memeorandum: The Most Successful Female Everest Climber of All Time Is a Housekeeper in Hartford, Connecticut (Grayson Schaffer/Outside Online)

9:05 AM ET, May 12, 2016

Top Items:

Mitt Romney / Facebook:

It is disqualifying for a modern-day presidential nominee to refuse to release tax returns to the voters, especially one who has not been subject to public scrutiny in either military or public service. Tax returns provide the public with its sole confirmation of the veracity …

Timothy L. O'Brien / Bloomberg:

I Saw Trump's Tax Returns. You Should, Too. — In January, Donald Trump had this to say when he was asked about whether he would release his tax returns: “I have very big returns, as you know, and I have everything all approved and very beautiful and we'll be working that over in the next period of time.”

Discussion: Slate, The Week, Politico, Hullabaloo, Washington Post and MarketWatch

Jeremy Diamond / CNN:

Donald Trump: I'll release tax returns after audit — (CNN)Donald Trump said Wednesday that he plans to release his taxes when an IRS audit is completed, despite telling the Associated Press the previous day before that he would not release his tax documents.

Discussion: Breitbart, Raw Story, Associated Press, Media Matters for America and Media Matters for America

David Wright / CNN:

Trump: Muslim ban ‘just a suggestion’ — Washington (CNN)Donald Trump, who issued a December press release “calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States,” said Wednesday such a ban “hasn't been called for yet” and it was “only a suggestion.”

Discussion: The Week, Politicus USA, Gothamist and RedState

Hanna Trudo / Politico:

Trump: Muslim ban was ‘just a suggestion’ — Donald Trump has demoted his proposed Muslim immigration ban to a mere “suggestion.” — In a radio interview with Fox News' Brian Kilmeade on Wednesday, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee softened his call to temporarily prohibit Muslims from entering the United States.

Discussion: The Independent, Mother Jones, Arizona Republic, The Hill, Betsy's Page, Hot Air, Hit & Run, CNN, mrctv.org/videos, Vox and Fox News Insider

Craig Gilbert / USA Today:
Ryan faces little Wis. pressure to endorse Trump

Discussion: Hot Air, Hit & Run and Raw Story

Rebecca Ballhaus / Wall Street Journal:
Billionaire T. Boone Pickens Backs Donald Trump, Muslim Ban

Discussion: Politico, ThinkProgress and Weekly Standard

Chris Kahn / Reuters:
Exclusive: Trump surges in support, almost even with Clinton in national U.S. poll

Valerie Boey / WOFL:

George Zimmerman's gun up for auction — LAKE MARY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain who was acquitted in the shooting of Trayvon Martin in 2013, is selling his gun. — The 9mm pistol that Zimmerman said was used to shoot and kill Trayvon Martin on February 26 …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Atlantic, Daily Kos, NPR, New York Times and AMERICAblog NewsAMERICAblog …

New York Daily News:

George Zimmerman puts gun that killed Trayvon Martin up for auction — SALE: One .9-mm pistol — and whatever's left of George Zimmerman's bankrupt soul. — The Florida neighborhood watchman who fatally shot unarmed teen Trayvon Martin in 2012 is putting the killer handgun up for auction — and hoping to fetch at least $5,000.

Discussion: Hot Air and twitchy.com

Travis M. Andrews / Washington Post: George Zimmerman to auction off gun he used to kill Trayvon Martin

Josh Feldman / Mediaite:
George Zimmerman Says He's Auctioning Off His Gun from Trayvon Martin Shooting

Discussion: Latest from Crooks and Liars, AOL, WFLA-TV, Raw Story, Mashable and New York Magazine

Patricia Mazzei / miamiherald:

Will Miami's Republican mayor vote for Trump? ‘Of course not’ — