Top Items:
New York Times:
Pennsylvania Special Election Results: 18th Congressional District — CandidatePartyVotesPct. — Dem. — Rick Saccone — Rep. — Lib. — First results expected around 8:20 p.m. Eastern time. — The Pennsylvania special election on Tuesday, in a Republican-leaning House district …
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Frank Bruni / New York Times:
Conor Lamb Roared. Republicans Should Quake. — It's hard to imagine a candidate with friendlier looks, a more harmless demeanor and a gentler-sounding surname than Conor Lamb. — It's hard to imagine a message for the G.O.P. scarier than the one that Lamb, a Democrat …
Alex Seitz-Wald / NBC News:
Democrat Conor Lamb apparent winner in Pennsylvania upset, deals blow to Trump — WASHINGTON — Democrat Conor Lamb is the apparent winner over Republican Rick Saccone in Tuesday's special election in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District, according to an NBC News projection.
Discussion:
Axios, Boing Boing, ABC News, WREG-TV, twitchy.com, Washington Post, Joe.My.God. and Mediaite
Harry Enten / CNN:
Pennsylvania's special election isn't an isolated incident. The GOP is in trouble. — Conor Lamb claims victory in PA House race — (CNN)Even without a winner declared Tuesday night, it was clear based on the results what the race would tell us about the 2018 midterm elections.
Discussion:
RedState
New York Times:
No Result Yet in Pennsylvania House Race, but Democrat Declares Victory — CANONSBURG, Pa. — The Democrat and Republican in a special House election in the heart of Pennsylvania's Trump country were divided by a few hundred votes in a race that was too close to call early Wednesday …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, New York Magazine, Jamie Dupree - PBP, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Townhall.com
Dylan Scott / Vox:
The Pennsylvania special election shows the 2018 House battleground is enormous — By one calculation, more than 110 seats could theoretically be in play, based on tonight's results. — Set aside who actually won the Pennsylvania special House election between Democrat Conor Lamb …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Politico, Washington Post, USA Today, Hullabaloo, CNN, Breitbart, ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway and ABC News
HuffPost:
GOP Blames ‘Lackluster’ Candidate And His ‘Porn Stache’ For Pennsylvania Setback — Ice cold. — ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP, Pa. A special election in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District was still too close to call Tuesday night, although the fact that it was this close at all was bad news for Republicans.
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, National Review, ThinkProgress, CNBC, Daily Kos, New York Times, CBS Pittsburgh and NBC News
Rick Klein / ABC News:
The Note: In Pennsylvania's special election, an expensive lesson for Republicans
The Note: In Pennsylvania's special election, an expensive lesson for Republicans
Discussion:
One America News Network and Associated Press
Eric Bradner / CNN:
'It's not over yet:' Nail-biter Pennsylvania special election heads into 2nd day
'It's not over yet:' Nail-biter Pennsylvania special election heads into 2nd day
Discussion:
NPR, The Resurgent, Splinter, theGrio and Mediaite
Ben Kamisar / The Hill:
Democrat Conor Lamb declares victory in Pennsylvania race
Democrat Conor Lamb declares victory in Pennsylvania race
Discussion:
CNN, Common Dreams, alicublog and Daily Kos
Ella Nilsen / Vox:
What happens if the Pennsylvania special election goes to a recount
What happens if the Pennsylvania special election goes to a recount
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight and Rewire.News
Veronica Stracqualursi / CNN:
Lamb rejects suggestion that Pennsylvania special election was about Trump
Walter Shapiro / The Guardian:
Why it's time for Democrats to ditch Nancy Pelosi
Why it's time for Democrats to ditch Nancy Pelosi
Discussion:
CBS Pittsburgh
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:
Talking Points Memo, Axios, American Oversight, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Political Wire, Raw Story, theGrio and Mediaite
Ian Sample / The Guardian:
Stephen Hawking, modern cosmology's brightest star, dies aged 76 — The physicist and author of A Brief History of Time has died, a family member has said … Stephen Hawking, the brightest star in the firmament of science, whose insights shaped modern cosmology and inspired global audiences in the millions, has died aged 76.
