Top Items:
John Santucci / ABC News:
Special counsel Mueller wants to ask Trump about obstruction of justice: Sources — Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office wants to ask President Donald Trump about obstruction of justice, sources close to the White House tell ABC News. According to sources, the president learned within …
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New York Times:
Trump Pushes for Interview With Mueller Against Lawyers' Advice — WASHINGTON — President Trump pushed his lawyers in recent days to try once again to reach an agreement with the special counsel's office about him sitting for an interview, flouting their advice that he should not answer …
Tierney Sneed / Talking Points Memo:
PHOTOS: Manafort's Fancy Clothes, Including The Ostrich Jacket — If there was anything prosecutors at Paul Manafort's trial were trying to impress on the jury Wednesday, it's that he liked to spend money wired from his foreign bank accounts on fancy things — items that could not conceivably …
Associated Press:
Trump urges end to probe ‘right now,’ setting off new storm — WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump bluntly declared on Wednesday his attorney general should terminate “right now” the federal probe into the campaign that took him to the White House, a newly fervent attack …
Franklin Foer / The Atlantic:
A Hell of a Performance by Paul Manafort — Paul Manafort lumbered into the courtroom, his movements as stiff as you would expect of a man who now sleeps on a concrete bed. Over the years, Manafort constantly explored novel methods for preserving his youth, for tending to the details of his appearance.
Discussion:
Quartz, Shakesville and Vox
Washington Post:
Mueller offers to limit investigators' questions for Trump in special counsel's latest effort to secure presidential interview — Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III renewed negotiations with President Trump's lawyers about a presidential sit-down after an extended standoff, according to two people briefed on the negotiations.
Politico:
‘This idiot judge?’: Salty Manafort trial chief cracks wise and cracks down — U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III has a ‘wicked sense of humor.’ — As the second day of Paul Manafort's criminal trial wound on, U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III sounded less like a federal jurist than an exasperated high school teacher.
Discussion:
CNN, Roll Call and The Daily Beast
Melissa Quinn / Washington Examiner:
FBI describes early-morning raid of Paul Manafort's condo
FBI describes early-morning raid of Paul Manafort's condo
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and Splinter
Zoe Tillman / BuzzFeed News:
The Judge In Paul Manafort's Case Is Pissed At Prosecutors For Focusing Too Much On His “Luxury” Lifestyle
Ryan Goodman / Just Security:
Who Says Collusion is a Crime: The Justice Department
Who Says Collusion is a Crime: The Justice Department
Discussion:
Raw Story, CNN, New York Times and Washington Post
Washington Post:
Trump calls Manafort prosecution ‘a hoax,’ says Sessions should stop Mueller investigation
Trump calls Manafort prosecution ‘a hoax,’ says Sessions should stop Mueller investigation
Chris Cillizza / CNN:
Donald Trump just tweeted something new about the Russia investigation — and it's huge
Donald Trump just tweeted something new about the Russia investigation — and it's huge
Discussion:
Washington Post, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit and Townhall
Rachel Weiner / Washington Post:
‘He has torn my head off’: Manafort judge known for being tough during trials
‘He has torn my head off’: Manafort judge known for being tough during trials
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Gateway Pundit and Axios
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
As the bizarre QAnon group emerges, Trump rallies go from nasty to dangerous — Hostility toward the media at Trump rallies is nothing new. It infected the presidential campaign and has marred every raucous gathering of supporters since the election. — But on Tuesday night in Tampa …
Discussion:
Commentary Magazine and HuffPost, more at Mediagazer »
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Isaac Stanley-Becker / Washington Post:
‘We are Q’: A deranged conspiracy cult leaps from the Internet to the crowd at Trump's ‘MAGA’ tour — On Tuesday evening, the dark recesses of the Internet lit up with talk of politics. — “Tampa rally, live coverage,” wrote “Dan,” posting a link to President Trump's Tampa speech in a thread on 8chan …
New York Times:
What Is QAnon: Explaining the Internet Conspiracy Theory That Showed Up at a Trump Rally
What Is QAnon: Explaining the Internet Conspiracy Theory That Showed Up at a Trump Rally
Discussion:
Right Wing Watch
Avery Anapol / The Hill:
Trump rally attendee holds up sign linked to conspiracy theory
Trump rally attendee holds up sign linked to conspiracy theory
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Mediaite and Contemptor
Amanda Terkel / HuffPost:
Kirsten Gillibrand Pays The Price For Speaking Out Against Al Franken — A number of Democratic donors are furious at her for calling for Franken's resignation and may not support her in 2020. — No one in Congress is more associated with the Me Too movement than Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).
