memeorandum: Can Texas Democrats turn the Lone Star State blue? (Dante Chinni/NBC News)

11:05 AM ET, March 5, 2018

Top Items:

Jane Mayer / New Yorker:

Christopher Steele, the Man Behind the Trump Dossier — How the ex-spy tried to warn the world about Trump's ties to Russia. — In January, after a long day at his London office, Christopher Steele, the former spy turned private investigator, was stepping off a commuter train in Farnham …

Discussion: New Republic, Political Wire, Washington Post, AOL, Politicus USA, Raw Story and Axios

NBC News:

Special counsel wants documents from Trump, numerous campaign associates — WASHINGTON — The grand jury investigating alleged collusion between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign has issued a subpoena seeking all documents involving the president and a host of his closest advisers …

Discussion: Washington Post and Raw Story

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Scoop: Mueller's hit list — Axios has reviewed a Grand Jury subpoena that Robert Mueller's team sent to a witness last month. — What Mueller is asking for: — Mueller is subpoenaing all communications — meaning emails, texts, handwritten notes, etc. — that this witness sent and received regarding the following people:

Discussion: ABC News, The Daily Beast, Daily Kos, Weekly Standard, CNBC, emptywheel, Washington Press, The Gateway Pundit, Political Wire and CANNONFIRE

Gardiner Harris / New York Times:

State Dept. Was Granted $120 Million to Fight Russian Meddling. It Has Spent $0. — WASHINGTON — As Russia's virtual war against the United States continues unabated with the midterm elections approaching, the State Department has yet to spend any of the $120 million it has been allocated since late 2016 …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Politico, Talking Points Memo, AOL, Politicus USA, The Moderate Voice, Axios, Balloon Juice, Washington Press and Political Wire, more at Mediagazer »

Mike Allen / Axios:

Democrats may have already won the House — Top Republicans sound increasingly resigned to losing a special House election in Pennsylvania Trump Country a week from today, after party-affiliated groups spent more than $9 million on a race that should be a “gimme.”

Discussion: Raw Story

Alayna Treene / Axios:
Trump tweets NAFTA demands to Canada and Mexico

Discussion: Politico

Andrew Restuccia / Politico:

Donald Trump's bubble presidency — When President Barack Obama felt he needed to show off his common touch, he'd go for cheeseburgers at Ray's Hell Burger — where he treated the Russian president to an onion-jalapeño-and-mushroom- topped patty — or to Five Guys …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Associated Press:
With Roles Reduced, Kushner And Ivanka Trump's Fate Uncertain

Discussion: Politicus USA

Marlow Stern / The Daily Beast: John Oliver: Donald Trump Has More ‘Sexual Chemistry’ With Ivanka Than Jared Kushner

New York Times:
Defying the Odds, Kellyanne Conway Steps Back and Hangs On

Discussion: Mediaite

BuzzFeed:

Secret NYPD Files: Officers Can Lie And Brutally Beat People — And Still Keep Their Jobs — Internal NYPD files show that hundreds of officers who committed the most serious offenses — from lying to grand juries to physically attacking innocent people — got to keep their jobs, their pensions …

Discussion: Raw Story

Jason Horowitz / New York Times:

Italy Election Gives Big Lift to Far Right and Populists — ROME — Italians registered their dismay with the European political establishment on Sunday, handing a majority of votes in a national election to hard-right and populist forces that ran a campaign fueled by anti-immigrant anger.

CNN:
Italy's voters choose populists, deliver stinging rebuke to Europe

Discussion: Hot Air, Geller Report and The Daily Beast

CNBC:

Stocks fall as trade war fears rattle investors — President Donald Trump announced last week the U.S. will implement a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports. — “The bears could make a comeback if President Donald Trump turns into an outright protectionist,” says one strategist.

