memeorandum: Two Killed as Van Rams Into Small Crowd in Münster, Germany (Bojan Pancevski/Wall Street Journal)

1:30 PM ET, April 7, 2018

Top Items:

Michael Biesecker / Associated Press:

AP sources: EPA chief spent millions on security and travel — WASHINGTON (AP) — Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt's concern with his safety came at a steep cost to taxpayers as his swollen security detail blew through overtime budgets and at times diverted officers away from investigating environmental crimes.

Discussion: Law & Crime, Washington Monthly, Axios, New York Times and Mediaite

CNN:

Trump meets with Pruitt amid mounting controversy — Washington (CNN)The couple that rented out a room to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt forced him out by changing the code on their locks after becoming increasingly frustrated with him as a tenant, a source familiar with the arrangement confirmed to CNN.

Discussion: ABC News, Vox and Politico

Jennifer Rutledge / Conservative Action Project:
Conservatives Stand with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt

Discussion: Breitbart, JunkScience.com, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, The Daily Caller and The Daily Signal

BBC:

Several dead in Germany as van ploughs into crowd in Muenster — Several people have been killed in the city of Muenster, in western Germany, after a van drove into pedestrians. — The driver of the vehicle has killed himself, police said, without providing further details.

Discussion: Breitbart, RedState, AlBoeNEWS, The Week and Mediaite

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Trump's freak-out moment — We can't overstate the severity of President Trump's buyer's remorse from signing last month's spending bill. It could even be a turning point in his presidency, on the issue of immigration and his level of cooperation with Republican leaders:

Discussion: New York Magazine and Raw Story

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

Manafort moves to suppress evidence found in storage unit — Lawyers for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort are arguing that what could be key evidence against him should be kept out of court because the FBI violated his Constitutional rights by illegally entering a storage locker belonging to Manafort's firm.

Discussion: Political Wire and Raw Story

Katelyn Polantz / CNN:
Paul Manafort accuses federal prosecutors of illegal property search

Discussion: CANNONFIRE and The Week

Jamie Lovegrove / Post and Courier:

U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman pulls out loaded gun in constituent meeting to make point about safety — A South Carolina Republican congressman is not backing down from critics after he pulled out his own personal — and loaded — .38-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun during a meeting with constituents Friday.

Fox News:
South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman draws gun, says 'I'm not going to be a Gabby Giffords'

Discussion: The Hill, Splinter, Daily Caller News Foundation, RedState and Talking Points Memo

Max Greenwood / The Hill:
S.C. Republicans introduce bill to consider secession over gun rights

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Daily Wire and Washington Press

Luis Sanchez / The Hill:

Stormy Daniels' lawyer hints at ‘major announcement’ on person who threatened her — Stormy Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti said on Saturday morning that he has a “major announcement” about a person who allegedly threatened Daniels to keep quiet about her alleged affair with President Trump

Discussion: Raw Story and AlBoeNEWS

Will Racke / The Daily Caller:

ICE Raids Tennessee Slaughterhouse For Hiring Illegal Immigrants In Tax Evasion Scheme — Federal agents raided an eastern Tennessee meatpacking facility on Thursday following a months-long investigation into allegations the owners were employing illegal immigrants to avoid paying millions …

Discussion: Associated Press and Scared Monkeys

Jamie Satterfield / Knoxville News-Sentinel:

ICE raids Grainger County meatpacking plant amid charges owners avoided $2.5M in payroll taxes — For more on the story here is Zachary Devita/ Buzz60 — Federal agents raided a Bean Station, Tennessee slaughterhouse Thursday after a months-long probe into allegations the owners …

Discussion: BPR

Maria Sacchetti / Washington Post:
ICE raids meatpacking plant in rural Tennessee; 97 immigrants arrested

Discussion: New York Times, Fox News, ImmigrationProf Blog and The Gateway Pundit

Arizona Republic:

Backpage founder charged by feds after human-trafficking investigation — A founder of the New Times tabloid has been charged in Phoenix in the apparent culmination of a federal human-trafficking investigation. — Authorities had spent months probing whether Backpage …

Discussion: New York Times, Fox News, BPR and Politico

Blake Montgomery / BuzzFeed:
Backpage Has Been Taken Down By The US Government And Sex Workers Aren't Happy

Discussion: CNN, Arizona Republic, The Week and Engadget, more at Mediagazer »

Laura Lollman / KASW-TV:
Backpage.com shut down by FBI, several indicted on crimes related to sex trafficking

Discussion: ValueWalk, AOL, TheBlaze, Hit & Run, Motherboard, thecut, Clayton Cramer, BGR and The Verge, more at Mediagazer »

Newt Gingrich / Fox News:

California may elect a Republican governor — Incredible as that sounds — John Cox is doing something remarkable for a Republican. A recent survey indicates he is now within striking distance of being elected governor of the infamously liberal state in November.

Discussion: Daily Caller News Foundation and BPR

New York Times:

In 83 Million Eviction Records, a Sweeping and Intimate New Look at Housing in America — RICHMOND, Va. — Before the first hearings on the morning docket, the line starts to clog the lobby of the John Marshall Courthouse. No cellphones are allowed inside, but many of the people who've …

John Harwood / CNBC:

Trumpist GOP doesn't mind Wall Street's tariff heartburn — Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, powerful advocates for the GOP's pro-business wing, have both warned against potential economic damage from Trump's course. — But other Republicans, facing heavy losses in November's mid-term elections …

Nancy Cook / Politico: Republicans worry Trump's trade war will blot out tax cut message

Bojan Pancevski / Wall Street Journal:

Two Killed as Van Rams Into Small Crowd in Münster, Germany — Suspected driver also shot himself after plowing the vehicle into people outside a restaurant in the city center — BERLIN—At least two people were killed and six were fighting for their lives after a man drove a van …

CNN:

Secret, direct talks underway between US and North Korea — Washington (CNN)The United States and North Korea have been holding secret, direct talks to prepare for a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, a sign that planning for the highly anticipated meeting …

CNN:

Exclusive: Trump adviser played key role in pursuit of possible Clinton emails from dark web before election — (CNN)A Donald Trump foreign policy adviser pushed government agencies to review materials from the dark web in the summer of 2016 that he thought were Hillary Clinton's deleted emails …

Discussion: LoveBreedsAccountability, Raw Story and Mediaite

Detroit News:

Snyder ending bottled water for Flint — Lansing — Michigan will stop providing Flint residents with free bottled water when current supplies run out, Gov. Rick Snyder's administration said Friday, citing nearly two years of test results showing falling lead levels in city tap water.

Zaid Jilani / The Intercept:

A Bernie-Branded Millionaire Is Leading the Democratic Race for Governor. He Almost Ran as a Republican, Consultants Say. — A Michigan gubernatorial candidate who has branded himself as the Bernie Sanders of the 2018 race privately mused about running as an independent or Republican …

CNN:

Exclusive: Trump begins informal prep for potential Mueller interview — White House won't commit to Trump-Mueller meet — (CNN)President Donald Trump has begun the initial steps of preparing for a possible interview with the special counsel, a White House official and a person familiar …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, AOL, Law & Crime, Political Wire, Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA and Mediaite

Scott Wong / The Hill:

Oversight chairman probes Pruitt's $50-a-night condo deal — House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy — (R-S.C.) has begun probing Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt — 's $50-a-night housing arrangement on Capitol Hill, a GOP source told The Hill Friday night.

Discussion: Washington Post, ThinkProgress, The Week and New Republic

Paul F. Campos / New York Times:

Why Can't Trump Find Legal Help? — In what is becoming one of the most remarkable chapters in American legal history, the president of the United States is in serious need of top-notch legal help, but apparently cannot find top-notch lawyers to represent him.