Discussion:
Vox, Splinter, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Daily Caller, BostonGlobe.com and Mediaite
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Corky Siemaszko / NBC News:
Former Ohio State wrestling coach urged Rep. Jim Jordan's accusers to recant, texts show — Former coach Russ Hellickson told wrestlers he could help them release a statement in support of Jordan, according to texts shared with NBC News. — Retired Ohio State wrestling coach Russ Hellickson reached …
Discussion:
Washington Post, TheBlaze, POLITICUSUSA and The Week
Monmouth University Polling Institute:
Gap Narrows in CD12 Special — Motivated base and gains among independents boost Dem — West Long Branch, NJ - The race to fill the open seat in Ohio's 12th Congressional District has shifted from a Republican advantage last month to a toss-up now, according to the Monmouth University Poll.
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Vox, Politico, Talking Points Memo and Political Wire
Rush Limbaugh / Rush Home:
President Trump Calls the Show! — RUSH: So I have this note on the call screener computer: “On the hotline...” We don't have a hotline. “On the hotline, you're receiving a phone call in recognition of your anniversary broadcast. You'll want to take this immediately.” Okay.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Conservative Review, The Rush Limbaugh Show, National Review, Politico and Althouse
Eriq Gardner / Hollywood Reporter:
Fox News Taken to Supreme Court in Potential Blockbuster Case — In an application to the high court, TVEyes says it is presenting an “exceptionally important question” about how to balance copyright with the First Amendment right to criticize and comment. — The U.S. Supreme Court may soon …
Katie Rogers / New York Times:
Trump Says You Need an ID to Buy Groceries. Shoppers Say, ‘Huh?’ — WASHINGTON — Just when it seemed like Tuesday's “Make America Great Again” rally in Florida would end with the typical punch list — Democrats, journalists, immigrants — President Trump added new spice …
Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
Sarah Huckabee Sanders uses a debunked story to blame the media for damaging the hunt for bin Laden — White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders just accused the media of hindering the American government's pursuit of Osama bin Laden just a few years before 9/11. But she may want to check her evidence.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Mediaite, New York Times and The Week, more at Mediagazer »
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Jeremy Diamond / CNN:
Sanders claim about Osama bin Laden's phone use and journalists is untrue
Sanders claim about Osama bin Laden's phone use and journalists is untrue
Discussion:
The Daily Caller
Kansas City Star:
Kobach promised cities help. It cost them millions — and powered his political rise — Kris Kobach likes to tout his work for Valley Park, Mo. He has boasted on cable TV about crafting and defending the town's hardline anti-immigration ordinance. He discussed his “victory” there at length on his old radio show.
Discussion:
Media Matters for America, Shareblue Media, Kansas Democratic Party, New Republic, Balloon Juice and Eschaton
New York Times:
Facing Losses, Condé Nast Plans to Put 3 Magazines Up for Sale — Anna Wintour is staying, but the once-plush company behind Vogue and The New Yorker lost $120 million last year. — Condé Nast, the company behind Vogue, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, became …
Bill Scher / Politico:
Why the Smart Move for Never-Trumpers Is to Become Democrats — There's a new debate inside the #NeverTrump movement about how to respond to a president they loathe and the Republican Party that loves him. Some #NeverTrump conservatives, like New York Times columnist David Brooks …
Discussion:
RedState
Ciaran McGrath / Daily Express:
Great Wall of China: Fury as section COLLAPSES after heavy rainfall — A SECTION of the Great Wall of China has collapsed after recent heavy rains - with critics suggesting that recent renovation works which they believe had weakened its structure are partly to blame.
