Top Items:
Washington Post:
In fundraising speech, Trump says he made up facts in meeting with Justin Trudeau … President Trump boasted in a fundraising speech Wednesday that he made up facts in a meeting with the leader of a top U.S ally, saying he insisted to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the United States runs …
Discussion:
RedState, Talking Points Memo, The Guardian, Axios, No More Mister Nice Blog, Splinter, Daily Kos, Politico, FOX2now.com, NBC News, New York Magazine, VICE News, Mother Jones, RT, Raw Story, thecut, Joe.My.God., CNBC, Sputnik International, Mediaite and FOX 61
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Mike Allen / Axios:
Axios AM — Subscribe — Good Thursday morning. Situational awareness: “Toys ‘R’ Us Inc. told employees Wednesday the struggling big-box retailer will sell or close all its U.S. stores, a collapse that threatens up to 33,000 American jobs in the coming months.” (WSJ) — 1 big thing: Pelosi in peril
Discussion:
Washington Post, Bloomberg and Raw Story
Mike Allen / Axios:
Pelosi in peril — Top Democrats tell me that if they take back the House in November, a restoration of Speaker Nancy Pelosi is no longer guaranteed. In fact, some well-wired House Democrats predict she will be forced aside after the election and replaced by a younger, less divisive Dem.
Discussion:
National Review and Politico
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:
Talking Points Memo, NBC News, Washington Times, Raw Story, JONATHAN TURLEY and Vox
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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 …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast and Political Wire, more at Mediagazer »
CNN:
Another Trump attorney involved in Stormy Daniels case — (CNN)New documents obtained by CNN's “Anderson Cooper 360” on Wednesday suggest a deeper link than previously known between the Trump Organization and the company that Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen …
Discussion:
News & Guts Media, New York Magazine, Splinter, VICE News, Axios, IJR, Politicus USA and Mashable
Jim Dalrymple II / BuzzFeed:
Stormy Daniels' Lawyer Says More Women Are Exploring Legal Cases Against President Trump
Stormy Daniels' Lawyer Says More Women Are Exploring Legal Cases Against President Trump
Discussion:
CNN, The Daily Beast, Raw Story and Mediaite
Elaina Plott / The Atlantic:
Trump Says a Democrat Won in Pennsylvania Because He's ‘Like Trump’ — If Donald Trump is worried about Democrats using an upset victory in Pennsylvania as a blueprint for winning big in the midterms, he didn't let on. — Trump broke his silence on the election at a private fundraiser …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, Talking Points Memo, Politico, Raw Story, NBC News, The Stream, Hit & Run and Vox
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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:
New York Post, CNN, Raw Story, American Greatness, Vox, NewsHounds blog, The Savage Nation and Politico
Gene J. Puskar / Washington Examiner:
Democrats can take the House, if they just pick Conor Lamb over Hillary Clinton
Jonathan Tamari / Philly.com:
Republicans seek answer to Trump drag after special-election setback in Pa.
Republicans seek answer to Trump drag after special-election setback in Pa.
Discussion:
RRH Elections, FiveThirtyEight, The Hill, Vox, Political Wire and Washington Post
Chris Isidore / CNNMoney:
Amazon didn't kill Toys ‘R’ Us. Here's what did — You won't be hearing the Toys ‘R’ Us jingle anymore — Don't blame Amazon for the death of Toys “R” Us. — It's true, online shopping didn't help matters, but the struggles of Toys “R” Us predate the boom in online shopping.
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Warren Stocker / WIS-TV:
Sister of Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof given $5,000 bond, not allowed to return to SC school — COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - — The younger sister of Charleston church shooter, Dylann Roof was given a $5,000 bond on Wednesday after she was arrested for bringing weapons and drugs onto the campus of A.C. Flora High School.
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Andy Shain / Post and Courier:
Dylann Roof's sister arrested for carrying weapons to school on day of national walkout — COLUMBIA — The sister of Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof was arrested Wednesday for carrying weapons at her affluent Columbia-area high school, authorities said.
Discussion:
WLTX-TV, Townhall.com, WTKR-TV, The Daily Caller and KTLA
Eli Lake / Bloomberg:
Time's Up: Trump Can't Have It Both Ways on Russia — It will be damning if the president continues to equivocate about Russia's role in the death of a former spy. — For the first 14 months of the Donald Trump administration, a fair analysis of its handling of Russia had to include some important caveats.
