Top Items:
New York Times:
Firm Tied to Russian Oligarch Made Payments to Michael Cohen — A shell company that Michael D. Cohen used to pay hush money to a pornographic film actress received payments totaling more than $1 million from an American company linked to a Russian oligarch and several corporations with business …
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CNN:
Exclusive: Mueller's team questions Russian oligarch about payments to Cohen — (CNN)Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators have questioned a Russian oligarch about hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments his company's US affiliate made to President Donald Trump's personal attorney …
Discussion:
Washington Post, CNNMoney, Media Matters for America, Mediaite, The Week, The Atlantic, Shareblue Media, The Hill, ThinkProgress, Politico, CNBC, Mother Jones, Joe.My.God., Raw Story, Washington Press, VICE News, The Guardian, TVNewser, Vox, HuffPost, National Review, Talking Points Memo, Conservative News Today, Daily Kos, Washington Times, The Right Scoop and TalkLeft, more at Mediagazer »
Timothy L. O'Brien / Bloomberg:
The Porn Star's Lawyer Maps the Trump Money Trail — Michael Cohen's clients included a firm linked to a Russian oligarch and a South Korean aerospace company. — There may be any number of reasons why a management firm linked to a powerful Russian oligarch favored by the Kremlin paid …
Discussion:
CNN, Shareblue Media, FOX2now.com, Joe.My.God. and Raw Story
Noah Shachtman / The Daily Beast:
Michael Cohen Took Cash From Russian Oligarch After Election — The Daily Beast can confirm that Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a company controlled by Putin-aligned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg.
Discussion:
Politico, Splinter, VICE News, One America News Network, AOL, The Week, Raw Story, Awful Announcing, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Axios, Bustle, Little Green Footballs, ThinkProgress, The Hill, CNN and Mediaite
Natasha Bertrand / The Atlantic:
Trump's Two Biggest Scandals Converge In a Single Tweet — The attorney for adult-film performer Stormy Daniels made an explosive claim on Tuesday, merging the two biggest scandals of Donald Trump's presidency in a single tweet—and setting off a frenzy of fresh speculation about the Trump campaign's possible ties to Russia.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Axios, Washington Press, Mediaite, Joe.My.God., Vox and HuffPost
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Tonight's Staggering Revelations — Tonight we have what I'd say may be the most staggering revelations since the tangle of “Trump/Russia” investigations began almost two years ago. This is not hyperbole. — Late this afternoon Stormy Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti posted what he called a …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Mediaite and The Mahablog
Dan Mangan / CNBC:
AT&T confirms it paid Trump lawyer Michael Cohen for ‘insights’ on administration
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Washington Press, Engadget and What The Fuck …, more at Techmeme »
G. Elliott Morris / The Crosstab:
Democrats Scored a Big, Unexpected Win in the May 8 Primaries — For the first time in 2018, an incumbent U.S. House Representative has been ousted by a primary challenger. Republican U.S. House Rep. from North Carolina's 9th Congressional District Robert Pittenger lost his primary bid …
Discussion:
Axios, Splinter and Washington Post
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Jim Morrill / The Charlotte Observer:
Challenger Mark Harris on verge of upsetting U.S. Rep. Pittenger of NC
Discussion:
ABC News, NPR, The Week and Washington Post
Halimah Abdullah / ABC News:
LIVE UPDATES: Big stakes in West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio bellwether primaries
Discussion:
Vox, Breitbart, Mediaite, Politico, Daily Kos, Bustle, The Guardian, National Review, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, NPR, Axios and Fox News Insider
New York Times:
6 Takeaways From Tuesday's Primary Elections
Discussion:
ABC News, Outside the Beltway and Washington Times
Alex Pappas / Fox News:
Patrick Morrisey pulls off upset in West Virginia Senate primary, beats Blankenship and Jenkins
Discussion:
CNN, Joe.My.God. and Mediaite
Daniel Lippman / Politico:
Playbook: Oh, to be a House Republican — IT WAS A BAD NIGHT for House Republicans. As Steve Shepard, Elena Schneider and Scott Bland point out below, Rep. Evan Jenkins got his clock cleaned in the West Virginia Senate primary. Indiana Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita spent months whacking …
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Charlie Savage / New York Times:
9/11 Planner, Tortured by C.I.A., Asks to Tell Senators About Gina Haspel — WASHINGTON — President Trump's nomination of Gina Haspel to lead the C.I.A. has revived debate over the agency's post-Sept. 11 interrogation program and still-murky questions about her involvement.