Discussion:
NPR, Outside the Beltway, The Next Web, Sputnik International, Raw Story, The Atlantic, The Daily Caller, Gizmodo and The Verge
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BBC:
Stephen Hawking dies aged 76
Stephen Hawking dies aged 76
Discussion:
ABC News, The Guardian, Raw Story, KTLA, Mashable, The Big Lead, CBS Los Angeles, Boing Boing, twitchy.com, IJR, CBS San Francisco, fox8.com and The FADER
Dennis Overbye / New York Times:
Stephen Hawking, Who Examined the Universe and Explained Black Holes, Dies at 76
Stephen Hawking, Who Examined the Universe and Explained Black Holes, Dies at 76
Discussion:
Nature, The Verge, Press Association, Friendly Atheist, The Guardian, Mashable and Boing Boing
Wall Street Journal:
‘Rex, Eat the Salad:’ Inside the Awkward Relationship Between Rex Tillerson and Donald Trump — Cabinet post was a sharp change for a former Exxon Mobil CEO who was used to calling the shots — WASHINGTON—In a private room in China's Great Hall of the People in November …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Mediaite, The American Spectator, The Root, CNN, thecut, Raw Story, Splinter, Lawfare and The Atlantic
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New York Times:
Trump Eyes Replacing His Veterans Affairs Secretary With His Energy Chief
Trump Eyes Replacing His Veterans Affairs Secretary With His Energy Chief
Discussion:
Washington Post, Weekly Standard, RedState, CNN, Politico, Raw Story and Mediaite
Susan B. Glasser / Politico:
The Foreign Capital Rex Tillerson Never Understood: Trump's Washington
New York Times:
In Replacing Tillerson With Pompeo, Trump Turns to Loyalists Who Reflect ‘America First’ Views
In Replacing Tillerson With Pompeo, Trump Turns to Loyalists Who Reflect ‘America First’ Views
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, TIME, CNN, Vox, The Guardian, Just Security, Pacific Standard, Politico, Washington Post, Front Page Magazine, CNBC, Quartz, PRI and Los Angeles Times
Jonathan Lemire / Associated Press:
Cabinet chaos: Trump's team battles scandal, irrelevance
Cabinet chaos: Trump's team battles scandal, irrelevance
Discussion:
Politico and Washington Post
Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Gowdy breaks from GOP committee, says Russia worked to undermine Clinton — A top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee distanced himself Tuesday from one of the panel's most explosive findings in its Russia investigation — that the FBI, CIA and NSA overplayed their hand …
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Kevin Breuninger / CNBC:
Rep. Trey Gowdy disagrees with GOP colleagues in House probe, says Russia wanted to hurt Hillary Clinton
Rep. Trey Gowdy disagrees with GOP colleagues in House probe, says Russia wanted to hurt Hillary Clinton
Amie Parnes / The Hill:
Dems are angry over Hillary Clinton's latest comments
Dems are angry over Hillary Clinton's latest comments
Discussion:
RedState, Washington Post, Washington Free Beacon and NTK Network
Facebook:
Taking Action Against Britain First — People come to Facebook to express themselves freely and share openly with friends and family, sometimes this can include their political views. Some political opinions might be controversial, but it is important that different views can be shared …
Discussion:
Gizmodo, Hit & Run, The Verge, The Next Web, Engadget and VICE News, more at Mediagazer »
Richard Pérez-Peña / New York Times:
Britain Expels 23 Russian Diplomats Over Ex-Spy's Poisoning — LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May expelled 23 Russian diplomats on Wednesday, blaming Moscow for the poisoning of a former Russian spy and sharply escalating the dispute between the two countries.
Discussion:
HuffPost, ThinkProgress and Politico
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Michael Del Moro / ABC News:
Family of slain DNC staffer sues Fox News over retracted story — The family of Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich, who was killed in 2016, has filed a lawsuit against Fox News, an investigative reporter and one of the network's contributors over a story about Rich and allegations …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Politico, Joe.My.God., Raw Story, Washingtonian and Splinter, more at Mediagazer »
Zachary Warmbrodt / Politico:
Schumer struggles to quell Warren-led rebellion — Midway through Elizabeth Warren's fire-breathing campaign to tank a bank deregulation bill backed by more than a dozen Senate Democrats, Chuck Schumer invited her to his office. — Warren had just sent a fundraising email blasting fellow Democrats …
Discussion:
Washington Post
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Russell Berman / The Atlantic:
Heidi Heitkamp Takes On Elizabeth Warren Over the Senate Banking Bill
Heidi Heitkamp Takes On Elizabeth Warren Over the Senate Banking Bill
Discussion:
Townhall.com
Southern Poverty Law Center:
TWP chief Matthew Heimbach arrested for battery after affair with top spokesman's wife — Below is an update to an earlier story posted about Matthew Heimbach's arrest. — Matthew Heimbach, the leader of the Traditionalist Worker Party, is free on bond after being charged with battery …
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Marwa Eltagouri / Washington Post:
White nationalist leader Matthew Heimbach arrested for domestic battery
White nationalist leader Matthew Heimbach arrested for domestic battery
Discussion:
Southern Poverty Law Center and ThinkProgress
Washington Post:
Scott Pruitt's $25,000 soundproof phone booth? It actually cost more like $43,000. … Before Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt could install a secure, soundproof phone booth in his office last fall, officials had to create space for the addition in a nearby closet area.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
Jeremy Roebuck / Philly.com:
Feds: Ex-aide to U.S. Rep. Bob Brady targeted in murder-for-hire plot — A former political strategist for U.S. Rep. Bob Brady was targeted in a murder-for-hire plot to stop him from cooperating with an ongoing corruption probe in Arkansas and Missouri, federal authorities said.
Fred Barbash / Washington Post:
Gun-trained teacher accidentally discharges firearm in Calif. classroom, injuring student … A teacher who is also a reserve police officer trained in firearm use accidentally discharged a gun Tuesday at Seaside High School in Monterey County, Calif., during a class devoted to public safety.
Discussion:
KTLA
Andrew Kaczynski / CNN:
Stormy Daniels discussed alleged affair with Trump on 2007 radio show, host says — Radio Host: Stormy Daniels discussed alleged Trump affair on 2007 radio show — (CNN)Stephanie Clifford, the porn star known as Stormy Daniels, discussed her alleged affair with Donald Trump during …
Discussion:
HuffPost, New York Times, ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story and Mediaite
Christal Hayes / USA Today:
National student walkout: Thousands across the U.S. will walk out of class today to protest gun violence — Students across the country are planning mass walkouts Wednesday to mark one month since the high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., and to demand an end to gun violence.
Discussion:
thecut, Common Dreams, Vox, Daily Kos, Education Week, FOX2now.com, fox13now.com and Mashable