Top Items:
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
White House Asked McGahn to Declare Trump Never Obstructed Justice — WASHINGTON — White House officials asked at least twice in the past month for the key witness against President Trump in the Mueller report, Donald F. McGahn II, to say publicly that he never believed the president obstructed justice …
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, Vanity Fair, Daily Kos, Raw Story and Joe.My.God.
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Rebecca Ballhaus / Wall Street Journal:
Don McGahn Rebuffed White House Request to Say Trump Didn't Obstruct Justice — After release of the Mueller report, the president sought to have the former White House counsel say that he didn't believe the president's push to dismiss the special counsel constituted a crime
Discussion:
CNN, KTLA, The Daily Caller, Law & Crime, Mediaite, Political Wire and The Daily Beast
Daniel Lippman / Politico:
Trump: Discussing Biden probe with Barr would be ‘appropriate’ — President Donald Trump told POLITICO on Friday that it would be “appropriate” for him to speak to Attorney General Bill Barr about launching an investigation into his potential 2020 rival, Joe Biden, or his son, Hunter.
Discussion:
Raw Story
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Eliana Johnson / Politico:
Trump's new nickname for Pete Buttigieg: ‘Alfred E. Neuman’ — President Donald Trump dismissed Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg on Friday in a single sentence. — “Alfred E. Neuman cannot become president of the United States,” the president told POLITICO …
Eliana Johnson / Politico:
Trump: Biden 2020 reminds me of Trump 2016 — President Donald Trump sees parallels between Joe Biden's early surge to the front of the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential field and his own runaway success in the 2016 Republican primaries. — In an interview with POLITICO on Friday afternoon …
Discussion:
Political Wire, Washington Post, NBC News, Mediaite, ThinkProgress, Balloon Juice, Hullabaloo, Washington Monthly, Althouse, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, Observer and Joe.My.God.
Oliver Carroll / The Independent:
Ukraine president-elect may refuse to meet Trump's lawyer when he flies into Kiev, sources say — Rudy Giuliani's initiative has apparently gone down badly in Ukraine. — A controversial plan to leverage Ukrainian politics in the 2020 American election campaign looks to have come unstuck …
Discussion:
Axios, Breitbart, KTLA, CNN, The Daily Caller and Talking Points Memo
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Trump is Pressuring Ukraine to Smear Clinton and Biden — In 2016, Donald Trump's campaign learned Russia was working to help him win, and many of its members actively sought to exploit that assistance. In 2020, now possessing the powers of the Executive Branch, it's pressuring …
Discussion:
NBC News, The Daily Beast, The Intercept, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Rolling Stone, Fox News, Mediaite, Contemptor, ABC News, Vanity Fair, Raw Story, Breitbart and The Root
Josh Lederman / NBC News:
Buttigieg making inroads with West Coast donors who helped fuel Obama's rise
Daniel Lippman / Politico:
Transcript: POLITICO interviews President Donald Trump on Joe Biden, impeachment, Bill Barr, North Korea
Asawin Suebsaeng / The Daily Beast:
Giuliani Scores a New Client: an Authoritarian, Middle Eastern Regime
Giuliani Scores a New Client: an Authoritarian, Middle Eastern Regime
Discussion:
Mediaite, Shareblue Media, Daily Kos and HillReporter.com
Washington Post:
Trump takes over Fourth of July celebration, changing its location and inserting himself into the program — President Trump has effectively taken charge of the nation's premier Fourth of July celebration in Washington, moving the gargantuan fireworks display from its usual spot on the Mall …
Nicholas Fandos / New York Times:
