memeorandum: Southern California air board moves to weaken pollution regulation (Los Angeles Times)

11:35 AM ET, March 5, 2016

Top Items:

Rank and File Republicans Tell Party Elites: We're Sticking With Donald Trump — From Michigan to Louisiana to California on Friday, rank-and-file Republicans expressed mystification, dismissal and contempt for the instructions that their party's most high-profile leaders are urgently handing down to them …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The Last Tradition and Telegraph

Karen Tumulty / Washington Post:

Trump throws the GOP into an identity crisis … Only a year ago, Republicans were congratulating themselves on having the strongest field of presidential candidates in a generation — diverse, highly credentialed conservatives who might be the salvation of a party that lost the popular vote in five of the last six elections.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Politico, The Moderate Voice and ABC News

Tim Mak / The Daily Beast:

Can Newt Gingrich Save GOP? — Newt Gingrich—yes, you read that right—is trying to play peacemaker between Republicans in Washington and the Trump campaign. — The Republican Party's establishment is slowly coming to terms with a tough reality: Donald Trump will be the nominee, and resistance is futile.

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:

Will Liberal Media EVER Report on VIOLENT LEFTIST THUGS at EVERY SINGLE TRUMP EVENT? — This morning in Cadillac, Michigan far left protesters repeatedly interrupted, screamed profanities and were forced out of the Donald Trump rally. — With thousands of people in attendance at his rallies …

Discussion: The Hill, addictinginfo.org and Telegraph

Kristinn Taylor / The Gateway Pundit:

'Scary, Tense, New Level of Menace“: PROTESTERS GET PHYSICAL, INTERRUPT, SCREAM PROFANITIES at Massive Trump Rally in New Orleans — “Bad vibes.” “Scary.” “Tense.” “Physical.” “New level of menace.” “Vicious.” — Those are the words used by reporters who covered …

Emily Flitter / Reuters:

Republican ‘Dump Trump’ effort struggles to gain traction — NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (Reuters) - A plan to block Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump struggled to gain traction on Friday as rival candidates rejected it, while Democrats reveled in the chaos they hoped would boost their chances of keeping the White House.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and Slantpoint

Agence France-Presse:
White House: Cuba has no say on Obama-dissidents meeting

Discussion: MichelleMalkin.com

Mark Hensch / The Hill:

Sanders blames Clinton for Michigan's declining middle class — (I-Vt.) blasted Hilary Clinton on Friday, arguing his Democratic presidential primary rival's policies generated Michigan's ailing middle class. — “If the people of Michigan want to make a decision about which candidate stood …

Daniel Strauss / Politico:

Bernie's bounce-back weekend — After a Super Tuesday that proved to be something less than super for Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator is now poised to rattle off a handful of wins this weekend - an outcome that would inject a dose of desperately needed adrenaline into his campaign.

Discussion: Political Wire

Katie McHugh / Breitbart:

CPAC Boos John Kasich as Michelle Malkin Slams His Support for Common Core, Attacks on Detractors — Best-selling conservative author and senior editor for the Conservative Review Michelle Malkin slammed Ohio Gov. John Kasich's support for Common Core standards, drawing loud boos from attendees …

Ben Kamisar / The Hill:

How the GOP could stop Trump at the convention — Republicans might have one hope for defeating Donald Trump — : denying him the 1,237 delegates he needs to clinch the nomination at the Republican National Convention in July. — Party insiders who are deeply opposed to the businessman's candidacy …

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgressPage Array:

BREAKING: Supreme Court Reopens Clinics Closed By Anti-Abortion Law — The Supreme Court handed down a brief order Monday allowing four Louisiana abortion clinics to reopen after they were closed due to a recent decision by a conservative federal appeals court.

Discussion: addictinginfo.org and Slantpoint

Adam Liptak / New York Times:
Supreme Court Blocks Louisiana Abortion Law

Discussion: The Talking Dog

Chico Harlan / Washington Post:

The debilitating economic disaster Louisiana's governor left behind — BATON ROUGE, La. — Already, the state of Louisiana had gutted university spending and depleted its rainy day funds. It had cut 30,000 employees and furloughed others. It had slashed the number of child services staffers …

Discussion: RedState, Political Insider blog, Balloon Juice, Prairie Weather, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, New York Magazine, addictinginfo.org, The Bob and Chez Show and Talking Points Memo

Sahil Kapur / Bloomberg Business:

Cruz Serves Up Spoilers on Contested Convention and Rubio's Florida Hopes — The Texas senator flatly rejected the idea of a contested convention on Friday at CPAC, warning that it would lead to a “manifest revolt.” — Ted Cruz flatly rejected the idea of a contested convention on Friday …

