Top Items:
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.
Discussion:
Lawfare, Axios, Just Security, ABC News, Wall Street Journal, Vox, Mother Jones, Observer, Mediaite, Fox News, Jezebel, CNBC, The Western Journal, HuffPost, Mashable, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, NY State of Politics, The Week, Common Dreams, Althouse, Taylor Marsh, Boing Boing, Joe.My.God., Law & Crime, Contemptor, Sara A. Carter, twitchy.com, MSNBC, Patterico's Pontifications, New Republic, 100PercentFedUp.com and VICE News
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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.
Discussion:
New York Times, Power Line, The Atlantic, Contemptor, RedState, The Gateway Pundit, Fox News Insider, The Western Journal, Bloomberg, Bloomberg, The Mahablog, Jezebel and Shakesville
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:
Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Times and ThinkProgress
Emily Jane Fox / Vanity Fair:
“Donald Trump Directed Him to Commit a Crime”: Michael Cohen Nails the Casket Shut on His Former Boss — The president's former attorney wanted to avoid a perp walk at all costs, according to people familiar with his thinking. But he did not hesitate to take Trump down with him.
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
Sharon LaFraniere / New York Times:
Paul Manafort Convicted in Fraud Trial — ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Paul Manafort, President Trump's former campaign chairman, was convicted on Tuesday in his financial fraud trial, bringing a dramatic end to a politically charged case that riveted the capital. — The verdict was a victory …
Discussion:
National Review, Washington Monthly, New Republic and Outside the Beltway
NBC News:
Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen discussing plea deal with prosecutors — The deal could come as early as today, say sources familiar with the matter. — Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal attorney, is discussing a possible guilty plea with federal prosecutors in Manhattan …
Discussion:
New Republic, Politico, MSNBC, The Gateway Pundit, AOL, Raw Story, Joe.My.God. and KFOR-TV
Bloomberg:
Cohen Says He Violated Law at Behest of Candidate: Plea Update — President Donald Trump's longtime lawyer and fixer Michael D. Cohen is in federal court pleading guilty to federal charges stemming from hush payments to women who claimed to have had affairs with the president.
Discussion:
Lawfare, TheBlaze, ThinkProgress, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Splinter
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:
Observer, Vox and Law & Crime
Bre Payton / The Federalist:
Federal Jury Fails To Convict Paul Manafort On Majority Of Counts, Finds Him Guilty On 8 Counts Of Fraud — A federal jury found former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort guilty this afternoon on eight of 18 counts in the first trial brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Discussion:
Politico, Mother Jones and twitchy.com
Pierre Thomas / ABC News:
Manafort found guilty on 8 counts in tax fraud trial — After nearly four days of deliberation, a jury found former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort guilty on eight counts of financial crimes, marking the first major prosecution won by special counsel Robert Mueller in his investigation …
Discussion:
Politico, Axios, Breitbart, Vox and One America News Network
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 …
Josh Meyer / Politico:
Cohen says he paid hush money at candidate Trump's direction
Cohen says he paid hush money at candidate Trump's direction
Discussion:
Reuters, Law & Crime, ABC News, Daily Wire, The Atlantic, Breitbart, CBS Pittsburgh, Washington Post and Axios
Axios:
All the president's guilty men
All the president's guilty men
Discussion:
New York Times, Lawfare, The Moderate Voice and ABC News
Kara Scannell / CNN:
Michael Cohen surrenders to FBI, plea deal expected soon
Michael Cohen surrenders to FBI, plea deal expected soon
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Florida Politics, ABC News, Axios, Daily Kos, The Daily Beast, BuzzFeed News, Hit & Run, WGNO, Townhall, Law & Crime, Vox, twitchy.com, KFOR-TV, KTLA, Joe.My.God., Gothamist and Mother Jones
Associated Press:
Back-to-back legal blows in Trump circle jolt presidency
Back-to-back legal blows in Trump circle jolt presidency
Discussion:
Politico, ABC News, CBS Pittsburgh and Breitbart
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:
Breitbart
Matthew Mosk / ABC News:
Michael Cohen, President Trump's former longtime personal attorney, tentatively reaches a plea deal: Sources
Michael Cohen, President Trump's former longtime personal attorney, tentatively reaches a plea deal: Sources
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
Manafort split verdict says nothing on Trump, Russia, and the 2016 election
Devlin Barrett / Washington Post:
Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen has surrendered to FBI as he prepares to plead guilty in federal investigation
Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen has surrendered to FBI as he prepares to plead guilty in federal investigation
Discussion:
CNBC, Washington Monthly, CNN, Associated Press, Outside the Beltway and The Guardian
CNN:
Michael Cohen surrenders to the FBI
Michael Cohen surrenders to the FBI
Discussion:
ABC News, The Week, Contemptor, Hill Reporter, Hot Air, Daily Wire and IJR
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, BuzzFeed News and The Guardian
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:
Politico, Vox, The Gateway Pundit, 100PercentFedUp.com, CBS Miami, CBS Chicago, CBS Los Angeles and Mediaite
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.
