Top Items:
Betsy Woodruff / The Daily Beast:
Ex-Trump Staffer Rick Gates Fires His Lawyer in Russia Probe … Former Trump campaign official Rick Gates has fired his lawyer, The Daily Beast has learned. And, contrary to recent media reports, Gates is not about to make a deal with the special counsel Robert Mueller, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, ABC News, Axios, Business Insider, WTVR-TV, KTLA, VICE News, Mediaite, CNN, Daily Wire, CNBC and True Pundit
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Special counsel Mueller files new charges in Manafort, Gates case … New charges were filed Thursday against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his business partner, ratcheting up the legal pressure on them as they prepare for a trial later this year.
Discussion:
Axios, The Week and Shakesville
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Mueller adds new tax, bank fraud charges against Manafort, Gates
Mueller adds new tax, bank fraud charges against Manafort, Gates
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit
Matt Apuzzo / New York Times:
Mueller Files New Fraud Charges Against Paul Manafort
Mueller Files New Fraud Charges Against Paul Manafort
Discussion:
Vox and Lawyers, Guns & Money
New York Times:
Trump Promotes Arming Teachers, but Rejects Active Shooter Drills — WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday intensified his calls for arming highly trained teachers as part of an effort to fortify schools against shooting massacres like the one that occurred in Parkland, Fla., last week …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, Washington Post, Politico, The Atlantic, NBC News, Bloomberg, Talking Points Memo, Fox News Insider, Task & Purpose, Raw Story, CBS Miami, Business Insider, CNBC, abc7ny.com, WPIX 11 New York, Roll Call, IJR, Bangor Daily News, Woke Sloth, Outside the Beltway, Washington Press, Washington Times, Townhall.com and Breitbart
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Washington Post:
NRA goes on the offensive after Parkland shooting, assailing media and calling for more armed school security … After a week of media silence following the school shooting in Florida, the National Rifle Association went on the offensive in its first public response to the massacre …
Discussion:
NPR, New York Times, NBC News, Vox, Politico, HuffPost, Shareblue Media, Mother Jones, New York Magazine, Washington Free Beacon, Hullabaloo, CBS San Francisco, Bloomberg, Little Green Footballs, The Atlantic, Mediaite, East Bay Times, Shakesville, Business Insider, Democrats.com, WSVN-TV, Daily Kos, CBS New York, Talking Points Memo, Washington Times, The Daily Caller, WPIX 11 New York, VICE News, Woke Sloth and FOX 61
CBS News:
NRA's Wayne LaPierre makes it clear he isn't backing down on guns — or the culture wars — National Rifle Association Executive Director and CEO Wayne LaPierre launched into criticisms of socialists, the FBI and the media Thursday, as he defended gun rights from the stage of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
Discussion:
CNN, Vox, RT, Washington Post, Politico, The Stranger …, New York Times, The Daily Beast, RedState, Joe.My.God., NBC News, IJR, twitchy.com, The Right Scoop, Mediaite, KTLA, CBS Miami, The Daily Caller and Axios
Eli Rosenberg / Washington Post:
A superintendent threatens to suspend students protesting gun laws. But that's not legal. … The superintendent of a Texas public school district is drawing harsh criticism after issuing a written threat Tuesday to suspend any students who take part indemonstrations about gun violence after the school shooting in Florida last week.
Discussion:
CNN, Hit & Run, Refinery29 and Los Angeles Times
E.J. Dionne Jr. / Washington Post:
Why is only one side in the gun culture war required to show respect?
Why is only one side in the gun culture war required to show respect?
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, Bloomberg, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Daily Kos
Jeffrey Solochek / Tampa Bay Times:
Florida House approves bill to post “In God We Trust” in all public schools
Florida House approves bill to post “In God We Trust” in all public schools
Discussion:
USA Today, NPR, The Daily Signal, The Daily Caller and Friendly Atheist
Washington Post:
Does the Second Amendment really protect assault weapons? Four courts have said no.
Does the Second Amendment really protect assault weapons? Four courts have said no.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
John Bacon / USA Today:
Trump plan at odds with teacher #ArmMeWith movement
Trump plan at odds with teacher #ArmMeWith movement
Discussion:
Shareblue Media and Media Matters for America
Stephanie Ebbs / ABC News:
President Trump calls active shooter drills ‘a very negative thing’
President Trump calls active shooter drills ‘a very negative thing’
Discussion:
Washington Post, RedState, Fox News, National Review, The Last Refuge, Deadline and Axios
Ian Schwartz / RealClearPolitics:
Shooting Survivor: CNN Gave Me “Scripted Question” After Denying Question About Armed Guards — Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Colton Haab said he was approached by CNN to ask a question at Wednesday night's town hall but decided not to after the network gave him a “scripted question,” quashing one he wrote himself.
RELATED:
CNN:
School shooter threatened others with a gun, first host family told police
School shooter threatened others with a gun, first host family told police
Discussion:
RedState, New York Post, The Gateway Pundit, twitchy.com, Business Insider, KTLA, Law & Crime and WNEP-TV
Lisa J. Huriash / Sun-Sentinel:
Video delays misled cops at Stoneman Douglas shooting
Video delays misled cops at Stoneman Douglas shooting
Discussion:
Orlando Sentinel, New York Times, KTLA, myfox8.com, Business Insider, AOL and WSVN-TV
Peter Burke / WPLG-TV:
CNN refutes Parkland school shooting survivor's ‘scripted’ question claim
CNN refutes Parkland school shooting survivor's ‘scripted’ question claim
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, IJR, AOL, True Pundit, The Gateway Pundit, twitchy.com, Breitbart, RT, Business Insider, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and RedState
Washington Post:
How a survivor of the Florida school shooting became the victim of an online conspiracy
How a survivor of the Florida school shooting became the victim of an online conspiracy
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, Raw Story, New York Magazine, Mediaite and Washington Times, more at Mediagazer »
CNN:
Transcript: Stoneman students' questions to lawmakers and the NRA at the CNN town hall
Transcript: Stoneman students' questions to lawmakers and the NRA at the CNN town hall
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Washington Post, Politico, The Guardian, Weekly Standard, Jezebel, Business Insider, Raw Story, Breitbart, Refinery29, New Republic, NewsBusters and The Week
Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:
Fla. shooting survivor's mother: We have received death threats
Fla. shooting survivor's mother: We have received death threats
Discussion:
Washington Post, RedState, Washington Press, Raw Story and Joe.My.God.
