Top Items:
Joe Hagan / Vanity Fair:
Riding around with Beto O'Rourke as he comes to grips with a presidential run. — It's nine P.M. on a Thursday night and Beto O'Rourke is trying to manage a couple of life-altering and possibly world-historical political events while also driving his family home from a Mexican restaurant.
Discussion:
CNBC, Breitbart, NB Blog, Axios, CNN, The Week, twitchy.com, Mediaite, Washington Free Beacon, The Resurgent, TheBlaze and The Guardian
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KTSM-TV:
Beto O'Rourke is running for President in 2020, KTSM confirms — EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) - Beto O'Rourke is running for President of the United States. — The former El Paso Congressman will make the announcement on Thursday morning, but he confirmed via text to KTSM Wednesday afternoon that he is seeking the Democratic nomination.
Josh Voorhees / Slate:
Beto 2020 Has No Reason to Exist — Of all the major candidates, he brings the least to the Democratic primary. — It's been two weeks since Beto O'Rourke announced he'd made up his mind about whether to run for president, but the former Texas congressman wants to keep us in suspense for at least a little longer.
CNN:
Exclusive: Lawyer said Michael Cohen could ‘sleep well tonight’ after speaking to Rudy Giuliani — Washington (CNN)An attorney who said he was speaking with President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani reassured Michael Cohen in an April 2018 email that Cohen could “sleep well tonight” …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Talking Points Memo, Axios, The Week, Daily Kos, Raw Story, Hullabaloo, New York Post and Mediaite
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Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Michael Cohen Has Email Showing Trump Obstructed Justice by Dangling Pardon — Michael Cohen has testified that President Trump directed him to lie to Congress about Trump's business dealings with Russia during the campaign. The weakness of the accusation is that Cohen does not seem to have any proof …
Discussion:
CNN
New York Times:
Prosecutors Seek Records on Cohen's ‘Back Channel’ With Giuliani — Before he pleaded guilty and began assisting federal prosecutors last summer, Michael D. Cohen, President Trump's former fixer, spoke with a lawyer who agreed to reach out to the president's legal team on his behalf.
Discussion:
Just Security
TMZ.com:
Lori Loughlin's Daughter Olivia Leaves Yacht of USC's Board of Trustees Chairman — As Lori Loughlin traveled from Vancouver to L.A. Tuesday night to surrender to federal authorities in the college bribery scandal — which got her daughter, Olivia Jade, into USC — Olivia spent the night …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast and Page Six
William K. Rashbaum / New York Times:
New York Charges Paul Manafort With 16 Crimes. If He's Convicted, Trump Can't Pardon Him. — [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] — Paul J. Manafort, President Trump's former campaign chairman, has been charged in New York with mortgage fraud …
Discussion:
USA Today, Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Washington Press, Politico, The Atlantic, Washington Monthly, Vox, RedState, Gothamist, The Daily Caller, The Week, Above the Law, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, ABC7, Vanity Fair, Talking Points Memo, Hit & Run, Daily Kos, The Root, Big League Politics, Shakesville, Mediaite and Towleroad Gay News
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Bailey Stonecipher / Manhattan District …:
District Attorney Vance Announces Indictment of Paul Manafort
District Attorney Vance Announces Indictment of Paul Manafort
Discussion:
Byline Times, Shareblue Media, Mother Jones, The Gateway Pundit, Axios and Vox
New York Times:
Facebook's Data Deals Are Under Criminal Investigation — Federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into data deals Facebook struck with some of the world's largest technology companies, intensifying scrutiny of the social media giant's business practices as it seeks to rebound from a year of scandal and setbacks.
Discussion:
Deadline, The Daily Caller, Engadget, The Verge, Mashable and CBS San Francisco, more at Techmeme »
Eli Rosenberg / Washington Post:
Tucker Carlson says he's the victim of a powerful bully. Meet the 24-year-old who found the tapes. — Madeline Peltz works the night shift at the liberal media watchdog group Media Matters for America. Given the timing of that particular shift, one of her main responsibilities is watching Tucker Carlson's 8 p.m. show on Fox News.
