Top Items:
Amy Brittain / Washington Post:
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh piled up credit card debt by purchasing Nationals tickets, White House says — Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh incurred tens of thousands of dollars of credit card debt buying baseball tickets over the past decade and at times reported liabilities …
Discussion:
Washington Times, AOL, Political Wire, twitchy.com and Mediaite
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Katie Benner / New York Times:
Rosenstein Asks Prosecutors to Help With Kavanaugh Papers in Unusual Request — WASHINGTON — Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, has asked federal prosecutors to help review the government documents of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, President Trump's Supreme Court nominee …
Discussion:
The Atlantic, CNN, Axios, Breitbart, Washington Post, Vox, Political Wire, Media Matters for America, Law & Crime, Common Dreams, Mashable, Talking Points Memo and Weekly Standard
Axios:
Joe Manchin: Brett Kavanaugh “has all the right qualities” — Red state Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who will cast a key vote during Judge Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation process, said on Talkline Communications radio Wednesday that Kavanaugh “has all the right qualities” …
Discussion:
YouTube, The Daily Caller, Breitbart and Political Wire
Dahlia Lithwick / Slate:
Brett Kavanaugh Was a Mistake — Donald Trump picked the judge who's most inclined to say the president can't be indicted. Pro tip: That makes him look guilty. — To be perfectly clear on the obvious point: Brett Kavanaugh is a lovely man and presumably a good father with a lovely family.
Discussion:
National Review, NewsBusters, Washington Post, SCOTUSblog, Daily Kos and Latest - Truthout
Washington Post:
The elite world of Brett Kavanaugh — The Chevy Chase Lounge is a neighborhood joint where bartender Tim Higgins is accustomed to bantering with long-standing patrons, including a middle-aged guy named Brett who likes to pop in for a Budweiser and a burger after coaching his daughters' basketball games.
Discussion:
CityLab
Monica Hesse / Washington Post:
What men are trying to say when they show off their Female Relationship Résumé — While covering a women's rights protest once, I asked a man in the crowd if he considered himself a feminist. He spread his arms wide. “My mom is awesome!” he declared. — And that is what brings us to Brett Kavanaugh.
David French / National Review:
An Open Letter from Yale Law Students Illustrates the Decline of the Radical Legal Mind
An Open Letter from Yale Law Students Illustrates the Decline of the Radical Legal Mind
Discussion:
ABC News, BostonGlobe.com and Breitbart
Rebecca Tan / Washington Post:
When Trump attacked Germany in Brussels, his aides pursed their lips and glanced away — President Trump kicked off his trip to Europe with a biting critique of the United States' longtime allies, declaring at a breakfast meeting that Germany “is captive to Russia.”
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Resurgent, Mother Jones, CNBC, Bustle, WGN-TV, NewsWars, Mediaite and Daily Kos
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Washington Post:
‘Rubbing salt in the wounds’: Trump won't take yes for an answer at NATO — BRUSSELS — For a president who loves declaring victory, the NATO summit here Wednesday could have provided a perfect opportunity. — After a year of haranguing by President Trump, Western leaders had agreed …
Discussion:
Politico
John Haltiwanger / Business Insider:
White House claims John Kelly looked ‘displeased’ at NATO summit because ‘because he was expecting a full breakfast and there were only pastries and cheese’ — The White House on Wednesday claimed chief of staff John Kelly looked “displeased” at the NATO summit in Brussels because …
Discussion:
Joe.My.God., AOL and Bustle
John Hinderaker / Power Line:
Bull: 1, China Shop: 0
Bull: 1, China Shop: 0
Discussion:
CNN, Fox News and Washington Free Beacon
Bloomberg:
Trump Urges Doubling Target for Arms Budgets to 4%: NATO Update
Trump Urges Doubling Target for Arms Budgets to 4%: NATO Update
Discussion:
Common Dreams, IJR, Washington Press, ThinkProgress, Associated Press, Reuters, Task & Purpose and The Daily Caller
Heather Hurlburt / New York Magazine:
There Is No Cleaning Up the Foreign-Policy Mess Trump Is Making
There Is No Cleaning Up the Foreign-Policy Mess Trump Is Making
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog
Damon Wake / Yahoo:
Trump and Merkel clash at fraught NATO summit
Trump and Merkel clash at fraught NATO summit
Discussion:
Breitbart, CNN and twitchy.com
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
This remarkable exchange at NATO perfectly captures Trump's ugly bad faith
This remarkable exchange at NATO perfectly captures Trump's ugly bad faith
Discussion:
New York Times, ABC News and Politico
Washington Post:
Trump is poisoning NATO. Why?