Discussion:
ecns and The Daily Caller
Associated Press:
The Latest: Senate Rejects New Money for Election Security — WASHINGTON — The Latest on election security (all times local): — The Republican-controlled Senate has defeated a push by Democrats to set aside an additional $250 million for states to upgrade their voting systems to protect against hacking and other cyberattacks.
Jennifer Bendery / HuffPost:
White House, GOP Erase Trump Nominee's Role At LGBTQ Rights Group — State Department nominee R. Clarke Cooper ran Log Cabin Republicans for two years, but you'd never know it based on his confirmation process. — WASHINGTON President Donald Trump's nominee to a top State Department job …
CNN:
CNN exclusive: TSA considering eliminating screening at smaller airports — Washington (CNN)The Transportation Security Administration is considering eliminating passenger screening at more than 150 small and medium-sized airports across the US, according to senior agency officials and internal documents obtained by CNN.
Discussion:
Breitbart, The Verge and Boing Boing
Nicholas Fondacaro / NewsBusters:
Pure Ignorance: Nets Push Fake News About 3D Printed Guns — For days, the liberal media have been experiencing a Chernobyl-level meltdown about a Texas company releasing online instructions for 3D printing plastic weapons that actually fire real bullets. Of course, none of them did their homework …
Discussion:
National Review, Bearing Arms and twitchy.com
Burgess Everett / Politico:
Senate approves release of documents regarding alleged Russian agent — The Senate on Wednesday approved the release of internal Intelligence Committee documents to the Justice Department regarding alleged Russian agent Mariia Butina. — The Senate Intelligence Committee interviewed Butina …
Discussion:
Axios
Amina Dunn / Pew Research Center:
Trump's approval ratings so far are unusually stable - and deeply partisan — Over the course of an eventful first 18 months in office, President Donald Trump's approval ratings have remained remarkably stable. There has also been a wider gap between Republicans' and Democrats' views …
Charles Bethea / New Yorker:
News Outlets Are Prewriting Stories About Officials Getting Fired to Keep Up with the Trump Era — The resignations, firings, and ousters of senior government officials have always been big news. In 1991, two weeks after announcing that he'd stay on through the end of President George H. W. Bush's term …
Discussion:
Breitbart, Outside the Beltway and Townhall
Maria Sacchetti / Washington Post:
Attorney group: Child died ‘soon after’ release from ICE family detention facility — The American Immigration Lawyers Association said Wednesday that a migrant toddler died shortly after being released from an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Dilley, Tex.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Gizmodo, Reveal, The Week and Hill Reporter
Lolita C. Baldor / Associated Press:
Only on AP: Army using drug waivers, bonuses to fill ranks — WASHINGTON (AP) — Under the gun to increase the size of the force, the Army is issuing more waivers for past drug use or bad conduct by recruits, and pouring an extra $200 million into bonuses this year to attract and retain soldiers.
Wall Street Journal:
Local Resistance Builds to Google's ‘Smart City’ in Toronto — Biggest project by Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs faces questions over who will handle residents' personal data in the high-tech setting — TORONTO—An Alphabet Inc. GOOGL 0.47% project aimed at creating a “smart city” …
WCMH-TV:
Urban Meyer placed on paid administrative leave — COLUMBUS (WCMH/AP) — Ohio State University head coach Urban Meyer may have known about abuse allegations against former wide receivers coach Zach Smith, according to a report from a college football insider.
Discussion:
SBNation.com, smokeroom.com and FOX 61