Top Items:
Nicholas Fandos / New York Times:
Hope Hicks Acknowledges She Sometimes Tells White Lies for Trump — WASHINGTON — Hope Hicks, the White House communications director, told House investigators on Tuesday that her work for President Trump, who has a reputation for exaggerations and outright falsehoods, had occasionally required her to tell white lies.
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Jonathan Swan / Axios:
Scoop: Trump family v. John Kelly — The Trump family — and the president's oldest son, Don Jr., in particular — was angry about the overwhelmingly negative TV coverage about Jared Kushner last night, and feels White House Chief of Staff Kelly is hanging Jared out to dry, a source familiar with the situation tells Axios.
Discussion:
RedState, Taylor Marsh, Raw Story, Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, Politico, The Daily Caller and Talking Points Memo
Glenn Thrush / New York Times:
Ben Carson's HUD, Planning Cuts, Spends $31,000 on Dining Set for His Office — WASHINGTON — Department of Housing and Urban Development officials spent $31,000 on a new dining room set for Secretary Ben Carson's office in late 2017 — just as the White House circulated its plans …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, ThinkProgress, Mother Jones, RedState, The Guardian, Curbed, New York Magazine, CNN, thecut, The Hill, Outside the Beltway, The Daily Beast, CNBC, Washington Post, Raw Story, ABC News, The Root, The Daily Caller, Shareblue Media, Mediaite, Washington Press, Axios, Political Wire and Daily Kos
Washington Post:
Kushner's overseas contacts raise concerns as foreign officials seek leverage … Officials in at least four countries have privately discussed ways they can manipulate Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, by taking advantage of his complex business arrangements …
Discussion:
CNN, Salon, Politico, Media Matters for America, Breitbart, Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, The Gateway Pundit, CNBC, Raw Story, Mother Jones, The Daily Caller, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Daily Beast, Joe.My.God., Axios, Talking Points Memo, Washington Press, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Political Wire and Washington Monthly
NBC News:
Trump slammed Clinton over handling of classified info. That looks like hypocrisy now — First Read is your briefing from Meet the Press and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter — Jared Kushner loses access to highly classified information 3:04
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, Washington Post, The Hill, Mediaite, Breitbart, Axios and Washington Press
Tom Kludt / CNNMoney:
Kushner bombshell: Fox buries unflattering story for Trump White House...again
Rick Wilson / The Daily Beast:
The Deep State Takes Out the White House's Dark Clown Prince
Discussion:
Raw Story, Breitbart, Mediaite and The Daily Beast
Washington Post:
Four Commerce Department appointees lose their posts after problems in background checks
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Raw Story and Political Wire
Olivia Nuzzi / New York Magazine:
Jared Kushner Loses His Right-Hand Man Just When He Needs Him Most
Discussion:
Breitbart, Politico and Washington Post
Andrew Restuccia / Politico:
Kushner loses access to top-secret intelligence
Discussion:
CNN, Wall Street Journal, Defense One, ABC News, Outside the Beltway, Just Security, The Daily Beast, Raw Story, Mediaite, New York Times, Axios, CBS San Francisco, ThinkProgress, The Atlantic, Washington Post, IJR, The Guardian, Vox, CBS Los Angeles, KTLA, New York Magazine, Gizmodo, Washington Free Beacon, Breitbart, Washington Press, emptywheel, Politicus USA, FOX31 Denver, Shareblue Media, RedState, Mother Jones, Talking Points Memo, CNBC, VICE News, Washington Times, FOX2now.com, WGN-TV, Daily Kos, Associated Press and Political Wire
Julie Creswell / New York Times:
Dick's, Major Gun Retailer, Will Stop Selling Assault-Style Rifles — One of the nation's largest sports retailers, Dick's Sporting Goods, said Wednesday morning it was immediately ending sales of all assault-style rifles in its stores. — The retailer also said that it would no longer …
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David Caplan / ABC News:
Dick's Sporting Goods CEO: Company will no longer sell assault-style rifles, nor sell guns to people under 21
Discussion:
Vox, Axios, New York Magazine, Gizmodo and AOL
CNN:
