Top Items:
NBC News:
Special counsel charges FBI informant with lying to the bureau about Hunter and Joe Biden — Alexander Smirnov, 43, disliked President Joe Biden, according to the Justice Department. He was arrested in Las Vegas after returning from a trip overseas. — WASHINGTON — An FBI confidential human source …
Discussion:
Washington Post, PoliticusUSA, emptywheel, Washington Examiner, Roll Call, Benzinga, The Gateway Pundit, RedState, National Review and Political Wire
RELATED:
Associated Press:
FBI informant charged with lying about Joe and Hunter Biden's ties to Ukrainian energy company — An FBI informant has been charged with fabricating a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company, a claim that is central …
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Post, MeidasTouch, Raw Story, PBS NewsHour, Los Angeles Times, Mediaite and NewsNation
Rebecca Beitsch / The Hill:
FBI informant at heart of GOP's Biden bribery allegations indicted over false statements — The confidential source at the center of allegations being promoted by House Republicans that President Biden accepted a bribe has been arrested and charged with making false statements to the FBI.
Alexander Mallin / ABC News:
Special counsel charges FBI confidential source for allegedly providing false derogatory info on President Biden, Hunter Biden — Alexander Smirnov was arrested in Las Vegas on Wednesday. — The FBI seal is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, DC on July 5, 2016.
Discussion:
US Department of Justice, UPI, National Review and Forbes
Associated Press:
In fiery testimony, Fani Willis hits back at misconduct claims that threaten future of Trump case — (Feb 15) (AP production by Javier Arciga) — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis took the witness stand Thursday and forcefully pushed back against what she described as “lies” …
Discussion:
New York Times, Politico, Bloomberg, Fox News, Business Insider, Breitbart, New York Post, Benzinga, DNyuz, RedState, Agence France-Presse, New Republic, Semafor, RTÉ, The Daily Caller, National Review, Maryland Daily Record, Raw Story, BizPac Review, The Hill, CNBC and Wall Street Journal
RELATED:
Russ Choma / Mother Jones:
Donald Trump Will Be the First Former President to Face a Criminal Trial, Judge Rules — Trump's New York case will begin in March. — A New York judge ruled Thursday that Donald Trump will stand trial in March on charges related to the Stormy Daniels coverup.
Erica Orden / Politico:
Trump's first criminal trial will start March 25, judge says — The schedule means Trump will spend weeks in court instead of on the campaign trail. — Former President Donald Trump's first criminal trial will start on March 25 as scheduled, a judge said in New York on Thursday as he denied Trump's attempts to throw out the charges.
Discussion:
NBC News, UPI, New Republic, New York Times, HuffPost, PoliticusUSA, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, CNBC, Business Insider, RTÉ, DNyuz, Raw Story, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, Florida Politics, Mediaite, Forbes, Bloomberg, El País, NPR, MeidasTouch, Axios, Washington Examiner, New York Post, CBS News, The Guardian, Associated Press, Daily Kos and TalkLeft
Associated Press:
Delay tactics and quick trips: Takeaways from two Trump case hearings in New York and Georgia
Delay tactics and quick trips: Takeaways from two Trump case hearings in New York and Georgia
Discussion:
Fox News, New York Times, The Hill, DNyuz, WHDH-TV, Digby's Hullabaloo, Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, NBC Bay Area, Benzinga, Associated Press and USA Today
New York Times:
Live Updates: Key Witness Contradicts Trump Prosecutors' Timeline of Relationship
Live Updates: Key Witness Contradicts Trump Prosecutors' Timeline of Relationship
Discussion:
Axios, DNyuz, Breitbart, BBC, NPR, CBS News, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Washington Examiner, Washington Post, Althouse and Raw Story
Reuters:
Trump to stand trial on March 25 in NY criminal hush money case
Trump to stand trial on March 25 in NY criminal hush money case
Discussion:
Raw Story, CBS News, Associated Press, New York Times, Just Security, Al Jazeera, Forbes, DNyuz, RedState, The Guardian, Mediaite, Politico, Washington Examiner, New Republic and PoliticusUSA
Ed Morrissey / HotAir:
BREAKING: Witness Testifies Fani, Wade Relationship Began in 2019
BREAKING: Witness Testifies Fani, Wade Relationship Began in 2019
Discussion:
The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Fox Business, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Forbes, New York Post, BizPac Review, Law & Crime, Business Insider, acecomments.mu.nu, Raw Story, Georgia Recorder, The Daily Beast, The Daily Caller, HuffPost, The Post Millennial, New Republic, UPI, Washington Times, DNyuz, RedState, Mediaite, American Greatness, Axios, Washington Free Beacon, The Guardian, Twitchy and Bloomberg
NBC News:
Trump world considers having the former president deliver the official GOP State of the Union response — Two sources told NBC News that Trump is leaning against doing it. The decision ultimately rests with the Republican leadership in Congress. — WASHINGTON — Aides and allies close …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Mock Paper Scissors, The Post Millennial and Political Wire
RELATED:
Brandi Buchman / Law & Crime:
Incitement by the numbers: More than 200 Jan. 6 defendants say they came to Capitol because Trump told them to, report says
Incitement by the numbers: More than 200 Jan. 6 defendants say they came to Capitol because Trump told them to, report says
April Rubin / Axios:
Trump says he purposefully mixes up politicians' names
Trump says he purposefully mixes up politicians' names
Discussion:
ABC News, Oregon Capital Chronicle, Reuters, The Hill, Fox Business, New York Times, DNyuz and RedState
Frank Bruni / New York Times:
We're Running Out of Names for Trump. At Least Polite Ones.
