memeorandum: Insurers Game Medicare System to Boost Federal Bonus Payments (Wall Street Journal)

9:35 AM ET, March 12, 2018

Top Items:

Mueller Weighs Putting Off Trump Obstruction Decision — Delay would let him wrap up less explosive parts of inquiry — Obstruction decision might undercut probe, one way or another — Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice …

Discussion: Raw Story

Jake Pearson / Associated Press:

APNewsBreak: Trump Jr. partners with donor who pitched gov't — NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump Jr. has a previously undisclosed business relationship with a longtime hunting buddy who helped raise millions of dollars for his father's 2016 presidential campaign and has had special access …

Discussion: Political Wire and Raw Story

Daniel Lippman / Politico:

Playbook: What to make of tomorrow's race in Pennsylvania — Good Monday morning. TOMORROW is the special election in Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district. Rick Saccone, a Republican with whom D.C. insiders are underwhelmed, faces Conor Lamb, a Democrat who is running as a conservative.

Discussion: New York Times

Hadas Gold / CNN:
For Stormy, controversy blows up into a club scene bonanza

Discussion: twitchy.com

New York Times:
As ‘60 Minutes’ Prepares Stormy Daniels Interview, Lawyers Battle

Discussion: Deadline and ABC News, more at Mediagazer »

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:
Trump Lawyers Are Considering A Challenge To Stop “60 Minutes” From Airing A Stormy Daniels Interview

Discussion: RedState, Splinter, The Daily Caller, Common Dreams, IJR, Talking Points Memo, BBC, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos, Mediaite, New York Times, Raw Story, Joe.My.God. and The Moderate Voice

Frances Stead Sellers / Washington Post:
Stormy Daniels uncertain about fate of her ‘60 Minutes’ segment

Discussion: Breitbart

CNN:
Stormy Daniels says Trump scandal has been good for business

Discussion: twitchy.com, Politicus USA, Washington Post and IJR

New York Times:

5 People Killed in Helicopter Crash in East River Off Manhattan — The red helicopter carrying six people zoomed over the East River, flying along a popular route for sightseers who want to view the Manhattan skyline, but something appeared wrong with its path on Sunday evening.

Discussion: FOX31 Denver, FOX 61, NPR, FOX2now.com, fox8.com and The Stream

CNN:
Five people die in NYC helicopter crash, but the pilot survives

Discussion: ABC News, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and FOX2now.com

New York Post:
Tour helicopter takes deadly crash into East River

Discussion: The Savage Nation

Alizachasan / WPIX 11 New York:
East River helicopter crash leaves at least 2 dead, 3 in critical condition

Discussion: FOX40, KTLA, twitchy.com and HeraldScotland

Anita Kumar / mcclatchydc:

Ivanka Trump never cut ties with the Trump Organization. That's turned into a problem. — WASHINGTON Donald Trump isn't the only Trump with potential conflicts of interest in the White House. — Ivanka Trump — a senior White House adviser who is doing everything from lobbying the Senate …

Discussion: Raw Story

Washington Post:

White House vows to help arm teachers and backs off raising age for buying guns — The White House on Sunday vowed to help provide “rigorous firearms training” to some schoolteachers and formally endorsed a bill to tighten the federal background checks system, but backed off President Trump's earlier call …

Discussion: Mother Jones, ABC News, Jamie Dupree - AJC, Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway, Victory Girls Blog, New York Magazine and ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES

CNN:

White House proposes arming teachers, backpedals on raising age to buy guns — (CNN)The Trump administration on Sunday night proposed providing some school personnel with “rigorous” firearms training and backed a bill to improve criminal background checks on gun buyers …

Discussion: RedState, Shareblue Media, Mediaite, Washington Times and Wall Street Journal

Fox News:
White House backs off call to raise minimum age to buy long guns

Discussion: Breitbart and IJR

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Trump privately trashes Rick Saccone — There's a reason Trump said hardly anything about Republican candidate Rick Saccone during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday night that was supposed to promote his candidacy. — The reason: Trump thinks Saccone is a terrible, “weak” candidate …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, ABC News, Philly.com, Joe.My.God., New York Magazine, NBC News, Washington Post, Mediaite, Vox, Political Wire and Splinter

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Republicans wage 11th-hour blitz in Pa. special election

Discussion: NBC News

Lesley Stahl / CBS News:

Betsy DeVos on guns, school choice and why people don't like her — The secretary of education has been one of the most criticized members of President Trump's Cabinet, but DeVos says she's “more misunderstood than anything” — Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is a devout Christian grandmother …

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Splinter, News & Guts Media, New York Magazine, Mediaite and Raw Story

Susan B. Glasser / Politico:

When the President of the United States Calls You a ‘Son of a Bitch’ — On Friday afternoon, Chuck Todd was talking Trump. Never mind the over-the-top chaos of the last two weeks and a White House that at times seemed to be coming unglued, Todd told me in an interview for The Global Politico …

Talking Points Memo: US Officials: No More Conditions Imposed On North Korea For Talks

New York Times:

Saudis Said to Use Coercion and Abuse to Seize Billions — RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Businessmen once considered giants of the Saudi economy now wear ankle bracelets that track their movements. Princes who led military forces and appeared in glossy magazines are monitored by guards they do not command.

Discussion: Al Jazeera English and Axios

NBC News:

Qataris opted not to give info on Kushner, secret meetings to Mueller — WASHINGTON — Qatari officials gathered evidence of what they claim is illicit influence by the United Arab Emirates on Jared Kushner and other Trump associates, including details of secret meetings …

Discussion: Political Wire and Raw Story

Kate Winkle / KXAN-TV:

One dead, one hurt in package explosion in east Austin — AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are responding to reports of a package that exploded at a home in east Austin. — Austin-Travis County EMS says a boy in his teens died at the scene and a woman was taken to a hospital …

Eric Adler / Kansas City Star:

Missouri is a destination wedding spot — for 15-year-old brides — Missouri's child brides — This state has the most lenient law in the nation for 15-year-old brides. Some may have even married their rapists. — EXPAND ALL — In the dark before sunrise, high school sophomore Brittany Koerselman …

Michael Tackett / New York Times:

White Evangelical Women, Core Supporters of Trump, Begin Tiptoeing Away — GRAPEVINE, Tex. — Carol Rains, a white evangelical Christian, has no regrets over her vote for President Trump. She likes most of his policies and would still support him over any Democrat. But she is open to another Republican.

Discussion: Raw Story

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

A Trump spokesman just said something about collusion that he might come to regret … If special counsel Robert S. Mueller III one day proves that someone on the 2016 Trump campaign colluded with Russia, a top White House spokesman may live to regret what he said Sunday.