Top Items:
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
In Bonkers Interview, Trump Threatens to Seize Control of Justice Department — While many reporters have described President Trump's aggrieved psychology, his phone call this morning on Fox & Friends gave outsiders unfiltered access to the sorts of rants he routinely imposes upon his staff.
Discussion:
Washington Press, HuffPost, Common Dreams and MSNBC
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Matt Zapotosky / Washington Post:
‘This thing needs to conclude’: Sessions says he understands frustrations with Mueller — Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday took what seemed to be a veiled swipe at Robert S. Mueller III and suggested the special counsel's probe “needs to conclude.”
Discussion:
Politico and Shareblue Media
Sarah N. Lynch / Reuters:
U.S. Attorney General Sessions says Mueller probe has taken on ‘life of its own’ — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday defended his decision not to appoint a second special prosecutor to investigate Republicans' concerns about the FBI by noting …
Discussion:
Washington Post and Political Wire
Nicholas Fandos / New York Times:
In Warning to Trump, Senators Advance Bill to Protect Mueller
In Warning to Trump, Senators Advance Bill to Protect Mueller
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Star Tribune and Booman Tribune
Mike DeBonis / Washington Post:
Senate panel advances bill to protect Mueller from firing, but it's unlikely to become law
Senate panel advances bill to protect Mueller from firing, but it's unlikely to become law
Discussion:
NBC News, National Review and MSNBC
Brooke Singman / Fox News:
Trump says Comey ‘guilty of crimes,’ warns DOJ he won't ‘stay away’ forever
Trump says Comey ‘guilty of crimes,’ warns DOJ he won't ‘stay away’ forever
Discussion:
Washington Post, Townhall, Philly.com, Vox, IJR, The Daily Caller and CNN
The Hill:
House chaplain forced out by Ryan — House Chaplain Patrick Conroy's sudden resignation has sparked a furor on Capitol Hill, with sources in both parties saying he was pushed out by Speaker Paul Ryan — (R-Wis.). — Conroy's own resignation announcement stated that it was done at Ryan's request.
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Jake Sherman / Politico:
Democrats furious at Ryan over ousting of House chaplain — Democrats are outraged over the resignation of the House chaplain, alleging he was unjustly forced out by Republicans. — In the 10 days since Father Pat Conroy resigned, there's been widespread chatter about what prompted the Jesuit priest's unexpected departure.
Discussion:
Splinter
Paul Kane / Washington Post:
Ryan dismissed House chaplain, leaving lawmakers demanding answers
Ryan dismissed House chaplain, leaving lawmakers demanding answers
Discussion:
Mother Jones and Talking Points Memo
Travis Gettys / Raw Story:
Attorney Michael Avenatti hints $1.6 million abortion payout was for Trump — not GOP donor — The lawyer for porn actress Stormy Daniels suggested that a $1.6 million hush money payoff to a Playboy model was actually made on behalf of President Donald Trump — and not a Republican donor.
