Top Items:
New York Times:
Job Changes for E.P.A. Officials Who Questioned Scott Pruitt — WASHINGTON — At least five officials at the Environmental Protection Agency, four of them high-ranking, were reassigned or demoted, or requested new jobs in the past year after they raised concerns about the spending and management …
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Julianna Goldman / CBS News:
Scott Pruitt asked to use sirens in D.C. traffic and was told no for non-emergency — Several weeks after taking the helm of the Environmental Protection Agency, Administrator Scott Pruitt was running late and stuck in Washington, D.C., traffic. Sources tell CBS News that he wanted to use …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Federalist and The Daily Beast
CNN:
Trump floated replacing Sessions with Pruitt this week despite scandals — (CNN)President Donald Trump floated replacing Attorney General Jeff Sessions with Scott Pruitt as recently as this week, even as the scandal-ridden head of the Environmental Protection Agency has faced a growing list …
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.
Andrew Restuccia / Politico:
Pruitt fell behind on payments for his $50-a-night condo rental
Pruitt fell behind on payments for his $50-a-night condo rental
Discussion:
New York Times
J.E. Dyer / The Lid:
Media Campaign Against EPA's Scott Pruitt Orchestrated By Obama & Clinton Cronies
Media Campaign Against EPA's Scott Pruitt Orchestrated By Obama & Clinton Cronies
Discussion:
RedState, Washington Examiner, Townhall, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, BPR and ThinkProgress
Arn Pearson / Salon:
Exclusive: Scott Pruitt, Trump's embattled EPA chief, involved in shady 2011 real estate deal
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Trade Sheet Says Pruitt's Fall Was Fall Out From Rob Porter Abuse Scandal
Trade Sheet Says Pruitt's Fall Was Fall Out From Rob Porter Abuse Scandal
Discussion:
Political Wire and CBS News
Luke O'Brien / HuffPost:
Trump's Most Influential White Nationalist Troll Is A Middlebury Grad Who Lives In Manhattan — Twitter troll “Ricky Vaughn” had a bigger influence on the 2016 election than NBC News and the Drudge Report. Here's who he really is. — Who is Ricky Vaughn?
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Hullabaloo, Seven Days and Mother Jones
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:
New York Magazine, Axios, Outside the Beltway, Raw Story, The Week and Washington Times
Ashley Feinberg / HuffPost:
Atlantic Fires Kevin Williamson After Suddenly Realizing He Believes The Things He Says — “I have come to the conclusion that The Atlantic is not the best fit for his talents, and so we are parting ways,” Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg wrote. — In an email to his staff Thursday afternoon …
Discussion:
The Federalist, Politico, The Concourse, Daily Wire, CNNMoney, Splinter, thecut, American Greatness and The American Spectator
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Katherine Mangu-Ward / Hit & Run:
By Firing Kevin Williamson,The Atlantic Shows It Can't Handle Real Ideological Diversity
By Firing Kevin Williamson,The Atlantic Shows It Can't Handle Real Ideological Diversity
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, New Republic, Jezebel, twitchy.com and The Daily Caller
Jacqueline Thomsen / The Hill:
The Atlantic fires conservative writer after audio reveals he called for death penalty for women who get abortion
The Atlantic fires conservative writer after audio reveals he called for death penalty for women who get abortion
The Daily Beast:
The Atlantic Finally Fires Kevin Williamson, Who Called for Executing Women Who Have Abortions
The Atlantic Finally Fires Kevin Williamson, Who Called for Executing Women Who Have Abortions
Victor Davis Hanson / National Review:
A Response to Kevin Williamson
A Response to Kevin Williamson
Discussion:
twitchy.com, American Greatness and The American Conservative
Jenna Johnson / Washington Post:
Trump says he didn't know his attorney paid $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels — ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — President Trump said Thursday that he did not know that his personal attorney paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 days before the presidential election to prevent her from publicly accusing Trump of having an affair.
