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Trump's Chaos Theory for the Oval Office Is Taking Its Toll — WASHINGTON — For 13 months in the Oval Office, and in an unorthodox business career before that, President Trump has thrived on chaos, using it as an organizing principle and even a management tool.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Vox, Althouse, No More Mister Nice Blog and Outside the Beltway
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White House preparing for McMaster exit as early as next month — WASHINGTON — The White House is preparing to replace H.R. McMaster as national security adviser as early as next month in a move orchestrated by chief of staff John Kelly and Defense Secretary James Mattis, according to five people familiar with the discussions.
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New York Magazine, CNBC, Breitbart, RedState, Washington Times, Mother Jones, AOL, National Review, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Washington Press, Daily Kos, IJR, Raw Story, Lawyers, Guns & Money, New Republic, Politico, VICE News, Daily Wire, Talking Points Memo, Shakesville and Political Wire


Get stylish like Hope Hicks in a Veronica Beard jacket … Hicks, who turns 30 next October, revealed she was leaving the White House on Thursday. She is Trump's longest surviving aide and helped guide his early shoestring campaign operation after working for the Trump Organization
Discussion:
Political Wire and Mediaite


Trump adrift: Tumult in West Wing amid exits, investigation — WASHINGTON (AP) — Rattled by two weeks of muddled messages, departures and spitting matches between the president and his own top officials, Donald Trump is facing a shrinking circle of trusted advisers and a staff that's grim about any prospect of a reset.
Discussion:
Political Wire


Many Trump Staffers Are Trying To Leave His Out-Of-Control White House — Even for this chaotic administration, the last few weeks have taken a toll on President Donald Trump and his staff. A tragic mass shooting, big-name staff departures, and a series of scandals …
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Washington Post, The Daily Beast, New York Magazine, The Root, New York Times, Daily Kos, USA Today, The Hill, The Atlantic, Raw Story, Vox, ABC News, CNBC, The Real Deal New York, The Mahablog, Fox News Insider and CNN


White House meltdown on full display — Washington (CNN)The tumult of the past week has fueled a deep and seething anger within President Donald Trump — not an uncommon emotion for the insolent commander in chief — but one that allies and aides say has escalated as he faces a new gauntlet of problems …
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National Review, Washington Post, NBC News, Vox, ABC News, The Daily Caller, CBS San Francisco, CNBC, Townhall.com, Washington Monthly and Shakesville


Trump ignored ‘bright line’ on discussing Russia with Hicks
Discussion:
CNN

Trump's tariff war nudges Cohn toward White House exit
Discussion:
Axios, One America News Network, Breitbart, ABC News, Washington Press and Raw Story

Hope Against Hope — Hope Hicks is kidding herself if she thinks …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Hullabaloo, AOL, Weekly Standard and Raw Story

Kelly: I didn't want to leave DHS, but ‘God punished me’
Discussion:
Washington Post, IJR, Mediaite and AOL


Senate Intelligence Leaders Say House G.O.P. Leaked a Senator's Texts — WASHINGTON — The Senate Intelligence Committee has concluded that Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee were behind the leak of private text messages between the Senate panel's top Democrat and a Russian-connected lawyer …
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New York Magazine, Washington Post, Balloon Juice, ThinkProgress, Politico, Hullabaloo, Daily Kos, Washington Press, Talking Points Memo, AOL, Axios and Raw Story
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Exclusive: FBI counterintel investigating Ivanka Trump business deal — (CNN)US counterintelligence officials are scrutinizing one of Ivanka Trump's international business deals, according to two sources familiar with the matter. — The FBI has been looking into the negotiations …


Mueller eyes charges against Russians who stole, spread Democrats' emails — WASHINGTON — Special Counsel Robert Mueller is assembling a case for criminal charges against Russians who carried out the hacking and leaking of private information designed to hurt Democrats in the 2016 election …
Discussion:
Power Line, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story, emptywheel and Political Wire
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Russia “Previewed” Plan to Disseminate Emails with Trump Campaign
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, Hullabaloo, Salon, Raw Story, AOL and Balloon Juice


Justice Dept. Report Is Expected to Criticize Andrew McCabe Over Media Disclosures — WASHINGTON — A Justice Department review is expected to criticize the former F.B.I. deputy director, Andrew G. McCabe, for authorizing the disclosure of information about a continuing investigation to journalists …
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Trump Ally Was in Talks to Earn Millions in Effort to End 1MDB Probe in U.S. — Emails indicate Republican donor and wife were negotiating fee if the Justice Department closed its investigation — A top Republican fundraiser close to President Donald Trump was in negotiations to earn tens …
Discussion:
The Real Deal New York and Daily Kos


