Good morning.

Palm Sunday in Whitewater will be mostly cloudy with a high of seventy-three. Sunrise is 6:21 AM and sunset 7:31 PM, for 13h 10m 07s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 97% of its visible disk illuminated. Today is the {tooltip}one hundred fifty-second day.{end-texte}Days since Trump’s election, with 11.9.16 as the first day.{end-tooltip}

On this day in 1865, Lee surrenders to Grant. The 5th, 6th, 7th, 19th, 36th, 37th and 38th Wisconsin Infantry regiments were among the troops that had helped corner Lee there. The 36th were present to witness the formal surrender ceremony.

Recommended for reading in full —

Margaret Sullivan observes that The media loved Trump’s show of military might. Are we really doing this again?: ““Guest after guest is gushing. From MSNBC to CNN, Trump is receiving his best night of press so far,” wrote Sam Sacks, a Washington podcaster and journalist. “And all he had to do was start a war.” Why do so many in the news media love a show of force? “There is no faster way to bring public support than to pursue military action,” said Ken Paulson, head of the Newseum Institute’s First Amendment Center. “It’s a pattern not only in American history, but in world history. We rally around the commander in chief — and that’s understandable.” Paulson noted that the news media also “seem to get bored with their own narrative” about Trump’s failings, and they welcome a chance to switch it up. But that’s not good enough, he said: “The watchdog has to have clear vision and not just a sporadic bark.”

(This is true of successful criticism: it begins and exhibits periods of a sporadic bark’s maneuver, but it prevails though a clear vision’s attrition. See, along these lines, What Grant’s Overland Campaign Teaches for Grave Political Conflict.)

Former GOP Congressman Mickey Edwards exclaims Stand Up, Paul Ryan, or Step Aside: “The toadiness of the legislative leadership, and the low regard in which it is held by the president’s entourage, have led to such previously unimaginable scenes as Stephen Bannon, a senior White House staff member, giving orders to members of Congress and demanding a copy of the leadership’s secret vote counts to create an enemies list for possible reprisals. Mr. Bannon should have been ordered to leave the Capitol. Again, it was Speaker Ryan’s job at that moment to assert the independence and equal status of the legislative branch. Instead, he obsequiously ran downtown to see the boss.”

(Local publications like the Janesville Gazette have cosseted Janesville resident Paul Ryan for years, but their gentle petting has ill-prepared Ryan for defending his institution against men like Bannon.)

Jeremy Peters contends that Bannon’s Views Can Be Traced to a Book That Warns, ‘Winter Is Coming’: “The book, “The Fourth Turning,” a 1997 work by two amateur historians, Neil Howe and William Strauss, lays out a theory that American history unfurls in predictable, 80-year cycles of prosperity and catastrophe. And it foresees catastrophe right around the corner….But those who question Mr. Trump and Mr. Bannon’s motives say the central premise of “The Fourth Turning,” with its religious subtext and dark premonitions, is a convenient excuse to sow fear and justify extreme action. Many academic historians dismiss the book as about as scientific as astrology or a Nostradamus text. And many will find reason for alarm in its conclusion that the coming crisis will demand loyalty and conformity from citizens.”

(It’s worth noting that Bannon’s ideas derive from several, but equally fringe, theories.)

Joshua Partlow reports that The Soviet Union fought the Cold War in Nicaragua. Now Putin’s Russia is back: “Three decades after this tiny Central American nation became the prize in a Cold War battle with Washington, Russia is once again planting its flag in Nicaragua. Over the past two years, the Russian government has added muscle to its security partnership here, selling tanks and weapons, sending troops, and building facilities intended to train Central American forces to fight drug trafficking. The Russian surge appears to be part of the Kremlin’s expansionist foreign policy. In other parts of the world, President Vladimir Putin’s administration has deployed fighter planes to help Syria’s war-battered government and stepped up peace efforts in Afghanistan, in addition to annexing the Crimean Peninsula and supporting separatists in Ukraine.”

Here’s a video from You Suck at Cooking that tackles tomato sauce:

Good morning.

Whitewater’s Saturday will be sunny with a high of sixty-nine. Sunrise is 6:22 AM and sunset 7:30 PM, for 13h 07m 17s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 92.6% of its visible disk illuminated. Today is the {tooltip}one hundred fifty-first day.{end-texte}Days since Trump’s election, with 11.9.16 as the first day.{end-tooltip}

On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth’s home-run record (714) by hitting his 715th home run off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing. On this day in 1865, Union forces including the 8th, 11th, 14th, 20th, 23rd, 27th, 28th, 29th, 33rd, and 35th Wisconsin Infantry regiments capture Spanish Fort and seize control of Mobile Bay, Alabama.

