memeorandum: Exclusive: Congress requires many unpaid interns to sign nondisclosure agreements (Rachel Wolfe/Vox)

11:25 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, Daily Kos, 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: Vox, RedState, Talking Points Memo, 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 »

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, Talking Points Memo, Infowars, Breitbart, The Resurgent, Bustle, The Guardian and Roll Call

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

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

Discussion: Vox, RedState, CNN and Reuters

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

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, more at Mediagazer »

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

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

Ishaan Tharoor / Washington Post:
Italy's election is another blow to the European establishment

Discussion: Reuters, Bloomberg, Axios, RT and CBS Los Angeles

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

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

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: AOL

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 »

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.

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?

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 »

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: Shakesville, IJR, Washington Press and Mediaite