memeorandum: Playbook: What to make of tomorrow's race in Pennsylvania (Daniel Lippman/Politico)

9:10 AM ET, March 12, 2018

Top Items:

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.

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:

Trump Lawyers Are Considering A Challenge To Stop “60 Minutes” From Airing A Stormy Daniels Interview — Anderson Cooper interviewed the adult film performer and director on Thursday. CBS plans to air the interview next Sunday, March 18. — Reporting From Washington, DC

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

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

Discussion: Deadline and ABC News, more at Mediagazer »

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

Discussion: twitchy.com

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

Bloomberg:

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 …

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

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

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, 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

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, 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

Discussion: Mediaite and Wall Street Journal

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

Discussion: Breitbart 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: ABC News, The Daily Caller, FOX31 Denver, FOX 61, NPR, CBS Baltimore, FOX2now.com, fox8.com and The Stream

New York Post:

Tour helicopter takes deadly crash into East River — A tourist helicopter plunged into the East River on Sunday night, killing two passengers and leaving three clinging to life after they were trapped inside the sinking vessel while the pilot scrambled to safety, police sources said.

Discussion: The Savage Nation

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

Discussion: CNN, FOX40, KTLA, twitchy.com and HeraldScotland

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: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, 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

Noah Bierman / Los Angeles Times:

Trump loves winning, but in his presidency and business, California has gotten in his way … President Trump's well-documented clashes with California owe plenty to politics, culture and personality. But at bottom, what drives the president's toxic relationship with the nation's …

Associated Press:
California here he comes! …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

Carla Marinucci / Politico: Californians wish Trump would pay attention to more than just his border wall

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