Index: src/wp-admin/css/common.css
===================================================================
--- src/wp-admin/css/common.css	(revision 36410)
+++ src/wp-admin/css/common.css	(working copy)
@@ -831,30 +831,38 @@
 .row-actions span.delete a,
 .row-actions span.trash a,
 .row-actions span.spam a,
-.plugins a.delete,
-#all-plugins-table .plugins a.delete,
-#search-plugins-table .plugins a.delete,
-.submitbox .submitdelete,
-#media-items a.delete,
-#media-items a.delete-permanently,
-#nav-menu-footer .menu-delete {
+.plugins a.delete, /* redundant? */
+#all-plugins-table .plugins a.delete, /* no more used since 3.1? tables had a $context param */
+#search-plugins-table .plugins a.delete, /* no more used since 3.1? tables had a $context param */
+#media-items a.delete, /* old media UI */
+#media-items a.delete-permanently { /* old media UI */
 	color: #a00;
 }
 
-abbr.required,
-.file-error,
+/* #todo row-action links don't have a sufficient color contrast ratio on zebra striped bg #F9F9F9 */
+.file-error, /* no more used? */
 .widget-control-remove:hover,
 .row-actions .delete a:hover,
 .row-actions .trash a:hover,
 .row-actions .spam a:hover,
-.plugins a.delete:hover,
-#all-plugins-table .plugins a.delete:hover,
-#search-plugins-table .plugins a.delete:hover,
+.plugins a.delete:hover, /* redundant? */
+#all-plugins-table .plugins a.delete:hover, /* no more used since 3.1? tables had a $context param */
+#search-plugins-table .plugins a.delete:hover, /* no more used since 3.1? tables had a $context param */
+#media-items a.delete:hover, /* old media UI */
+#media-items a.delete-permanently:hover { /* old media UI */
+	color: #dc3232;
+	text-decoration: none;
+	border: none;
+}
+
+.submitbox .submitdelete,
+#nav-menu-footer .menu-delete {
+	color: #9a2323; /* #f5f5f5 background */
+}
+
 .submitbox .submitdelete:hover,
-#media-items a.delete:hover,
-#media-items a.delete-permanently:hover,
 #nav-menu-footer .menu-delete:hover {
-	color: #f00;
+	color: #bb2a2a; /* #f5f5f5 background */
 	text-decoration: none;
 	border: none;
 }
@@ -2163,7 +2171,7 @@
 
 .attention,
 .error-message {
-	color: red;
+	color: #bb2a2a; /* white or zebra striped bg */
 	font-weight: 600;
 }
 
Index: src/wp-admin/css/customize-nav-menus.css
===================================================================
--- src/wp-admin/css/customize-nav-menus.css	(revision 36410)
+++ src/wp-admin/css/customize-nav-menus.css	(working copy)
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@
 	-webkit-box-shadow: none;
 	box-shadow: none;
 	outline: none;
-	color: #f00;
+	color: #dc3232;
 }
 
 .adding-menu-items .menu-item-bar .item-edit {
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@
 #custom-menu-item-url.invalid,
 .menu-name-field.invalid,
 .menu-name-field.invalid:focus {
-	border: 1px solid #f00;
+	border: 1px solid #dc3232;
 }
 
 #available-menu-items .menu-item-handle .item-type {
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@
 
 #available-menu-items-search .clear-results:hover,
 #available-menu-items-search .clear-results:focus {
-	color: #f00;
+	color: #dc3232;
 }
 
 #available-menu-items-search .spinner {
@@ -768,7 +768,8 @@
 	margin-bottom: 1em;
 }
 
-.menu-delete {
+.menu-delete,
+.wp-customizer .menu-item .submitbox .submitdelete {
 	color: #a00;
 	cursor: pointer;
 	text-decoration: underline;
@@ -775,8 +776,10 @@
 }
 
