Top Items:
New York Times:
Conor Lamb Wins Pennsylvania House Seat, Giving Democrats a Map for Trump Country — Conor Lamb, a Democrat and former Marine, scored a razor-thin but extraordinary upset in a special House election in southwestern Pennsylvania after a few thousand absentee ballots delivered Democrats a win …
Discussion:
Philly.com, Politico, Raw Story, The Hill, Vox and NewsHounds blog
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Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
The ‘Enthusiasm Gap’ Could Turn A Democratic Wave Into A Tsunami — It's a busy time of year, so we'll keep this relatively short. But I wanted to echo and underscore a point made by FiveThirtyEight contributor Nathaniel Rakich in his article on Tuesday's special election in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, NPR, New York Times, Media Matters for America, Townhall.com, Washington Free Beacon and Daily Kos
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Three big takeaways from Trump's humiliating Pennsylvania failure … THE MORNING PLUM: — Democrat Conor Lamb is clinging to a lead of around 600 votes in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District, but most news organizations have refrained from calling the race.
Rob Tornoe / Philly.com:
Pa. 18 congressional district results: Democrat Conor Lamb maintains lead with absentee votes counted — In a highly-watched special election in western Pennsylvania, Democrat Conor Lamb is maintaining a slim lead over Republican Rick Saccone. — With all precincts fully reporting …
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight, Washington Post, The Daily Signal, CNN, New York Magazine, Daily Kos, Mother Jones and electionlawblog.org
Elena Schneider / Politico:
Republicans prepare for recount in Pennsylvania special election
Republicans prepare for recount in Pennsylvania special election
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Axios, Washington Post, USA Today, ABC News and Political Wire
Alexi McCammond / Axios:
Pennsylvania's special election, by the numbers
Pennsylvania's special election, by the numbers
Discussion:
Politico, ABC News, Washington Post, Vox, CNN and Shareblue Media
New York Times:
Andrew McCabe, a Symbol of Trump's F.B.I. Ire, Faces Possible Firing — WASHINGTON — Attorney General Jeff Sessions is reviewing a recommendation to fire the former F.B.I. deputy director, Andrew G. McCabe, just days before he is scheduled to retire on Sunday, people briefed on the matter said.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, RT, NBC News, Politico, Mother Jones, CNBC, The Gateway Pundit, Daily Kos, Joe.My.God., Talking Points Memo, KTLA, Axios and Political Wire
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Matt Zapotosky / Washington Post:
FBI disciplinary office recommends firing former deputy director Andrew McCabe … The FBI office that handles employee discipline has recommended firing the bureau's former deputy director over allegations that he authorized the disclosure of sensitive information to a reporter …
Discussion:
Towleroad
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Organization Tied to Deal to Keep Ex-Porn Star Quiet — An assistant general counsel at the president's flagship holding company intervened in arbitration proceeding in California to enforce a nondisclosure deal with former porn star — Documents marked “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL PROCEEDING” …
Discussion:
Raw Story
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Josh Gerstein / Politico:
BuzzFeed maneuver could free Stormy Daniels to speak on Trump — BuzzFeed may have found a legal opening to allow the porn actress Stormy Daniels to discuss her alleged relationship with President Donald Trump and a $130,000 payment she received just before the 2016 election as part …
Veronica Stracqualursi / CNN:
Hearing set in Stormy Daniels' lawsuit against Trump
Hearing set in Stormy Daniels' lawsuit against Trump
Discussion:
WIVB-TV, Politicus USA, IJR and Mashable
Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:
“Trump Wants Them Out of There”: After Swinging the Axe at Tillerson, Trump Mulls What to Do with McMaster, Sessions, Jared, and Ivanka — With tariffs done, Trump's sights are now on the Iran deal—and, possibly, the Russia investigation. “The president is finally realizing he is the president …
Discussion:
CBS News, Mediaite, Mother Jones, Fox News, The Gateway Pundit, Common Dreams, The American Conservative, CNBC, Daily Wire, Raw Story, Hullabaloo, CNN and Splinter
CNBC:
Trump plans to name Larry Kudlow his top economic advisor, replacing Gary Cohn: Sources — President Donald Trump plans to name Larry Kudlow as his top economic advisor, sources told CNBC. — Trump could announce his decision to choose Kudlow as his National Economic Council director as soon as Thursday.
Discussion:
CNN, Raw Story, Fox News, Daily Kos, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, National Review, KTLA, Splinter, TheStreet, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Breitbart and WGNO
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Nick Timiraos / Wall Street Journal:
Lawrence Kudlow Says He's Accepted Post as Trump's White House Economic Adviser
Lawrence Kudlow Says He's Accepted Post as Trump's White House Economic Adviser
Discussion:
Calculated Risk, Vox, Political Wire, Axios, Common Dreams and NPR
Ben White / Politico:
Trump hires Kudlow: 'You're looking handsome, Larry'
Trump hires Kudlow: 'You're looking handsome, Larry'
Discussion:
Washington Post, Media Matters for America, Forbes, ABC News, Shareblue Media, Breitbart, NY State of Politics, Mother Jones and IJR
Emily Smith / Page Six:
Donald Trump Jr. and wife headed for divorce, friends say — Donald Trump Jr. and his wife, Vanessa Trump, are struggling through marital problems and friends say they are heading for divorce, multiple sources have exclusively confirmed to Page Six. — Vanessa and the eldest son …
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Daily Caller and Joe.My.God.
