Top Items:
Washington Post:
Trump proposed Putin visit Washington in March 20 phone call, Kremlin says — President Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the two leaders could meet in the White House, a Kremlin aide told Russian media Monday, Russian news agencies said. — No specific preparations for such a meeting have taken place, the aide said.
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Bloomberg:
Trump Discussed White House Invitation to Putin in Phone Call — Invitation came in congratulatory call to Putin, Ushakov says — Summit preparations haven't begun after diplomatic expulsions — Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed holding a summit at the White House …
Oleksiy Kuzmenko / bellingcat:
The Curious Case of David Jewberg, the Fake Senior Pentagon Russia Analyst — Summary: — “Senior Pentagon Russia Analyst LTC David Jewberg” maintained a popular Facebook page and was frequently quoted in Ukrainian and Russian media as a Pentagon insider related to topics concerning Ukraine and Russia.
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Corruption, Not Russia, Is Trump's Greatest Political Liability — “My whole life I've been greedy, greedy, greedy,” declared Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign. “I've grabbed all the money I could get. I'm so greedy. But now I want to be greedy for the United States.”
Discussion:
Washington Post, Political Wire, No More Mister Nice Blog and Washington Times
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Jacey Fortin / New York Times:
Sinclair Made Dozens of Local News Anchors Recite the Same Script — On local news stations across the United States last month, dozens of anchors gave the same speech to their combined millions of viewers. — It included a warning about fake news, a promise to report fairly and accurately …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Talking Points Memo, Political Wire, Raw Story, Baltimore Sun, Common Dreams and KTLA, more at Mediagazer »
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Travis Gettys / Raw Story:
‘Extremely dangerous to our democracy’: MSNBC's Joe and Mika shame Sinclair anchors for reciting pro-Trump propaganda
‘Extremely dangerous to our democracy’: MSNBC's Joe and Mika shame Sinclair anchors for reciting pro-Trump propaganda
Discussion:
Axios, Politico, Daily Wire and Instapundit
Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:
At Chicago nightclub, George Papadopoulos allegedly makes explosive new claim about Jeff Sessions — At a London bar in May 2016, after numerous drinks, Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos bragged to an Australian diplomat the Russians had obtained damaging information on Hillary Clinton.
Monmouth University Polling Institute:
‘Fake News’ Threat to Media; Editorial Decisions, Outside Actors at Fault — Trump less trusted than CNN, MSNBC, and Fox as info source — West Long Branch, NJ - The news about “fake news” is not good, according to the Monmouth University Poll. Large majorities of the American public believe …
Discussion:
Politico, Political Wire, The Week and The Daily Caller
Ezra Klein / Vox:
Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook's hardest year, and what comes next — “We will dig through this hole, but it will take a few years.” — It's been a tough year for Facebook. The social networking juggernaut found itself engulfed by controversies over fake news, electoral interference …
Discussion:
Daily Mail, Business Insider, New York Sun, The Daily Caller, CBS San Francisco, The Verge, Axios and AOL, more at Mediagazer »
Hannah Dreier / ProPublica:
A Betrayal — The teenager told police all about his gang, MS-13. In return, he was slated for deportation and marked for death. — IF HENRY IS KILLED, his death can be traced to a quiet moment in the fall of 2016, when he sat slouched in his usual seat by the door in 11th-grade English class.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
Don Sweeney / Sacramento Bee:
Why are teens snorting condoms? Here are five things to know about latest online fad — While it sounds like an April Fool's joke, educators are warning about a “condom challenge” being spread online by YouTube videos and social media. — Also known as the “snorting condom challenge” …
Discussion:
Forbes
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
This Trump legal defeat may force Trump to decide: His presidency or his businesses? … In a decision with far-reaching implications for President Trump, a federal court ruled this week that a lawsuit could go forward claiming he unconstitutionally received foreign emoluments — that is …
Discussion:
Daily Kos
The Daily Beast:
Report: Britain Believes Spy Poisoning Had Putin's Approval — British officials now believe the nerve-agent attack on a former spy in England had approval from the top levels of Russian government. Sources told CNN the nature of the attack—likely to have been carried out by applying …
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The Guardian:
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela dies aged 81 — South African anti-apartheid campaigner and former wife of Nelson Mandela became mired in controversy … Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid activist and former wife of Nelson Mandela, has died peacefully following a long illness, a family spokesman said.
