Top Items:
San Francisco Chronicle:
Colleagues worry Dianne Feinstein is now mentally unfit to serve, citing recent interactions — WASHINGTON — When a California Democrat in Congress recently engaged in an extended conversation with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, they prepared for a rigorous policy discussion like those they'd had with her many times over the last 15 years.
Politico:
U.S. weighs sending top-level official to meet Zelenskyy in Kyiv — The Biden administration is holding internal discussions about sending a high-level official to Kyiv to show further support to Ukraine, two U.S. officials told POLITICO. — No decision on the potential visit has yet …
Discussion:
The Hill, New York Times, Fox News, New York Times, New York Times, Ace of Spades HQ, Balloon Juice and ABC News, more at Techmeme »
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New York Times:
Ukraine Live Updates: Evidence of Abuses Mount as Biden Promises More Aid
Ukraine Live Updates: Evidence of Abuses Mount as Biden Promises More Aid
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal and New York Times
Reuters:
U.S. gives Ukraine $800 million more in military aid, adds heavy weapons
U.S. gives Ukraine $800 million more in military aid, adds heavy weapons
Discussion:
NBC 6 South Florida, Common Dreams, Voice of America, The Daily Caller and Financial Times
Manu Raju / CNN:
Book details tension with McConnell over Trump's bid to reverse Biden's electoral win — In the weeks after he lost the 2020 election, then-President Donald Trump had a plan to stay in office - and he wanted Mitch McConnell to know about it. — If Trump could successfully pressure Republican …
Discussion:
Digby's Hullabaloo, POLITICUSUSA, Talking Points Memo, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Insider, Raw Story and Political Wire
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Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Trump pours money into a midterm race for the first time
Trump pours money into a midterm race for the first time
Discussion:
The Bulwark, Associated Press, CBS News, Raw Story, Breitbart, Ballotpedia, HotAir, Bloomberg, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Examiner, Mediaite, The Hill, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, IJR and Insider
Detroit Free Press:
Grand Rapids police release video of officer fatally shooting Patrick Lyoya … A Black man facedown on the ground was fatally shot in the back of the head by a Grand Rapids police officer, the violent climax of a traffic stop, brief foot chase and struggle over a stun gun, according to videos of the April 4 incident released Wednesday.
Discussion:
New York Times, Associated Press, YouTube, MyNorthwest.com, Insider, The Hill and Raw Story
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Safia Samee Ali / NBC News:
Police in Michigan release videos of fatal police shooting of Patrick Lyoya
Police in Michigan release videos of fatal police shooting of Patrick Lyoya
Discussion:
Common Dreams, Misunderstood, Washington Examiner, New York Post, CBS News, Daily Kos and TheBlaze
CNN:
Kentucky legislature overrides governor's veto of sweeping abortion bill — (CNN)Kentucky's GOP-controlled legislature on Wednesday overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of a broad abortion bill that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, restricts access to medication abortion …
Discussion:
Reuters, UPI, CBS News, MyNorthwest.com and Political Wire
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Brianne Pfannenstiel / Des Moines Register:
DNC panel strips Iowa of guaranteed first vote for president; state party can still apply for coveted spot … Iowa Democrats are no longer guaranteed a place at the front of the presidential nominating calendar after a panel of Democratic National Committee members voted Wednesday …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Insider, CBS News, CNN and HotAir
Jacqueline Alemany / Washington Post:
Biden White House waives executive privilege for more Trump records — President Biden has authorized the National Archives and Records Administration to hand over a new tranche of Trump White House documents to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Discussion:
Fox News, The Hill, Vanity Fair and Washington Examiner
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Jeremy Wallace / Houston Chronicle:
Gov. Greg Abbott eases truck inspections at key border crossing in Laredo — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott relented Wednesday, agreeing to ease the additional safety inspections of trucks at the busiest border entry point near Laredo in exchange for promises of more border security by Mexican officials along one 8-mile stretch of the border.
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NBC News:
Russia-Ukraine war live updates: Russia evacuates flagship after suffering major damage in Black Sea blast — Ukrainian officials said their forces hit the Russian warship with cruise missiles. Russia's defense ministry said the ship was “seriously damaged” by a fire. — Zelenskyy thanks Biden for funds for Ukraine
Discussion:
USA Today, Associated Press, ARY NEWS and The American Conservative
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Amber Phillips / Washington Post:
How far will Biden go in helping Ukraine?