Voters vow to elect a Congress that stands up to Trump, poll shows — WASHINGTON — Americans are mad, and that is putting Republicans at risk. — A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds voters looking toward the midterm elections are overwhelmingly unhappy with the country's direction …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media and Political Wire
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Depth Of Russian Politician's Cultivation Of NRA Ties Revealed — A prominent Kremlin-linked Russian politician has methodically cultivated ties with leaders of the National Rifle Association, and documented efforts in real time over six years to leverage those connections and gain access deeper into American politics, NPR has learned.
Discussion:
Political Wire


Exclusive: Secret Documents From Russia's Election Trolls Leak … The Kremlin-backed troll farm at the center of Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. election has quietly suffered a catastrophic security breach, The Daily Beast has confirmed, in a leak that spilled new details of its operations onto obscure corners of the internet.
Discussion:
Raw Story
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The Real Risks of Trump's Steel and Aluminum Tariffs — A higher price for the metals isn't the main concern; it's the chance that the global trade system will be undermined. — President Trump announced today that his administration would impose a 25 percent tariff on imported steel …
Discussion:
Axios
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Trump Plans Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum and Markets Slump
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CNN, CNNMoney, Washington Post, Fox News, Axios, CNBC, Telegraph, US News, USA Today, Bloomberg, WCTX-TV, Breitbart, Shareblue Media, NBC News, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Daily Caller, The American Spectator, IJR, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, Washington Press, NPR, CBS Pittsburgh, AOL, Reuters, InsideTrade Daily News and Political Wire


Longtime Fox News exec who wrote controversial Olympics column out at network — Fox News exec slams Olympic committee's focus on diversity — John Moody, the longtime Fox News executive who wrote a controversial column about the US Olympic committee last month, is no longer with Fox News …
Discussion:
Deadspin and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »


See HUD's $31,000 mahogany dining set — Washington (CNN)A $31,000 dining set the Department of Housing and Urban Development purchased, which raised eyebrows when first reported Tuesday, includes a table, sideboard, breakfront — all in mahogany — and 10 mahogany chairs with a blue velvet finish …
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Talking Points Memo, ABC News, IJR, The Real Deal New York, alicublog, thecut, Mediaite, Joe.My.God. and Splinter
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Ben Carson Tries to Cancel $31,000 Dining Furniture Purchase for HUD Office
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The Root, NBC News, IJR, Hit & Run and The Daily Caller


‘March For Our Lives’ gun-control rally bumped from Mall by ‘talent show’ … A planned rally against mass shootings can't be held on the Mall later this month because it conflicts with what's described in a National Park Service permit application as a “talent show.”
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Daily Kos


Putin boasts military might with animation of Florida nuke strike — (CNN)Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday used a concept video of unlimited range nuclear warheads apparently raining down on Florida — President Donald Trump's home away from home — to tout his country's new firepower.
Discussion:
Big Think, Washington Free Beacon, RedState and New York Magazine
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Putin threatens US arms race with new missiles declaration
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TASS, Defense One, BBC, Washington Post, Splinter, The Diplomat, Motherboard, WCCO | CBS Minnesota and Shakesville


Georgia Republicans honor their threat to punish Delta for cutting ties with NRA … In a show of political strength, Georgia lawmakers on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill that was stripped of an earlier provision granting Delta Air Lines a lucrative tax break.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Bloomberg, Splinter and Florida Politics
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Georgia Passes Bill That Stings Delta Over N.R.A. Position
Discussion:
The Root


Mike Huckabee resigns from CMA Foundation board following controversy — Mike Huckabee and TBN president Matthew Crouch talk about the new show in Nashville — Less than one day after his appointment was announced, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has resigned from the CMA Foundation board of directors …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media and Raw Story


Rick Gates tells judge he's canceling trip due to threat invoking Russian mafia — Ex-Trump campaign aide Rick Gates pleads guilty — Washington (CNN)Former Trump campaign deputy Rick Gates told a federal court Thursday afternoon that he and his wife believe it's “not prudent” …


U.S. Ambassador to Mexico to Quit Amid Tense Relations Under Trump — MEXICO CITY — The United States ambassador to Mexico plans to resign from her post in May, according to a memo circulated on Thursday to embassy staff, the latest in a string of senior diplomatic departures from the region …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Washington Press, AOL, VICE News, Axios, Weekly Standard, Los Angeles Times and Daily Kos


The Strike Is On — “We're not going back to work until there's solid proof that our demands are going to be met,” a teacher unionist on strike in West Virginia tells Jacobin. — Paris Marx — Interview by — Schools are still closed today in West Virginia.
Discussion:
CNN, New York Times, Splinter, WOWK-TV, Washington Press and ThinkProgress