 .menu-delete:hover,
-.menu-delete:focus {
-	color: #f00;
+.menu-delete:focus,
+.wp-customizer .menu-item .submitbox .submitdelete:hover,
+.wp-customizer .menu-item .submitbox .submitdelete:focus {
+	color: #bb2a2a; /* on a #eee background */
 	text-decoration: none;
 }
 
Index: src/wp-admin/css/deprecated-media.css
===================================================================
--- src/wp-admin/css/deprecated-media.css	(revision 36410)
+++ src/wp-admin/css/deprecated-media.css	(working copy)
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@
 }
 
 abbr.required {
+	color: #dc3232;
 	text-decoration: none;
 	border: none;
 }
Index: src/wp-admin/css/edit.css
===================================================================
--- src/wp-admin/css/edit.css	(revision 36410)
+++ src/wp-admin/css/edit.css	(working copy)
@@ -148,14 +148,6 @@
 	padding: 1px 2px;
 }
 
-/* @todo: do we really need this? word on the street is we don't and this
-stray rule may actually be compensated for elsewhere. */
-#normal-sortables .submitbox .submitdelete:hover {
-	color: #000;
-	background-color: #f00;
-	border-bottom-color: #f00;
-}
-
 .submitbox .submit a:hover {
 	text-decoration: underline;
 }
@@ -663,7 +655,7 @@
 
 #poststuff .inside label.spam,
 #poststuff .inside label.deleted {
-	color: red;
+	color: #dc3232;
 }
 
 #poststuff .inside label.waiting {
Index: src/wp-admin/css/list-tables.css
===================================================================
--- src/wp-admin/css/list-tables.css	(revision 36410)
+++ src/wp-admin/css/list-tables.css	(working copy)
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@
 }
 
 #replysubmit .error {
-	color: red;
+	color: #dc3232;
 	line-height: 21px;
 	text-align: center;
 }
Index: src/wp-admin/css/media.css
===================================================================
--- src/wp-admin/css/media.css	(revision 36410)
+++ src/wp-admin/css/media.css	(working copy)
@@ -1107,7 +1107,7 @@
 }
 
 span.imgedit-scale-warn {
-	color: red;
+	color: #dc3232;
 	font-size: 20px;
 	font-style: normal;
 	visibility: hidden;
Index: src/wp-admin/css/press-this.css
===================================================================
--- src/wp-admin/css/press-this.css	(revision 36410)
+++ src/wp-admin/css/press-this.css	(working copy)
@@ -1328,7 +1328,7 @@
 }
 
 .alert.is-error:before {
-	background: red;
+	background: #dc3232;
 }
 
 .scan {
Index: src/wp-includes/css/media-views.css
===================================================================
--- src/wp-includes/css/media-views.css	(revision 36410)
+++ src/wp-includes/css/media-views.css	(working copy)
@@ -1457,7 +1457,7 @@
 
 .selection-info .clear-selection:hover,
 .selection-info .clear-selection:focus {
-	color: red;
+	color: #dc3232;
 }
 
 .media-selection .selection-view {
@@ -1681,7 +1681,7 @@
 .media-modal .untrash-attachment {
 	display: inline;
 	padding: 0;
-	color: #bc0b0b;
+	color: #a00; /* on #f3f3f3 background */
 }
 
 .media-modal .delete-attachment:hover,
@@ -1690,7 +1690,7 @@
 .media-modal .trash-attachment:focus,
 .media-modal .untrash-attachment:hover,
 .media-modal .untrash-attachment:focus {
-	color: red;
+	color: #bb2a2a; /* on #f3f3f3 background */
 }
 
 /**
Index: src/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/wp-mediaelement.css
===================================================================
--- src/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/wp-mediaelement.css	(revision 36410)
+++ src/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/wp-mediaelement.css	(working copy)
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
 }
 
 .media-embed-details .setting a:hover {
-	color: #f00;
+	color: #dc3232;
 }
 
 .media-embed-details .embed-media-settings .checkbox-setting {