Top Items:
CNN:
Trump lawyers issue letter fighting tax return request — Trump on releasing his tax returns: Speak to my lawyers — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump continues to hold his ground against Democratic efforts to obtain his tax returns, with one administration official telling CNN …
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Week, Trending Home, Political Wire, Joe.My.God., Test Feed Using Fields, Mediaite and Daily Wire, more at Mediagazer »
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Ryan Grim / The Intercept:
The Reluctance of Bernie Sanders to Release His Damn Tax Returns Is Part of a Bigger Issue — Why hasn't Bernie Sanders just released his damn tax returns already? — It's a question that's something of a Rorschach test for Democratic primary voters. For veterans of the great war of 2016 …
Discussion:
CNN
Brett Samuels / The Hill:
Trump says law ‘100 percent’ on his side in tax return fight — President Trump on Friday said the law is “100 percent” on his side in a battle with Democrats over the release of his tax returns. — Trump, who has steadfastly refused to release his tax returns, citing an ongoing audit …
Richard Rubin / Wall Street Journal:
President Trump's Lawyer Urges IRS to Reject Democrats' Tax-Return Demand — President Trump's lawyer said that House Democrats' request for his tax returns flouts constitutional constraints and should be rejected by the Internal Revenue Service.
Discussion:
Law & Crime and Washington Times
Washington Post:
Trump ditches his nominee to lead ICE, says he wants someone ‘tougher’ for top immigration enforcement role — President Trump said Friday he is looking for someone “tougher” to lead the country's top immigration enforcement agency, hours after the White House unexpectedly withdrew its nomination …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Raw Story, Political Wire and Splinter
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Colleen Long / Associated Press:
APNewsBreak: White House pulls nomination to lead ICE head
APNewsBreak: White House pulls nomination to lead ICE head
Discussion:
Politico, Vox, Splinter, Hullabaloo, The Daily Caller, Joe.My.God., The Week, NBC News and Axios
Hamed Aleaziz / BuzzFeed News:
Homeland Security Staffers Were Warned Not To Leak Information Or Face Legal Consequences
Homeland Security Staffers Were Warned Not To Leak Information Or Face Legal Consequences
Discussion:
American Greatness and Raw Story
The Daily Beast:
Trump Is Already Plotting His Post-White House Tell-All Memoir — The president is ‘excited’ about penning a dishy book. So much so that he keeps talking about the scores he plans to settle. — As he navigates turbulent domestic and international affairs, President Donald Trump …
Discussion:
Breitbart, POLITICUSUSA, Trending Home, Shareblue Media, Splinter, Raw Story and Mediaite
Sofie Karasek / Washington Post:
A photo of me and Joe Biden went viral. I want him to take ownership for his actions. — Sofie Karasek is a survivors' rights advocate and progressive organizer. — Two days before my photograph was taken with then-Vice President Joe Biden, as I stood on the 2016 Oscars stage with Lady Gaga …
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Lisa Lerer / New York Times:
Joe Biden Jokes About Hugging in a Speech, Then Offers a Mixed Apology
Joe Biden Jokes About Hugging in a Speech, Then Offers a Mixed Apology
Discussion:
Bloomberg, CBS News, Vox, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Hill, The Daily Caller, VICE News and Fox News
BuzzFeed News:
In New Documents, Cohen Says Trump “Instructed” Him To Lie — WASHINGTON — Attorneys for Michael Cohen, President Trump's former fixer, submitted documents to lawmakers Thursday night accusing Trump and his team of lawyers of instructing Cohen to lie to Congress about when negotiations ended to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.
Discussion:
Roll Call, Above the Law, RedState, POLITICUSUSA, The Week, Raw Story and CNN
Tim Chitwood / ledger-enquirer:
Exclusive: Teresa Tomlinson is taking first official step toward a US Senate bid — Former Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson is planning to take the first official steps today toward challenging Republican U.S. Senator David Perdue in the 2020 election, according to an exclusive interview Thursday with the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
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James Arkin / Politico:
Stacey Abrams torn between running for president, Senate
Stacey Abrams torn between running for president, Senate
Discussion:
Joe.My.God., The Daily Caller and Talking Points Memo
Burgess Everett / Politico:
Manchin weighs bid for West Virginia governor in 2020
Manchin weighs bid for West Virginia governor in 2020
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
CNN:
Elizabeth Warren will back ending the Senate filibuster — Interviewer chases Warren as she runs to catch train — (CNN)Sen. Elizabeth Warren is set to call Friday for eliminating the filibuster, publicly endorsing for the first time a drastic change to Senate rules that would allow Democrats …
Discussion:
Politico, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Common Dreams, Splinter and Daily Kos
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Anna Palmer / Politico:
How Trump Conspired with the Freedom Caucus to Shut Down the Government
How Trump Conspired with the Freedom Caucus to Shut Down the Government
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Washington Times
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Trump is floundering disastrously on multiple fronts. Stop pretending he's in control. — Because so many of us got it so wrong in 2016, there's a tendency among many commentators to reflexively assume President Trump possesses some kind of hidden sway over the political environment that we're all missing.
Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:
If Biden Runs, They'll Tear Him Up — The old Democratic Party was warm, like him. The new one rising is colder, less human and divisive.
