memeorandum: Vladimir Putin retains grip on Russia, exit polls show (CNN)

2:30 PM ET, March 18, 2018

Top Items:

Trump Assails Mueller, Drawing Rebukes From Republicans — WASHINGTON — President Trump appeared on Sunday to abandon a strategy of deferring to the special counsel examining Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, lashing out at what he characterized as a partisan investigation …

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

Gowdy to Trump: ‘When you are innocent ... act like it’ — Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) urged President Donald Trump and his lawyer on Sunday to stop flailing at special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and to let the probe continue unimpeded. — “When you are innocent ... act like it …

Discussion: The Hill, Mother Jones, CNN, Political Wire, Realtime Politics, Breitbart, WPIX 11 New York, The Week, Washington Free Beacon, Politico, NPR and Axios

Matt Zapotosky / Washington Post:

Trump said Mueller's team has ‘13 hardened Democrats.’ Here are the facts. … President Trump on Sunday renewed his attacks on the political affiliations of the members of the special counsel team investigating his 2016 campaign for possibly coordinating with Russia, alleging that the group has …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Balloon Juice, Raw Story and Politico

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

Trump rails against Mueller investigation, dismisses McCabe's notes as ‘Fake Memos’ … President Trump fired off angry tweets Sunday morning railing against the Justice Department special counsel's Russia investigation and attacking the integrity of former FBI director James B. Comey and his former deputy …

Discussion: Politico, Talking Points Memo, ThinkProgress, RedState, WIS-TV, CNN, CNBC, The Guardian, The Gateway Pundit, Fox News Insider, IJR, The Week, The Daily Caller, Raw Story, Sputnik International and New York Magazine

Emily Stewart / Vox:

Jeff Sessions may have violated his recusal pledge when he fired Andrew McCabe — Making the Justice Department inspector general's report public would help clear things up. — On Friday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, allegedly …

Discussion: Politico, The Mahablog, Outside the Beltway, Breitbart, bizpacreview.com, Realtime Politics and Just Security

Axios:

What McCabe told Mueller — Andrew McCabe says President Trump asked him: “What was it like when your wife lost? ... So tell me, what was it like to lose?” McCabe — the former FBI deputy director who was fired Friday night, 26 hours short of being eligible for a full pension …

Discussion: American Thinker, Politico, The Daily Caller, Power Line, bizpacreview.com and CNN

Joseph Weber / Fox News:
Fired McCabe kept notes on Trump, as Comey did, and gave them to Special Counsel Mueller

Discussion: Mashable, Fox News Insider, bizpacreview.com, Hullabaloo, Breitbart, Oxford Mail, The Gateway Pundit and NBC News

Erica Pandey / Axios:
Trump attacks FBI and Mueller investigation in morning tweets

Discussion: Washington Post, Politico, The Daily Caller, bizpacreview.com, Splinter and Mediaite

Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:
James Comey's book is already a best seller, with Trump's help

Discussion: Raw Story, Breitbart, Washington Times, Realtime Politics and bizpacreview.com

Amber Phillips / Washington Post:
Andrew McCabe was just offered a job by a congressman so he can get his full retirement.

Discussion: Forbes, Politico, bizpacreview.com, Daily Wire, Realtime Politics, The Daily Caller, RedState, Associated Press, twitchy.com, Mediaite, IJR, The Hill, Althouse and CANNONFIRE

David Frum / The Atlantic:
Firing McCabe Is Just the Start

Discussion: bizpacreview.com, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit and Washington Post

Quinn Scanlan / ABC News:
On danger that Trump could fire Mueller, Congress needs to speak up, 'don't wait for crisis': Leading Democrat

Discussion: Axios, JONATHAN TURLEY, RedState, bizpacreview.com and The Gateway Pundit

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
After McCabe firing, Trump attacks FBI, and his lawyer says Russia probe must end

Bernard Condon / Associated Press:

AP Exclusive: Kushner Cos. filed false documents with NYC — NEW YORK (AP) — When the Kushner Cos. bought three apartment buildings in a gentrifying neighborhood of Queens in 2015, most of the tenants were protected by special rules that prevent developers from pushing them out, raising rents and turning a tidy profit.

Discussion: Axios, Outside the Beltway, The Real Deal New York, Political Wire and Raw Story

Reuters:

Exclusive: Sources contradict Sessions' testimony he opposed Russia outreach — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' testimony that he opposed a proposal for President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign team to meet with Russians has been contradicted by three people …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, Mediaite, Booman Tribune and Political Wire

Mark Murray / NBC News:

Democrats hold double-digit lead for 2018 midterm elections — A new NBC News/WSJ poll also shows President Trump's approval ratings edging up — WASHINGTON — Democrats enjoy a 10-point advantage over Republicans in congressional preference for the 2018 midterm elections …

Discussion: Political Wire, Vox, Politicus USA and Axios

Janet Hook / Wall Street Journal:

Democrats Regain Double-Digit Advantage Over GOP in Voter Sentiment Poll — Republicans lost ground, even as Americans adopted more favorable view of Trump's job — Democrats have regained a double-digit advantage over Republicans as the 2018 midterm congressional campaign intensifies …

Terry Moran / ABC News:

Russian ex-spy's poisoning in UK believed from nerve agent in car vents; at least 38 others sickened: Sources — The Russian ex-spy who along with his daughter was poisoned by a nerve agent in the U.K. may have been exposed to the neurotoxin through his car's ventilation system, sources told ABC News.

Ellen Barry / New York Times:

Britain Says It Has Proof Russia Stockpiled Lethal Nerve Agent — London — Britain has evidence that Russia has been manufacturing and stockpiling the nerve agent used in an attack on a former Russian double agent on British soil, the British foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, said on Sunday.

Paul Dallison / Politico:
Russian ambassador says UK lab could have poisoned ex-spy

Discussion: BBC, One America News Network and Sputnik International

The Guardian:

Cambridge Analytica and Facebook accused of misleading MPs over data breach — Call for Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg to testify before parliamentary committee … The head of the parliamentary committee investigating fake news has accused Cambridge Analytica and Facebook of misleading MPs in testimony …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Recode, Refinery29, The Verge, Axios, TechCrunch, Breitbart, Shareblue Media, The Western Journal and Big Think, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:
Data Firm Tied to Trump Campaign Talked Business With Russians

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, The Week, Mediaite, CNNMoney, The Guardian, Raw Story, CNN, Just Security and Engadget, more at Mediagazer »

Donie O'Sullivan / CNN:
New York professor sues Cambridge Analytica to find out what it knows about him

Discussion: Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

The Guardian: Staff claim Cambridge Analytica ignored US ban on foreigners working on elections

Cleve R. Wootson Jr / Washington Post:

Legend says a load of Union gold went missing during the Civil War. Did the FBI just find it? … As a 155-year-old legend goes, a Union Army wagon train left Wheeling, W.Va., before the Battle of Gettysburg, carrying two tons of gold, but never completed its 400-mile mission.

Discussion: Cafe Hayek

New York Times:

Kris Kobach's Voting Sham Gets Exposed in Court — This is part of a series on voting in America, which will run up to Election Day in November. For part 1, on the importance of voting, go here. — The modern American crusade against voter fraud has always been propelled by faith.