Top Items:
Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:
Trump Jr. And Emin Agalarov Stayed In Touch Throughout The Transition — From phone calls and text messages to “an expensive painting” that Aras Agalarov gave Donald Trump for his birthday in 2016, the two families were in regular communication before and after the Trump Tower meeting — and during the transition.
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Nic White / Daily Mail:
Trump Tower is on fire in Azerbaijan capital Baku just weeks after deadly blaze at building in New York — Firefighters are desperately battling to contain a fire raging through a Trump hotel tower in Azerbaijan. — The fire broke out on the middle floors of the 33-storey Trump International Hotel …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Jeremy Herb / CNN:
Russians followed up on Trump Tower meeting after election, Democrats say — Who is Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya? — (CNN)The Russian oligarch and Russian lawyer who were key players in the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting reached out to Trump's team after Donald Trump was elected President …
Discussion:
emptywheel and NBC News
Washington Post:
The new House GOP report on Russia is revealing. But not in a good way for Trump.
The new House GOP report on Russia is revealing. But not in a good way for Trump.
Discussion:
Washington Press, Hullabaloo, Daily Kos and Talking Points Memo
John Bowden / The Hill:
Russian from Trump Tower meeting: ‘I am a lawyer, and I am an informant’
Russian from Trump Tower meeting: ‘I am a lawyer, and I am an informant’
Discussion:
The Resurgent, Raw Story, HuffPost, Mother Jones and New York Times
Anne Gearan / Washington Post:
Trump rebrands diplomatic norms as events in Asia, Europe and elsewhere spin on his axis — President Trump on Friday placed himself at the center of the remarkable summit between the leaders of North and South Korea, taking credit for bold and innovative diplomacy that may open a path to peace where other leaders failed.
Discussion:
Axios, Althouse, One America News Network and ABC News
RELATED:
Max Boot / Washington Post:
Don't let the Korea summit hype fool you. We've been here before. … The meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea was acclaimed as “historic.” The two leaders hugged, “smiled broadly, shook each other's hand vigorously and toasted each other with glasses of champagne.”
Discussion:
The Week, New York Times and CNN
David E. Sanger / New York Times:
Koreans Set the Table for a Deal That Trump Will Try to Close
Koreans Set the Table for a Deal That Trump Will Try to Close
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
Conor Finnegan / ABC News:
Pompeo says Kim Jong Un ‘serious’ about nuclear talks
Pompeo says Kim Jong Un ‘serious’ about nuclear talks
Discussion:
One America News Network
Alexander Mallin / ABC News:
President Trump won't say if he's talked with Kim Jong Un
President Trump won't say if he's talked with Kim Jong Un
Discussion:
Axios, Breitbart, One America News Network, Associated Press and The Hill
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Court grants 90-day delay in Stormy Daniels' suit against Trump — A lawsuit filed by an adult-film actress over an alleged “hush money” deal with President Donald Trump and his attorney Michael Cohen will be put on hold for three months because of a criminal investigation Cohen is facing, a federal judge ruled on Friday.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, NPR, Law & Crime, Washington Press, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, Political Wire and Joe.My.God.
RELATED:
Louis Lucero II / New York Times:
Stormy Daniels Lawsuit Delayed as Judge Cites ‘Likely’ Indictment of Michael Cohen — A federal judge in California on Friday ordered a three-month delay in the lawsuit brought by the pornographic film star Stephanie Clifford against President Trump, citing what he called the likelihood …
Beth Reinhard / Washington Post:
Judge puts Stormy Daniels case on hold for 90 days, citing likelihood Michael Cohen will be indicted
Judge puts Stormy Daniels case on hold for 90 days, citing likelihood Michael Cohen will be indicted
Discussion:
Politico
Washington Post:
White House: No evidence that Ronny Jackson ‘wrecked’ a vehicle as president's physician … The White House on Friday said officials had conducted a thorough review of presidential physician Ronny L. Jackson's vehicle records and found three minor incidents but no evidence that he “wrecked” …
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Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:
“They're Looking for a Place for Kelly to Land That Won't Be Embarrassing for Him” …
“They're Looking for a Place for Kelly to Land That Won't Be Embarrassing for Him” …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, AOL, Hot Air and CNN
Rachel Dicker / Mediaite:
Secret Service Disputes Allegation That Ronny Jackson Banged on Female Colleague's Door
Secret Service Disputes Allegation That Ronny Jackson Banged on Female Colleague's Door
Discussion:
CNN, Duffel Blog and Townhall
Sara Murray / CNN:
