memeorandum: Meet Australia's first openly gay Imam (Patrick Abboud/sbs.com.au)

5:30 PM ET, May 3, 2016

Top Items:

Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:

Trump accuses Cruz's father of helping JFK's assassin — Donald Trump on Tuesday alleged that Ted Cruz's father was with John F. Kennedy's assassin shortly before he murdered the president, parroting a National Enquirer story claiming that Rafael Cruz was pictured with Lee Harvey Oswald handing …

Tierney Sneed / Talking Points Memo:

McCain's Former Top Aide Will Support Clinton Over Trump — A former aide to John McCain, who served both as the Arizona senator's chief of staff and a senior advisor on his 2008 presidential campaign, made clear Tuesday that he would vote for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in the general election.

Discussion: New York Daily News and The Week

Matthew Yglesias / Vox:

Donald Trump is really going to be the nominee. This is actually happening. — Donald Trump is going to be the Republican nominee. — The only way he won't is if something unthinkable happens. He could be struck by lightning. He could pull off his Trump mask and reveal that he's actually …

Discussion: Business Insider

Betsy Woodruff / The Daily Beast:

Ted Cruz Seeks Divine Intervention in Indiana—and if That Doesn't Work, Louie Gohmert Is There to Help — The Texas senator needs a win in Indiana to stay relevant in the 2016 race, so he has enlisted the help of the three G's: God, Glenn, and Gohmert. — Hoosiers are Ted Cruz's last hope.

Discussion: NBC News, Breitbart, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Washington Examiner, Right Wing Watch, Real Clear Politics and Politico

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Trump, Sanders lead in West Virginia — PPP's new West Virginia poll finds it's likely to just keep Donald Trump's recent streak of dominant victories right on going. Trump leads in the state with 61% to 22% for Ted Cruz and 14% for John Kasich. Trump, with a 67/24 favorability rating …

Discussion: The Last Refuge

Frank Newport / Gallup:

Cruz's Image Plummets, Trump's Improves Among Republicans — Ted Cruz — attempting to hold on to the narrowing possibility that he can wrest the GOP nomination away from front-runner Donald Trump — faces a crucial Indiana primary on Tuesday. Meanwhile, and perhaps ominously for Cruz …

Discussion: Vox, FiveThirtyEight, Lawyers, Guns & Money, YouGov US Opinion Center News, Scared Monkeys, Washington Times and NBC News

The Hill:

Cruz: Trump is an ‘utterly amoral’ bully, narcissist, pathological liar … with his most personal and toughest criticism since the GOP presidential campaign began, calling him a “pathological liar” on Tuesday who doesn't understand the difference between the truth and lies.

Discussion: CNNMoney and CNN

Wall Street Journal:

The Third-Party Temptation — A conservative challenge to Trump could cost the GOP the House. — As Donald Trump gets closer to securing the Republican nomination for President, luminaries of varying illumination are floating the idea of a conservative third-party challenge in November.

Discussion: National Review and Media Matters for America

Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:
Poll: Trump up to 56 percent nationally

Discussion: BizPac Review, The Week, Taylor Marsh and The Gateway Pundit

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Trump sees a decisive Indiana victory, demise of Cruz, Kasich candidacies

Discussion: Gretawire, Politico, New York Times, NPR, whorunsGov, ABC News, National Review and The Daily Caller

Nick Gass / Politico:
Jindal: I would vote for Trump

Discussion: Shakesville

Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
What's the Best Way to Talk About Racism?

Discussion: the daily howler and Vox

Harry Enten / FiveThirtyEight:
A Guide To The Three Possible Outcomes In Indiana's GOP Primary

Discussion: All Ablog Austin, Independent Journal …, USA Today, Vox, Washington Post, The Atlantic and New York Magazine

Carlo Allegri / National Review:
Trump: Something New under the Political Sun

Discussion: Althouse

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:
NEWT GINGRICH: ALL 50 STATES IN PLAY If Trump Runs General Like Primary (VIDEO)

Discussion: BizPac Review

Daily Mail:
EXCLUSIVE: Time to quit, Ted!: …

Discussion: AOL and The Hill

Jenna Johnson / Washington Post:
Donald Trump associates Ted Cruz's father with JFK's assassin