House Ways and Means Chairman Subpoenas Trump Tax Returns — WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee subpoenaed the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service on Friday, disregarding the Treasury secretary's refusal this week to hand over six years …
Discussion:
CNN, The Daily Caller, The New Civil Rights Movement and Mediaite
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Jeff Stein / Washington Post:
House committee subpoenas Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig over Trump tax returns
House committee subpoenas Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig over Trump tax returns
Discussion:
Townhall, Vanity Fair, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story and Axios
Anthony Adragna / Politico:
House panel yanks Curbelo invite amid furor from top Democrats
Aaron Lorenzo / Politico:
Democrats subpoena Trump's tax returns in escalating fight with White House
Democrats subpoena Trump's tax returns in escalating fight with White House
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, One America News Network and Law & Crime
Benjamin Siegel / ABC News:
House Ways and Means Committee subpoenas Trump's tax returns
Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast:
Ben Shapiro Storms Out of BBC Interview: 'I'm Popular and No One's Ever Heard of You' — Facts did not care about Ben Shapiro's feelings. — Right-wing commentator and “cool kids' philosopher” Ben Shapiro stormed out of a contentious BBC interview on Thursday after accusing the conservative host …
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BBC:
Andrew Neil takes on US conservative Ben Shapiro
Andrew Neil takes on US conservative Ben Shapiro
Discussion:
Mediaite, Coffee House, The Wrap and Boing Boing
Cockburn / Spectator USA:
WATCH VIDEO: Ben Shapiro has mega TANTRUM on the BBC
WATCH VIDEO: Ben Shapiro has mega TANTRUM on the BBC
Discussion:
HillReporter.com and American Greatness
Jack Crosbie / Splinter:
Please Enjoy Ben Shapiro Melting Down and Running Out of a BBC Interview
Please Enjoy Ben Shapiro Melting Down and Running Out of a BBC Interview
Discussion:
Hmm Daily, Human Events and Joe.My.God.
Andrew Kaczynski / CNN:
Joe Biden once said a fence was needed to stop ‘tons’ of drugs from Mexico — Biden bolts to the top of Democratic rankings — (CNN)Joe Biden once spoke about jailing employers who hire “illegals,” said sanctuary cities shouldn't be allowed to violate federal law, and argued a fence was needed stop …
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, Washington Free Beacon, TheBlaze, Political Wire and twitchy.com
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Valerie Volcovici / Reuters:
Exclusive: Presidential hopeful Biden looking for ‘middle ground’ climate policy — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden is crafting a climate change policy he hopes will appeal to both environmentalists and the blue-collar voters that elected Donald Trump …
Discussion:
Townhall, Politico, Washington Post, VICE, The Daily Caller, Common Dreams, Mediaite, twitchy.com and Axios
Alex Kotch / Sludge:
Biden's Climate Adviser Earned $1 Million From Natural Gas Company
Biden's Climate Adviser Earned $1 Million From Natural Gas Company
Discussion:
The Mahablog, The Week, Common Dreams, Splinter and The Daily Caller
Morgan Chalfant / The Hill:
Nadler says Mueller will not testify next week — House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y) said Friday that special counsel Robert Mueller will not be testifying before his panel next week. — Nadler told reporters that the committee is still negotiating over his testimony …
Discussion:
Breitbart, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Sputnik International, Axios, The Week, Daily Kos and CNN
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Daily Mail:
Dorenko died after falling from his Triumph motorbike on Thursday evening shortly before 7pm — He was pronounced dead at the spot with reports in the official media rapidly stating he had suffered ‘major heart failure’ and died of ‘natural causes’ - even before any autopsy was conducted.