Discussion:
ABC News, Politico and Political Wire
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CNN:
Trump says he didn't know about Stormy Daniels payment
Trump says he didn't know about Stormy Daniels payment
Discussion:
The Atlantic, fox13now.com, Law & Crime and Splinter
Julie Hirschfeld Davis / New York Times:
Trump Denies Knowing of Any Hush Money Paid to Porn Actress
Alexi McCammond / Axios:
Trump says he'll send as many as 4,000 troops to the border
Trump says he'll send as many as 4,000 troops to the border
Discussion:
Politico, RedState and twitchy.com
CNN:
Lewandowski to Democrats: I'm not answering your ‘f—ing’ questions — EDITOR'S NOTE: This story contains language some people may find offensive. — (CNN)Corey Lewandowski had a blunt message for Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee: He wasn't going to answer their “fucking” questions.
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 …
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 …
Discussion:
Politico, New York Magazine and The Daily Caller
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Charlie Savage / New York Times:
For Mueller, a Feared Weakness Becomes a Strength
Kevin Collier / BuzzFeed:
These Messages Show Julian Assange Talked About Seeking Hacked Files From Guccifer 2.0 — DMs tie Assange to a Russia-linked hacker — and raise new questions about his Seth Rich conspiracy theory. — Twitter DMs obtained by BuzzFeed News show that in the summer of 2016 …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit
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 …
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, Jezebel and thecut
Stephen Collinson / CNN:
Presidential whiplash stokes immigration crisis to justify troop surge — Trump orders National Guard troops to border — (CNN)President Donald Trump's aides are caught in a never ending game of catch-up, trying to translate his sudden, impulsive demands into instant policy.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Fox News, Axios, Washington Post, New York Times, The White House, Hit & Run, thecut, Vox, IJR, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller, Roll Call and Balloon Juice
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Associated Press:
Number of women running for US House seats sets record — CHERRY HILL, N.J. (AP) — The number of women running for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives set a record Thursday, the vast majority of them Democrats motivated by angst over President Donald Trump and policies of the Republican-controlled Congress.
Discussion:
RedState, Mother Jones, CBS San Francisco, Axios, The Week and Political Wire
Jeremy Barr / Hollywood Reporter:
Stuck in Third Place, Should CNN Abandon Its “Food Fight” Formula? — Despite its down-the-middle news brand, the network trails rivals Fox News and MSNBC in viewers and weathers daily attacks from the White House as critics bemoan a “clash model” of staging partisan debates that's now “outmoded.”
Discussion:
Politico and Daily Wire
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Mark Joyella / Forbes:
Rachel Maddow Beats Sean Hannity, Takes Title As Most-Watched Cable News Host
Rachel Maddow Beats Sean Hannity, Takes Title As Most-Watched Cable News Host
Discussion:
LGBTQ Nation and Axios
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 Caller, Law & Crime, FOX6Now.com, Washington Press, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Beast, Roll Call, BPR and Political Wire
Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:
“You Don't Attack a Kid”: Inside the Laura Ingraham Nightmare at Fox News — Ingraham may have erred terribly in assailing a Parkland survivor, but she has the support of the man in charge of Fox News. “Rupert has been annoyed by what he perceives as cowardly behavior by his executives,” says one person close to the mogul.
Christina Farr / CNBC:
Facebook sent a doctor on a secret mission to ask hospitals to share patient data — Facebook was in talks with top hospitals and other medical groups as recently as last month about a proposal to share data about the social networks of their most vulnerable patients.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Missing CDC researcher Cunningham likely drowned, investigators say — The Atlanta researcher reported missing more than seven weeks ago likely drowned in the Chattahoochee River, the Fulton County Medical Examiner said Thursday. There were no signs of foul play, investigators said.
Discussion:
Washington Post, WTKR-TV, CBS New York, TheBlaze, CBS Pittsburgh, The Root and The Atlanta Voice
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Katie McDonough / Jezebel:
Jezebel Regrets Its Decision to Hire Cannibal Witch as Writer-at-Large — It is not easy to admit our mistakes, particularly now, given the current media climate and general culture of intolerance on college campuses. Still, we feel that we owe our readers an apology.
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:
Vox, National Review, Front Page Magazine, Outside the Beltway and Washington Post
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 …
Discussion:
Breitbart and Sputnik International
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.
Discussion:
TalkLeft
Washington Post:
Donald Trump's divisive decision to skip Opening Day — For more than a century, presidents have used Opening Day to unite the country. Not anymore. … For a president who seems to be a constant presence, President Trump is strangely missing in action today.