Recommended for reading in full —

Jason Stein and Patrick Marley report GOP allies Scott Walker, Robin Vos have heated Twitter, text exchange on Wisconsin budget: “As I recall, the debate started with the unprecedented discussion of starting with a new budget & the continued attacks on transportation. It would be odd if I didn’t defend my positions,” Walker wrote at one point in the text exchange. “I think it actually started with the decision of your office to not really involve us before the process began unlike each of your other budgets … So without giving us ownership of anything in your budget it’s kind of hard for us (to) just rubber stamp it,” Vos responded. “Unlike the last budget where we met with nearly every member in advance & got trashed,” Walker snapped back.”

The New York Times editorial board asks, After the Airstrikes on Syria, What’s Next?: “It was hard not to feel some sense of emotional satisfaction, and justice done, when American cruise missiles struck an airfield in Syria on Thursday. The country’s president, Bashar al-Assad, needed to understand that there would finally be a cost for his brutality, in this case the use of chemical weapons with sarin, a banned nerve agent, that killed scores of civilians earlier this week in one of the worst atrocities of the Syrian civil war. But it is also hard not to feel unsettled by the many questions raised by President Trump’s decision. Among them: Was it legal? Was it an impetuous, isolated response unrelated to a larger strategy for resolving the complex dilemma of Syria, a nation tormented not just by civil war but also by the fight against the Islamic State? So far, there is no evidence that Mr. Trump has thought through the implications of using military force or figured out what to do next.”

Louisa Loveluck and Zakaria Zakaria write that Warplanes return to Syrian town devastated by chemical attack: “BEIRUT — Residents of the Syrian town devastated by a chemical-weapons attack last week said that warplanes had returned to bomb them Saturday as Turkey described a retaliatory U.S. assault as “cosmetic” unless it removed President Bashar al-Assad from power. At least 86 people were killed in Tuesday’s attack on the northwestern town of Khan Sheikhoun, which left hundreds choking, fitting or foaming at the mouth. Eyewitnesses said Saturday that fresh airstrikes on the area — now a ghost town — had killed one woman and wounded several others. Photographs from the site showed a pair of green slippers, abandoned by a blood-spattered doorway. The U.S. military launched 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield early Friday in the first direct American assault on Assad’s government since that country’s six-year civil war began. Although American officials have predicted that the strikes would result in a major shift of Assad’s calculus, they appeared to be symbolic in practice. Within 24 hours of the American strikes, monitoring groups reported that jets were taking off from the bombed Shayrat air base once again.”

Rosie Gray writes of Trump’s Disillusioned Supporters (the president’s military action in Syria is a bitter disappointment for some of his biggest fans): “What Trump did was nothing less than a betrayal, a betrayal of his supporters, of his message ‘America First!,’ of his promise to be different—to learn from the mistakes of the past and chart a new course,” said Richard Spencer, the alt-right leader who takes credit for coining the term. “I’ll wait and see, of course, but I’m not sure I can continue to support him. Most all of the alt-right feels the same way.” Spencer tweeted on Thursday, “Tulsi Gabbard 2020 #Trumped,” a reference to the Democratic congresswoman who recently made a controversial trip to Syria and met with Bashar al-Assad. Mike Cernovich, the pro-Trump blogger and Twitter personality who identifies as a member of the “new right,” has been tweeting and livestreaming his opposition to military action almost constantly since the news of the strikes last night. Cernovich, who claimed this week that the chemical attack was carried out by “deep state agents,” told me he still supports Trump. “If Hillary had been elected I wouldn’t even bother speaking out, as war would be certain,” Cernovich said in an email. “I’m still a Trump supporter, as last night’s air strikes appeared to have been limited. I do not and will not support another war in the Middle East.” “There comes a day in every child’s life when his Daddy bitterly disappoints him,” Milo Yiannopoulos, the former Breitbart tech editor and provocateur who resigned from the site earlier this year amid controversy over remarks he’d made about pedophilia, wrote on his Facebook on Thursday night.”

Tech Insider describes 5 survival myths that could get you killed:

Good morning.