Trump is poisoning NATO. Why?
Discussion:
Fox News, Bloomberg, Washington Monthly and CNN
Washington Post:
Trump says Germany ‘is captive to Russia’ in fiery opening salvo against NATO
Trump says Germany ‘is captive to Russia’ in fiery opening salvo against NATO
Discussion:
Mother Jones, New York Times, The Hill, Politico, ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Outside the Beltway, Bustle, POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story, IJR, Shareblue Media, CNN, CNBC, thenewcivilrightsmovement.com, The Guardian, Roll Call, Mediaite, Fox News, Washington Free Beacon, Joe.My.God., Wall Street Journal, Shakesville and The Mahablog
Jim Geraghty / National Review:
Worried about Russia? Then Keep an Eye on Germany's Former Chancellor
Worried about Russia? Then Keep an Eye on Germany's Former Chancellor
Discussion:
Atlantic Council, twitchy.com, Daily Wire and Axios
Matt Naham / Law & Crime:
Judge to Manafort: Don't Worry, the Jail You're Going to Knows How to Handle Terrorists, Traitors and Spies — The legal saga of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort took another turn Wednesday as Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) Judge T.S. Ellis has denied his bid to stay put at the jail he is currently residing at.
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money
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Kelly Cohen / Washington Examiner:
Robert Mueller files request for another 100 blank subpoenas in Paul Manafort case
Darren Samuelsohn / Politico:
Mueller team listening to Manafort's jail phone calls
Mueller team listening to Manafort's jail phone calls
Discussion:
ABC News and The Daily Beast
Rachel Weiner / Washington Post:
Paul Manafort to be moved from jail where prosecutors say he has ‘VIP’ treatment
Paul Manafort to be moved from jail where prosecutors say he has ‘VIP’ treatment
Discussion:
Washingtonian
Pew Research Center:
Obama Tops Public's List of Best President in Their Lifetime, Followed by Clinton, Reagan — Reagan is top choice among Boomers, Silents — When asked which president has done the best job in their lifetimes, more Americans name Barack Obama than any other president.
Discussion:
Politico, The Hill, New York Magazine, Vox, IJR, Bustle, The Daily Caller, POLITICUSUSA, Axios and Mediaite
CNN:
Wife of top Trump aide had radio show where she said women in military should expect sexual harassment — (CNN)Darla Shine, the wife of new White House deputy chief of staff for communications Bill Shine, hosted a radio show in the late 2000s where she once mocked victims of sexual harassment …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The New Civil Rights Movement, Raw Story and Mediaite
New York Times:
Battling Fake Accounts, Twitter to Slash Millions of Followers — Twitter will begin removing tens of millions of suspicious accounts from users' followers on Thursday, signaling a major new effort to restore trust on the popular but embattled platform. — The reform takes aim at a pervasive form of social media fraud.
Discussion:
Twitter, BuzzFeed, VentureBeat, Breitbart, The Verge, Vox, CBS Los Angeles, New Republic and The FADER, more at Techmeme »
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Colleen Long / Associated Press:
Border Protection says NYC mayor crossed border illegally — WASHINGTON (AP) — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his security detail violated both Mexican and U.S. immigration laws by crossing the border on foot during a visit near El Paso, Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection alleges …
Discussion:
Daily Wire, National Review, Bustle, TheBlaze, Splinter, The Daily Caller and Townhall
Drew Wilson / Florida Politics:
Vern Buchanan bought yacht after voting for House version of GOP tax bill — A recently filed financial disclosure shows U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan celebrated passing the House version of the Republican tax bill in quite the lavish way. — According to the disclosure, Buchanan spent between $1 million …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and Joe.My.God.
Brett Samuels / The Hill:
House passes resolution in support of NATO by unanimous voice vote — The House on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution expressing support for NATO as President Trump — roiled allies with escalating calls for increased spending from alliance members.