Exclusive: NRA gathers documents amid scrutiny over ties to Kremlin-linked banker — Washington (CNN)The National Rifle Association is setting aside years of documents related to its interactions with a Kremlin-linked banker, as the gun-rights group appears to be bracing for a possible investigation …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Balloon Juice, Shareblue Media and kplr11.com
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The Daily Beast:
Michael Flynn and Son Met With Russia Ambassador Before RT Gala
Michael Flynn and Son Met With Russia Ambassador Before RT Gala
Discussion:
Breitbart
Mark Mazzetti / New York Times:
Manafort's Lawsuit Taking Aim at Mueller Is Tossed Out of Court
Manafort's Lawsuit Taking Aim at Mueller Is Tossed Out of Court
Discussion:
Breitbart, HuffPost, 21st Century Wire and Washington Examiner
William Saletan / Slate:
Stop Talking About Race and IQ — The race-and-IQ debate is back. The latest round started a few weeks ago when Harvard geneticist David Reich wrote a New York Times op-ed in defense of race as a biological fact. The piece resurfaced Sam Harris' year-old Waking Up podcast interview with Charles Murray …
Rosie Gray / The Atlantic:
RedState and the Dwindling Space for Anti-Trump Conservatives — RedState was a rare thing these days in the conservative media: a platform for an array of different opinions about President Trump. — That now seems to be a thing of the past, as media on the right has split into two camps …
RELATED:
Andrew Kirell / The Daily Beast:
Conservative Site RedState ‘Purges’ Anti-Trump Voices, Fired Writers Say
Conservative Site RedState ‘Purges’ Anti-Trump Voices, Fired Writers Say
Discussion:
Patterico's Pontifications and Joe.My.God.
Marisa Guthrie / Hollywood Reporter:
Tom Brokaw Rips “Sensational” Accuser Claims: I Was “Ambushed and Then Perp Walked” — The revered NBC News anchor accused of unwanted advances pens a strenuous denial and defense of his legacy. — Tom Brokaw, the NBC News anchor who has served as a distinguished anchor emeritus since stepping …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, ABC News, twitchy.com, Instapundit, ThinkProgress, The Root, Media Matters for America, HuffPost, TheBlaze, Hot Air, Washington Free Beacon, Law & Crime, AOL, TVNewser, Splinter, CBS San Francisco, WTVR-TV, Front Page Magazine, Talking Points Memo and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
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Lisa de Moraes / Deadline:
Mika Brzezinski Joins Rachel Maddow And Others In Letter Supporting Tom Brokaw
Mika Brzezinski Joins Rachel Maddow And Others In Letter Supporting Tom Brokaw
Discussion:
Hollywood Reporter, Mediaite, NewsBusters and TVNewser, more at Mediagazer »
Casey Michel / ThinkProgress:
Jill Stein says she won't fully comply with Senate Russia investigation — Jill Stein ended months of silence and speculation about her role in the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, announcing this week that she would not be complying …
Discussion:
Jill Stein and Political Wire
Ewan Palmer / Newsweek:
VIRGINIA NEWSPAPER RUNS KKK RECRUITMENT FLYER IN FULL ON FRONT PAGE — A Virginia newspaper has come under fire from its readers after it ran a Ku Klux Klan recruitment flyer in full on its front page. — The Westmoreland News ran a story on how KKK recruitment flyers and DVDs …
Discussion:
The Root and Washington Press
Jason Rezaian / Washington Post:
Congress makes a long-overdue move to punish Iran's hostage-takers … “Now is the day of reckoning for the Iranian regime,” Rep. Ted Poe (R-Tex.) said on Wednesday. “That's just the way it is.” — Poe was speaking on the floor of a mostly empty House during the introduction …
Discussion:
CNN
New York Times:
Firing of House Chaplain Causes Uproar on Capitol Hill — Speaker Paul D. Ryan's abrupt decision to dismiss the House chaplain triggered an uproar on Friday over religion, pitting Republican against Republican and offering Democrats a political opportunity in a year already moving their way.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Shareblue Media, New York Magazine, NBC News and NY State of Politics
Indianapolis Star:
Rokita, Messer deny wrongdoing in possible straw donor scheme — Three Indiana members of Congress gave and received money from Ohio Rep. Jim Renacci in what experts said may have been an improper straw donor scheme — including two Indiana congressmen running for the U.S. Senate.
Julian E. Zelizer / The Atlantic:
A Century of Feuding Between Presidents and the Press — For the second time, President Trump won't attend the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. As Washington's elite journalists gather to celebrate their work this weekend, the president will hold a rally in Michigan.
Jon Henley / The Guardian:
Brigitte Macron lauds ‘really fun’ Melania Trump - but says 'she can't go outside' — French first lady tells Le Monde her US counterpart is ‘kind, charming’ and excellent company, but is constrained by her role in Washington — Far from the stern, even glum image she presents to the public …
Discussion:
Raw Story, HuffPost and The Daily Caller