Discussion:
Jezebel, Hullabaloo and The Root
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Kaja Whitehouse / New York Post:
Feds seized more than a dozen of Michael Cohen's phones — Manhattan federal prosecutors seized as many as 16 cell phones when the FBI raided the home, office and hotel room of President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen. — Prosecutor Thomas McKay made the astonishing revelation …
Discussion:
Political Wire and Washington Press
Quint Forgey / Politico:
Trump says Cohen ‘represented me’ in Stormy Daniels scandal
Trump says Cohen ‘represented me’ in Stormy Daniels scandal
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Washington Post, Balloon Juice, National Review, Common Dreams, Taylor Marsh and New York Times
Wall Street Journal:
‘Boss, I Miss You So Much’: The Awkward Exile of Michael Cohen — Donald Trump's self-described ‘fixer’ brooded about failing to get a White House post; now under criminal investigation, he has the president's attention — In the 15 months since Donald Trump shut him out of a White House job …
Discussion:
Washington Press, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Splinter, The Week, Raw Story, Mediaite, CNN, CNBC, New York Magazine and Political Wire
New York Times:
F.B.I. Letter Casts Further Doubt on White House's Rob Porter Timeline — WASHINGTON — The F.B.I. first gave the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, a file containing spousal abuse allegations against Rob Porter in March 2017, according to a detailed new timeline the bureau has given …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Axios, The Week, Eschaton and Althouse
Lee Fang / The Intercept:
Secretly Taped Audio Reveals Democratic Leadership Pressuring Progressive to Leave Race — Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House of Representatives, has for years been a prolific campaigner on behalf of current and potential members of Congress. It was no surprise, then …
Discussion:
Townhall, Vox, Politico, Washington Free Beacon, Common Dreams and Breitbart
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New York Times:
Senate Confirms C.I.A. Chief Mike Pompeo to Be Secretary of State — WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday easily confirmed Mike Pompeo as the nation's 70th secretary of state, elevating the current C.I.A. director and an outspoken foreign policy hawk to be the nation's top diplomat.
Discussion:
Associated Press, National Review, Outside the Beltway, The Root, The Week, Daily Wire and Political Wire
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Ed Rogers / Washington Post:
Democrats' opposition to Mike Pompeo is exactly what's wrong with politics today
Democrats' opposition to Mike Pompeo is exactly what's wrong with politics today
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Bangor Daily News and Daily Kos
New York Times:
Bill Cosby Found Guilty of Sexual Assault After Years of Accusations — NORRISTOWN, Pa. — A jury found Bill Cosby guilty Thursday of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home near here 14 years ago, capping the downfall of one of the world's best-known entertainers …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Daily Beast, The Guardian, Page Six, VICE News, Glamour, Hot Air, Vox, Outside the Beltway, Why Evolution Is True, Raw Story, The Mahablog, Mediaite, IJR and Taylor Marsh
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Sam Stanton / Sacramento Bee:
Relative's DNA from genealogy websites cracked East Area Rapist case, DA's office says — Sacramento investigators tracked down East Area Rapist suspect Joseph James DeAngelo using genealogical websites that contained genetic information from a relative, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office confirmed Thursday.
Ramesh Ponnuru / Bloomberg:
Why Aren't U.S. Liberals Outraged About Alfie Evans? — A British baby's right to life should be clear to everyone. — What the British government is doing to a baby and his family is almost unbelievable. The government has determined that Alfie Evans, afflicted as he is by a rare …
Discussion:
twitchy.com, Louder With Crowder and The Guardian
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Rachel Bishop / Mirror.co.uk:
BREAKING: Alfie Evans' father calls on 'Alfie's Army to ‘stand down’ …
BREAKING: Alfie Evans' father calls on 'Alfie's Army to ‘stand down’ …
Discussion:
RedState, LifeNews.com, LBC and National Review
Megan McArdle / Washington Post:
A farewell to free journalism — Bloomberg, my former employer, is reportedly moving to a paywall. If that turns out to be true, I can't say I'll be surprised. — When I announced that I was leaving Bloomberg View for the Post Opinion section in February, many longtime readers gently reproached …
Mike Debonis / Washington Post:
Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez is ‘severely admonished’ by Ethics Committee, ordered to repay gifts — The Senate Ethics Committee said Thursday that Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), who avoided conviction in a federal corruption trial last year, violated federal law and Senate rules …
Discussion:
NPR, Bloomberg, CNN, The Week and Washington Free Beacon
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John Bresnahan / Politico:
Menendez admonished by Senate Ethics Committee
Associated Press:
Mattis Breaks With Trump, Says Iran Nuclear Deal Includes ‘Robust’ Verification — Without giving his opinion about whether the U.S. should stick with the agreement, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that after reading the deal three times he was struck by how tough it is
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Karoun Demirjian / Washington Post:
Senate confirms Grenell as ambassador to Germany over Democrats' objections
Senate confirms Grenell as ambassador to Germany over Democrats' objections
Discussion:
The Daily Caller and LGBTQ Nation
Keith Naughton / Bloomberg:
Ford Is About to Abandon American Sedans — Cars will be just 10% of its North American portfolio by 2020 — Wall Street cheers CEO Hackett's ‘bold and decisive action’ — The Model T, the '32 deuce coupe, the Thunderbird, the Mustang: For much of its 115-year history, Ford Motor Co. has been synonymous with cars.