We're Running Out of Names for Trump. At Least Polite Ones.
Discussion:
The Hill, Boing Boing, CBS News, No More Mister Nice Blog, Associated Press, MeidasTouch and Althouse
Victoria Prodeline / Monmouth University …:
Voters Weigh in on Presidential Stamina
Voters Weigh in on Presidential Stamina
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Business Insider, Politico, Fox News and The Hill
Politico:
Rosendale drops Montana Senate bid — after less than a week — Rosendale had just launched his long-anticipated Senate bid last Friday. — GOP Rep. Matt Rosendale is dropping his Montana Senate bid less than a week after he officially launched it, he confirmed to POLITICO.
Discussion:
The Hill, NPR, NBC News, New York Times, Matt Rosendale For Montana, KULR-TV, Forbes, RedState, Daily Montanan and National Review
RELATED:
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
McConnell ‘will be involved’ in Montana Senate GOP primary
McConnell ‘will be involved’ in Montana Senate GOP primary
Discussion:
Bloomberg, HuffPost, Washington Examiner, Associated Press and Daily Montanan
Christopher Wiggins / Advocate:
Reporter asks Ron DeSantis why he can affirm his height with lifts, but stands against gender-affirming care — In a Thursday morning press conference in Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a failed 2024 presidential candidate, flanked by representatives from the Southern Poverty Law …
Discussion:
MeidasTouch, Orlando Sentinel, LGBTQ Nation and Florida Politics
RELATED:
Ron Filipkowski / MeidasTouch:
DeSantis Walks Back FL Book Ban Statute He Once Championed
DeSantis Walks Back FL Book Ban Statute He Once Championed
Discussion:
Digby's Hullabaloo
Charlie Savage / New York Times:
White House Clashed With Justice Dept. Over Special Counsel Report — Previously undisclosed letters show a testy exchange over whether the Justice Department violated its own guidelines in releasing a report with comments disparaging President Biden. — The White House clashed …
Discussion:
ABC News, Axios, CBS News, Washington Post, RedState, Politico, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, Political Wire, CNN and Power Line
RELATED:
Ed Morrissey / HotAir:
Puck: White House Reporters Knew About Biden All Along
Puck: White House Reporters Knew About Biden All Along
Discussion:
Puck, RedState, Newsbusters, CBS News and acecomments.mu.nu
Drew Harwell / Washington Post:
Truth Social merger deal wins key approval, a victory for Trump — The former president's stake in the post-merger company would be valued, at today's share price, at nearly $4 billion. — The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved the merger proposal of former president Donald Trump's media start …
Discussion:
CBS News, Fox Business, Bloomberg, Reuters, The Hill, Axios and CNBC, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
Declan Harty / Politico:
Trump's Truth Social nears Wall Street listing that could yield millions
Trump's Truth Social nears Wall Street listing that could yield millions
Discussion:
Raw Story
Philip Bump / Washington Post:
The final repudiation of ‘2000 Mules’ — Since Donald Trump left office in January 2021, there has been no more influential presentation of his theory that the election was stolen than the film “2000 Mules,” created by activist — and Trump pardon recipient — Dinesh D'Souza.
Anna Merlan / VICE:
Joe Rogan and Bret Weinstein Promote AIDS Denialism to an Audience of Millions — Weinstein repeated discredited theories to Rogan about HIV not being the cause of AIDS, alarming and infuriating public health experts. — Bret Weinstein, the evolutionary biology professor turned podcaster …
Alexander Mallin / ABC News:
US disrupts Russian hacking campaign that infiltrated home, small business routers: DOJ — The FBI coordinated with other foreign partners to disrupt the GRU-led campaign. — A laptop is seen on a Russian flag in this undated stock photo. — The FBI announced Thursday it successfully disrupted …
RELATED:
NBC News:
U.S. conducted cyberattack on suspected Iranian spy ship — The covert operation was intended to inhibit the ship's ability to share intelligence with Houthi rebels who have been attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea. — WASHINGTON — The United States recently conducted a cyberattack …
Discussion:
The Times of Israel, Just Security, New York Times, American Military News, Bloomberg and Fox News
Politico:
House GOP sets rule-vote failure record — Presented by With assists from POLITICO's Congress team — WHY RULE VOTE FAILURES COULD ONLY GET WORSE FOR JOHNSON — Failing to pass a rule. It's typically a process that leadership gives little thought, a minor bump on the path to passage.
Charlotte Cowles / The Cut:
The Day I Put $50,000 in a Shoe Box and Handed It to a Stranger … On a Tuesday evening this past October, I put $50,000 in cash in a shoe box, taped it shut as instructed, and carried it to the sidewalk in front of my apartment, my phone clasped to my ear. “Don't let anyone hurt me,” I told the man on the line, feeling pathetic.
Discussion:
The Hill, The Daily Beast, KTLA, The Daily Caller, Fox News, New York Post and Mediaite