memeorandum: Trump and Sessions Denied Knowing About Russian Contacts. Records Suggest Otherwise. (New York Times)

8:55 AM ET, November 3, 2017

Top Items:

CNN:

Exclusive: Carter Page testifies he told Sessions about Russia trip — Who is Carter Page? — (CNN)Former Trump foreign policy adviser Carter Page privately testified Thursday that he mentioned to Jeff Sessions he was traveling to Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine, The Week, NBC News, Axios, Politicus USA, Balloon Juice, Daily Kos, Mediaite, Washington Monthly, Raw Story and ThinkProgress

New York Times:

Trump and Sessions Denied Knowing About Russian Contacts. Records Suggest Otherwise. — WASHINGTON — Standing before reporters in February, President Trump said unequivocally that he knew of nobody from his campaign who was in contact with Russians during the election.

Discussion: Raw Story, Splinter, Mother Jones, Washington Post and Mediaite

CNN:

Jared Kushner's team turned over documents to special counsel in Russia investigation — (CNN)Jared Kushner has turned over documents in recent weeks to special counsel Robert Mueller as investigators have begun asking in witness interviews about Kushner's role in the firing of FBI Director James Comey, CNN has learned.

Discussion: Raw Story, AOL, Talking Points Memo, Politico, Business Insider and Balloon Juice

Choe Melas / CNNMoney:

‘House of Cards’ employees allege sexual harassment, assault by Kevin Spacey — Spacey apologizes for alleged sex assault against a minor — Kevin Spacey made the set of Netflix's “House of Cards” into a “toxic” work environment through a pattern of sexual harassment …

E. Alex Jung / Vulture:

Man Comes Forward to Describe an Alleged Extended Sexual Relationship He Had at Age 14 With Kevin Spacey — Earlier this week, the actor Anthony Rapp alleged that Kevin Spacey made a sexual advance toward him in 1986, when he was 14 years old. After Rapp's allegation …

Discussion: thecut, Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite, AOL and The Stranger …

Jim Tankersley / New York Times:

‘Major, Major’ Tax Cut May Not Be in Store for Middle Class — WASHINGTON — The House Republican tax bill is a clear windfall for corporate America and a roll of the dice for the middle-class families that President Trump promised would be the centerpiece of his economic agenda.

Discussion: The Week, Forbes and CRFB Papers and Blog Posts

Seung Min Kim / Politico:

Senate littered with tax reform land mines — The fanfare surrounding the House GOP tax plan on Thursday masked a brewing storm in the other chamber. — Senate Republicans will have to sway a host of GOP swing votes as they try to jam through their own tax overhaul with almost no margin for error.

Heather Long / Washington Post:
The GOP's bill is ‘a sensible framework’ — but ‘still a deficit-exploding tax cut’ for the rich and corporations

Discussion: Mother Jones, Marginal REVOLUTION and EconLog

Grover Norquist / Fox News:
Republican tax bill is an amazingly powerful job creation measure

Discussion: The Daily Signal, 105.9 FM and AM 630, Fox News Insider and Washington Post

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine: The House Republican Tax Cut Is a Failure on Its Own Terms

Oliver Willis / Shareblue Media: GOP talking points on tax bill say $450k is “low- and middle-income”

Dylan Matthews / Vox:
The House Republican tax bill, explained

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Washington Monthly and The Week

Associated Press:

Female lawmakers allege harassment by colleagues in House — WASHINGTON (AP) — For years, Republican Rep. Mary Bono endured the increasingly suggestive comments from a fellow lawmaker in the House. But when the congressman approached her on the House floor and told her he'd been thinking about her in the shower, she'd had enough.

CNN:

Former DNC chair torches Clinton in new book — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — The joint fundraising agreements, according to multiple senior Democratic sources, were a lifeline to a DNC deep in debt — Washington (CNN)Former Democratic National Committee interim chair Donna Brazile …

Sophie Tatum / CNN:
Asked if DNC system was rigged in Clinton's favor, Warren says ‘yes’

Michael Scherer / Washington Post:
Democrats express outrage over allegations of early party control for Clinton in 2016

Discussion: Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, NPR, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller, Unfogged, Fox News Insider, twitchy.com, IJR, WhoWhatWhy and Politico

John Podhoretz / New York Post: Did Hillary's rigging at the DNC push Biden out of the race?