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Keith Naughton / Bloomberg:
Ford Retreats From American Car Business in Penny-Pinching Push
Ford Retreats From American Car Business in Penny-Pinching Push
Discussion:
The Week
Washington Post:
How a week of triumph for Trump was convulsed by chaos and contradiction — The final week of April was designed to be a triumphant one for President Trump. — He hosted his closest foreign counterpart, French President Emmanuel Macron, for a state visit, complete with a 21-gun salute.
Discussion:
Politico
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Pew Research Center:
The Public, the Political System and American Democracy — Most say ‘design and structure’ of government need big changes — At a time of growing stress on democracy around the world, Americans generally agree on democratic ideals and values that are important for the United States.
Discussion:
Splinter, Washington Post and Pew Research Center
Amy Walter / The Cook Political Report:
If Democrats Are Doing so Great, Why Don't They Have a Bigger Lead on Generic Ballot? — Every day, it seems, another warning light goes off on the GOP's dashboard, a blinking reminder of their ensuing troubles for 2018. There are a record number of GOP retirements — including that of House Speaker Ryan.
Laura Jarrett / CNN:
Recovered text messages between FBI officials sent to Congress — Text referred to Russian meddling, not Clinton — (CNN)A batch of recovered text messages exchanged between two top FBI employees who have come under scrutiny for criticizing then-presidential candidate Donald Trump …
Erik Pedersen / Deadline:
‘Firing Line’: PBS Reloads Public-Affairs Show With Host Margaret Hoover — EXCLUSIVE: PBS is bringing back an iconic property after nearly two decades. The pubcaster said today that a new version of Firing Line, the William F. Buckley-hosted public-affairs show it aired from 1966-99, will premiere in June.
NBC News:
Trump's biggest problem might be the competency question — First Read is your briefing from Meet the Press and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter — WASHINGTON — This morning, President Trump's pick to head the Department …
Discussion:
NBC News, Taylor Marsh and IJR
Washington Post:
The military paid for a study on sea level rise. The results were scary. … More than a thousand low-lying tropical islands risk becoming “uninhabitable” by the middle of the century — or possibly sooner — because of rising sea levels, upending the populations of some island nations …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Climate Impact Lab and Mother Jones
Tonya Alanez / Sun-Sentinel:
Deputy union says it has ‘no confidence’ in Broward Sheriff Scott Israel — After a vote, a deputies' union said that it has “no confidence” in Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel. The Broward Sheriff's Office Deputies Association initiated the vote citing crushed morale amid criticism …
Discussion:
CNN, Townhall, Louder With Crowder, Washington Free Beacon and Daily Wire
David Nakamura / Washington Post:
Amid Trump's diplomatic thaw, Otto Warmbier's parents sue North Korea for having ‘brutally tortured and murdered’ their son — The family of Otto Warmbier filed an extraordinary lawsuit against North Korea in federal court Thursday alleging that the 22-year-old college student was …
Discussion:
The Atlantic, Politico, New York Magazine, Law & Crime, Axios, New York Times, The Daily Caller, One America News Network and The Week
The Montgomery Advertiser:
Our shame: The sins of our past laid bare for all to see — We were wrong. — On the day when people from across the globe come to our capital city to consider the sordid history of slavery and lynching and try to reconcile the horrors of our past, the Montgomery Advertiser recognizes …
Discussion:
The Root