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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 FiveThirtyEight
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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.
Discussion:
New York Magazine, CNBC, Washington Times, Breitbart, AOL, National Review, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, RedState, Washington Press, Daily Kos, IJR, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Raw Story, Daily Wire, Politico, VICE News, Shakesville, New Republic, Mother Jones, Talking Points Memo 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


Trump ignored ‘bright line’ on discussing Russia with Hicks — President Donald Trump's lawyers have urged him not to discuss details of the unfolding Russia investigation with anyone outside his legal team, warning of a conversational “bright line” that could put aides and associates in legal jeopardy …
Discussion:
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 …
Discussion:
National Review, Washington Post, Vox, NBC News, ABC News, The Daily Caller, CBS San Francisco, Townhall.com, CNBC, The Gateway Pundit and Fox News Insider


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 …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Daily Kos, The Root, New York Times, USA Today, Raw Story, The Hill, The Atlantic, ABC News, CNBC, Vox, New York Magazine, The Real Deal New York, The Mahablog, Fox News Insider and KTLA


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

Hope Against Hope — Hope Hicks is kidding herself if she thinks …
Discussion:
Washington Post and Hullabaloo


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


Report said to fault FBI's former No. 2 for approving improper media disclosure, misleading inspector general … The Justice Department inspector general is preparing a damaging report on former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, alleging he was responsible for approving an improper media disclosure …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller


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 …


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 …
Discussion:
RedState, New York Magazine, ThinkProgress, Washington Post, Balloon Juice, Politico, Hullabaloo, Daily Kos, Washington Press, Talking Points Memo, AOL, Axios and Raw Story
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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:
Mediaite, Power Line, 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


Trump's Tariff Folly — His tax on aluminum and steel will hurt the economy and his voters. — Donald Trump made the biggest policy blunder of his Presidency Thursday by announcing that next week he'll impose tariffs of 25% on imported steel and 10% on aluminum.
Discussion:
Raw Story
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Trump Plans Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum and Markets Slump
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CNNMoney, Washington Post, CNN, Fox News, Axios, US News, Telegraph, USA Today, CNBC, Bloomberg, WCTX-TV, NBC News, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The American Spectator, The Daily Caller, Breitbart, IJR, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, Washington Press, NPR, AOL, CBS Pittsburgh, InsideTrade Daily News, Reuters and Political Wire


Defining generations: Where Millennials end and post-Millennials begin — For decades, Pew Research Center has been committed to measuring public attitudes on key issues and documenting differences in those attitudes across demographic groups. One lens often employed by researchers …
Discussion:
Pew Research Center, Washington Post and The Outline
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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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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


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:
Mediaite and Deadspin, 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 …
Discussion:
ABC News, IJR, alicublog, Talking Points Memo, The Real Deal New York, thecut, Mediaite, Joe.My.God. and Splinter
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Ben Carson Tries to Cancel $31,000 Dining Furniture Purchase for HUD Office
Discussion:
The Root, NBC News, IJR, Hit & Run and The Daily Caller


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:
Bloomberg, ThinkProgress, Splinter and IJR
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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:
Raw Story and Shareblue Media


‘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


South Korea cuts ‘inhumanely long’ 68-hour working week — President introduces 52-hour work week to help improve quality of life and boost birth rates … Employees in one of the most overworked countries in Asia are about to get a break after South Korea passed a bill to reduce …


Putin threatens US arms race with new missiles declaration — President says Russia has new line of nuclear-capable weapons that can breach US defences … Vladimir Putin has announced that Russia has developed and is testing a new line of strategic, nuclear-capable weapons that would be able …
Discussion:
TASS, Defense One, Washington Post, BBC, The Diplomat, Splinter, Motherboard, WCCO | CBS Minnesota and Shakesville
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Putin boasts military might with animation of Florida nuke strike
Discussion:
Big Think, RedState, Washington Free Beacon and New York Magazine


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, Los Angeles Times, Daily Kos and Weekly Standard


N.R.A. Suggests Trump May Retreat From Gun Control — WASHINGTON — The top lobbyist for the National Rifle Association claimed late Thursday that President Trump had retreated from his surprising support a day earlier for gun control measures after a meeting with N.R.A. officials and Vice President Mike Pence in the Oval Office.
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, Breitbart, Washington Press, Raw Story, Hit & Run, Outside the Beltway, Washington Times, Roll Call, WSVN-TV and Mediaite


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” …