Friday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of fifty-seven. Sunrise is 6:24 AM and sunset 7:28 PM, for 13h 04m 26s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 85.7% of its visible disk illuminated. Today is the {tooltip}one hundred fiftieth day.{end-texte}Days since Trump’s election, with 11.9.16 as the first day.{end-tooltip}

On this day in 1862, Union forces under the command of Gen. Grant defeat Confederates at the Battle of Shiloh in southwestern Tennessee. On this day in 1970, the Milwaukee Brewers play their first game at County Stadium.

Recommended for reading in full —

Annysa Johnson and Kevin Crowe report that Wisconsin voters continue to approve more school referendums as $700 million OK’d this week: “Voters across Wisconsin agreed Tuesday to boost local school spending by an additional $700 million, approving the majority of referendums school districts placed on the ballots. In all, voters agreed to take on an additional $464.7 million in new debt for building projects — on top of the $1.35 billion approved last year — and to contribute an additional $235 million for operating expenses. Of the 65 questions before voters Tuesday, 40, or 62% passed, including a near-record $181.3 million sought for the burgeoning Verona Area School District in Dane County. But more than a third of the measures failed, an outcome district officials say will force them to cut programming, lay off staff, and eliminate or defer building maintenance and improvements.”

Adam Taylor reports that Trump loves a conspiracy theory. Now his allies in the fringe media say he’s falling for one in Syria: “Across the Internet, an alternative take on the horrific attack — widely attributed to the Syrian government — has begun to spread. It was a “false flag,” the theory goes, designed to trick Trump into intervening more forcefully in the Syrian war. Those spreading this theory are often closely linked to the “alt-right,” a small, far right movement whose members are known for espousing racist, anti-Semitic and sexist points of view. One of the most notorious figures associated with the movement, Mike Cernovich, posted tweets on Wednesday claiming that the gut-wrenching footage of victims of the attack had been faked.”

Note: There’s ample evidence that the gas attacks against civilians were both genuine and devasating; Trump’s trafficked in so many lies, and his most rabid supporters are so accustomed to lies, that now a conspiracy-driven chief executive faces his own conspiracy-driven vanguard.

Maggie Haberman, Jeremy Peters, and Peter Baker report that It’s Bannon vs. Kushner: “WASHINGTON — Thick with tension, the conversation this week between Stephen K. Bannon, the chief White House strategist, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, had deteriorated to the point of breakdown. Finally, Mr. Bannon identified why they could not compromise, according to someone with knowledge of the conversation. “Here’s the reason there’s no middle ground,” Mr. Bannon growled. “You’re a Democrat.” The schism within Mr. Trump’s perpetually fractious White House has grown in recent weeks, fueled by personality, ideology and ambition. At its core are Mr. Bannon, the edgy, nationalist bomb-thrower suddenly in the seat of power, and Mr. Kushner, the polished, boyish-looking scion of New Jersey and New York real estate. Even as Mr. Kushner’s portfolio of responsibilities has been expanding, Mr. Bannon’s in recent days has shrunk with the loss of a national security post.”

The Los Angeles Times editorial board writes that, in reponse to Trump, California Fights Back: “For starters, California should continue to pursue its agenda on human and civil rights, on clean air, water and climate change, and on equality. Trump can dismantle the federal Clean Power Plan, but he can’t stop the state from moving toward its renewable energy goal of 50% by 2030 as laid out in SB 350 two years ago. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can reduce national fuel efficiency standards, but if it seeks to revoke California’s waiver that lets the state set its own, tougher rules, state lawmakers should fight back, including taking the agency to court if necessary. Trump can continue his counterproductive and mean-spirited efforts to deport non-criminal immigrants living in the country illegally, but the state’s local law enforcement agencies are not legally required to do the feds’ job for them; they should not.”

What would an orchestra of typerwiters sound like? Playing Against Type: The Typewriter Orchestra shows —

Playing Against Type: The Typewriter Orchestra from Great Big Story on Vimeo.

For pre-digital natives, there’s nothing quite as nostalgia-inducing as the manual “click,” “clack” and “ding” sounds of an old mechanical typewriter. That’s why The Boston Typewriter Orchestra is making these old machines quite literally “sing” again. Since 2004, this six-man ensemble has been playing a range of covers and original songs on both desktop and portable machines from years past. And if you thought all typewriters emitted the same sounds, think again. This orchestra’s sonorous symphonies have captivated crowds all over New England.

Good morning.

Thursday in Whitewater will be windy with a high of fifty-one. Sunrise is 6:26 AM and sunset 7:27 PM, for 13h 01m 35s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 78% of its visible disk illuminated. Today is the {tooltip}one hundred forty-ninth day.{end-texte}Days since Trump’s election, with 11.9.16 as the first day.{end-tooltip}

Whitewater’s Landmarks Commission is scheduled to meet at 6 PM, the Fire Department for a Business meeting at 6:30 PM, and Common Council for a session beginning at 6:30 PM.

