memeorandum: Is There a Problem? — I've always been resistant to criticisms … (Josh Marshall/Talking Points Memo)

1:10 PM 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 York Times, The Daily Beast, Washington Post, RedState, New Republic, Political Wire, CNBC, Shakesville, Mediaite, Raw Story, emptywheel, Daily Kos, AOL and Politicus USA

Louis Nelson / Politico:

Trump says Obama administration investigated campaign's alleged Russia ties to help Clinton — President Donald Trump questioned Monday morning why the Obama-era Justice Department launched an investigation into his campaign in the midst of the 2016 election, positing that then-President Barack Obama …

Discussion: CNN, Fox News, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, ThinkProgress, Politicus USA, IJR, Axios, The Guardian, Shareblue Media, Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Washington Times, Political Wire, Towleroad and AOL

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: Vox, RedState, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Beast, ABC News, Daily Kos, Weekly Standard, CNBC, emptywheel, Washington Press, Political Wire, The Gateway Pundit and CANNONFIRE

Josh Bivens / New York Times:

Don't Worry About Trump's Tariffs — Last week President Trump announced new tariffs on steel and aluminum products, and the response couldn't have been more negative — critics warned of trade wars, recession, global instability. But the blowback is overblown, and seems …

Discussion: National Review and Cafe Hayek

Bethany Mandel / New York Times: I Wanted to Be a Good Mom. So I Got a Gun.

Zeeshan Aleem / Vox:
Trump's possible trade war with Canada and Europe, explained

Discussion: Politico, Bloomberg, CBS News, The Resurgent, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Washington Press

CNBC:
Stocks fall as trade war fears rattle investors

Discussion: ABC News, Axios, Vox, CNN, Wall Street Journal, RedState, New York Times and TheBlaze

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: Splinter and Raw Story

Mimi Montgomery / Washingtonian:

Why It's Hard for Conservatives to Date in DC Right Now — Fewer people are hooking up across party lines, and Republicans say it's because Democrats are too quick to dismiss their dating-app profiles. — Most Americans think today's strongest tensions lie between Democrats and Republicans, according to a Pew Research study.

NBC News:
What to watch in Texas: Can Democrats maintain their enthusiasm advantage?

Discussion: American Prospect and NBC News

Kevin Roose / New York Times:

Silicon Valley Is Over, Says Silicon Valley — “Oh my god, this is so cute!” — Robin Li, an investor with the San Francisco venture capital firm GGV Capital, was standing in the lobby of the Madison building in downtown Detroit. Built in 1917 as a theater and refurbished several years ago …

Discussion: New Republic

Nellie Bowles / New York Times: Dorm Living for Professionals Comes to San Francisco

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

Discussion: Althouse and Clayton Cramer

Emerson College Polling / PR Newswire:

Emerson College ePoll: Statistical Dead Heat in PA 18th Congressional Special Election — Democrat Conor Lamb leads Republican Rick Saccone 48% to 45%, 10 days out from election — A new Emerson College poll finds Pennsylvania's 18th District Special Congressional election with Conor Lamb …

Discussion: Politicus USA and Political Wire

Tony Maglio / The Wrap:

Oscars Early Ratings Tank, Show Sinks 16 Percent From Last Year — Jimmy Kimmel's second turn can't compete with his first — Jimmy Kimmel's return as Oscars host received an 18.9 rating in Nielsen's overnight numbers from 8-11 p.m. ET, down 15.6 percent from his 2017 debut.

Discussion: Hollywood Reporter, IJR, NewsBusters and Daily Wire

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

Discussion: RedState, smokeroom.com, NewsBusters, Daily Wire, Breitbart, Front Page Magazine, The Daily Caller and twitchy.com

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: The Daily Caller and Raw Story

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, Fox News Insider, Politico, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, AOL, Politicus USA, The Moderate Voice, Balloon Juice, Axios, Washington Press and Political Wire, more at Mediagazer »

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

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: Daily Kos, Raw Story and AOL

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

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: Mother Jones, New York Times, Bloomberg, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, TheBlaze and 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: Daily Mail, Mashable, Gizmodo, Dealbreaker, New York Magazine, Engadget and AOL, more at Techmeme »

Guy Benson / Townhall.com:

EXCLUSIVE: Meet the Conservative Parkland Massacre Survivor the Media Has Largely Ignored — PARKLAND, FLORIDA — On the afternoon of February 14, 2018, Kyle Kashuv found himself in the midst of a waking nightmare, huddled in a classroom closet for two harrowing hours, attempting to console and reassure terrified fellow students.

Discussion: Hot Air, The Daily Beast, twitchy.com, The Daily Signal and TheBlaze

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: TheBlaze, Breitbart and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

John Koblin / New York Times:

Inside the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party — BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — It was a little after midnight at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, and no one was about to get in Frances McDormand's way. — A few hours earlier she had won her second best actress Oscar, and now she bobbed and weaved through a packed crowd …

Discussion: USA Today, East Bay Times, Bustle and CBS Los Angeles

Glenn Thrush / New York Times:

Ben Carson on His Vexing Reign at HUD: Brain Surgery Was Easier Than This — WASHINGTON — Before Ben Carson accepted President Trump's offer to become secretary of housing and urban development, a friend implored him to turn down the job to preserve the reputation he had earned …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

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

Andrew Van Dam / Washington Post:

Trump's tariffs and bitcoin's boom share the same unexpected source … China is the third rail of the global economy. And by that we mean it's overloaded with electricity and prone to delivering huge shocks. Those power surges shift global markets and overload entire sectors.

Washington Post:

House speaker Ryan splits with Trump on trade as Republicans in Congress move to block planned tariffs — Congressional Republicans are maneuvering to stop President Trump from levying harsh tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, arguing the move strikes at the heart of their economic agenda …