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First Read's Morning Clips: McDaniel switches races

A roundup of the most important political news stories of the day
Image: Chris McDaniel
Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, speaks about one of his amendments during floor debate to the creation of the Asbestos Transparency Trust Act in Senate chambers at the Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi on March 7, 2017.Rogelio V. Solis / AP file

MIDTERM MADNESS: McDaniel switches to Cochran race

IA-GOV: The Des Moines Register outlines where the battle lines are in the gubernatorial race.

MS-SEN: The Clarion Ledger has the latest on Chris McDaniel’s move to run for the state’s open Senate seat.

NH: Trump is headed to New Hampshire next week for the first time since the 2016 election, Paul Steinhauser reports.

PA-18: Here’s how the New York Times describes the aftermath of Pa-18:“Mr. Lamb’s approach could become a template for a cluster of more moderate Democrats contesting conservative-leaning seats, in states like Arkansas, Kansas and Utah.”

And here’s Rebecca Shabad on how Republicans are privately describing the loss as a ‘wakeup call.’

WA-5: Cathy McMorris Rodgers has a GOP primary challenger with some unusual political views.

TRUMP AGENDA: Trump mocks Trudeau

In the Washington Post: “President Trump boasted in a fundraising speech Wednesday that he made up information in a meeting with the leader of a top U.S. ally, saying he insisted to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the United States runs a trade deficit with its neighbor to the north without knowing whether that was the case.”

ICYMI: The Senate passed a major loosening of financial regulations last night.

Trump’s lawyers are prepping for a potential interview with Mueller.

And Pete Williams reports that Jeff Sessions may fire top FBI official Andrew McCabe, putting his pension at risk.

“BuzzFeed may have found a legal opening to allow the porn actress Stormy Daniels to discuss her alleged relationship with President Donald Trump and a $130,000 payment she received just before the 2016 election as part of a nondisclosure agreement she is now trying to void,” POLITICO reports.

The Wall Street Journal: “A Trump Organization lawyer, Jill A. Martin, is listed as counsel in an arbitration demand for Essential Consultants LLC, a Delaware company formed by Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer and used to pay $130,000 to Stephanie Clifford in exchange for her silence, according to Feb. 22 arbitration documents filed in Orange County, Calif.”