Top Items:
Tennessean.com:
Phil Bredesen holds double-digit lead over Marsha Blackburn in US Senate race, new MTSU poll shows — Former Gov. Phil Bredesen has a 10-point lead over U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn in the race to succeed U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, according to a new poll from Middle Tennessee State University.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Washington Times and Political Wire
Luke Harding / The Guardian:
Former Trump aide approved ‘black ops’ to help Ukraine president — Exclusive: Paul Manafort authorised secret media operation that sought to discredit key opponent of then Ukrainian president … Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort authorised a secret media operation …
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Charlie Savage / New York Times:
For Mueller, a Feared Weakness Becomes a Strength — WASHINGTON — Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 election, transformed this week what has appeared to be a weakness — his relative lack of independence — into a strength.
CNN:
Exclusive: Mueller's team questioning Russian oligarchs — Mueller's team questioning Russian oligarchs — Washington (CNN)Special counsel Robert Mueller's team has taken the unusual step of questioning Russian oligarchs who traveled into the US, stopping at least one and searching …
Discussion:
TheBlaze, The Hill, The Week, POLITICUSUSA, The Gateway Pundit, RedState, Washington Press, Mother Jones, Politico, New York Magazine, Daily Kos, Mediaite and Raw Story
New York Times:
Witness in Mueller Inquiry Who Advises U.A.E. Ruler Also Has Ties to Russia — WASHINGTON — A witness who is cooperating in the special counsel investigation, George Nader, has connections to both the Persian Gulf states and Russia and may have information that links two important strands …
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Reuters, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story, The Week and Political Wire
Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:
‘You Hate America!’: How the ‘Caravan’ Story Exploded on the Right — WASHINGTON — It was the kind of story destined to take a dark turn through the conservative news media and grab President Trump's attention: A vast horde of migrants was making its way through Mexico toward the United States, and no one was stopping them.
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Helene Cooper / New York Times:
‘All It Takes Is One Mistake’: Worries Over Plan to Send National Guard to Border
‘All It Takes Is One Mistake’: Worries Over Plan to Send National Guard to Border
Discussion:
The White House, CNN, Common Dreams, NPR, Townhall, Right Wing Watch and Outside the Beltway
NBC News:
Trump sending National Guard troops to Mexico border, but they won't have contact with immigrants
Trump sending National Guard troops to Mexico border, but they won't have contact with immigrants
Discussion:
Washington Post, AOL, Shakesville, The Guardian, NBC News and The Week
Donald J. Trump / CNN:
READ: Trump's memo ordering National Guard troops to the border
READ: Trump's memo ordering National Guard troops to the border
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Washington Monthly, Dallas Morning News, Vox, Fox News, Defense One, TheBlaze, Daily Kos, Texas Monthly, VICE News, The Week and KTLA
Robert Maguire / OpenSecrets.org:
EXCLUSIVE: Robert Mercer backed a secretive group that worked with Facebook, Google to target anti-Muslim ads at swing voters — As the final weeks of the 2016 elections ticked down, voters in swing states like Nevada and North Carolina began seeing eerie promotional travel ads …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast and Balloon Juice
Washington Post:
Top EPA ethics official says he lacked key facts about Pruitt's condo rental … The Environmental Protection Agency's top ethics official said Wednesday that he lacked key facts when he concluded recently that Administrator Scott Pruitt's rental lease with a lobbyist last year did not violate any federal gift rules.
Discussion:
ABC News, Talking Points Memo, Mother Jones, CNN, The Daily Caller, CBS News, NBC News, Politico and Mediaite
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Cristina Alesci / CNN:
EPA ethics official says he didn't have all the facts on Pruitt's lease — Pruitt: I didn't know about staffers' raises — (CNN)The Environmental Protection Agency's top ethics watchdog clarified his earlier analysis of whether Administrator Scott Pruitt's rental arrangement broke the federal gift rule …
Discussion:
CNBC, Political Wire, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Daily Kos, POLITICUSUSA, KTLA and Axios
Asawin Suebsaeng / The Daily Beast:
John Kelly to Scott Pruitt: The Scandals Need to Stop
John Kelly to Scott Pruitt: The Scandals Need to Stop
Discussion:
Mother Jones, ThinkProgress, Politico, New York Post, Washington Post, Breitbart, ABC News, CNBC, Splinter, CNN, Washingtonian, Vox and Talking Points Memo
Mike Allen / Axios:
The case for extreme worry — To White House insiders, this is the most dangerous phase of Donald Trump's presidency so far, from the brewing trade war with China that he denies is a trade war, to the perilously spontaneous summit with North Korea. — The big picture: Checks are being ignored …
Discussion:
ABC News
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Michael Sykes / Axios:
McConnell: Blocking Garland most ‘consequential’ decision of career
McConnell: Blocking Garland most ‘consequential’ decision of career
Discussion:
IJR, Daily Kos, AOL, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Beast, CNN, The Daily Caller, Washington Times and Kentucky Today
Rick Klein / ABC News:
The Note: When Trump's words confound his own government
The Note: When Trump's words confound his own government
Discussion:
Washington Post, Politico, One America News Network and No More Mister Nice Blog
Melissa Jeltsen / HuffPost:
Everyone Got The Pulse Massacre Story Completely Wrong — And another, smaller injustice was obscured: the sadistic prosecution of Noor Salman. — Every mass tragedy begets a frantic search for answers, for a common understanding of what happened, for a narrative, and the 2016 Pulse massacre was no different.