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog and National Review
David Margolick / New York Times:
That Noise? The Rich Neighbors Digging a Basement Pool in Their $100 Million Brownstone — The extremely loud and incredibly expensive renovations that have shattered a formerly quiet residential block in Manhattan. — In the middle of West 69th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue …
Discussion:
Gothamist
Ben Terris / Washington Post:
What the heck does Steve King do all day? — Shunned by his party's leadership, bounced from congressional hearings, removed from key parts of the legislative process, and serving in the House minority — the Republican from Iowa has less to do than any congressman in recent history.
Carlos Lozada / Washington Post:
Critical Carlos reads ‘Healthy Holly’ — Inside the children's book that has landed Baltimore's mayor in a political scandal — Hi, I'm Critical Carlos, and I want you to read books like I do! Reading is good for your brain and helps us all learn. If you read enough books, then one day …
Charles Duncan / The Charlotte Observer:
Accused of money laundering in Russia, former NC congressman's bank loses license — A Russian bank owned by former North Carolina Congressman Charles Taylor has been accused of money laundering and lost its license, according to Bloomberg News. — The Commercial Bank of Ivanovo …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Bloomberg and Joe.My.God.
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Appeals court narrows path for disclosure of grand jury info in Mueller report — A federal appeals court on Friday tossed an obstacle in the way of grand jury information in special counsel Robert Mueller's final report being released directly to the public, but the decision may not slow disclosure of that material to Congress.
Discussion:
Law & Crime and Raw Story
Brett Samuels / The Hill:
Biden: 'I'm not sorry for anything that I have ever done' — Former Vice President Joe Biden said Friday that he's not sorry for his past actions that some women have said made them uncomfortable, but that he's sorry he didn't understand more at the time. — “The fact of the matter …
Discussion:
CNN, Breitbart and Daily Wire
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Brett Samuels / The Hill:
Trump: 'I don't see Biden as a threat'
Trump: 'I don't see Biden as a threat'
Discussion:
Breitbart, Politico and Daily Wire
Aya Batrawy / Associated Press:
Saudi Arabia arrests more activists, including 2 US citizens — DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia detained eight people, including two dual U.S.-Saudi citizens, in a new round of arrests in the kingdom targeting individuals supportive of women's rights and those with ties to jailed activists …
Discussion:
CNN, The Guardian and TheBlaze
ProPublica:
The IRS Tried to Take on the Ultrawealthy. It Didn't Go Well. — Ten years ago, the tax agency formed a special team to unravel the complex tax-lowering strategies of the nation's wealthiest people. But with big money — and Congress — arrayed against the team, it never had a chance.
Washington Post:
Trump to have dinner at his for-profit golf course near L.A. during West Coast trip — President Trump plans to have dinner at his for-profit golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Friday night, with his son Eric Trump, the city council and dozens of friends and supporters, according to one person who was told about the gathering.
Washington Post:
‘Why are you crying, Mami?’ In Venezuela, the search for water is a daily struggle. — CARACAS, Venezuela — Jakeline Moncada had faith that her household reserves would hold out until Venezuela's water service was restored. — But two nationwide blackouts and now the rationing …
Liz Mair / USA Today:
Free speech means I don't have to be nice to Devin Nunes on Twitter. So why's he suing me? — I didn't act like Miss Congeniality toward a member of Congress. He's upset that I did my job, so now he's trying to stifle my free speech and yours. — CONNECT
Discussion:
Liberty Unyielding and Talking Points Memo
Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:
The “Witch Hunt” Lives: Trump and the Investigation That Just Won't End — President Trump may have thought that he was done with the Mueller investigation, but it is not yet done with him. A barrage of news that came out in the course of a few hours on Wednesday reinforced …
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
That Fox-y feeling? The nation's largest TV station owner hires some familiar Fox News names — Sinclair Broadcast Group, the nation's largest TV station owner, rolled out its latest news and public affairs program this week, a one-hour broadcast called “America This Week” hosted by Eric Bolling.
Associated Press:
Ex-spy Valerie Plame eyes run for Congress in New Mexico — ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Former CIA operative, author and activist Valerie Plame said Friday she is considering a 2020 run for an open U.S. congressional seat in New Mexico. — Plame told The Associated Press she is spending time with residents and will make a decision soon.
Discussion:
Axios
Catherine Rampell / Washington Post:
Trump's next possible Fed nominee can't understand basic policy issues — Nein, nein, nein. — That should be the Senate's response if President Trump actually nominates his friend Herman Cain, the former pizza magnate turned failed Republican presidential candidate, to the Federal Reserve Board, as Trump said he plans to do.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Media Matters for America, Power Line, RedState, POLITICUSUSA, BloombergQuint, FiveThirtyEight, Outside the Beltway, The Week and Raw Story
Samuel Adkisson / USA Today:
So Yale Law School endorses anti-religious bigotry now? — What starts in the ivory tower of academia — including blatant discrimination against religious groups and students — won't stay there for long. — CONNECT — What happens at our nation's elite law schools rarely stays there.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner
Sam Stein / The Daily Beast:
Big Donors to 2020 Democrats: You're Crazy Not to Take Our Money — “The campaign finance system we have is broken, but got to play by the rules of the game we have, not the game you want,” said Ken Baer, a former top Obama official. — As the party's leading presidential candidates announced …