Mueller team asks about Trump's Russian business dealings as he weighed a run for president — (CNN)Investigators for special counsel Robert Mueller have recently been asking witnesses about Donald Trump's business activities in Russia prior to the 2016 presidential campaign as he considered …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, AOL, VICE News, Washington Press, Washington Times, Raw Story, Mediaite and Political Wire
NBC News:
U.S. intel: Russia compromised seven states prior to 2016 election — The U.S. intelligence community developed substantial evidence that state websites or voter registration systems in seven states were compromised by Russian-backed covert operatives prior to the 2016 election …
Discussion:
Washington Post, electionlawblog.org, Vox, Alaska Public Media, WFLA-TV, Axios, VICE News and Raw Story
People.com:
Oprah Winfrey Reveals the One Thing That Could Make Her Run for President — There's only one thing that could make Oprah Winfrey run for president in 2020. — Amid calls for her to consider a run for the White House — from fans as well as her closest friends — “I went into prayer,” …
Discussion:
Axios, Political Wire, Friendly Atheist and AOL
Jeff Horwitz / Associated Press:
Trump campaign chief lends name to penny stock tied to felon — WASHINGTON (AP) — The political strategist and online guru who was named President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign manager Tuesday has a close financial relationship with a penny-stock firm with a questionable history …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Liz Ruskin / Alaska Public Media:
Rep. Young suggests guns could've saved Jews during Holocaust — Speaking at a conference in Juneau last week, Alaska Congressman Don Young argued against gun control by suggesting Jews might not have died in the Holocaust if they had been armed. — Listen now
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Roll Call and ThinkProgress
Jerome R. Corsi / USA Today:
Arm qualified, willing teachers and staff — Allowing teachers and school staff the right to carry weapons provides the possibility of a near instant response: Opposing view — Even in the best of circumstances, police responding to a school shooting need time to deploy, arrive on the scene and engage.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast and Media Matters for America
Nicole Darrah / Fox News:
ICE arrests more than 150 people in Bay Area following Democratic mayor's warning — Head of ICE's enforcement and removal blasts Mayor Libby Schaaf's decision to announce raids; Claudia Cowan rides along with federal immigration agents trying to enforce the law.
Discussion:
CNN, RedState and The Daily Caller
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Meagan Flynn / Washington Post:
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf tipped off immigrants about ICE raid and isn't sorry she did
Discussion:
San Francisco Chronicle and Althouse
Elizabeth Landers / CNN:
NRA directly appealed to Trump against raising age for firearms purchases — Washington (CNN)National Rifle Association leaders appealed directly to President Donald Trump about not raising the age limit for buying certain firearms, a senior administration official tells CNN.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Breitbart, Daily Kos and Shareblue Media
Oli Coleman / Page Six:
Publicists to steer stars away from Seacrest on Oscars red carpet — E! network execs say that Ryan Seacrest will host their Oscars red-carpet coverage on Sunday, in spite of shocking allegations that emerged Monday that he subjected his personal stylist to “years of unwanted sexual aggression.”
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, NBC News, AOL, thecut, Fox News, The Daily Caller, CNN, Mashable, WPMT FOX43, CBS Los Angeles, VICE News and Breitbart
Addy Baird / ThinkProgress:
EXCLUSIVE: FedEx's secret deal with the NRA and the gun industry — More than two dozen companies have cut ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA) in recent days, having come under scrutiny for doing business with the gun lobby following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 people dead earlier this month.
Discussion:
Washington Press, Breitbart, RedState, Balloon Juice, Guns.com, CBS New York and WRIC-TV
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Tiffany Hsu / New York Times:
Big and Small, N.R.A. Boycott Efforts Come Together in Gun Debate
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Daily Kos and Washington Post
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Judge sets Sept. 17 trial date for Manafort on Mueller charges — A judge in Washington on Wednesday set a Sept. 17 trial date for former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort on charges from special counsel Robert Mueller, including money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent.
