Top Items:
Josh Rogin / Washington Post:
Pence: The United States is ready to talk with North Korea — Despite the mutual chilliness between U.S. and North Korean officials in South Korea last week, behind the scenes real progress was made toward a new diplomatic opening that could result in direct talks without preconditions between Washington and Pyongyang.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, CNN, The Guardian, Reuters, Business Insider, CNBC, The Daily Caller, NBC News and The Week
RELATED:
New York Times:
Kim Jong-un's Sister Turns on the Charm, Taking Pence's Spotlight — PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — When the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, decided to send a large delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea this month, the world feared he might steal the show.
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, The Daily Beast, Breitbart, Washington Post, NewsBusters, TheBlaze, Mediaite, The Korea Times and The Guardian
Susan B. Glasser / Politico:
Kim Jong Un, North Korea's ‘10-Foot-Tall Baby’ — President Donald Trump, defying his own advisers and intelligence agencies, loves to call North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a “madman,” when he isn't taunting Kim about his height, weight and the relative size of his nuclear button.
Discussion:
One America News Network and Raw Story
Damian Paletta / Washington Post:
In big reversal, new Trump budget will give up on longtime Republican goal of eliminating deficit … President Trump on Monday will offer a budget plan that falls far short of eliminating the government's deficit over 10 years, conceding that huge tax cuts and new spending increases …
Discussion:
The Week and Political Wire
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Trump plan will drop GOP's traditional goal of balancing budget within 10 years … President Trump is remaking the Republican economic playbook in his own image, abandoning ideological consistency in favor of a debt-busting strategy that will upend how Washington taxes and spends trillions of dollars each year.
Jennifer Scholtes / Politico:
Trump to demand tough budget cuts for domestic programs
Trump to demand tough budget cuts for domestic programs
Discussion:
TheBlaze
Jonathan Swan / Axios:
Twisted: Trump says Porter sick, guilty; defends him publicly — President Trump is defending Rob Porter even though, privately, he says he's guilty. — Behind closed doors: The president has told multiple people that he believes the accusations about Porter, and finds him “sick.”
Discussion:
Politico, Talking Points Memo, ABC News, Business Insider, The Week, AOL, Mediaite and Raw Story
RELATED:
New York Times:
Abuse Case Exposes Fissures in a White House in Turmoil
Abuse Case Exposes Fissures in a White House in Turmoil
Discussion:
Political Wire, AOL and New York Magazine
Kurt Schlichter / Townhall.com:
Principles, Schminciples - Lynch Mobs Are Cool If They Derail Trump
Principles, Schminciples - Lynch Mobs Are Cool If They Derail Trump
Discussion:
Philly.com, CNN, Women in the World, ABC News and CBS New York
Jonathan Swan / Axios:
White House can't get its story straight on Rob Porter exit
White House can't get its story straight on Rob Porter exit
Discussion:
The Week, Splinter, Shareblue Media and AOL
Charlie Warzel / BuzzFeed:
He Predicted The 2016 Fake News Crisis. Now He's Worried About An Information Apocalypse. — In mid-2016, Aviv Ovadya realized there was something fundamentally wrong with the internet — so wrong that he abandoned his work and sounded an alarm. A few weeks before the 2016 election …
Discussion:
Political Wire, more at Mediagazer »
Juliet Eilperin / Washington Post:
First-class travel distinguishes Scott Pruitt's EPA tenure … Just days after helping orchestrate the United States' exit from a global climate accord last June, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt embarked on a whirlwind tour aimed at championing President Trump's agenda at home and abroad.
RELATED:
Daniel Lippman / Politico:
PLAYBOOK SCOOP: PELOSI pulls in nearly 50 million bucks for House Dems in 2017 …
PLAYBOOK SCOOP: PELOSI pulls in nearly 50 million bucks for House Dems in 2017 …
Discussion:
The Week and New York Times
Burgess Everett / Politico:
McConnell's immigration gamble — Mitch McConnell is taking the reins of an immigration debate that may prompt a fix for “Dreamers” — or quickly spiral out of control. — Usually careful with his every move, the Senate majority leader is taking a gamble this week with his pledge for a free …
Discussion:
Bloomberg and ImmigrationProf Blog
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Trump takes ‘shackles’ off ICE, which is slapping them on immigrants who thought they were safe … A week after he won the election, President Trump promised that his administration would round up millions of immigrant gang members and drug dealers. And after he took office …
Tommy Christopher / Shareblue Media:
GOP candidate and Trump ally faces global backlash for racist attack on Meghan Markle — Republican congressional candidate Paul Nehlen's response to the denouncement was just as repugnant as his hateful tweet. — Congressional candidate and prominent Trump supporter Paul Nehlen (R-WI) …
Discussion:
Daily Mail, Daily Kos and The Guardian
Ariane de Vogue / CNN:
MeToo will have staying power, Ruth Bader Ginsburg insists — RBG says Clinton was criticized worse than men — New York (CNN)Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg believes the “#MeToo” movement will have “staying power” and that she doesn't worry about a serious backlash.
Discussion:
Axios
Paul Sperry / RealClearInvestigations:
Exclusive: CIA Ex-Director Brennan's Perjury Peril — House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes next plans to investigate the role former CIA Director John Brennan and other Obama intelligence officials played in promoting the salacious and unverified Steele dossier on Donald Trump …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit
Robert Costa / Washington Post:
Hillary Clinton, a favorite GOP foil, plans discreet 2018 strategy — There was a long line for selfies with Hillary Clinton last week at a Georgetown soiree for Lanny Davis, a Clinton loyalist whose latest book blames former FBI director James B. Comey for her 2016 presidential defeat.
Sarah Kleiner / Center for Public Integrity:
Leader of Put Vets First! PAC prioritizing telemarketers, himself — The political committee is not contributing money to politicians as PACs typically do. — likes — The leader of a veterans-focused political action committee rapidly increased payments to himself late last year …
Suzanne Vranica / Wall Street Journal:
Unilever Threatens to Reduce Ad Spending on Tech Platforms That Don't Combat Divisive Content — CMO Keith Weed says the company will only invest in platforms ‘committed to creating a positive impact in society’ — Unilever UL -.68% PLC is threatening to pull back its advertising …
Discussion:
Gizmodo, The Guardian and The Week, more at Mediagazer »
Russell Mokhiber / Common Dreams:
Woman Dragged Out of West Virginia House Hearing For Listing Oil and Gas Contributions to Members — “The people who are going to be speaking in favor of this bill are all going to be paid by the industry.” — Lissa Lucas traveled the 100 miles from her home in Cairo …
Discussion:
Raw Story