Discussion:
TheBlaze, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Roll Call, Hill Reporter, Joe.My.God., Raw Story, Daily Kos, Political Wire, The Week and twitchy.com
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Rachael Bade / Politico:
GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter and wife indicted on charges of misusing campaign funds — A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted California GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife on charges of improperly using hundreds of thousands of campaign funds to pay for personal expenses, including family vacations and dental work.
Morgan Cook / sandiegouniontribune.com:
Rep. Duncan Hunter and wife indicted on fraud and campaign finance charges
Rep. Duncan Hunter and wife indicted on fraud and campaign finance charges
Discussion:
Boing Boing
Kelly Thornton / U.S. Department of Justice:
Rep. Duncan D. Hunter and Wife Indicted for Converting Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars …
Rep. Duncan D. Hunter and Wife Indicted for Converting Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars …
Discussion:
Axios
CNN:
READ: Indictment of Rep. Duncan Hunter and wife
READ: Indictment of Rep. Duncan Hunter and wife
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Shareblue Media and KTLA
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 …
Discussion:
Fox News, Townhall, Associated Press, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Des Moines Register, twitchy.com, LifeZette, TheBlaze, MSNBC and Louder With Crowder
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Katherine Lam / Fox News:
Mollie Tibbetts, missing Iowa student, found dead, her father says
Mollie Tibbetts, missing Iowa student, found dead, her father says
Discussion:
Front Page Magazine, Associated Press, Fox News Insider, 100PercentFedUp.com, Geller Report, KTLA, RedState, FOX59, WGNO, The Daily Caller, LifeZette and IJR
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:
Vox, ABC News, CNN, Talking Points Memo, Splinter, The Daily Beast, AOL, Joe.My.God., Right Wing Watch, Boing Boing, Roll Call and Political Wire
RELATED:
Darren J. Beattie / American Greatness:
Read the Paper CNN Says Is ‘White Supremacist’
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 …
Discussion:
Vox, CNNMoney, ABC News, Bloomberg, FireEye, Axios, The Daily Beast, KTLA, Engadget, CBS Chicago, NPR, CBS Baltimore, Mashable, One America News Network, The Week, The Verge, BloombergQuint and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
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
Elizabeth Dwoskin / Washington Post:
Facebook is rating the trustworthiness of its users on a scale from zero to one — SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook has begun to assign its users a reputation score, predicting their trustworthiness on a scale from zero to one. — The previously unreported ratings system, which Facebook has developed …
Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:
“They're Squeezing Don Jr. Right Now”: As the Mueller Siege Tightens, Trump's Twitter Rage Crests — White House counsel Don McGahn's interviews with Mueller have rattled Trump to his core. “Total meltdown,” one outside adviser said of his mood, while a Republican ally described him as “extremely frustrated.”
Discussion:
emptywheel, Hill Reporter and Mediaite
Luke Harding / The Guardian:
Author of Trump-Russia dossier wins libel case in US court — Suit against Christopher Steele by three Russian oligarchs thrown out by judge — The former MI6 officer Christopher Steele has won a legal battle in the United States against three Russian oligarchs who sued him over allegations …
Discussion:
BuzzFeed News, New Republic and Raw Story
Amanda Macias / CNBC:
Russia is preparing to search for a nuclear-powered missile that was lost at sea months ago after a failed test — Moscow is preparing to recover a nuclear-powered missile lost at sea, according to sources with direct knowledge of a U.S. intelligence report.
Discussion:
The Verge and Task & Purpose