Top Items:
New York Times:
A One-Two Punch Puts Trump Back on His Heels — WASHINGTON — In two courtrooms 200 miles apart on Tuesday, President Trump's almost daily attempts to dismiss the criminal investigations that have engulfed his White House all but collapsed. — Mr. Trump has long mocked the investigations as …
Discussion:
Politico, Mediaite, HuffPost, Political Wire, Law & Crime, Mashable, ABC News and Mother Jones
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William K. Rashbaum / New York Times:
Trump's Former Fixer, Michael Cohen, Reaches a Plea Agreement Over Payments to Women — Michael Cohen, President Trump's former lawyer, reached a plea agreement with prosecutors investigating payments he made to women for Mr. Trump, a person familiar with the matter said.
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Lawfare, The Atlantic, Washington Post, NBC News, ABC News, The Week, Associated Press, CNBC, Hill Reporter, Mediaite, Just Security, Spectator USA, New York Post, HuffPost, Jezebel, Gizmodo, Observer, The Western Journal, Talking Points Memo, CNN, Vox, Mashable, New York Daily News, Common Dreams, Axios, Law & Crime, Daily Kos, Joe.My.God., Townhall, Taylor Marsh, Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Mother Jones, twitchy.com, Splinter, Boing Boing, The Guardian, Contemptor, Patterico's Pontifications, IJR, Althouse, Balloon Juice, New Republic, Hot Air, MSNBC, Little Green Footballs, Outside the Beltway, Sara A. Carter, Gothamist, pluralist, 100PercentFedUp.com and VICE News
Carol D. Leonnig / Washington Post:
Trump's company approved $420,000 in payments to Cohen, relying on ‘sham’ invoices, prosecutors say — President Trump's real estate company authorized paying $420,000 to lawyer Michael Cohen in his effort to silence women during the presidential campaign and then relied on “sham” …
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One America News Network, Daily Wire, ABC News, Political Wire, Law & Crime and Breitbart
Adam Davidson / New Yorker:
With the Manafort Convictions and Cohen Plea, President Trump Has Been Implicated in a Criminal Conspiracy — The President of the United States is now, formally, implicated in a criminal conspiracy to mislead the American public in order to influence an election.
Discussion:
Washington Post and Talking Points Memo
Richard L. Hasen / Slate:
Michael Cohen's Guilty Plea Directly Implicates Donald Trump in a Felony — For the first time since the Trump presidency began, President Donald Trump is in some real legal jeopardy, providing potential grounds for his eventual impeachment, if not indictment.
Discussion:
Conservative News Today, Washington Post, Lawfare, New York Times and BloombergQuint
Dan Balz / Washington Post:
After two convictions, pressure mounts on Trump — No day during President Trump's 19 months in office could prove as dangerous or debilitating as Tuesday. Everything that happened in a pair of courtrooms hundreds of miles apart strengthened the hand of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III …
Isaac Stanley-Becker / Washington Post:
In Trump's right-wing media universe, it was a day like any other — It's Tuesday afternoon. Imagine, for a moment, that President Trump logs on to Twitter. News is breaking that could prove existential for his presidency. But his social media feed hardly records the magnitude of the developments.
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BuzzFeed News, Spectator USA, twitchy.com, TheBlaze and The CT Mirror
Mark Penn / The Hill:
Cohen's plea deal is prosecutor's attempt to set up Trump — Here we go, from Russia with love to campaign finance with love. — Why was Michael Cohen investigated? Because the “Steele dossier” had him making secret trips to meet with Russians that never happened, so his business dealings got …
New York Sun:
The President in a Vise — From President Trump's point of view, it will be hard to put the gloss on the developments today in federal criminal court. First came news that the president's erstwhile personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, would be pleading guilty, albeit without an obligation to turn state's evidence.
Discussion:
Power Line
John Hinderaker / Power Line:
A Bad Day In Court — Some years ago, a lawyer was kicked to death by a moose in the parking lot of the federal courthouse in Anchorage, Alaska. That's how the story goes, anyway. Local lawyers said, that's a really bad day in court. — President Trump didn't have that bad a day in court today, but it wasn't great.