On this day in 1917, the United States declares war on Imperial Germany. On this day in 1831, many of the Sauk leave Wisconsin and Illinois: “the Sauk Indians led by Chief Keokuk left their ancestral home near the mouth of the Rock River and moved across the Mississippi River to Iowa to fulfill the terms of a treaty signed in 1804. Many of the tribe, however, believed the treaty to be invalid and the following spring, when the U.S. government failed to provide them with promised supplies, this dissatisfied faction led by Black Hawk returned to their homeland on the Rock River, precipitating the Black Hawk War.”

Recommended for reading in full —

Matthew Garrahan and Kara Scannell report that a Federal probe into Fox News casts shadow over Murdoch empire: “High quality global journalism requires investment. For Rupert Murdoch, the timing could not be worse. Six years after the tabloid phone-hacking saga engulfed his media empire and torpedoed his bid for Sky, a federal investigation into another company controlled by the 86-year-old billionaire could undermine his latest offer for the European pay-TV group. Sample the FT’s top stories for a week You select the topic, we deliver the news. Select topic Enter email addressInvalid email Sign up By signing up you confirm that you have read and agree to the terms and conditions, cookie policy and privacy policy. The sexual harassment scandal at Mr Murdoch’s Fox News Channel has already cost millions of dollars in payouts to victims after Roger Ailes, its former chairman, was fired last summer following allegations that he harassed a former presenter. Several other women came forward claiming similar treatment, including Megyn Kelly, then the network’s star presenter, and Laurie Luhn, a former Fox News talent booker, who was paid a secret $3.1m settlement by the channel in 2011 in exchange for her silence. Yet the turmoil at the cable news channel is far from over. Fresh allegations of sexual harassment and verbal abuse have been levelled at leading presenter Bill O’Reilly, leading more than 20 companies to pull their advertising from his programme.”

Meg Jones reports that Thousands of birch trees have been poached from the Northwoods: “Brazen thieves armed with axes and chainsaws are plundering parks, forests and private land in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. Their prey? White birch trees. Thousands of trees have disappeared since last fall, stripped branches and stumps left behind at the crime scenes as the beautiful trees are sold to decorate homes and businesses and grace wedding tables. “It appears to be all market-driven,” said Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Warden David Zebro. “The ornamental market people are paying a lot of money for these types of birch trees. We didn’t see this type of issue a year or two ago but it’s certainly here now.” Some birch poachers have been nabbed. Five arrests were made in Washburn County over the winter including a man who admitted to authorities that he was in the area to illegally cut down birch trees but decided instead to break into a cabin and steal a generator. “We found out these people are not discriminate. They’ll steal anything,” said Washburn County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Mike Richter. “We’ve had people say ‘we didn’t know there was anything wrong with it.’ Some said ‘we’re just logging, what’s the problem?’ Well, they don’t own the property, that’s the problem.”

Dana Milbank recounts Personal irresponsibility: A concise history of Trump’s buck-passing: “Here is a partial compilation of his buck-passing since taking office: He blamed the failure of the GOP health-care bill on Democrats, moderate Republicans, conservative Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus, the Heritage Foundation, the Club for Growth and, indirectly, Paul Ryan. He blamed a Yemen counterterrorism raid that didn’t go according to plan both on his generals and on Obama. He blamed airport protests of his travel ban on a Delta Air Lines systems outage and on “the tears of Senator Schumer.” He preemptively blamed future terrorist attacks on the judge who blocked the travel ban and on the court system. He blamed his own decision to remove national security adviser Michael Flynn on the intelligence community, the media and Democrats “trying to cover up” Hillary Clinton’s loss. He blamed his loss of the popular vote on voter fraud….”

Rosie Gray describes one writer’s predictable journey from alt-right website to a Putin-publication in From Breitbart to Sputnik: “A former Breitbart News writer is launching a radio show for Russian propaganda network Sputnik. “I’m on the Russian payroll now, when you work at Sputnik you’re being paid by the Russians,” former Breitbart investigative reporter Lee Stranahan told me. “That’s what it is. I don’t have any qualms about it. Nothing about it really affects my position on stuff that I’ve had for years now.” Stranahan’s new position is the latest twist in the increasingly atomized world of niche right-wing media, which has seen an increase in prominence and influence during the Trump era. It also reflects a realignment on the right towards Russia as the administration, led by an unusually Russia-receptive president, becomes increasingly entangled in a drip-drip of stories about Russian influence.”