Discussion:
IJR
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Calvin Woodward / Associated Press:
AP FACT CHECK: Trump keeps promoting myth about NATO debt
AP FACT CHECK: Trump keeps promoting myth about NATO debt
Discussion:
New York Times, Althouse and ABC News
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
Once partners, ‘Game Change’ authors feuding over their shattered franchise — Until their split last year, Mark Halperin and John Heilemann were the golden boys of American political journalism. Their collaboration led to a best-selling book about the 2008 presidential campaign, “Game Change …
Discussion:
Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
HuffPost:
Former Obama Officials Are Riding Out The Trump Years By Cashing In — The revolving door takes a spin. — The last 18 months have been difficult for former members of the Obama administration. They've been replaced by a regime, which, in the words of former Domestic Policy Council …
Discussion:
Common Dreams
Matt Steecker / Press & Sun-Bulletin:
‘You call the police’: Man who took Tom Reed sign charged after GPS tracks him down — A leader of a group that regularly protests against U.S. Rep. Tom Reed has been charged with petit larceny after being accused of stealing campaign signs. — Following the disappearance of campaign signs …
Caroline O'Donovan / BuzzFeed:
Walmart's Newly Patented Technology For Eavesdropping On Workers Presents Privacy Concerns — “The sound sensors can capture audio data based on interactions between the employee and the guests, interactions between the guests, and sounds resulting from movement and/or actions of the employees and/or guests.”
Discussion:
Splinter
Los Angeles Times:
Papa John's founder reportedly used racial slur in conference call — A media agency working with Papa John's International Inc. decided to cut ties after the pizza maker's founder and chairman, John Schnatter, allegedly used a racial slur and graphic descriptions of violence against minorities …
Mary Ellen Klas / miamiherald:
Rick Scott and family made $550M in one transaction. How ‘blind’ is his blind trust? — TALLAHASSEE — The reason Gov. Rick Scott's net income rose 55 percent in 2017 has to do with electric cars, China partnerships, a company turnaround, and a single transaction that resulted …
Carrie Johnson / NPR:
Senate Confirms New Boss For Justice Department Criminal Division — The Senate voted 51-48 on Wednesday to confirm Brian Benczkowski as an assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, ending an 18-month delay in which its Criminal Division operated without a permanent leader.
Alan Blinder / New York Times:
Alabama Moves to Limit Sheriffs From Pocketing Jail Food Money — Alabama's governor has begun to cut off a gravy train for the state's sheriffs: the unspent money for prisoners' meals that the sheriffs have long been allowed to keep for themselves. — The practice, born of a bickered …
Discussion:
NPR
VICE News:
Trump administration separated a 3-year-old from his father who crossed the border legally — ELOY, Arizona — Two days after asking for asylum at the bridge connecting Reynosa, Mexico, with McAllen, Texas, Jose was sitting in a freezing-cold holding room with his 3-year-old son, when immigration officials came in.
Discussion:
ACLU
Sohrab Ahmari / Commentary Magazine:
German Wobbliness on Russia Is Real — And it long predates Trump. — The latest NATO summit got underway in Brussels this week, and President Trump brought all of his signature rhetorical subtlety to the Belgian capital. Off the bat at a meeting Wednesday with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg …
Daniella Greenbaum / Weekly Standard:
Here Is the Column That Business Insider Spiked — Defending an actress for being hired to do a job is apparently beyond the pale these days. … Scarlett Johansson is the latest target of the social-justice warrior mob. The actress is being chastised for, well, acting.
Discussion:
Breitbart, Hot Air and Washington Free Beacon
BuzzFeed:
The Professor At The Center Of The Trump-Russia Probe Was A No-Show In Court — At a hearing in Palermo, Italy, Joseph Mifsud was described as “a ghost.” — Reporting From Palermo, Italy — PALERMO, Italy — Joseph Mifsud, the mysterious professor at the center of the Trump-Russia probe, was due in court in Italy on Wednesday.
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
‘Ranting and raving’: The time Kavanaugh knocked Chris Ruddy — Records from Kenneth Starr's office suggest Kavanaugh didn't think much of Ruddy, who has become one of Trump's top surrogates. — Two decades ago, as Brett Kavanaugh labored on independent counsel Ken Starr's team …