Discussion:
National Review and Outside the Beltway
New York Times:
Police Fatally Shoot a Brooklyn Man After Falsely Believing He Had a Gun — New York City police officers shot and killed a black man who was known to be mentally ill on a Brooklyn street corner on Wednesday afternoon after he pointed what the officers believed was a gun at them, the authorities said.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Washington Post, ThinkProgress, New York Post, New York Daily News, NBC New York, VICE News, TheBlaze, Associated Press, CBS New York, abc7ny.com, NPR, KTLA, Jezebel, The Root and Splinter
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Nahal Toosi / Politico:
Rex Tillerson's $12 million army of consultants — It was one of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's core goals: radically reshaping the State Department to make it leaner, cheaper and modernized to the standards of a former private-sector CEO. — Now that Tillerson has been fired …
Ashley Feinberg / HuffPost:
Here's Don Jr. Talking About How It Sucks To Be At The Playboy Mansion With A Pregnant Wife — Has the president's son ever contemplated killing his dad for the money? He once talked about that on the radio! — In January 2007, Adam Carolla broadcast his radio show, “The Adam Carolla Show …
Ramona Giwargis / Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Ex-fiancee says Las Vegas GOP campaign adviser made her his slave — GOP consultant Benjamin Sparks (Photo obtained by Las Vegas Review-Journal) — GOP consultant Benjamin Sparks is pictured in this undated photo obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Sparks is accused of sexually enslaving and battering his ex fiancee.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Talking Points Memo, Roll Call, The Daily Caller and Political Wire
Alex Hern / The Guardian:
Facebook among 30 organisations in UK political data inquiry — Information commissioner is investigating use of personal information in political campaigns … The UK Information Commissioner's Office is investigating 30 organisations, including Facebook, as part of its inquiry into the use …
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Maria Abi-Habib / New York Times:
India Is Close to Buying a Russian Missile System, Despite U.S. Sanctions — NEW DELHI — India's defense minister is visiting Moscow this week to finalize the purchase of a Russian missile defense system, Indian officials say, in a weapons deal that would violate American sanctions against Russia.
Discussion:
Reuters
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Rukmini Callimachi / New York Times:
Land for the Taking — The day after the meeting, Mr. Hamoud, a Sunni, returned to work and found that his department was now staffed 100 percent by Sunnis, the sect of Islam practiced by the militants. The Shia and Christian colleagues who previously shared his office had all fled.
Kristine Phillips / Washington Post:
A Georgia city proclaimed April as Confederate History Month. Then came the n-word. … A former elected official used the n-word several times during a public meeting, offending a black member of a Georgia city's board of commissioners. — The tense exchange between the two men happened …
Discussion:
Mediaite
Mark Joyella / Forbes:
Rachel Maddow Beats Sean Hannity, Takes Title As Most-Watched Cable News Host — MSNBC host Rachel Maddow has toppled Sean Hannity from his perch atop the cable news ratings, winning a decisive victory in March, according to data released Wednesday by Nielsen.
Discussion:
Axios
Jeff Greenfield / Politico:
The Left's Year of Magical Thinking — It's Wednesday, November 7, 2018, and the Democrats have awakened to the taste of ashes in their mouths. Despite the poll numbers and the pattern of history, Republicans have somehow managed to keep their losses small enough to retain control of the House.
Discussion:
American Thinker and Washington Blade
Petula Dvorak / Washington Post:
The woman who got fired for flipping off President Trump just sued her former employer … Juli Briskman, the Virginia cyclist who flipped off the presidential motorcade and lost her job last fall, doesn't think we should be afraid to speak our minds. — That's why she went to court Wednesday …
Alexis Levinson / BuzzFeed:
The Preeminent Fundraising Group For Democratic Women Is Stuck In The Middle Of The Party's Wars — Some progressives believe EMILY's List has outlived its usefulness and is now functioning as just another branch of the Democratic establishment. — Reporting From Washington, DC
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon
Judy Kurtz / The Hill:
Rudy Giuliani's wife files for divorce — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) and his wife of more than a decade are calling it quits. — “It is with great sadness I can confirm that Judith and I are divorcing,” the former presidential candidate said in a statement to The New York Post.
Discussion:
Page Six, AOL, Daily Wire, NY State of Politics, thecut and TMZ.com
New York Post:
Assemblywoman makes bizarre rant against Jews at meeting — A Brooklyn legislator was accused Wednesday of delivering a bizarre tirade against Jews, while ripping Mayor de Blasio as a sellout during a local community board meeting this week. — Assemblywoman Diane Richardson's 50-minute rant during …
Discussion:
NY State of Politics
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
Threatening legal fight, Nunes demands document that kicked off FBI Trump-Russia investigation — House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., has sent a letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray demanding an uncensored copy of the document …
Discussion:
Politico, Sara A. Carter, Breitbart, Daily Wire and The Gateway Pundit
Sydney Ember / New York Times:
Sinclair's Boss Responds to Criticism: 'You Can't Be Serious!' — David D. Smith, the chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group, says the media is getting his company all wrong. — His remark, in a lengthy email exchange with The New York Times, came in response to renewed scrutiny of Sinclair …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Splinter, Vox, Mediaite, CBS Dallas, The Seattle Times and Media Matters for America, more at Mediagazer »
Emily Steel / New York Times:
How Bill O'Reilly Silenced His Accusers — Settlement agreements between Bill O'Reilly and two of his accusers — made public for the first time on Wednesday — filled in previously unknown details about tactics employed by the former Fox News host to silence women who came forward with sexual harassment allegations against him.
Discussion:
Washington Post and ThinkProgress, more at Mediagazer »
Nancy Cook / Politico:
‘Have you ever seen luxury like this?’: Trump moonlights as dinner host — It turns out that President Donald Trump loves to throw a good dinner party. — The president is known for his after-hours cellphone calls and his late-night cable news habit, but several times a month …
Discussion:
thecut