Discussion:
ABC News and Political Wire
Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic:
Why I'm Writing Captain America — Two years ago I began taking up the childhood dream of writing comics. To say it is more difficult than it looks is to commit oneself to criminal understatement. Writers don't write comics so much as they draw them with words.
New York Times:
With AR-15s, Mass Shooters Attack With the Rifle Firepower Typically Used by Infantry Troops — A Marine shooting a standard rifle used by the military. — The gunman firing a civilian variant during the Parkland shooting. … Since 2007, at least 173 people have been killed in mass shootings …
Discussion:
twitchy.com
Alex Daugherty / miamiherald:
Rubio bill would let young adults in D.C. purchase the AR-15 — WASHINGTON — Last week, Marco Rubio stared into the eyes of a father who lost his daughter during the nation's deadliest high school shooting and made an announcement: Young adults should not be able to purchase guns.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and Naked Politics
David Wasserman / The Cook Political Report:
PA-18 Special Election Moves from Lean Republican to Toss Up — It's not normal for Republicans to be worried about losing a seat President Trump carried by 20 points. But with two weeks to go before the March 13 special election, Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone is locked …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Daily Beast and Washington Free Beacon
Taylor Lorenz / The Daily Beast:
The Instagram Stars Hiding Their Famous, Muslim-Hating Mom, Pamela Geller … Claudia, Jackie, Olivia, and Margo Oshry are a group of sisters in New York living the millennial dream, running viral Instagram accounts and ruthlessly curating their online images.
Lea Skene / www.theadvocate.com:
Mother of baby killed in Baton Rouge crash involving off-duty cop arrested for failing to secure child seat — Just weeks after a Baton Rouge police officer was arrested on negligent homicide and accused of causing a crash that injured several people and killed a baby, the child's mother …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Washington Post:
Cyber chief says Trump has given him no new authority to strike at Russian interference threat … The head of U.S. Cyber Command warned lawmakers that penalties and other measures have not “changed the calculus or the behavior” of Russia as it seeks to interfere with this year's midterm elections.
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Balloon Juice, Mediaite and NPR
Michael Tesler / Washington Post:
Democrats and Republicans are increasingly divided on the value of teaching black history — Wednesday marks the end of Black History Month. And like prior Februaries, this month has seen its fair share of articles lamenting Americans' lack of knowledge about African American history.
Discussion:
Shakesville
Bloomberg:
How Defective Guns Became the Only Product That Can't Be Recalled — Taurus sold almost a million handguns that can potentially fire without anyone pulling the trigger. The government won't fix the problem. The NRA is silent. — Thomas “Bud” Brown makes his way out the back door …
Ben Schreckinger / GQ:
Steve Bannon Is Hatching His Comeback — In a wide-ranging and challenging conversation, Donald Trump's former strategist tells GQ's Ben Schreckinger why the #MeToo movement amazes him, why the Chinese enrage him, and why his secret new venture—a project to “weaponize ideas”—excites him.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller and Mediaite
Tony Badran / Tablet Magazine:
‘Ambassador Samantha Power Lied to My Face About Syria,’ by Kassem Eid — One day after the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution on Saturday demanding a truce in the besieged Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta to allow for aid access and medical evacuations, Russia, Iran …
Discussion:
Power Line
Guy Faulconbridge / Reuters:
Exclusive: North Korean leaders used Brazilian passports to apply for Western visas - sources — LONDON (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his late father Kim Jong Il used fraudulently obtained Brazilian passports to apply for visas to visit Western countries in the 1990s …
Discussion:
Axios
Bloomberg:
Manafort Joined Trump as Ukraine Work Dried Up, Cash Woes Rose — Fixer said to visit 17 times in 2014-15, with unpaid bills — Gates cooperation gives Mueller view on Manafort's cash hunt — Among the enduring curiosities of Donald Trump's presidential run was his announcement …
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