memeorandum: Fox News is taking control of the Republican primary (Paul Waldman/The Week)

4:10 PM ET, May 23, 2015

Top Items:

In Early Vote Count, Ireland Appears Headed Toward Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage — DUBLIN — Ireland appeared poised to become the world's first nation to approve same-sex marriage by a popular vote on Saturday, with early vote counts showing strong and broad support for a measure …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Slate, The American Conservative, Outside the Beltway, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Agonist, The Week, Political Wire, Discourse.net and Common Dreams

BBC:

Ireland same-sex referendum set to approve gay marriage — Large crowds have gathered at Dublin Castle ahead of the result — Early results suggest the Republic of Ireland has voted to legalise same-sex marriage in a historic referendum. — More than 3.2m people were asked whether …

Discussion: Mashable

Chris Johnston / Guardian:

Ireland becomes first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote - live — With almost all of the results in, Ireland has voted a historic Yes in its gay marriage referendum … Share — With 34 constituencies now declared, the Yes vote is 61.7% and No at 38.3%.

Discussion: CNN, Advocate, Common Dreams, Towleroad News #gay, Mediaite, Balloon Juice, POLITICO and Mashable

Associated Press:

Both sides say Ireland has voted to legalize gay marriage — DUBLIN — Ireland has voted resoundingly to legalize gay marriage in the world's first national vote on the issue, leaders on both sides of the Irish referendum declared Saturday even as official ballot counting continued.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and New York Times

CNN:

Cleveland officer not guilty in killing unarmed pair — Story highlights — (CNN)A white Cleveland police officer who stood on a car and shot the vehicle's two unarmed black occupants after colleagues already riddled the car with bullets in 2012 was found not guilty Saturday in their deaths …

Discussion: Liberaland, NBC News, ABC News, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Common Dreams and Scared Monkeys

Mitch Smith / New York Times:

Cleveland Police Officer Acquitted of Manslaughter in 2012 Deaths — A Cleveland police officer who climbed onto the hood of a car after a chase and fired repeatedly at its unarmed occupants in 2012 was acquitted of manslaughter on Saturday by an Ohio judge.

Discussion: Mediaite and Outside the Beltway

Julian Hattem / The Hill:

Senate adjourns with no clear path forward on Patriot Act — The Senate failed to move forward on legislation to reform the National Security Agency or renew the Patriot Act early on Saturday morning, making it almost a sure bet that portions of the Patriot Act expire at the end of the month.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Prairie Weather

National Journal:

How the Senate Fell Apart and Failed to Deal With the Patriot Act — The Senate leaves for vacation with unfinished business on NSA surveillance. — The Senate is going on vacation, but it didn't finish its homework. — With no solution in sight to the Patriot Act quagmire …

Discussion: Guardian, Washington Monthly, Business Insider, Daily Kos, The Verge and Mediaite

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Senate Blocks Bill on N.S.A. Collection of Phone Records

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Outside the Beltway, Politico and Techdirt

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

The GOP's Southern discomfort — As the 2016 Republican presidential campaign gets underway, the nation's most reliably red region finds itself yet again without a native son in a leading position. — OKLAHOMA CITY — It's the heartland of the modern Republican Party, the most reliably red region in presidential elections.

Discussion: ABC News

Paul Waldman / The Week:
Fox News is taking control of the Republican primary

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Balloon Juice and FiveThirtyEight

Julia Marsh / New York Post:

City orders Sharpton's daughter to save incriminating hiking pics — City lawyers warned Dominique Sharpton not to delete Instagram photos like this one atop an Indonesian mountain — where she trekked while claiming in a lawsuit that she has “permanent” injuries.

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers and BizPac Review

Karen Tumulty / Washington Post:

What Hillary Clinton's e-mails tell us about her management style — The Debrief: An occasional series offering a reporter's insights — For those who have worried that Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign would be a repeat of the chaotic operation she ran eight years ago …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Liberal Values, CANNONFIRE, Outside the Beltway, Prairie Weather, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, WSJ and McClatchy Washington Bureau

Dylan Byers / Politico:
The Clinton team praises Monica Langley

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller and Mediaite

Phillip Inman / Guardian:

Secret Bank of England taskforce investigates financial fallout of Brexit — News of undercover project emerges after Bank staff accidentally email details to the Guardian including PR notes on how to deny its existence — Bank of England officials are secretly researching the financial shocks …

Discussion: Daily Mail and NPR

Paul Kane / Washington Post:

Obama wins trade victory in the Senate — President Obama won a big victory for his trade agenda Friday with the Senate's approval of fast-track legislation that could make it easier for him to complete a wide-ranging trade deal that would include 11 Pacific Rim nations.

Discussion: The Week