Discussion:
The Week
CNN:
At Mar-a-Lago, Trump hears from immigration hardliners — (CNN)Retreating from the White House for a three-night stay at his Florida estate, President Donald Trump heard this weekend from a parade of allies — many on the Fox News payroll — that his base believes he is softening on immigration.
Megan Cassella / Politico:
China to slap tariffs on 128 U.S. goods — China is moving forward with its plan to counter President Donald Trump's new tariffs on steel and aluminum, levying duties that will take effect Monday on more than $3 billion in U.S. exports to the country. — In a statement Sunday …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, TheBlaze, Financial Times and Washington Monthly
Bethany Mandel / National Review:
The Troubling Connections between Scientology and the Nation of Islam — Farrakahn receives a commission for each of his followers who undergoes a Scientology ‘auditing.’ — Scientology is commonly known as the religion of the stars. Its reach inside Hollywood is deep …
Discussion:
RedState and Ex Scientologist Message Board
Elaina Plott / Washingtonian:
Is DC Being Too Mean to Louise Linton? — Trumpworld sees the actress-turned-cabinet-spouse as a victim of the Beltway's mean-girl social set. Le tout Washington disagrees. — They were just gloves, Louise Linton says. “I didn't take the bloody gloves off because it was cold!
Burgess Everett / Politico:
‘It sucks’: Senators fume over McConnell's tight grip — Republican John Kennedy has served in the Senate a full 15 months — and not once received a roll call vote on one of his legislative amendments. — “I think it sucks,” the Louisiana senator fumed as Congress headed home in March for a two-week recess.
Nathaniel Rakich / FiveThirtyEight:
Be Skeptical Of Anyone Who Tells You They Know How Democrats Can Win In November — It's old news by now that Democratic candidates have done unusually well in Trump-era elections so far, suggesting that the 2018 midterms will be a good cycle for the party. So why keep writing about them?
Jordan Smith / The Intercept:
Donald Trump's Embrace of Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Is an Absurd Twist on a Failed Policy — Several years ago, David Wiley, a professor of health education at Texas State University, was discussing human papillomavirus in one of his classes. The virus, known as HPV, is the most common sexually-transmitted disease.
Christian Berthelsen / Bloomberg:
Third Woman Sues to Void Secrecy Pact Linked to Trump — A former employee of President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign team sued the organization to nullify a non-disclosure agreement she signed as part of her job, saying it muzzled her from airing discrimination claims.
Mike Barnes / Hollywood Reporter:
Steven Bochco, Creative Force Behind ‘Hill Street Blues,’ ‘L.A. Law’ and ‘NYPD Blue,’ Dies at 74 — The unwavering TV writer-producer, winner of 10 Emmys, butted heads with networks and almost always won. — Steven Bochco, the strong-willed writer and producer who brought gritty realism …
Discussion:
The Big Lead, The Week, news.avclub.com and NPR
David Alire Garcia / Reuters:
Costa Rica center-left easily wins presidency in vote fought on gay rights — David Alire Garcia, Enrique Andres Pretel — SAN JOSE (Reuters) - The center-left's Carlos Alvarado Quesada decisively defeated a conservative Protestant singer in Costa Rica's presidential runoff election …
Discussion:
New York Times, VICE News and The Week
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
So why was Trump aide talking to a Russian spy? — The CNN team wanted viewers to know there could be a very big development in the Trump Russia investigation. — “CNN has learned why special counsel Robert Mueller wants the cooperation of former Trump campaign deputy Rick Gates,” anchor Alisyn Camerota said Friday.
Discussion:
Power Line
Dakin Andone / CNN:
They led a national march. Now Parkland students return to a school they say ‘feels like jail’ — Parkland student: Feels dangerous at school — (CNN)Students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School return to class Monday, their first day back since organizing one of the largest youth-led protests in US history.
Discussion:
RedState, twitchy.com and theGrio
Jack Nicas / New York Times:
They Tried to Boycott Facebook, Apple and Google. They Failed. — SAN FRANCISCO — Ryan Knight, a Democratic activist in Los Angeles, called for a boycott of Apple in February because it hadn't responded to calls to delete a channel from the National Rifle Association from its streaming-video service …