Discussion:
CBS News and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
Matt Zapotosky / Washington Post:
Manafort convicted of 8 counts, judge will declare mistrial in 10 others — A jury has found former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort guilty after a three-week trial on tax and bank fraud charges — a major if not complete victory for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III as he continues to investigate the president's associates.
Dylan Matthews / Vox:
The only reason that Trump hasn't been indicted is that he's the president
The only reason that Trump hasn't been indicted is that he's the president
Discussion:
New York Times, The Guardian, The Week and New York Law Journal
New York Times:
All the President's Crooks — One of them, Mr. Trump's own lawyer …
All the President's Crooks — One of them, Mr. Trump's own lawyer …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Shareblue Media, The Week, NY State of Politics and New Republic
Emily Jane Fox / Vanity Fair:
“Donald Trump Directed Him to Commit a Crime”: Michael Cohen Nails the Casket Shut on His Former Boss
“Donald Trump Directed Him to Commit a Crime”: Michael Cohen Nails the Casket Shut on His Former Boss
Discussion:
Vox, The Daily Beast and HuffPost
Rosalind S. Helderman / Washington Post:
Cohen's claim about Trump may spark calls for impeachment but is unlikely to lead to charges
Cohen's claim about Trump may spark calls for impeachment but is unlikely to lead to charges
Discussion:
Justice News, NBC News, Breitbart, NewsWars and The Guardian
Lawfare:
What Michael Cohen's Plea and Paul Manafort's Conviction Mean for Trump and the Mueller Investigation
What Michael Cohen's Plea and Paul Manafort's Conviction Mean for Trump and the Mueller Investigation
Discussion:
New Republic, The Week, Outside the Beltway, BuzzFeed News, New York Times and Crooked Timber
Bre Payton / The Federalist:
Federal Jury Fails To Convict Paul Manafort On Majority Of Counts, Finds Him Guilty On 8 Counts Of Fraud
Federal Jury Fails To Convict Paul Manafort On Majority Of Counts, Finds Him Guilty On 8 Counts Of Fraud
Discussion:
Politico, Mother Jones and twitchy.com
Bloomberg:
Cohen Says He Violated Law at Behest of Candidate: Plea Update
Cohen Says He Violated Law at Behest of Candidate: Plea Update
Discussion:
Lawfare, FiveThirtyEight, The Right Scoop, ThinkProgress, TheBlaze, Axios, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Jezebel and Splinter
Jonathan Turley / The Hill:
Manafort guilty verdicts raise chances of pardon by Trump
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
Manafort split verdict says nothing on Trump, Russia, and the 2016 election
Manafort split verdict says nothing on Trump, Russia, and the 2016 election
Discussion:
NBC News
Joe Tacopino / New York Post:
Cohen willing to tell Mueller about ‘conspiracy to collude’: lawyer
Cohen willing to tell Mueller about ‘conspiracy to collude’: lawyer
Discussion:
New York Daily News, Joe.My.God. and New Republic
Ken Dilanian / NBC News:
Manafort convicted on 8 counts; mistrial declared on 10 other charges
Manafort convicted on 8 counts; mistrial declared on 10 other charges
Discussion:
Rolling Stone, AOL, Axios, Politico, Common Dreams and MSNBC
Politico:
'It's the only excuse they'll need': Legal blows fuel impeachment fears
'It's the only excuse they'll need': Legal blows fuel impeachment fears
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Guardian and American Greatness
Washington Post:
An alleged co-conspirator in the White House
An alleged co-conspirator in the White House
Discussion:
Just Security, Raw Story, Vox, Washington Monthly, The Week and 1A
Pierre Thomas / ABC News:
Manafort found guilty on 8 counts in tax fraud trial
Manafort found guilty on 8 counts in tax fraud trial
Discussion:
Politico, FiveThirtyEight, The Daily Beast, Breitbart, Vox, One America News Network and Axios
Katie Reilly / TIME:
The Crowd Chanted ‘Lock Her Up.’ President Trump Didn't Mention His Own Team's Legal Troubles
Rebecca Morin / Politico:
Cohen attorney: If these hush payments are crimes, Trump is guilty
Cohen attorney: If these hush payments are crimes, Trump is guilty
Discussion:
New York Times, CNN, Breitbart, ABC News and The Week
Associated Press:
Back-to-back legal blows in Trump circle jolt presidency
Back-to-back legal blows in Trump circle jolt presidency
Discussion:
ABC News, Law & Crime and Politico
Paula Reid / CBS News:
Ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen pleads guilty to campaign finance violations
Ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen pleads guilty to campaign finance violations
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, 100PercentFedUp.com, Politico, Vox, CBS Los Angeles, CBS Chicago, CBS San Francisco, CBS Miami and Mediaite
Axios:
All the president's guilty men
All the president's guilty men
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New York Times, Vox, Observer, Contemptor and The Moderate Voice
CNN:
Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife indicted in use of campaign funds for personal expenses — (CNN)Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife, Margaret, were indicted Tuesday on charges related to the misuse of $250,000 worth of campaign funds for personal expenses and the filing of false campaign finance records.
