Top News:
Mike Allen / Axios:
Sources: Sean Spicer had the CIA's director and a GOP official call reporters to discredit an NYT story on links between Trump's campaign aides and Russia — Exclusive: Spicer arranged CIA, GOP intelligence push-back — White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer personally picked up the phone …
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Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
The White House appears to have leaked a story about a Politico reporter to the Washington Examiner, in retaliation for a story by the same reporter on WH leaks — Never let it be said that President Trump and his underlings don't work hard, especially when it comes to initiatives aimed …
Discussion:
New York Times, @stevenjay, @yashar, @elistokols, @mlcalderone, @brucebartlett, @cbudoffbrown, @maggienyt and TVLine
Annie Karni / Politico:
Sources: Sean Spicer warns staff against leaking to media in a meeting that included a check of phones, saying apps like Confide and Signal violate Records Act
Sources: Sean Spicer warns staff against leaking to media in a meeting that included a check of phones, saying apps like Confide and Signal violate Records Act
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Mediaite, Media Matters for America, Fortune, Vanity Fair, Mashable, Hit & Run, Axios, The Slot, @chadlivengood, @anniekarni, @ashleyrparker, @susanpage, The Week, @jayrosen_nyu, RT, @braddjaffy, Washington Monthly, The Hill, @maggienyt, Newser, Politicus USA, @arimelber, @annericeauthor, @kfile, @danpfeiffer, CNN, New York Magazine, @katieglueck, @erinscafe, @lrozen, @mikiebarb, @sheeraf, @realdanlyons, @erinscafe, @tripgabriel, @pwnallthethings, @davidenrich, @lpdonovan, @jeffbercovici, @maggienyt and @wakeup2politics
Kurt Schlosser / GeekWire:
Amazon Studios wins its first-ever Oscars with best foreign language film for “The Salesman” and best original screenplay for “Manchester by the Sea” — Amazon Studios won its first-ever Academy Awards on Sunday night, taking home three Oscar statues …
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Casey Newton / The Verge:
Mozilla buys Pocket, its first acquisition, and says the read-it-later service will continue operating as an independent subsidiary — From browser extension to acquisition — Mozilla has acquired Pocket, a kind of DVR for the internet, for an undisclosed sum.
Discussion:
Pocket Blog, The Mozilla Blog, VentureBeat, Fast Company, ZDNet, Fortune, MacRumors, MacStories, @caseynewton, @kunalcagarwal, @joshconstine, @caseynewton, @jamieartkin, @benpopper, Android Police, Recode and The Loop
David Lieberman / Deadline:
Time Warner shares rise to 52-week high as FCC Chairman Pai says he probably won't review AT&T deal, meaning it would only require approval of Justice Dept. — Time Warner shares jumped late this morning after FCC chairman Ajit Pai said that his agency probably won't review its $85 billion deal to sell itself to AT&T.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Multichannel News, Business Insider, Fast Company and @srabil
Benjamin Mullin / Poynter:
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which broke Panama Papers story, splits off from Center for Public Integrity, citing financial reasons — Shortly after breaking the Panama Papers, an international exclusive that shed light on illegal offshore banking around the globe …
Discussion:
@benmullin, @bgpublic and @journalism
Andrew E. Kramer / New York Times:
A look at StopFake News, a weekly Ukrainian TV show that debunks fake news, particularly factual errors in Russian propaganda — KIEV, Ukraine — The studio lights dim, and the anchor taps a stack of papers on her desk and directs a steely gaze toward the television cameras.
Discussion:
@maitlis, @anneapplebaum, @karaszpalko, @christopherjm, @michaeldweiss, @nytimesworld and PEN America
Louis Nelson / Politico:
Former President George W. Bush says media is indispensable to democracy, in what is seen as a direct rebuttal of Trump's war on the press — Former President George W. Bush said Monday that the media is “indispensable to democracy,” a break from the position of his fellow Republican …
Discussion:
TVNewser, Mediaite, @dabeard, @rourkel, @katieglueck, @daveweigel, @nishachittal, @saletan, @blakehounshell, @lauraolin and @kallisti
New York Times:
Swedish officials say they've never heard of a man who appeared on Fox News, identified as a Swedish national security adviser — A man described as a Swedish defense and national security adviser appeared on Fox News last week to defend President Trump's claim that criminal immigrants are wreaking havoc in Sweden.
Discussion:
Washington Post, @rudnit, @tinadupuy, @ssilvius, @albertocairo, @kfile, @chunklet, @melissagrelo, @jamie_weinstein, @exlarson, The Huffington Post and The Week
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Comcast to launch YouTube app on its Xfinity X1 set-top platform later this year; terms of the deal with Google are not being released — Cable operator inks distribution deal with Google-owned video platform — Comcast plans to launch a YouTube video app on the Xfinity X1 set-top platform …
Discussion:
Business Wire, Softpedia News, Recode and Home Media Magazine
Erich Schwartzel / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: China's recent capital-control policy has stalled Chinese investments in Hollywood, including one deal that would have put MGM under Chinese control — Deals stall amid capital curbs, including one that would have put MGM under Chinese control — China's crackdown on overseas investment …
WRTV-TV:
Donald Trump will meet with regional press affiliates, including reporters from E.W. Scripps Company, in an off-the-record dinner on Monday night — CNN , Scripps National Desk — President Donald Trump is holding court with “regional press affiliates” in a private dinner on Monday, the White House said.
Discussion:
@brianstelter and @cnnmoney