memeorandum: Prisons are getting Whiter. That's one way mass incarceration might end. (Washington Post)

3:20 PM ET, February 27, 2021

Top Items:

Tara Palmeri / Politico:

POLITICO Playbook: Trump stewing over McCarthy again ahead of big CPAC speech — DRIVING THE DAY — BREAKING OVERNIGHT — “House passes Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package,” by Caitlin Emma and Sarah Ferris — ORLANDO, Fla. — Friday was the warm-up act at TPAC (get it?) …

Discussion: CBS News, Fox News, No More Mister Nice Blog, New York Post and Raw Story

The Guardian:

Golden Trump statue turning heads at CPAC was made in ... Mexico … A golden statue of Donald Trump that has caused a stir at the annual US gathering of conservatives was made in Mexico - a country the former president frequently demonized. — Mitch McConnell says he'd ‘absolutely’ support Trump as 2024 nominee

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Washington Post:

'It's Donald Trump's party': How the former president is building a political operation to cement his hold on the GOP — Any lingering doubts about Donald Trump's primacy in the Republican Party have been settled in recent weeks by the parade of petitioners he has welcomed to his Florida social club.

Discussion: Townhall, One America News Network and Raw Story

Peter Wehner / The Atlantic:

The Man Who Refused to Bow — adam Kinzinger is a liberated individual—liberated from his party leadership, liberated from the fear of being beaten in a primary, liberated to speak his mind. The 43-year-old representative was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump for inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Maggie Haberman / New York Times:

Trump Will Return to Spotlight With Appearance at CPAC — Most presidents leave the White House and adopt low profiles. Donald Trump is returning to the national stage with a prominent appearance at a conservative conference on Sunday. — For decades, the normal course of action …

Discussion: Raw Story and Political Wire

Will Steakin / ABC News:

GOP congressman headlines conference where organizers push white nationalist rhetoric — The group's leader said of Jan. 6, “We need a little bit more of that.” — House GOP leaders clash over Trump at CPAC — Former President Donald Trump was the subject of an awkward clash Wednesday …

David Weigel / Washington Post:

Rep. Gosar criticizes ‘white racism’ after speaking at event whose organizer called for white supremacy — ORLANDO — Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) said Saturday that he opposed “white racism,” hours after speaking at a far-right conference whose organizer spoke approvingly of the Capitol insurrection …

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Examiner, Mother Jones and POLITICUSUSA

Will Sommer / The Daily Beast:

GOP Rep. Appears at White Nationalist Event Where Organizer Calls Capitol Riot ‘Awesome’ — BAD COMPANY — A sitting member of Congress appeared at a white nationalist convention Friday night, marking new GOP support for the racist movement. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) spoke in Orlando …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Political Wire

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

Grenell to discuss potential California governor run with Trump Saturday — Former acting national intelligence director Ric Grenell is slated to have dinner with former President Donald Trump Saturday evening to discuss his potential run for California governor, among other issues, according to three people familiar with the plans.

Discussion: Fox News and Bloomberg

Ben Leonard / Politico:
Grenell strongly hints at run for California governor at CPAC

Discussion: Fox News, RedState, The Hill, HotAir and Washington Times

Lee Moran / HuffPost:
Former CPAC Chair Minces No Words Slamming What The Event, GOP Have Now Become

Discussion: The Guardian and Raw Story

Osita Nwanevu / New Republic:

The Democrats Are Blocking a $15 Minimum Wage — According to the Center for Economic Policy and Research, the national minimum wage in this country rose in tandem with both inflation and productivity gains in the workforce until around 1968. If this had continued, the federal minimum today would be over $24.

Discussion: Jacobin, The Guardian, TaxProf Blog and Washington Post

Washington Post:
Senior Democrats explore tax largely hitting Fortune 1000 companies not paying $15 an hour

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Texas Tribune and National Review

New York Times: At Last, Democrats Get Chance to Engineer Obamacare 2.0

New York Times:
Democrats Move to Salvage Minimum Wage Hike

Discussion: NBC New York, Digby's Hullabaloo, Slate, BizPac Review, Disrn, Fox News, Washington Examiner and HotAir

Sarah Dadouch / Washington Post:

After dissident vanishes in Canada, Saudi exiles fear they are now in jeopardy — The mysterious disappearance last month of a Saudi dissident living in Montreal after visiting the kingdom's embassy in Ottawa has sent fear rippling across Canada's community of Saudi exiles.

Discussion: Kevin Drum

Patrice Taddonio / FRONTLINE:
Saudi Crown Prince Approved Plan to “Capture or Kill” Columnist Jamal Khashoggi, According to Declassified U.S. Report

Discussion: Bloomberg, The Hill, Reuters, IJR, The New Arab, The Moderate Voice, Al Jazeera, Mic, New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Times of Israel, Insider, Axios, TheBlaze and The Atlantic, more at Mediagazer »

Nicholas Kristof / New York Times:
President Biden Lets a Saudi Murderer Walk

Discussion: Vox, KYMA-TV, Al Jazeera, HotAir, Bloomberg, Mediaite, CNBC, Atlantic Council, Dispatches From A …, The Daily Caller, The Intercept, UPI, Washington Examiner, Common Dreams, Raw Story, Washington Post and rubber hose

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Scoop: Biden admin call on Putin pipeline provokes GOP anger — A briefing between the State Department and congressional staff over Vladimir Putin's Russia-Germany gas pipeline got tense this week, with Biden officials deflecting questions about why they hadn't moved faster and more aggressively with sanctions to stop its completion.

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Examiner, Bloomberg, Politico, Florida Politics and POLITICUSUSA

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

High on Their Own Supply — Democrats work the refs. — WASHINGTON — I've been waiting for this moment. The moment when some on the left would react indignantly to journalists doing their job. — It was so enthralling and gratifying to assail Donald Trump as a liar and misogynist …

Discussion: RedState, more at Mediagazer »

Marc Tracy / New York Times:

How Marty Baron and Jeff Bezos Remade The Washington Post — The celebrated editor is ending his tenure at the helm of a very different newspaper than the one he originally signed on to run. — On July 30, 2013, Martin Baron left The Washington Post building and crossed 15th Street for an extremely rare happy hour drink.

New York Times:

Why Opening Windows Is a Key to Reopening Schools — The C.D.C. is urging communities to reopen schools as quickly as possible, but parents and teachers have raised questions about the quality of ventilation available in public school classrooms to protect against the coronavirus.

Discussion: HotAir

Associated Press:

‘Blame Trump’ defense in Capitol riot looks like a long shot — The “Trump-made-me-do-it” defense is already looking like a longshot. — Facing damning evidence in the deadly Capitol siege last month — including social media posts flaunting their actions — rioters are arguing in court …

Discussion: Raw Story

New York Times:
F.B.I. Said to Have Singled Out Potential Assailant in Capitol Officer's Death

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, CNN, Politico, Slate, United States Capitol Police, IJR, NPR, The Daily Boulder, TheBlaze, New York Post, Washington Post, HotAir, CBS News, The Intellectualist and Raw Story

BuzzFeed News:

“Danger Warning”: Women Say Madison Cawthorn Harassed Them In College — Madison Cawthorn arrived at Patrick Henry College's small Christian campus in northern Virginia in fall 2016 blazing with charm, bravado, and a flashing white smile. His former classmates said the future member …

Discussion: RedState, The Daily Caller, Insider, Political Wire and Raw Story

Stefanie Dazio / Associated Press:

Lady Gaga's dogs recovered safely — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lady Gaga's two French bulldogs, which were stolen by thieves who shot and wounded the dogwalker, were recovered unharmed Friday, Los Angeles police said. — A woman brought the dogs to the LAPD's Olympic Community Police Station …

Discussion: NBC Los Angeles, PinkNews, Mediaite, Associated Press, Vanity Fair, Insider, The Wrap, CONAN Daily, Rolling Stone, Las Vegas Review-Journal and TMZ.com

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Sasse marches to own tune as GOP implodes around him — Ben Sasse is about to be censured by the Nebraska GOP for his antagonistic stance toward Donald Trump — again. But he doesn't care. — As Sasse's fellow Republican critics of Trump fret over blowback from a base that demands loyalty …

Paul Liotta / Staten Island Advance:

Andrew Yang comes to aid of photographer attacked on Staten Island Ferry — STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Andrew Yang, a former Democratic presidential candidate and current frontrunner in the race for NYC mayor, came to the rescue of a photojournalist who was attacked Friday on the Staten Island Ferry.

Discussion: Insider, THE CITY, Disrn, NBC New York and New York Post

Thomas Fuller / New York Times:

He Came From Thailand to Care For Family. Then Came a Brutal Attack. — The fatal assault in San Francisco on a defenseless older man was the latest terrifying episode for Asian-Americans, many of whom have endured racist taunts, rants and worse during the pandemic.

Sarah Baxter Orlando / The Sunday Times:

Bad news for Donald Trump Jr: the right is fast tiring of Trumps … Donald Trump will stride into Orlando, Florida, for his first public engagement since Joe Biden's inauguration, confident that he remains the biggest political superstar on the planet. The Conservative Political Action conference …

Umair Haque / Eudaimonia and Co:

The Dems are Blowing It — What Grade Would You Give the Democrats For Their First Month in Power? Here's Mine — I'm sorry. Accept my apology in advance. I'm going to say something ugly, and many of you aren't going to like it. But it needs to be said. — The Democrats are blowing it.

The Times:

Russia's Wagner mercenaries calls the shots in fight for control of Libya … Soon after the Russian Wagner mercenaries appeared on the front lines near Tripoli, United States officials warned Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the man who recruited them, that he was making a Faustian bargain.

Harrison Smith / Washington Post:

Joseph Duffey, educator and antiwar activist behind influential Senate campaign, dies at 88 — Joseph D. Duffey, a coal miner's son who led two large universities and two federal agencies and whose enduring luster in the Democratic Party stemmed from his unsuccessful but high-profile Senate bid in 1970 …

Politico:

How Trump upended the race to control the House through 2030 — Days after the 2020 election, House Democrats convened to address some of the party's most surprising losses, and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Cheri Bustos name-checked one in particular: Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a freshman from South Florida.

Discussion: Raw Story

Campus Reform the #1 Source for College News:

Harvard Business School Club of NY cancels speaker from...cancel culture talk: report — The book discusses how “anti-Enlightenment beliefs” such as cancel culture, subjective truth and language as violence pose an imminent threat “not only to liberal democracy but also to modernity itself.”

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Julie Pace / Associated Press:

Analysis: Biden ambitions run into reality of Senate's rules — WASHINGTON (AP) — The early ambitions of Joe Biden's presidency are quickly running into the guardrails of archaic Senate rules, testing his willingness to remake an institution he reveres to fulfill many of the promises he has made to Americans.