Benjamin Wittes / Lawfare:
Why I Support Gina Haspel for CIA Director—Despite a Big Reservation
Discussion:
Townhall, The Daily Beast, Hit & Run, Sputnik International and Just Security
Lukas Mikelionis / Fox News:
9/11 alleged mastermind comes out against Haspel's nomination as next CIA chief
Discussion:
The Daily Caller
Politico:
Trump ‘unleashes general rage’ in scrapping Iran deal — One story dominated front pages across the Continent Wednesday morning: U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement and reimpose sanctions on Tehran. Britain's Daily Telegraph led with a quote …
Discussion:
Axios, One America News Network and Associated Press
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Barack Obama:
There are few issues more important to the security of the United States …
Discussion:
Vox, Jihad Watch, Washington Post, Bustle, Washington Press, The American Conservative, Sputnik International, The Week, CNN, Washington Free Beacon, twitchy.com, CBS News, NTI, The Daily Caller, Washington Times, Daily Wire, Shareblue Media, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, IJR, Townhall, CBS New York, Mother Jones, RT, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Deadline, AOL, Washington Monthly and CNBC
consilium.europa.eu:
Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU following US President Trump's announcement …
Bret Stephens / New York Times:
A Courageous Trump Call on a Lousy Iran Deal
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon and Viking Pundit
Washington Post:
Why Trump torpedoed Obama's Iran deal … The lobbying campaign to save the Iran nuclear agreement was intense and took months. British Prime Minister Theresa May raised the deal with President Trump in more than a dozen phone calls. French President Emmanuel Macron pressed him on it during an elaborate state visit.
Discussion:
Politico and One America News Network
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Peter Baker / New York Times:
No Longer Held Back by His Advisers, Trump Puts His Imprint on Foreign Policy — WASHINGTON — The relative caution that constrained President Trump for much of his first year in office has been cast aside, and an emboldened commander in chief is finally reshaping foreign policy to reflect the …
Discussion:
Contemptor, Task & Purpose, Hit & Run, Washington Times and CNN
Rick Noack / Washington Post:
Hours into his new job, Trump's ambassador to Germany offends his hosts … BERLIN — For the past year, German officials have been urging their U.S. counterparts to send a new ambassador to Berlin. But after finally receiving one, many may be having second thoughts.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Breitbart and Washington Press
Washington Post:
North Korea releases 3 American prisoners in apparent goodwill gesture ahead of a planned summit between Trump and Kim … BREAKING: President Trump said in tweet this morning, “I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea …
Discussion:
CNBC, Fox News, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, ThinkProgress, CNN, National Review, Townhall, Politico, Talking Points Memo and RT
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Yonhap News Agency:
N. Korea to release 3 U.S. captives: Cheong Wa Dae official … North Korea is expected to release three U.S. citizens held in the communist state on Wednesday, an official from Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said, in an apparent goodwill gesture ahead of a historic meeting between …
Discussion:
Breitbart, Raw Story, The Right Scoop and Axios
Louis Nelson / Politico:
North Korea frees 3 Americans ahead of Trump's summit with Kim Jong Un
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, ABC News and One America News Network
Washington Post:
Risk to intelligence source who aided Russia investigation at center of latest showdown between Nunes and Justice Dept. — Last Wednesday, senior FBI and national intelligence officials relayed an urgent message to the White House: Information being sought by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Week, Raw Story, Axios, Mediaite and Democracy21
Jeremy Barr / Hollywood Reporter:
MSNBC Under Fire After Host Hugh Hewitt Helped Broker Meeting With EPA Leader — “We'll get back to you,” an MSNBC spokesman told THR when asked about the host's role in brokering a meeting between EPA head Scott Pruitt and lawyers at his firm representing a California water district.
Discussion:
Media Matters for America, The Daily Beast, Politico and New York Magazine, more at Mediagazer »
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Katie Jane Fernelius / News, Indy Week:
A Duke University VP Walked Into the Campus Joe Van Gogh, Heard a Rap Song, Demanded That the Employees Be Fired — On Monday, two employees of Duke University's Joe Van Gogh location had their contracts terminated after vice president for student affairs Larry Moneta and executive director …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Kate Sheehy / New York Post:
Woman details nightmare date with ‘repulsive’ Schneiderman — She says their blind date started off like a dream, with him bearing flowers as he picked her up in a luxury car to take her to dinner at Bette Midler's trendy New Leaf restaurant in Fort Tryon Park.
Discussion:
New York Times, Politico, Fox News Insider, WPIX 11 New York and The Real Deal New York
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Megan McArdle / Washington Post:
I went back to the man who hit me. Why?
Discussion:
New Republic, WPIX 11 New York and New York Post
Morgan Chalfant / The Hill:
Senate Intel: Russia waged ‘unprecedented’ cyber campaign on U.S. voting systems — The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday released the unclassified version of its investigation into Russian cyberattacks on digital U.S. voting systems ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice
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Marwa Eltagouri / Washington Post:
Rachel Crooks, who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her, wins uncontested Ohio House primary … Rachel Crooks, one of at least 19 women who have publicly accused President Trump of sexual assault, won an uncontested primary Tuesday for a seat in the Ohio state House of Representatives, her campaign manager confirmed.
Ladders:
Ronan Farrow to Loyola Marymount's Class of 2018: ‘Trust that inner voice’ — “I wish I could tell you I was confident. That I was sure of myself. That I didn't care,” Farrow said of reporting the hardest story of his life. “But the real version was that I was heartbroken and scared …
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Is This How Avenatti Found Out? — TPM Reader TH thinks he knows where Michael Avenatti got his amazingly specific details. And it sounds right to me ... I have no idea who leaked this or whether it was a leak per se. But this is extraordinarily detailed information. It all seems accurate.
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