Top Items:
The Daily Beast:
Team Trump Wants Flynn Back for 2020, Sees Him as Its ‘Nelson Mandela’ — Can a disgraced former national security adviser become a campaign MAGA hero? We may soon find out. — With the Justice Department announcing Thursday that it would drop the case against Michael Flynn …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, New York Times, Raw Story, Letters from an American, Washington Post and Talking Points Memo
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Associated Press:
AP Exclusive: Justice Dept dropping Flynn's criminal case — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Thursday said it is dropping the criminal case against President Donald Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, abandoning a prosecution that became a rallying cry for Trump …
Allison Quinn / The Daily Beast:
Kushner Details His Wild Idea to Use Russia's Secret Comms — According to newly released transcripts, Kushner admitted to floating a back-channel of sorts, but said the then-Russian ambassador nixed the idea. — The president's son-in-law and top aide, Jared Kushner …
Lawfare:
An Ugly Day for the Justice Department — It is exceptionally rare for the United States Department of Justice to move in court to dismiss a case in which a defendant has—ably assisted by first-class lawyers—entered into a plea agreement to spare himself prosecution on more serious felony charges.
Discussion:
Politico and The Mahablog
David Ignatius / Washington Post:
If Michael Flynn did nothing wrong, why didn't he tell the truth? — With the Justice Department's move Thursday to drop its case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn, it's useful to go back to a basic question: If Flynn did nothing wrong when he called the Russian ambassador on Dec. 29 …
Discussion:
Mother Jones
Catherine Herridge / CBS News:
Attorney General William Barr on Michael Flynn, Obamacare and coronavirus restrictions - Transcript — The Justice Department on Thursday moved to dismiss charges against Michael Flynn, President Trump's first national security adviser. Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying …
Discussion:
Power Line, CNN, Washington Post, Just The News, The Week, Talking Points Memo, Breitbart and The Hill
Charlie Savage / New York Times:
‘Never Seen Anything Like This’: Experts Question Dropping of Flynn Prosecution — Abandoning the case is the latest step in a pattern of dismantling the work of the Russia investigators. A former prosecutor likened it to eating the department from the inside out.
Discussion:
The Rooster and IJR
Nick Arama / Redstate:
New Docs Tie Obama in to Effort Against Flynn, Biden Also in Room
New Docs Tie Obama in to Effort Against Flynn, Biden Also in Room
Discussion:
Townhall, Twitchy and New York Post
Jan Wolfe / Reuters:
Skeptical judge could hold up Trump administration's bid to clear Flynn, legal experts say
Matt Fountain / San Luis Obispo Tribune:
Exclusive: 1996 court document confirms Tara Reade shared Biden harassment allegation — The San Luis Obispo County court filing is the first official public record confirming she made allegations at that time. — A court document from 1996 shows former Senate staffer Tara Reade told …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart, Redstate, Power Line, The Hill, The Daily Caller, Townhall, New York Post, HuffPost, Twitchy, Viking Pundit, Variety, Talking Points Memo and New York Times
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Alexandra Jaffe / Associated Press:
Prominent lawyer, Trump donor representing Biden accuser — WASHINGTON (AP) — Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer who alleged Joe Biden sexually assaulted her 27 years ago, is being represented by a prominent lawyer and political donor to President Donald Trump's 2016 Republican campaign.
Laura McGann / Vox:
The agonizing story of Tara Reade — Tara Reade, a former staff assistant in Joe Biden's Senate office, on April 11. Max Whittaker/New York Times/Redux — I started reporting on Tara Reade's story a year ago. Here's what I found, and where I'm stuck.
Discussion:
Reason, Daily Kos, CounterPunch, Breitbart, Balloon Juice, The Week, The Hill, HuffPost and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »
Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Tara Reade calls for Biden to drop out of presidential race
Tara Reade calls for Biden to drop out of presidential race
Discussion:
Poynter, The Daily Caller, Redstate, Axios, The Federalist, NBC News and Breitbart
Associated Press:
Arrests made in shooting death of black man after outcry — SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Georgia authorities arrested a white father and son Thursday and charged them with murder in the February shooting death of a black man they had pursued in a truck after spotting him running in their neighborhood.
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Nelly Miles / Georgia Bureau of Investigation:
Ahmaud Arbery Death Investigation — Glynn County, GA (May 7, 2020) - On May 7th, 2020, the GBI arrested Gregory McMichael, age 64, and Travis McMichael, age 34, for the death of Ahmaud Arbery. They were both charged with murder and aggravated assault. The McMichaels were taken into custody …
Discussion:
CNN, The Week, The Guardian, The Root, Forbes, Daily Kos, Just The News, Informed Comment, The Daily Beast, Law & Crime, Mother Jones, Slate, The Hill, fox8.com, wabe.org, Senator Kelly Loeffler, KRQE-TV, The Nation and Denver Post
Richard Fausset / New York Times:
Gregory and Travis McMichael Arrested in Killing of Ahmaud Arbery — Gregory McMichael and Travis McMichael were arrested in connection with the killing of Mr. Arbery, which had led to protests in Georgia. — ATLANTA — The two white men who were seen on a widely shared video …
Discussion:
Common Dreams, The Guardian, Axios, The Federalist, Wall Street Journal, Mother Jones and Al Jazeera
Jonathan Swan / Axios:
Scoop: Trump officials' dysfunction harms delivery of coronavirus drug — A complete breakdown in communication and coordination within the Trump administration has undermined the distribution of a promising treatment, according to senior officials with direct knowledge of the discussions.
Discussion:
The Hill
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Will Sommer / The Daily Beast:
Discredited Doctor and Sham ‘Science’ Are the Stars of Viral Coronavirus Documentary ‘Plandemic’ — Dr. Judy Mikovits is portrayed as a science genius in a conspiracy film about the coronavirus—but her own research history is dubious and the video is full of bizarre claims.
Discussion:
BuzzFeed News and No More Mister Nice Blog, more at Mediagazer »
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Ben White / Politico:
Political fantasy battles economic reality after tens of millions of jobs lost — The U.S. economy is sitting in its deepest hole since the Great Depression, with more than 33 million Americans losing their jobs in just seven weeks and an unemployment rate likely to top 20 percent this year under the weight of the coronavirus pandemic.
Discussion:
New York Times, Vanity Fair and wabe.org
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Christopher Rugaber / Associated Press:
A devastating jobs report for April will show virus's impact
Kendall Karson / ABC News:
Reopening the country seen as greater risk among most Americans: POLL — Americans are resistant to re-opening the country, a new ABC News/Ipsos shows. — Americans, by a large 30-point margin, are resistant to re-opening the country now, believing the risk to human life of opening …
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight and The Week
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CNN:
Kayleigh McEnany called Trump comment ‘racist,’ ‘hateful’ and ‘not the American way’ in 2015 — White House Press Secretary didn't support candidate Trump — (CNN)New White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was a harsh critic of then-candidate Donald Trump before she became a fierce advocate for him …
Discussion:
HuffPost, Palmer Report, The Week, The Wrap, Second Nexus, Raw Story and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
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Toluse Olorunnipa / Washington Post:
Trump tightens grip on coronavirus information as he pushes to restart the economy
Trump tightens grip on coronavirus information as he pushes to restart the economy
Discussion:
Redstate, Second Nexus, Politico, CNBC, Spectator USA and The Intellectualist
ABC News:
Pompeo changes tune on Chinese lab's role in virus outbreak, as intel officials cast doubt — After telling ABC News there was “enormous evidence,” he now says maybe not. — Secretary of State Pompeo is leaning even harder into his attacks on the Chinese government over the novel coronavirus pandemic …
Discussion:
One America News Network and Politico
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Natasha Bertrand / Politico:
Top GOP lawmaker disclosed holdings in Chinese company he criticized
Top GOP lawmaker disclosed holdings in Chinese company he criticized
Discussion:
Poynter, The Citizen Lab, Raw Story, Washington Post and The Guardian, more at Techmeme »
New York Times:
De Blasio Strips Control of Virus Tracing From Health Department — Several leading health officials expressed serious concerns over the transfer of contact tracing efforts to the agency that runs the city's public hospitals, a departure from current and past practice.
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Meagan Flynn / Washington Post:
Wisconsin chief justice sparks backlash by saying covid-19 outbreak is among meatpacking workers, not ‘the regular folks’ — The offhand comment by Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Patience Roggensack was about to take on a life of its own. — In the middle of oral arguments Tuesday …
Discussion:
The American Independent, Raw Story, Daily Kos, The Intellectualist, Balloon Juice and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Washington Post:
Where Americans are still staying at home the most — If you're still at home, you're not alone. — After a peak week of sheltering in place in early April, U.S. residents began to inch out of their homes, according to new cellphone data. But even as states begin to “open up,” …
Discussion:
Mother Jones
Ashley Southall / New York Times:
The NYPD Arrested 40 People on Social Distancing Violations. 35 Were Black. — Mayor Bill de Blasio said the police had enforced rules properly, but other officials expressed concern about tactics similar to unfair “stop and frisk” practices. — A police officer enforcing social-distancing rules broke …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Anne Gearan / Washington Post:
Trump valet tests positive for coronavirus, sparking fear of West Wing spread — The White House rapidly increased coronavirus testing for those around President Trump and took other emergency measures Thursday after a staffer whose job potentially put him in close daily contact with the president …
Discussion:
NBC News, POLITICUSUSA, Palmer Report, MSNBC and The Week
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