Gabriel Debenedetti / Politico:
DNC fires its top fundraiser

Discussion: Business Insider, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Daily Caller and The Gateway Pundit

New York Times:

DNAinfo and Gothamist Are Shutting Down — A week ago, reporters and editors in the combined newsroom of DNAinfo and Gothamist, two of New York City's leading digital purveyors of local news, celebrated victory in their vote to join a union. — On Thursday, they lost their jobs …

Discussion: Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, ThinkProgress, Business Insider, The Guardian, The Week, Chicago Tonight, Chicago Reader, Mediaite, The Stranger …, WGN-TV, CBS New York, Splinter, Washington Post, Washingtonian, New York Magazine, The Daily Caller and Deadspin, more at Mediagazer »

Tom Kludt / CNNMoney:
Billionaire pulls the plug on DNAinfo, Gothamist after employees unionize

Discussion: The Resurgent and Mashable

Allison De Jong / ABC News:

60 percent of Americans say Trump tax plan will benefit wealthy (POLL) — Americans oppose Donald Trump's emerging tax plan by broad a 17-point margin, with 60 percent saying it favors the wealthy — including six in 10 of the wealthy themselves. — As details — albeit still scarce …

Discussion: Political Wire

Washington Post:

Post-ABC poll: Most Americans approve of Trump-Russia probe, and nearly half think Trump committed a crime — More than twice as many Americans approve as disapprove of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation of possible coordination between Donald Trump's 2016 campaign …

Discussion: Real Clear Politics, Lawfare, East Bay Times, CNBC, The Week, NewsBusters, Axios, AOL, ABC News, Little Green Footballs, The Daily Caller, Business Insider and Political Wire

John Santucci / ABC News:
White House was unaware top adviser testified before grand jury

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Associated Press and Balloon Juice

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Lawmakers: Carter Page withholding documents from their Russia probe

Discussion: Raw Story and Mother Jones

Kaili Joy Gray / Shareblue Media:

Donald Trump to Fox News: “The one that matters is me. I'm the only one that matters.” — No wonder his secretary of state called him a moron. — In what barely passes for an interview — with almost no questions, but plenty of praise — Donald Trump told new Fox News host Laura Ingraham …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, bizpacreview.com and Business Insider

Justin Baragona / Mediaite:
Trump Tells Laura Ingraham ‘We Will See’ If Tillerson Will Be With Him ‘For the Duration’

Discussion: The Week

Virginia Canter / Politico:

Are Bannon's Ongoing Contacts With Trump Illegal? — The latest news in the saga of Steve Bannon is that the former White House senior adviser has reportedly been pushing President Donald Trump to be more forceful against Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Bannon's ideas allegedly include urging Trump …

Discussion: ABC News, Mediaite and Breitbart

Joe DePaolo / Mediaite:
Nicolle Wallace Destroys Trump Surrogate for Shilling on Russia: 'I Hope They're Paying You a Lot'

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Maxwell Tani / Business Insider:
Major right-wing donor Bob Mercer is stepping down as co-CEO of his hedge fund and selling his stake in Breitbart

The Daily Beast:

Jenna Abrams, Russia's Clown Troll Princess, Duped the Mainstream Media and the World … Jenna Abrams had a lot of enemies on Twitter, but was a very good friend to viral content writers across the world. — Her opinions about everything from manspreading on the subway to Rachel Dolezal …

Discussion: Telegraph and Raw Story

Kaili Joy Gray / Shareblue Media:

GOP nominee Ed Gillespie caught on tape calling Northern Virginia “enemy territory” — Corporate lobbyist and Republican Ed Gillespie has been running an increasingly racist campaign for Virginia governor. — But at a private fundraiser in September, he revealed an outright and shocking disdain for the citizens of his own state.

Trip Gabriel / New York Times: In Obscure Virginia Races, a Test of Anger at the President

Associated Press:

Questions arise over departure of first woman to lead Fed — Nearly four years into Janet Yellen's history-making turn as the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve, the economy is growing, the unemployment rate is low and the stock market is setting record highs.

Discussion: Politico and ABC News

Wall Street Journal:
Mr. Ordinary: Who Is Jerome Powell, Trump's Federal Reserve Pick?

Discussion: IJR, Washington Post and The Gateway Pundit

Desmond Butler / Associated Press:

Mueller grand jury investigating top DC lobbyists — WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Robert Mueller's grand jury is investigating a prominent Democratic lobbyist and a former GOP congressman for their involvement in an influence campaign on behalf of Ukrainian interests tied to Paul Manafort …

Discussion: Politico

Washpostpr / Washington Post:

Josh Dawsey joins The Washington Post as a White House reporter — Announcement from National Editor Steven Ginsberg, Deputy National Editor Lori Montgomery and White House Editor Dan Eggen: — We are excited to announce that Josh Dawsey is joining our White House team.

Dave Lawler / Axios:

Trump: “I'm very unhappy” Justice Dept. isn't going after Clinton — President Trump was asked about his campaign pledge to lock Hillary Clinton up in an interview with conservative radio host Larry O'Connor on Thursday: … Why it matters: This is interesting timing for Trump to talk …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo