memeorandum: Bend, Oregon, is becoming a commuter town for Silicon Valley despite the 10-hour drive (Michelle Castillo/CNBC)

11:50 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, CNBC, Raw Story, emptywheel, Daily Kos, AOL, Politicus USA 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: RedState, Vox, Talking Points Memo, Politico, ABC News, The Daily Beast, Daily Kos, Shareblue Media, Weekly Standard, CNBC, emptywheel, Washington Press, The Gateway Pundit, Political Wire and CANNONFIRE

Cynthia Littleton / Variety:

Oscars: Early Ratings Down From 2017 Telecast — Live viewership of the 90th annual Academy Awards ceremony was down significantly from the 2017 telecast, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings for ABC's nearly four-hour telecast. — The 8 p.m.-11 p.m. portion of ABC's telecast averaged …

Discussion: Breitbart and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Andrea Dresdale / ABC News:

What to expect from Sunday night's 90th Academy Awards — The 2018 Oscars have come to a close as “The Shape of Water” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” both had big nights. — The first award of the night went to Sam Rockwell for best supporting actor for his role in “Three Billboards.”

Discussion: twitchy.com, Daily Wire, ThinkProgress, Weekly Standard, Bustle, Associated Press, Washington Press, Towleroad, Breitbart, Mashable, EW.com, Mother Jones and New York Daily News

Nellie Andreeva / Deadline:
Oscar Ratings Down, Eye All-Time Low In Early Estimates

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 Infowars

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: Axios, CNN, New York Times, Talking Points Memo, Infowars, The Resurgent, Breitbart and Bustle

William Mauldin / Wall Street Journal:
Trump Links Planned Steel Tariffs to Nafta Renegotiation Effort

Discussion: ABC News, Vox, RedState and Reuters

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

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

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

Discussion: Politico

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, Politicus USA, AOL, The Moderate Voice, Balloon Juice, Axios, Washington Press and Political Wire, more at Mediagazer »

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

Associated Press:

With Roles Reduced, Kushner And Ivanka Trump's Fate Uncertain — WASHINGTON (AP) — They spent their first year in Washington as an untouchable White House power couple, commanding expansive portfolios, outlasting rivals and enjoying unmatched access to the president.

Discussion: Politicus USA

Andrew Restuccia / Politico:
Donald Trump's bubble presidency

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

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

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

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

BBC:
Italy election: Populist Five Star and League vie for power

Discussion: The Daily Caller, CNN and Political Wire

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 …

Discussion: Raw Story and AOL

NBC News:

What to watch in Texas: Can Democrats maintain their enthusiasm advantage? — 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 — Can Texas Democrats really turn the Lone Star State blue?

Discussion: American Prospect and NBC News

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

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 …

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: New York Times, Bloomberg, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, TheBlaze and Political Wire

Richard C. Paddock / New York Times:

Escort Says Audio Recordings Prove Russian Meddling in U.S. Election — BANGKOK — A Belarusian escort with close ties to a powerful Russian oligarch said from behind bars in Bangkok on Monday that she had more than 16 hours of audio recordings that could help shed light on Russian meddling in United States elections.

Discussion: Political Wire

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, AOL and Engadget, more at Techmeme »

CBS Los Angeles:

Long Beach Woman In Viral, Racist Rant Offers To Enlighten Public On ‘Displacement Of European-Americans’ — HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA) — Cellphone video of a woman telling a Long Beach couple, “You need to go back to your home country,” has gone viral, and the woman's employer has issued a statement condemning the comments.

Discussion: Raw Story

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, Eater NY and The Verge, more at Techmeme »

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.