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, BloombergQuint, CNNMoney, Above the Law, Media Matters for America, The Atlantic, Mediaite, The Week, ThinkProgress, Shareblue Media, The Hill, CNBC, Politico, Mother Jones, Raw Story, Joe.My.God., Washington Press, VICE News, TVNewser, The Guardian, HuffPost, National Review, Vox, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, 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 ThinkProgress
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, ThinkProgress, Contemptor, Splinter, VICE News, Bloomberg, AOL, One America News Network, The Week, Raw Story, Awful Announcing, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Axios, Bustle, Little Green Footballs, CNN, The Hill 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
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Mediaite and The Mahablog
Dan Mangan / CNBC:
AT&T confirms it paid Trump lawyer Michael Cohen for ‘insights’ on administration
Discussion:
Washington Press, Engadget and What The Fuck …, more at Techmeme »
Drew FitzGerald / Wall Street Journal:
AT&T Paid Trump Lawyer for ‘Insights’ on Administration
Discussion:
Just Security, Patterico's Pontifications and The Week
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
New York Times:
6 Takeaways From Tuesday's Primary Elections
Discussion:
Vox, Indianapolis Star, Hullabaloo, ABC News and News and Tribune
Associated Press:
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!”
Discussion:
RedState, Fox News, Political Wire and Daily Wire
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Politico:
Trump ‘unleashes general rage’ in scrapping Iran deal
Discussion:
Axios, One America News Network and Associated Press
Bret Stephens / New York Times:
A Courageous Trump Call on a Lousy Iran Deal
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon and Viking Pundit
Kim Hjelmgaard / USA Today:
Iran lawmakers shout ‘death to America,’ burn U.S. flag after Trump nixes nuclear deal
Discussion:
IJR, Task & Purpose, Splinter and CNN
consilium.europa.eu:
Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU following US President Trump's announcement …
Barack Obama:
There are few issues more important to the security of the United States …
Discussion:
The White House, Sputnik International, Vox, GOV.UK, Jihad Watch, The American Conservative, Washington Post, Bustle, Washington Press, The Week, twitchy.com, CNN, CBS News, NTI, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller, Washington Times, Daily Wire, Shareblue Media, IJR, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Townhall, CBS New York, Mother Jones, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, RT, Deadline, CNBC, AOL and Washington Monthly
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 …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller
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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.
Scott Bland / Politico:
Top takeaways from the first big primary of 2018
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and New York Magazine
Benjamin Wittes / Lawfare:
Why I Support Gina Haspel for CIA Director—Despite a Big Reservation
Discussion:
Townhall, Washington Post, Hit & Run, Sputnik International and Just Security
Fatima Boudchar / New York Times:
I Have a Few Questions for Gina Haspel
Discussion:
Reuters and Common Dreams
Spencer Ackerman / The Daily Beast:
‘She Should Have Fought Back. Other People Did’: Inside Gina Haspel's Black Site
Discussion:
CNN, Feeds, Splinter and Just Security
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
RELATED:
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
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, Washington Times, Hit & Run, Mediaite and Political Wire
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
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Washington Post:
North Korea releases 3 American prisoners in apparent goodwill gesture ahead of a planned summit between Trump and Kim
Discussion:
CNBC, Fox News, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, ThinkProgress, CNN, National Review, Townhall, Talking Points Memo, Politico, Fox News Insider, The Guardian and RT
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:
Politico, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Raw Story, Axios, Mediaite and Democracy21
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
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 and Politico
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Andrew Perez / MapLight:
Ethics Experts Say Scott Pruitt Reimbursements Raise Questions About Double-Dipping
Discussion:
Grist
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 …
James Hohmann / Washington Post:
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
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.
US Department of State:
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
Chris Gardner / Hollywood Reporter:
On the Road With Rose McGowan: An Actress Turned Activist Leaves the “Hollywood Bubble” Behind — Six months since going public with rape accusations about Harvey Weinstein and helping to ignite the #MeToo movement, McGowan has been portrayed as both a fearless hero and flame-throwing narcissist.
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