Dahlia Lithwick / Slate:
The Student Teachers — In one short week, the students …
The Student Teachers — In one short week, the students …
Discussion:
Recode, New Republic, Dame Magazine, Reuters, Lawyers, Guns & Money, CNN, The Atlantic, Washington Post and The Week
Kansas City Star:
Gov. Greitens indicted for felony invasion of privacy stemming from affair — Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted Thursday afternoon by a St. Louis grand jury on a felony charge of invasion of privacy. — The charge stems from a 2015 affair and allegations that he threatened to release …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Axios, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Joe.My.God., Law & Crime, Capitol Fax.com and Mediaite
RELATED:
Dylan Matthews / Vox:
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens's sexual blackmail scandal, explained
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens's sexual blackmail scandal, explained
Discussion:
KMOV-TV, ThinkProgress, Politico, Daily Kos and FOX2now.com
Ryan Devereaux / The Intercept:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Will Remove “Nation of Immigrants” From Mission Statement — The lead U.S. agency tasked with granting citizenship to would-be Americans is making a major change to its mission statement, removing a passage that describes the United States as a nation of immigrants.
Discussion:
Refinery29, Axios, VICE News and The Daily Caller
RELATED:
CNN:
McMaster could leave WH after months of tension with Trump — Washington (CNN)With tensions flaring between President Donald Trump and national security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the Pentagon is considering options that would allow the President to potentially move the three-star general …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Hill, Politico, The Right Scoop, RedState, Outside the Beltway, Shakesville, AOL, Raw Story and The Week
RELATED:
Heather Sher / The Atlantic:
What I Saw Treating the Victims From Parkland Should Change the Debate on Guns — As I opened the CT scan last week to read the next case, I was baffled. The history simply read “gunshot wound.” I have been a radiologist in one of the busiest trauma centers in the nation for 13 years …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Stranger … and Daily Kos
Kim Janssen / Chicago Tribune:
Gov. Rauner drinks chocolate milk to demonstrate his commitment to diversity — In an awkward onstage appearance this week, Gov. Bruce Rauner drank a glass of chocolate milk to demonstrate his belief in diversity. — “It's really, really good,” Rauner said after taking a sip of the sugary drink.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Political Wire, The Root, The Daily Caller, The Hill, TheBlaze and Capitol Fax.com
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Margaret Brennan Named Host of ‘Face the Nation’ on CBS — WASHINGTON — Margaret Brennan, the senior foreign affairs correspondent for CBS News, will be the next moderator of “Face the Nation,” the network's prestige Sunday morning public affairs show and one of the most influential venues in American politics.
Discussion:
Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
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Dustin Volz / Reuters:
Exclusive: U.S. official focused on election security being shoved aside — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of a federal agency who has helped U.S. states protect election systems from possible cyber attacks by Russia or others is being removed from his post by Republican House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and the White House.
Discussion:
Washington Press, The Verge and Political Wire
Krystie Lee Yandoli / BuzzFeed:
Meryl Streep And Jennifer Lawrence Have Slammed Harvey Weinstein For Using Their Words In His Defense — In a court filing Wednesday, Harvey Weinstein asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed against him by six women who say he assaulted them. — In a motion to dismiss the suit …
Discussion:
Deadline, East Bay Times, TMZ.com, IndieWire, Daily Wire, The Daily Caller and The Blast
RELATED:
Katie Kilkenny / Hollywood Reporter:
Meryl Streep Slams Harvey Weinstein for Naming Her in Lawsuit
Meryl Streep Slams Harvey Weinstein for Naming Her in Lawsuit
Discussion:
AOL, The Daily Caller, bizpacreview.com and The Guardian
Anita Wadhwani / Tennessean.com:
TBI: Nude cellphone photos, deleted chats may show evidence of crime in Mayor Megan Barry affair — Michael Schwab / USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says it has obtained nude photos of a woman taken on the phone of former Sgt. Rob Forrest …
Discussion:
Political Wire and Tennessee Star
Washington Post:
Mattis expected to back allowing transgender troops to stay in the military … Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is expected to propose to President Trump that transgender members of the U.S. military be allowed to continue serving despite the president's call last summer for a ban on all transgender service …
Gideon Resnick / The Daily Beast:
Trump: ‘Maybe They Have to Put a Rating System’ on Movies … During a meeting Thursday with state lawmakers, President Trump suggested violent entertainment is to blame for mass shootings in the United States. — His proposed solution? A ratings system for movies.
GQ:
What Ever Happened To Brendan Fraser? — GQ's Zach Baron reports on the stupendous rise and surprising disappearance of the once ubiquitous movie star. — Brendan Fraser wants me to meet his horse. “I got this horse because it's a big horse,” he says, standing in a barn in Bedford, New York.
Discussion:
East Bay Times, Daily Wire, Vox, AOL, IndieWire and Mashable