London’s testing self-driving shuttles:

Good morning.

Midweek in Whitewater will be rainy with a high of forty-four. Sunrise is 6:27 AM and sunset 7:26 PM, for 12h 58m 44s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 68.5% of its visible disk illuminated. Today is the {tooltip}one hundred forty-eighth day.{end-texte}Days since Trump’s election, with 11.9.16 as the first day.{end-tooltip}

On this day in 1792, Pres. Washington exercises the first presidential veto. On this day in 1865, the 5th, 6th, 7th, 19th, 36th, 37th and 38th Wisconsin Infantry regiments, “hot on the trail of retreating Confederate General Robert E. Lee reached Jettersville, Virginia, on the night of April 5th only to find that Lee’s army had followed a different route.”

Recommended for reading in full —

Annysa Johnson reports that Tony Evers sails into third term as Wisconsin education chief: “Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers sailed into a third term on Tuesday, easily defeating challenger Lowell Holtz to hang on to his post as the state’s top educator. With most of the votes counted, Evers led with 70% to 30% for Holtz. Evers said he was surprised by the margin, but believes his positive campaign resonated with parents and public school advocates at the local level, in contrast with Holtz’s focus on the schools’ deficiencies.”

Paul Farhi reports that Advertisers flee ‘The O’Reilly Factor’ amid sexual-harassment claims against host: “Among the companies that confirmed they were suspending or removing ads from his program were the automakers Hyundai, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi Motors; financial firms T. Rowe Price and Allstate Insurance; drugmakers Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline; plus Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, the online marketing company Constant Contact and men’s apparel seller Untuckit. The list continued to grow late in the day; by early evening, CNN had pegged the number of companies pulling their ads at 18. A prolonged advertiser boycott of O’Reilly could prove financially painful to Fox. O’Reilly’s 8 p.m. news-discussion program is the highest-rated on cable, with an average 4 million viewers. It is also a tent-pole show upon which the rest of the conservative-leaning network depends. Fox counts on O’Reilly to generate an outsize share of its revenue and profit, which reached an estimated $1.7 billion last year, a record since the network’s founding in 1996.”

Matthew Haag and Niraj Chokshi report that Civil Rights Act Protects Gay Workers, Court Rules: “In a significant victory for gay rights, a federal appeals court in Chicago ruled Tuesday that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects gay workers from job discrimination, expanding workplace protections in the landmark law to include sexual orientation. The decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit [N.B.: the Seventh Circuit covers, among other states, Wisconsin], the highest federal court yet to grant such employment protections, raises the chances that the politically charged issue may ultimately be resolved by the Supreme Court. While an appeal is not expected in this case, another appellate court, in Georgia, last month reached the opposite conclusion, saying that the law does not prohibit discrimination at work for gay employees. The ruling on Tuesday comes as gay rights advocates have voiced concern about the potential rollback of protections under President Trump. While the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, many other legal protections, including in employment and housing, have not been extended at all levels to gay people.”

Katie Mettler reports that a New sheriff in town to close Joe Arpaio’s outdoor Tent City jail, of pink underwear fame: “In Arizona’s Tent City Jail, “America’s toughest sheriff” forced his inmates to wear pink underwear, shower with pink towels and sleep on pink sheets. Their meals were meatless and their jumpsuits striped in wide black and white. The only barrier between their bodies and the scorching summer sun was the weathered green canvas of surplus Korean War military tents. Everything they did at Tent City was outside, because Tent City was outside, too. The desert complex — erected in 1993 — became Joe Arpaio’s signature achievement during his 24 years as the Maricopa County sheriff, the physical manifestation of his flashy, Wild West, no-nonsense law and order mentality that made him a national celebrity and treasured ally of President Trump. But it also cast a dark mark on Phoenix and attracted criticism from civil rights groups who called Arpaio’s methods needlessly harsh. In November, the voters ousted Arpaio, a Republican, who faces trial for criminal contempt of court for ignoring a court order in a racial profiling case involving his notorious immigration patrols. Paul Penzone, a Democrat and retired Phoenix police sergeant, was elected on the promise of rolling back existing law enforcement policies he viewed as purposeless and self-aggrandizing. Now he’s following through. First, Penzone ditched the pink panties, then launched an investigation into the practicality of Tent City. On Tuesday, the new sheriff in town announced he would shut it down completely.”