Discussion: RedState, CNN, Axios and Talking Points Memo

Burgess Everett / Politico:
GOP fears midterm backlash from Trump's tariffs

Discussion: Business Insider, Washington Post, One America News Network, Fox News, The Daily Caller, CNBC, Mediaite, Hullabaloo and Politico

Wall Street Journal:

Are You Ready for an Amazon-Branded Checking Account? — Online giant wants to develop product that would appeal to younger customers and those without bank accounts. — Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -.77% is in talks with big banks including JPMorgan Chase JPM -.83% & Co. about building …

Discussion: New York Magazine, Dealbreaker, Engadget and AOL, more at Techmeme »

Nellie Andreeva / Deadline:

Oscar Ratings Down, Eye All-Time Low In Early Estimates — It was an Oscar do-over last night for host Jimmy Kimmel, producers Mike De Luca and Jennifer Todd and Best Picture presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Following last year's Envelopegate, which led to Beatty …

Discussion: RedState, Breitbart and The Daily Caller

Matt Wilstein / The Daily Beast:
Jimmy Kimmel Opens Oscars with Killer Jabs at Weinstein, Trump and Pence

Discussion: One America News Network, Politico and Breitbart

Stephen Gandel / Bloomberg:

Five Charts That Show How Companies Are Spending Their Tax Savings — About 60 percent of the gains are going to shareholders, compared with 15 percent for employees. — President Donald Trump and Republicans sold their $1.5 trillion tax cut as a boon for workers, but it's becoming clear …

ProPublica:

‘Trump, Inc.’ Podcast Extra: The Trump Organization Ordered Golf Course Markers With the Presidential Seal. That May Be Illegal. — President Donald Trump loves putting his name on everything from ties to steaks to water — and, of course, his buildings. But now the Trump Organization appears …

Washington Post:

10 years after financial crisis, Senate prepares to roll back banking rules … The Senate is preparing to scale back the sweeping banking regulations passed after the 2008 financial crisis, with more than a dozen Democrats ready to give Republicans the votes they need to weaken …

Discussion: TheBlaze and Political Wire

Michael S. Rosenwald / Washington Post:

‘A moment of awe’: Photo of little girl captivated by Michelle Obama portrait goes viral … Parker Curry, age 2, was not being cooperative. — Standing in front of the new painting of former first lady Michelle Obama at the National Portrait Gallery, Parker ignored her mother's pleas to turn around for a photo.

Michael J. de la Merced / New York Times:

Google to Sell Zagat to The Infatuation, an Upstart Review Site — When Google agreed to buy Zagat for $151 million nearly seven years ago, the technology giant intended to bring the restaurant review empire into the digital age. — Now ownership of Zagat will change again …

Discussion: Eater and The Verge, more at Techmeme »

Bloomberg:

Apple Turns Up Audio Ambition With High-End Headphones — Company is rapidly growing wearables and accessories segments — New headphones could potentially cannibalize some Beats sales — Apple Inc.'s AirPods earphones have been a surprise hit. Now, the company is planning a push into the high end of the market.

Discussion: Mashable and The Verge, more at Techmeme »

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Rudy Giuliani's tasteless Hillary joke — On Friday night, President Trump entertained around 250 Republican donors in his Mar-a-Lago ballroom. Spotted in the audience: Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen, who recently admitted to paying $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Discussion: IJR, Washington Press and Mediaite

Susan B. Glasser / Politico:

The Dance of the Pro-Trump Republican — Senator Bob Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has called President Trump a human “wrecking ball” for American foreign policy, and warned that Trump was bringing the world to the brink of “World War III.”

Dante Chinni / NBC News:

Can Texas Democrats turn the Lone Star State blue? — Can Texas Democrats really turn the Lone Star State blue? — For years, Democrats have dreamt of turning the state of Texas blue, or at least a competitive shade of purple. Tuesday's Democratic and Republican primary votes may offer …

Sarah D / Los Angeles Times: The only Democrat running against a vulnerable California Republican just dropped out of House race