How far will Biden go in helping Ukraine?
Discussion:
Washington Examiner
Roger Cohen / New York Times:
Le Pen Backs NATO-Russia Reconciliation and Reduced French Role in Alliance — PARIS — Rejecting a “herd-like conformity” with the Biden administration, Marine Le Pen, the French far-right candidate for the presidency, said Wednesday that France would quit NATO's integrated military command …
Discussion:
Reuters, Associated Press, Politico, Al Jazeera and Just An Earth-Bound Misfit, I
Emily Brooks / The Hill:
McCarthy faces grumbles from right over Biden impeachment remarks — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) drew right-wing ire after he stated that House Republicans, if they win the House majority in this year's midterm elections, will not impeach President Joe Biden for “political purposes.”
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
CNN+ Is Said to Surpass 100,000 Subscribers in Its First Week — Under pressure from new owner Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. to justify its costs, CNN's streaming service eclipsed 100,000 subscribers in its first week, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Discussion:
Puck, The American Spectator and Trending Politics, more at Mediagazer »
Katie King / Virginian-Pilot:
Democrats ‘stunned’ as Youngkin vetoes 25 bipartisan bills — including 3 from Hampton Roads lawmakers — Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed 25 bills this week — all from Democrats — that received bipartisan support in the General Assembly, a move some lawmakers viewed as an act of retaliation.
Discussion:
The Virginia Public …, The Root and Associated Press
Kipp Jones / Mediaite:
Here Are All House Members Russia Didn't Sanction — The Russian Foreign Ministry announced sanctions on most members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday. — In response to what were called “anti-Russian sanctions” imposed on 328 deputies of the Russia's federal assembly …
Quinnipiac University Poll:
74% Of Americans Think Worst Of War In Ukraine Is Yet To Come, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; More Than 8 In 10 Think Vladimir Putin Is A War Criminal — mail_outline — As the world witnesses the atrocities in Ukraine committed by Russian troops, the vast majority of Americans …
MSNBC:
How Jared Kushner and the Trump admin traded U.S. foreign policy for $2 billion — Chris Hayes: “Essentially, the Trump administration sold U.S. foreign policy, Jamal Khashoggi's life, and American principles on liberal democracy and freedom of the press for $2 billion that went straight into Jared Kushner's pocket.”
Andrew Duehren / Wall Street Journal:
Yellen Warns Nations Staying Neutral in Russia's War With Ukraine — The U.S. has cautioned China, India and others not to aid Moscow or undercut sanctions — WASHINGTON—Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said countries that maintain their ties to Russia after its invasion …
Discussion:
Radio Free Europe/Radio … and Bloomberg
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Barak Ravid / Axios:
Scoop: Blinken apologized to UAE crown prince for delayed response to Houthi attacks — Secretary of State Tony Blinken apologized to Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed last month for the U.S. response to January's Houthi attacks against the United Arab Emirates, two sources briefed on the issue tell Axios.
Discussion:
Insider, The Turbulent World … and РИА …
Shefali Luthra / The 19th:
Kentucky is the first state to end virtually all in-state abortions — Kentucky is the first state where clinics will completely stop providing abortions. The state legislature enacted a far-reaching abortion law Wednesday with so many restrictions, including a 15-week ban …
Discussion:
Common Dreams, HuffPost and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Jared Yates Sexton / Dispatches From A …:
Culture War, Corporate Dominance, and the Authoritarian Movement — The clash between Right Wing reactionaries and Disney showcases where power lies and what the future might look like — Outside the gates of Disney World, protesters have squared off in opposition.
Ross Douthat / New York Times:
How to Make Sense of the New L.B.G.T.Q. Culture War — To understand the contours of the renewed culture wars over sex education, sexual orientation and gender identity, start with a Rorschach test. — According to Gallup, the share of younger Americans who identify as lesbian, gay …
Silky Shah / Truthout:
The Movement to Defund and Abolish Immigration Jails Is Winning Major Victories — Last month, the national movement to end immigration detention achieved two major campaign victories that invite our attention and signal opportunities ahead. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) …