What would life on Mars be like? A team is trying to learn through a simulation:

Good morning.

Election Day in Whitewater will be cloudy with occasional rain, mainly in the morning, and a high of fifty-six. Sunrise is 6:29 AM and sunset 7:25 PM, for 12h 55m 52s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 57.9% of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Community Development Authority will interview candidates for its executive director position at a 5 PM meeting, and the Birge Fountain Committee meets at 5:45 PM.

Note to the CDA candidates: they’re sure to ask you their favorite Local Notables’ Ultra-Tricky Question™, but don’t fret – the answer’s already available online. You’re welcome.

On this day in 1974 – Opening Day – Hank Aaron ties Babe Ruth’s home run record in a game against Cincinnati. On this day in 1865, the 5th, 6th, 7th, 19th, 36th, 37th and 38th Wisconsin Infantry regiments are among the troops pursuing Confederate General Robert E. Lee across Virginia after the fall of Richmond.

Recommended for reading in full —

Dylan Byers reports that At Fox News, fear and silence amid O’Reilly controversy: “There are women at Fox News who want to speak up. But they’re afraid. They’ve seen other women stand up for themselves — against former Fox News chief Roger Ailes, against host Bill O’Reilly — and lose their jobs as a result. Meanwhile, they’ve seen those men defended and handsomely compensated by the company. They’ve been told there is an anonymous hotline they can call. But they’re afraid to call it because of a belief that the company is monitoring their phones. For many female employees at Fox News these days, the mood is one of fear and disappointment, several current and former employees told CNNMoney.”

Emily Steel and Michael Schmidt report More Trouble at Fox News: Ailes Faces New Sexual Claims and O’Reilly Loses Two Advertisers: “The sexual harassment scandal that engulfed Fox News last year and led to the ouster of its chairman, Roger Ailes, continued to batter the network on Monday, as a new lawsuit described unwanted sexual advances by Mr. Ailes and two major advertisers pulled their spots from the show of its top-rated host, Bill O’Reilly. Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai said they were withdrawing their ads from Mr. O’Reilly’s prime-time show, “The O’Reilly Factor,” after The New York Times published an investigation this weekend that found five women who made allegations of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior against him. Those five women received settlements totaling about $13 million, The Times reported. Together, the developments portray a network buffeted by allegations on multiple fronts, even as it draws record ratings with programming supportive of President Trump. Staff members remain anxious, some said on Monday, over questions about its workplace culture and its priorities.”

Adam Entous, Greg Miller, Kevin Sieff and Karen DeYoung report that Blackwater founder held secret Seychelles meeting to establish Trump-Putin back channel: “The United Arab Emirates arranged a secret meeting in January between Blackwater founder Erik Prince and a Russian close to President Vladi­mir Putin as part of an apparent effort to establish a back-channel line of communication between Moscow and President-elect Donald Trump, according to U.S., European and Arab officials. The meeting took place around Jan. 11 — nine days before Trump’s inauguration — in the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean, officials said. Though the full agenda remains unclear, the UAE agreed to broker the meeting in part to explore whether Russia could be persuaded to curtail its relationship with Iran, including in Syria, a Trump administration objective that would be likely to require major concessions to Moscow on U.S. sanctions.”

Charles Bagli reports on a like father-in-law, like son-in-law situation – At Kushners’ Flagship Building, Mounting Debt and a Foundered Deal: “The Fifth Avenue skyscraper was supposed to be the Kushner Companies’ flagship in the heart of Manhattan — a record-setting $1.8 billion souvenir proclaiming that the New Jersey developers Charles Kushner and his son Jared were playing in the big leagues. And while it has been a visible symbol of their status, it has also been a financial headache almost from the start. On Wednesday, the Kushners announced that talks had broken off with a Chinese financial conglomerate for a deal worth billions to redevelop the 41-story tower, at 666 Fifth Avenue, into a flashy 80-story ultraluxury skyscraper comprising a chic retail mall, a hotel and high-priced condominiums. The official announcement said the company remained “in active, advanced negotiations” with a number of investors, whom it declined to name. There is no question that the Kushner Companies — Jared has moved to Washington to serve as an adviser to his father-in-law, President Trump — needs to reach a deal soon, either to bring in a fresh infusion of cash or a well-heeled partner willing to foot the bill, if it wants to hold on to the building. Whomever it brings on as an investor would also have to buy out Vornado Realty Trust, the family’s partner in the tower.”

So, just how deep does the ocean go? Deep —