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NPR, Roll Call, TheBlaze, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Shareblue Media, Raw Story, Hill Reporter, Daily Kos, Joe.My.God., The Week, twitchy.com and Political Wire
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Robert Costa / Washington Post:
Trump adviser Larry Kudlow hosted publisher of white nationalists at his home — The publisher of a website that serves as a platform for white nationalism was a guest last weekend at the home of President Trump's top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow. — Peter Brimelow attended the gathering …
Discussion:
American Greatness, Vox, ABC News, Splinter, The Daily Beast, AOL, Right Wing Watch, CNN, Boing Boing, Joe.My.God., Talking Points Memo, Roll Call, Mediaite, Political Wire and Jezebel
Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: GOP frets as Trump world implodes — DRIVING THE DAY — TICK ... TOCK ... The split-screen guilty verdict of PAUL MANAFORT and MICHAEL COHEN's plea is, perhaps, the best evidence that ROBERT MUELLER is treating this investigation like an old-school organized crime probe.
Morgan Cook / sandiegouniontribune.com:
Rep. Duncan Hunter and wife indicted on fraud and campaign finance charges — Duncan Hunter and wife, Margaret, at Election Central in Golden Hall in 2008. (John R. McCutchen / San Diego Union-Tribune) — Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, and his wife, Margaret, were indicted Tuesday …
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Boing Boing
Rachael Bade / Politico:
GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter and wife indicted on charges of misusing campaign funds
GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter and wife indicted on charges of misusing campaign funds
Discussion:
ABC News, KGTV-TV, Washington Post, Breitbart and One America News Network
Matt Zapotosky / Washington Post:
Rep. Duncan Hunter, wife charged with spending campaign money on personal expenses
Rep. Duncan Hunter, wife charged with spending campaign money on personal expenses
Discussion:
Mother Jones
Facebook:
Taking Down More Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior — Today we removed multiple Pages, groups and accounts for coordinated inauthentic behavior on Facebook and Instagram. Some of this activity originated in Iran, and some originated in Russia. These were distinct campaigns and we have not identified …
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CNNMoney, VICE News, FireEye, The Guardian, Vox, Al Jazeera English, The Daily Beast, CBS Chicago, KTLA, ABC News, BloombergQuint, Engadget, Axios, NPR, The Verge, Mashable, The Week, CBS Baltimore and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
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Cleve R. Wootson Jr / Washington Post:
Investigators: Suspect in Mollie Tibbetts death is in custody, subject to immigration detainer — More than a month after Mollie Tibbetts went out for a jog and disappeared — and days after investigators searching for the missing Iowa college student said they were focusing their efforts …
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Mike Allen / Axios:
GOP's midterm nightmare: Party “looks like a criminal enterprise” — Corruption instantly becomes a centerpiece issue in the midterm campaigns — a huge new weight for Republicans in marginal races. — What we're hearing: With a corruption indictment of Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) …
Discussion:
Raw Story
MapLight:
Top Republican on Tax Subcommittee Received Yacht Loan From Foreign Bank Lobbying on 2017 Tax Bill — As Republicans were finalizing tax cut legislation in late 2017, a foreign-owned bank seeking to shape the bill gave a seven-figure yacht loan to a top GOP lawmaker on the committee writing the measure …
Discussion:
Florida Politics