Discussion:
Fox News, No More Mister Nice Blog, Mediaite and alicublog
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Jeremy Barr / Hollywood Reporter:
Fox News Host Jeanine Pirro Loses at Least 4 Advertisers Amid Backlash
Fox News Host Jeanine Pirro Loses at Least 4 Advertisers Amid Backlash
Discussion:
Washington Post, Contemptor and TVNewser
David French / National Review:
The Astonishing Hypocrisy of Media Matters
The Astonishing Hypocrisy of Media Matters
Discussion:
Fox News, Louder With Crowder, Townhall, RedState and The Other McCain
Washington Post:
Trump disparages Boeing 737s in private before grounding the plane after deadly crash — As President Trump consulted with administration officials Wednesday over whether Boeing's 737 Max jetliners should be grounded after a crash killed more than 150 passengers in Ethiopia over the weekend …
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Emily Stewart / Vox:
“The planes are grounded”: Trump takes action on Boeing 737 Max planes
“The planes are grounded”: Trump takes action on Boeing 737 Max planes
Discussion:
Foreign Policy, The Seattle Times, VICE News, Politico and The Daily Beast
Karoun Demirjian / Washington Post:
Whitaker ‘did not deny’ talking to Trump about Cohen, personnel at SDNY, top Democrat says — The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee said Wednesday that former acting attorney general Matthew G. Whitaker “did not deny” that President Trump “called him to discuss the case” …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Booman Tribune
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Olivia Beavers / The Hill:
House Judiciary Dem, Republican clash over details of Whitaker testimony
House Judiciary Dem, Republican clash over details of Whitaker testimony
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Politico and Daily Kos
Tierney Sneed / Talking Points Memo:
After Closed Meeting, Nadler Makes New Claims About Whitaker's DOJ Conduct
After Closed Meeting, Nadler Makes New Claims About Whitaker's DOJ Conduct
Discussion:
New York Times, Hullabaloo and CNN
Robby Soave / Hit & Run:
Time to Put the College Admissions System on a Rocket and Shoot It Into the Sun — Cheating scandal should have taxpayers asking whether it's right to subsidize the campus party lifestyles of celebrity scions who fake water polo careers. — “I don't know how much of school I'm gonna attend …
Discussion:
New York Times, Vanity Fair, Variety, USA Today and New York Magazine
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Ashley Turner / CNBC:
Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she has ‘zero’ sympathy for parents caught in college admissions scam
Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she has ‘zero’ sympathy for parents caught in college admissions scam
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, KTVU-TV, National Review, Sports Illustrated, Louder With Crowder, TaxProf Blog, Daily Wire, Fox News, IJR, New York Times, Facebook, Forbes and Justice News
Joe Cunningham / RedState:
You Know Who Hates People Who Cheat To Get In To College? Elizabeth Warren
You Know Who Hates People Who Cheat To Get In To College? Elizabeth Warren
Discussion:
Townhall, Mediaite and Washington Post
Chiara Sottile / NBC News:
Twitter reveals big changes to conversations and new camera features — The changes are meant to make good on the company's promise to promote “healthy conversation.” — Twitter is teasing some of the biggest changes to its social media service since it first launched in 2006 …
Discussion:
Fortune, Consequence of Sound, The Daily Caller, NB Blog, The Ringer, The Mary Sue, The Wrap, Engadget, twitchy.com, TechCrunch and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
John Bresnahan / Politico:
‘Extraordinary’: GOP heads for unprecedented clash with Trump — President Donald Trump invited some Senate Republicans to the White House on Wednesday afternoon for a two-hour conversation about trade. But the president couldn't quite get the looming GOP rebuke of his national emergency declaration off his mind.
Discussion:
New York Times, Political Wire and The Hill
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Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Lee, fifth GOP senator, to vote against Trump's border declaration
Lee, fifth GOP senator, to vote against Trump's border declaration
Discussion:
Washington Post, ABC News, The Week, TheBlaze, IJR and POLITICUSUSA
New York Times:
Inside the Shadowy, Totally Legal World of High-Priced College Consultants — For prices up to $1.5 million, parents can buy a five-year, full-service package of college admissions consulting from a company in New York City called Ivy Coach. — The service begins as early as eighth grade …
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, WPIX 11 New York, Observer, Raw Story, Patterico's Pontifications and The Atlantic
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Owen Davis / The Baffler:
A for Effort — Why the latest college admissions exposé …
A for Effort — Why the latest college admissions exposé …
Discussion:
CNBC, New York Times and Contemptor
Daniel Friedman / Quillette:
Why Elites Dislike Standardized Testing — On Tuesday, March 12 2019, federal prosecutors exposed a crooked college admissions consulting operation that bribed SAT administrators and college athletic coaches in order to get wealthy, underqualified applicants into elite universities.
Discussion:
The Atlantic, Vanity Fair and New York Times
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Rainesford Stauffer / New York Times:
I Learned in College That Admission Has Always Been for Sale
I Learned in College That Admission Has Always Been for Sale
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Raw Story, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Althouse, The Atlantic, Education Dive and JustOneMinute
Will Sommer / The Daily Beast:
Jacob Wohl Faked Death Threats Against Himself — One came from a phony account the wingnut provocateur created and ran just before he was banned from Twitter. … Right-wing personality Jacob Wohl appears to have faked death threats against himself. — Wohl and fellow provocateur Laura Loomer went …
Discussion:
Contemptor, Daily Wire, Raw Story and New York Post
Jeremy Barr / Hollywood Reporter:
Fox News Contributor Salaries Revealed In Financial Disclosures — At least 10 members of the Trump administration have served as on-air contributors for the network. — Across cable news, the salaries paid to on-air contributors remain shrouded in mystery, ranging by network and by market demand for the contributor's expertise.
Discussion:
Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
Julie Pace / Associated Press:
Bipartisanship in 2020? Not so fast, some Democrats say — WASHINGTON (AP) — When John Hickenlooper announced his Democratic presidential campaign, he vowed to sit down with the Senate's top Republican if he wins in 2020 — the kind of milquetoast pitch for bipartisanship that White House hopefuls have made for generations.
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Bill de Blasio / New York Magazine:
My New Plan to Climate-Proof Lower Manhattan — Six years ago, Hurricane Sandy slammed into New York City. The storm put 51 square miles of it under water. 17,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. 44 New Yorkers lost their lives. — We don't debate global warming in New York City. Not anymore.