Discussion:
Politico, New York Times, Associated Press and Outside the Beltway
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:
Breitbart, Fox News, Mediaite, CBS News, The Gateway Pundit, The American Conservative, Daily Wire, Mother Jones, Raw Story, Hullabaloo, Common Dreams, Splinter, CNBC, CNN and New York Times
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Darren Samuelsohn / Politico:
Trump lawyers prepping for potential Mueller interview — But it's not clear how much an improvisational president can be scripted before a possible meeting with special counsel Robert Mueller. — President Donald Trump's lawyers are gaming out possible questions and answers …
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Philippe Reines / Washington Post:
Trump is a freak of political nature. Here's how you can beat him. — Philippe Reines has been a spokesman and adviser to Hillary Clinton since 2002, including during the 2016 campaign. — Campaigned in the wrong states. Ineffective message. Uninspiring orator. Represented all that is wrong with Washington.
Bloomberg:
This Is What Record-Low Unemployment Looks Like in America — What will happen when the U.S. unemployment rate falls below 4 percent, which is expected to occur by this summer? One way to tell is to look at cities where joblessness is already lower than that. Bloomberg News reporters traveled to Iowa, Georgia, and Maine.
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
RELATED:
New York Times:
Andrew McCabe, a Symbol of Trump's F.B.I. Ire, Faces Possible Firing
Andrew McCabe, a Symbol of Trump's F.B.I. Ire, Faces Possible Firing
Discussion:
Breitbart, NBC News, RT, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, CNN, CNBC, NY State of Politics, Mother Jones, Politico, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, KTLA, Axios, IJR, Joe.My.God., Mediaite and Political Wire
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 …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, Raw Story, Politico and miamiherald
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Spencer Ackerman / The Daily Beast:
‘She Should Be in Jail’—Rights Groups Rally to Stop Torture Overseer Turned Trump CIA Pick Gina Haspel … There were no legal consequences when Gina Haspel oversaw the torture of two men at a secret CIA prison in Thailand 16 years ago. There were no legal consequences 13 years ago …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, New Republic, Talking Points Memo, CNN, The Hill, Politico, The Daily Caller, NBC News and Common Dreams
RELATED:
Ali Soufan / The Atlantic:
Telling the Truth About CIA Torture
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, Joe.My.God. and Mediaite
Katherine Lam / Fox News:
Muslim teen watched jihadi videos, read Koran for ‘courage’ before Florida sleepover stabbings, cops say — A Florida teenager — who had previously been investigated for “alleged violent tendencies” — watched jihadist videos and read the Koran “to give him courage” before stabbing …
Discussion:
NewsBusters, Palm Beach Post, National Review, Daily Wire, Front Page Magazine and CBS News
The Guardian:
Dog gone: United Airlines mistakenly flies family German shepherd to Japan … United Airlines is investigating after mistakenly flying a Kansas family's dog to Japan. — KCTV reports that Kara Swindle and her two children flew from Oregon to Kansas City, Missouri, on Tuesday on a United flight.
Annie Karni / Politico:
Extreme secrecy surrounds Comey book manuscript — The former FBI director's book, due out in April, is expected to offer a window into his experience working for President Donald Trump. — James Comey's book is getting the Harry Potter treatment. — “A Higher Loyalty: Truth …
Discussion:
Political Wire
George Will / National Review:
The Real Down Syndrome ‘Problem’ — European moral complacency is facilitating a genocide. — Iceland must be pleased that it is close to success in its program of genocide, but before congratulating that nation on its final solution to the Down syndrome problem, perhaps it might answer a question: What is this problem?
Discussion:
Townhall.com
Colleen Flaherty / Inside Higher Ed:
‘A Different Kind of University’ — “Shocked, dismayed and angry”: faculty members at Wisconsin Stevens Point react to a plan to cut 13 majors, including English, history, political science and sociology, and expand more job-oriented programs. — Many professors in Wisconsin saw their fears …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
David Roberts / Vox:
The NYT opinion page cannot show US conservatism as it actually exists — It wants to challenge its readers, but not with the ugly truth. — The New York Times editorial page has come in for a great deal of criticism since it fell under the leadership of James Bennet, previously editor at the Atlantic, in March 2016.