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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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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 …
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Washington Post, CNNMoney, BloombergQuint, Above the Law, Media Matters for America, The Atlantic, Mediaite, The Week, Shareblue Media, The Hill, ThinkProgress, CNBC, Politico, Mother Jones, Joe.My.God., Raw Story, Washington Press, VICE News, TVNewser, The Guardian, HuffPost, National Review, Vox, Talking Points Memo, Conservative News Today, Daily Kos, Washington Times, The Right Scoop and TalkLeft, more at Mediagazer »


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 ThinkProgress


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, ThinkProgress, Splinter, VICE News, Bloomberg, One America News Network, AOL, The Week, Raw Story, Awful Announcing, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Axios, Bustle, Little Green Footballs, CNN, The Hill and Mediaite


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


Tonight's Staggering Revelations
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Mediaite and The Mahablog

AT&T confirms it paid Trump lawyer Michael Cohen for ‘insights’ on administration
Discussion:
Washington Press, Engadget and What The Fuck …, more at Techmeme »

Daniels' lawyer: Cohen got $500K from Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg
Discussion:
Shakesville, Conservative News Today, Washington Press, IJR, Raw Story, Washington Times and New York Magazine

AT&T Paid Trump Lawyer for ‘Insights’ on Administration
Discussion:
Just Security and The Week


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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Challenger Mark Harris on verge of upsetting U.S. Rep. Pittenger of NC
Discussion:
ABC News, NPR, The Week and Washington Post

6 Takeaways From Tuesday's Primary Elections
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Vox, ABC News, Hullabaloo and Outside the Beltway

Top takeaways from the first big primary of 2018
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and New York Magazine

LIVE UPDATES: Big stakes in West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio bellwether primaries
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Vox, Breitbart, Mediaite, Washington Times, Politico, Bustle, Daily Kos, The Guardian, National Review, HuffPost, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller and NPR


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.
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Why I Support Gina Haspel for CIA Director—Despite a Big Reservation
Discussion:
Townhall, Hit & Run, Sputnik International, Just Security and Clayton Cramer

I Have a Few Questions for Gina Haspel
Discussion:
Reuters and Common Dreams

‘She Should Have Fought Back. Other People Did’: Inside Gina Haspel's Black Site
Discussion:
CNN, Splinter, Just Security and Bustle


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
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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


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, Hit & Run, Washington Times, Mediaite and Political Wire


Iran's top leader, lawmakers lash out at US on nuclear deal — TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's supreme leader chastised President Donald Trump on Wednesday over his decision to pull America out of the 2015 nuclear deal, while lawmakers lit a paper U.S. flag on fire inside parliament, shouting, “Death to America!”
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RedState, Fox News, Political Wire and Daily Wire
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Trump ‘unleashes general rage’ in scrapping Iran deal
Discussion:
Axios, One America News Network and Associated Press

There are few issues more important to the security of the United States …
Discussion:
The White House, Sputnik International, GOV.UK, Vox, Washington Post, Bustle, Washington Press, Jihad Watch, The American Conservative, The Week, CNN, twitchy.com, Washington Free Beacon, 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, CNBC, Deadline, AOL and Washington Monthly

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
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North Korea releases 3 American prisoners in apparent goodwill gesture ahead of a planned summit between Trump and Kim
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CNBC, Fox News, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, ThinkProgress, CNN, National Review, Townhall, Talking Points Memo, Politico, The Guardian and RT

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


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


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 and Politico
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Iran lawmakers shout ‘death to America,’ burn U.S. flag after Trump nixes nuclear deal — Iranian lawmakers shouted “death to America” and set fire to a paper U.S. flag during angry scenes at the country's parliament in Tehran, a day after President Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal.
Discussion:
IJR, Task & Purpose, Splinter and CNN
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Boeing, Airbus to lose $39 billion in contracts because of Trump sanctions on Iran
Discussion:
The Week

A Courageous Trump Call on a Lousy Iran Deal
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon and Viking Pundit


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


The Daily 202: Primary results confirm 2018 is a terrible year to be a House Republican … THE BIG IDEA: Republican members of the House fared especially poorly Tuesday in primaries across four states, offering fresh evidence that this fall will bring another change election and a new batch …
Discussion:
MSNBC


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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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.


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 …


Background Briefing on President Trump's Decision To Withdraw From the JCPOA — Special Briefing — Senior State Department Officials — Washington, DC — MODERATOR: All right, thanks everybody. So we are glad to have with us today two folks to talk about the President's decision today to withdraw from the JCPOA.
Discussion:
Mondoweiss


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.