Mike Allen / Axios:
Axios PM — Subscribe — 1 big thing: “The most toxic working environment on the planet” — In 14 months covering this White House, Axios' Jonathan Swan emails, he's never registered such a mood of acute anxiety from within the West Wing. — What we're hearing: Nobody knows what exactly …
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The Guardian:
Russia threatens retaliation after Britain expels 23 diplomats — May says Kremlin responded with ‘sarcasm, contempt and defiance’ to 24-hour deadline set by UK … Play Video — Britain is braced for retaliation from Moscow after Theresa May blamed the Russian state for the Salisbury poisoning …
Discussion:
BBC, New York Times, VICE News, Daily Wire and The Daily Caller
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Peter Baker / New York Times:
Trump, Pressured to Criticize Russia for Poisoning, Leaves Comment to Aides
Trump, Pressured to Criticize Russia for Poisoning, Leaves Comment to Aides
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and IJR
New York Times:
National School Walkout: Thousands Protest Against Gun Violence Across the U.S. — A month ago, hundreds of teenagers ran for their lives from the hallways and classrooms of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 students and staff had been shot to death.
Discussion:
NBC News, Viacom Corporate, CBS News, USA Today, TIME, Oxford Mail, miamiherald, ThinkProgress, Media Matters for America, Sun-Sentinel, Mashable, Hyperallergic, Billy Penn, Outside the Beltway, The Verge, gadflyonthewallblog, Raw Story, NewsHounds blog, News & Guts Media and Joe.My.God., more at Mediagazer »
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Emma Roller / Splinter:
'They're Scared of Us': On the Ground With the Students' Gun Control March in Washington
Morgan Gstalter / The Hill:
South Carolina governor: Student walkouts are ‘shameful’
South Carolina governor: Student walkouts are ‘shameful’
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Shareblue Media and CNN
Abha Bhattarai / Washington Post:
Toys R Us to close all 800 of its U.S. stores … Toy store chain Toys R Us is planning to sell or close all 800 of its U.S. stores, affecting as many as 33,000 jobs as the company winds down its operations after six decades, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Discussion:
WTKR-TV, The Verge and Bangor Daily News
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New York Times:
Beware of Devin Nunes's Next Move — This week Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee announced that they will be ending their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, having found no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the Trump administration.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo
CNN:
Exclusive: Defense Dept. charged nearly $140,000 at Trump branded properties — (CNN)Defense Department employees charged just over $138,000 at Trump branded properties in the first eight months of Donald Trump's presidency, according to a CNN review of hundreds of records.
Discussion:
Raw Story
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Betsy Woodruff / The Daily Beast:
Pentagon Spent $17,000 at Panama Trump Hotel
Pentagon Spent $17,000 at Panama Trump Hotel
Discussion:
ThinkProgress
Amy Larson / KSBW:
Seaside High teacher accidentally fires gun in class, students injured — SEASIDE, Calif. — A teacher who also serves as a reserve police officer accidentally fired a gun inside a Seaside High School classroom Tuesday, police said, and three students were injured.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Monterey County Weekly, Monterey County Herald, Vox, New York Times, Common Dreams, The Guardian, Shakesville, Hullabaloo, VICE News, CBS Baltimore, Mediaite, thecut, The Daily Beast, fox8.com, The Root, Boing Boing, New York Magazine, Joe.My.God., CityLab, Outside the Beltway and Raw Story
RELATED:
CNN:
First on CNN: Emails show Ben, Candy Carson selected $31,000 dining set — Washington (CNN)Newly released emails cast doubt on claims by Secretary Ben Carson and his spokesman that he had little or no involvement in the purchase of a $31,000 furniture set for his Department of Housing and Urban Development dining room.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Politico, ThinkProgress, American Oversight, New York Times, ABC News, CNBC, The Root, Daily Kos, Washington Monthly, New York Magazine, Splinter, Booman Tribune, Lawyers, Guns & Money, RedState, Shareblue Media, The Daily Caller, IJR, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, Mother Jones and theGrio
Christina Wilkie / CNBC:
Trump's lawyer in Mueller probe, John Dowd, cited for Trump campaign contribution above the legal max — President Donald Trump's lawyer, John Dowd, contributed more money last year to the president's re-election campaign than is legally permissible. — A March letter from the Federal …
Discussion:
Political Wire and Raw Story
New York Times:
U.S. Kept Silent About Its Role in Another Firefight in Niger — WASHINGTON — Green Berets working with government forces in Niger killed 11 Islamic State militants in a firefight in December, the American military acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission:
Theranos, CEO Holmes, and Former President Balwani Charged With Massive Fraud — Holmes Stripped of Control of Company for Defrauding Investors — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Silicon Valley-based private company Theranos Inc., its founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes …
Discussion:
CNBC, BuzzFeed, STAT, Boing Boing, The Verge, CBS Los Angeles, Gizmodo, Engadget, Mashable, CBS San Francisco, Politico and New York Times, more at Techmeme »
Rebecca Shapiro / HuffPost:
24 Pets Died Flying With U.S. Carriers Last Year. 18 Were On United. — Department of Transportation data show that 18 pets died last year in United's cargo program. — News that a dog died aboard a United Airlines flight on Monday has renewed interest in the airline's track record of safely transporting animals.
Discussion:
CBS Chicago and IJR