Discussion: Politico, Independent Journal … and The San Diego Union …

Maggie Haberman / New York Times:
Donald Trump Accuses Ted Cruz's Father of Associating With Kennedy Assassin

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Hit & Run, Complex and whorunsGov

New York Times:
What to Watch For in the Indiana Primaries

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post, Daily Kos and American Power

Sara Jerde / Talking Points Memo:
Cruz Ally: Trump Is ‘Hillary Clinton With A Penis’ (VIDEO)

Discussion: Little Green Footballs

Katherine Krueger / Talking Points Memo:
Trump Floats Conspiracy Theory That Ted Cruz's Dad Linked To Lee Harvey Oswald (VIDEO)

Discussion: Right Wing Watch and Pirate's Cove

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:

There Is A Hole In Bernie Sanders' Strategy For Winning The Nomination — Just how democratic should the Democratic primary be? — Sen. Bernie Sanders' revamped plan for winning the Democratic presidential nomination suffers from an inconsistency that could complicate the case he makes to party insiders and allied groups.

Discussion: liberalamerica.org, Outside the Beltway and CNN

Michael A. Cohen / BostonGlobe.com: Bernie Sanders declares war on reality

Rebecca Ballhaus / Wall Street Journal:
Hillary Clinton's Growing Problem With Independents

Discussion: Shadowproof

Alex Seitz-Wald / MSNBC:
Clinton: 'I'm really focused on moving into the general election'

Discussion: NBC News, Sky Dancing, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo and Western Journalism

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Trump, looking to general election, lunches with author of anti-Clinton books

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Atlantic, No More Mister Nice Blog, Shakesville, CANNONFIRE, Politico, Media Matters for America, American Prospect and Western Journalism

Katie Mettler / Washington Post:

‘He thought he could help’: Concealed carry gun-wielder intervenes in domestic dispute and is shot dead — The concealed carry permit holder was trying to intervene in a domestic dispute, trying to disarm the fleeing shooter, trying to do the job ordinarily reserved for police. — Instead, he was killed.

Discussion: Guns.com and Fox News Insider

Tom Steele / Crime Blog:
Selfie provoked argument that led to fatal Arlington shooting, suspect's wife says

Discussion: LawNewz, AOL, CBS Dallas and Associated Press

CBS 5 AZ KPHO:

Mesa, AZ student arrested for indecent exposure in yearbook picture — A student at Red Mountain High School in Mesa is facing dozens of criminal charges for indecent exposure after a prank got published in the yearbook, according to the Mesa Police Department.

Discussion: Vox, Complex, LawNewz and NBC News

Leon H. Wolf / RedState:

CNN Destroys Fox News in April Prime Time Ratings — While you weren't looking, CNN has been busy demolishing the once-invincible ratings gap between themselves and Fox News. CNN beat Fox News decisively for their prime time lineup in April, and especially in the coveted age gap of 25-54.

Discussion: Hot Air, Louder With Crowder and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Ben Smith / BuzzFeed:

The Media Keeps Letting Trump Get Away With His Iraq Lie — One of the great stories of 2016 is how Donald Trump hacked the media: how he learned from the New York tabloids and The Apprentice; how he dictated terms to the weakened television networks; how he used Twitter and won Facebook.

Discussion: Hullabaloo and Guardian

Mark Plotkin / The Hill:

Cruz's slip of the tongue will doom him in Indiana — There are times when a politician firmly and unmistakably puts a foot in his mouth and pays for it dearly. — Last week in Indiana, Sen. Ted Cruz — (R-Texas) won the prize for a verbal infraction that was so huge, it will be cited for years to come.

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Washington Post and The Week

Bill / The Hill:

Press: It's time to end Nerd Prom — OK, everybody — breathe a sigh of relief. We survived another White House Correspondents' Association dinner. But before we rush on to the next one, can't we all agree that this event is out of control and in desperate need of a big shake-up?

Discussion: Politico

Allegra Kirkland / Talking Points Memo:

Nevada GOPer: You Can Point Guns At Cops If They Aim At You First (VIDEO) — Outspoken Nevada Assemblywoman Michele Fiore (R) said in a recent interview that Americans maintain the right to point a gun at anyone who takes aim at them—including law enforcement officers.

Discussion: POLICE Magazine and ThinkProgress