Discussion: Althouse

Katie Zezima / Washington Post:
Cruz looks to take on Rubio, on the fellow senator's Florida turf

Discussion: Political Wire and The Texas Tribune

Kenneth P. Vogel / Politico:

Behind Trump's CPAC deal gone bad — NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland Donald Trump spent five years building a mutually beneficial relationship with the organization that hosts the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, filling its coffers with at least $150,000 in cash …

Discussion: The Hill, The Right Scoop, Outside the Beltway, Weasel Zippers, Political Insider blog, Oliver Willis, National Review, Western Journalism, Yahoo Politics, Post On Politics, Allen B. West and The Other McCain

K.M. McFarland / Wired:

The Force Awakens and A New Hope Are More Similar Than You Think — In the wake of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, critics and audiences couldn't help but notice how much its plot mirrored the original Star Wars from 40 years ago. A frustrated desert-dweller journeys away from their home planet for the first time?

Discussion: derek ruths and Gizmodo

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

So, what's the ticket going to be: Trump/Kasich or Trump/Cruz? — Too early to start gaming this out? I don't think so. News is breaking this afternoon that Cruz is opening 10 offices across Florida ahead of the big vote there, which is his attempt at a killshot on Rubio's campaign.

Discussion: Daily Wire, JustOneMinute, The Week and Instapundit

Mark Hensch / The Hill:

Brother of murdered civil rights leader endorses Trump — for president. — “I believe in him first of all because he's a businessman,” Charles Evers said, according to The Clarion-Ledger. “I think jobs are badly needed in Mississippi.” — Evers's brother, Medgar Evers, was assassinated in Jackson, Miss., in 1963.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

The Clarion Ledger:
Brother of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers endorses Trump

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and The Daily Caller

Nick Gass / Politico:

Ben Carson announces campaign is over — Ben Carson is suspending his bid for the presidency, the retired neurosurgeon announced Friday, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. — “Even though I might be leaving the campaign trail …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, RedState and NY State of Politics

Tal Kopan / CNN:
Ben Carson to lead Christian voter group

Discussion: New York Magazine and The Atlantic

John Kluge / Ricochet:

An Open Letter to the Conservative Media Explaining Why I Have Left the Movement — Let me say up front that I am a life-long Republican and conservative. I have never voted for a Democrat in my life and have voted in every presidential and midterm election since 1988.

Discussion: Vox Popoli

Samantha Allen / The Daily Beast:

Catholic Prep School: No Transgender Students — A Rhode Island school says it won't accept or enroll transgender students. — Catholic Rhode Island private school Mount Saint Charles Academy is open to everyone—so long as they're not transgender. — The latest edition …

Discussion: WPRI-TV

Elizabeth Harrington / Washington Free Beacon:

Biden's One-Night Visit to Mexico City Cost $538,528 for Hotels Alone — Vice President Joe Biden's hotel tab for his recent one-night stay in Mexico City cost taxpayers more than $500,000. — Biden, who attended an annual economic summit with Mexican leaders, stayed at the luxury Intercontinental Presidente Hotel.

John Berlau / Forbes:

How Fiduciary Rule May Censor Financial Broadcasters Like Dave Ramsey — Popular financial radio show host Dave Ramsey caused a firestorm on Twitter last week when he weighed in against the “fiduciary rule”—the controversial pending Department of Labor regulation that would impose …

Discussion: ProfessorBainbridge.com

Tax Policy Center home:

An Analysis of Senator Bernie Sanders's Tax Proposals — Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders proposes significant increases in federal income, payroll, business, and estate taxes, and new excise taxes on financial transactions and carbon. New revenues would pay for universal health care …

Discussion: Mother Jones, CNNMoney, Washington Post, Vox and TaxVox

Lynnley Browning / Bloomberg Business:
Sanders Tax Plans Seen Raising $15.3 Trillion Over 10 Years

Discussion: The Agonist

Lindsey Ellefson / Mediaite:

Maher: GOP Got Trump When They ‘Made a Faustian Deal With the Racist Devil Years Ago’ — Tonight, Bill Maher used his show to talk about the “existential crisis” the GOP is going through now that Donald Trump is gaining more and more traction. — “I almost feel bad for them …

Discussion: Washington Times and liberalamerica.org

Greg Margason / Fox 59:

Joey Feek from Joey + Rory passes away after battle with cancer — ALEXANDRIA, Ind. (March 4, 2016) - Hoosier native Joey Feek of the country music duo Joey + Rory passed away Friday, her husband Rory wrote. — “My wife's greatest dream came true today,” Rory wrote. “She is in Heaven.”