Julie K. Brown / Miami Herald:
Prosecutors finally want to hear from Jeffrey Epstein's victims — More than a decade after federal prosecutors gave a secret plea deal to a suspected child sex trafficker, the government finally wants to hear from his victims, indicating on Friday that prosecutors wish to interview …
Dominique Jackson / Raw Story:
Republican lawmaker ‘visibly shaken’ after pro-life conservatives troll her for being a rape victim — South Carolina State Rep. Nancy Mace (R) said that weeks after sharing a personal story about being raped, she was attacked by her Republican colleague. — Mace, “gave the speech two weeks ago …
Discussion:
al.com
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Jess Bravin / Wall Street Journal:
John Paul Stevens Worries About the Court — A retired Supreme Court justice wants his former colleagues to adhere to precedent and the president to comply with subpoenas — At 99, John Paul Stevens can remember a time when a Supreme Court nomination prompted minimal controversy …
Jim Baker / Lawfare:
Why I Do Not Hate Donald Trump — Many people would probably believe me justified in hating Donald Trump. — While I was general counsel of the FBI, I watched the president fire my boss and friend, Jim Comey. I've read and heard the many false statements that the president and his supporters have made about him.
Discussion:
Politico, Mother Jones and Althouse
Sean Illing / Vox:
How golf explains Trump. Seriously. — “This guy cheats like a mafia accountant.” — Have you ever won a tournament you never competed in? Have you ever stolen the ball from an opponent to gain a competitive advantage? — If the answer to either or both of those questions is no, then you're not cheating at the highest level.
Discussion:
Business Insider, VICE, HillReporter.com, Washington Press, Contemptor, Mediaite and Joe.My.God.
Robert Burns / Associated Press:
Pentagon shifting $1.5 billion to border wall construction — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is shifting $1.5 billion in funds originally targeted for support of the Afghan security forces and other projects to help pay for construction of 80 miles of wall at the U.S.-Mexican border, officials said Friday.
Discussion:
Stars & Stripes, Joe.My.God., Roll Call, Shareblue Media and Axios
Tarpley Hitt / The Daily Beast:
Inside SALT: The Mooch's Hedge-Fund Festival Where MAGA Has-Beens Are Great Again — Anthony Scaramucci's annual hedge-fund conference featured speeches, steak, and a completely alternative reality. — LAS VEGAS—Wednesday afternoon, two thousand men in blue suits sat down to a lunch of well-done steak.
Discussion:
Washington Post
Mary Papenfuss / HuffPost:
New Complaint Hits ‘Repeat Offender’ Kellyanne Conway For Hatch Act Violations — The recidivist White House aide has ignored reprimands and is again politicking on taxpayers' dime, an ethics group says. — The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has filed …
Will Sommer / The Daily Beast:
Shocker! The GoFundMe Campaign to Build the Wall Is a Bust — And now, the donors to the effort are demanding answers. … Back in December, Washington state Trump supporter Joshua Greene donated a small amount of money to the crowdfunding effort to build a wall along the southern U.S. border.
Discussion:
Raw Story and The New Civil Rights Movement
Sonja Sharp / Los Angeles Times:
The ‘Tactical Rabbi’ helps synagogues defend against anti-Semitic violence — It was 45 minutes into his lecture when the rabbi pulled out an AR-15. — “Who thinks, by show of hands, that we should be carrying more guns in shul?” Rabbi Raziel Cohen asked the crowd at a Westside Chabad …
Discussion:
Daily Wire
Anthony Izaguirre / Associated Press:
Schedules show West Virginia governor largely absent in job — CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — He's a billionaire who owns mines, farms and the swankiest resort in all of West Virginia. But how Jim Justice spends his time as the state's 36th governor has largely been a mystery.
Michael Tomasky / The Daily Beast:
Here's a Preview of America's 2020 Nightmare if Trump Loses — Foreign leaders have demanded do-overs of elections they've lost, and got them. Who seriously thinks it can't happen here? — Michael Tomasky — BEAST INSIDE — Donald Trump joked at his Florida rally about staying in the White House for “10 or 14” years.
Discussion:
Raw Story
Robbie Gramer / Foreign Policy:
On Eve of Russia Trip, Pompeo Squelches Criticism of Moscow — State Department quietly takes down a statement blaming Russia for coup attempt in Montenegro. — Nearly three years after foiling an audacious coup attempt, authorities in Montenegro on Thursday convicted 14 people …
Discussion:
Washington Post and Hullabaloo