / Washington Post:
Nunes memo centers on a 40-year-old law written to prevent surveillance abuses
Nunes memo centers on a 40-year-old law written to prevent surveillance abuses
Cristiano Lima / Politico:
Trump accuses top FBI, DOJ officials of politicizing probes as memo release looms
Trump accuses top FBI, DOJ officials of politicizing probes as memo release looms
Discussion:
bizpacreview.com and The Daily Caller
Darren Samuelsohn / Politico:
Russia probe lawyers think Mueller could indict Trump — Special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation has gathered enough steam that some lawyers representing key Donald Trump associates are considering the possibility of a historic first: an indictment against a sitting president.
Discussion:
Politicus USA, Raw Story and Just Security
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Darren Samuelsohn / Politico:
Lawyers for Rick Gates withdraw from Russia case — Three attorneys representing Rick Gates told a federal court Thursday they are immediately withdrawing as counsel for the former Donald Trump campaign aide, who is fighting special counsel Robert Mueller's indictment of him on money laundering and other charges.
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Last Refuge, The Week and Joe.My.God.
New York Times:
White House Wants Pentagon to Offer More Options on North Korea — WASHINGTON — The White House has grown frustrated in recent weeks by what it considers the Pentagon's reluctance to provide President Trump with options for a military strike against North Korea, according to officials …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Raw Story, Mother Jones, Washington Post, RedState and CNN
RELATED:
Lee Yeon Cheol / Voice of America:
North Korean Defector: Trump Sent Warning to Kim in State of Union Address
North Korean Defector: Trump Sent Warning to Kim in State of Union Address
Discussion:
Business Insider
David Nakamura / Washington Post:
Trump to meet with North Korean defectors in Oval Office in bid to raise pressure on Kim Jong Un
Trump to meet with North Korean defectors in Oval Office in bid to raise pressure on Kim Jong Un
Discussion:
The Stream and Daily Kos
William D. Cohan / Vanity Fair:
“F—ing Sith Lord,” “Horrific Leakers," and “Berserkazoid Craziness”: The Mooch Recalls His Brief Shining Fortnight at the Center of American Politics — Steve Bannon is the ultimate swamp creature, Reince Priebus acts like Richie Cunningham, Donald Trump is like Michael Jordan, and other observations of Anthony Scaramucci.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Raw Story, bizpacreview.com, The Week and The Daily Caller
Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Trump rips into Kasich at RNC dinner — The president also described to the audience how he aced a mental acuity test. — President Donald Trump on Thursday evening, tore into Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a GOP rival and potential 2020 primary challenger. — Appearing before a Republican …
Discussion:
Political Wire and The Daily Caller
Steve Bousquet / Tampa Bay Times:
Judge strikes down Florida's system for restoring felons' voting rights — U.S. District Mark Walker said Florida's voter restoration process unfairly relies on the personal support of Gov. Rick Scott. — TALLAHASSEE — A federal judge ruled Thursday that Florida's lifetime ban on restoring …
Discussion:
miamiherald, NPR, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Political Wire and Joe.My.God.
CNN:
CIA chief met with sanctioned Russian spies, officials confirm — Washington (CNN)CIA Director Mike Pompeo did meet with the head of Russia's foreign intelligence agency, an official barred from entering the US under 2014 sanctions, as well as the head of Russia's internal security agency …
Josh Delk / The Hill:
Geraldo Rivera to Hannity: If you were around then Nixon 'wouldn't have been forced to resign' — Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera told network host Sean Hannity on Thursday that President Nixon “wouldn't have been forced to resign” if Hannity were around in his day. — Hannity, a vocal defender of President Trump
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and RedState
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Charlie Spiering / Breitbart:
After Sending Media Away, President Donald Trump Joked with RNC About Mental Test — President Donald Trump spoke at an RNC meeting at the Trump International hotel, but the White House press pool was escorted out after he derided them as “haters.” — Breitbart News obtained an audio recording …
Discussion:
Political Wire
Lena H. Sun / Washington Post:
CDC to cut by 80 percent efforts to prevent global disease outbreak … Four years after the United States pledged to help the world fight infectious-disease epidemics such as Ebola, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is dramatically downsizing its epidemic prevention activities …
Discussion:
National Review and The Daily Beast
Washington Post:
McConnell urges Mississippi governor to consider Cochran Senate seat … Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has asked the governor of Mississippi to consider appointing himself to the Senate if ailing Republican Sen. Thad Cochran resigns from office, according to two people familiar with the conversations.
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Andrew Ferguson / Weekly Standard:
The Final Hagiography of the Obama Team — The new documentary The Final Year records the ups, the downs, the smiles, the frowns of President Obama's foreign policy advisers during their last months in office. It was made for HBO but it won't hit the small screen until later this year.
Manya Brachear Pashman / Chicago Tribune:
Green card veteran facing deportation starts hunger strike — A U.S. Army veteran and green card holder with a felony drug conviction began a hunger strike Wednesday to protest his likely deportation, after a federal court denied his appeal to remain in the U.S., where he has lived since age 8.
Discussion:
twitchy.com
Arizona Republic:
Next Slide — Even before the vote, tensions escalated inside the House building. — Mesnard said Shooter alarmed some colleagues as he walked the halls, popping into offices and saying, “It's a great day for a hanging.” — That led Mesnard, accompanied by law enforcement …
Discussion:
Political Wire
Craig Silverman / BuzzFeed:
The Publisher of Newsweek And The International Business Times Has Been Buying Traffic And Engaging In Ad Fraud — Several of Newsweek Media Group's business websites are buying and manipulating traffic that originates on pirated video streaming sites. The company acknowledged buying traffic, but denies engaging in ad fraud.
Discussion:
Front Page Magazine, RedState, Weekly Standard, The Daily Caller, TheBlaze and Washington Free Beacon, more at Mediagazer »
Matthew Continetti / Washington Free Beacon:
The Back to the Future Democrats — The Democrats are like characters in a Bill Murray movie. They keep reliving the same day, trapped in the rhythms and routines of campaign 2016. They persist in the rhetoric, tropes, gestures, figures, and policies that delivered the presidency …
Discussion:
New York Times and Breitbart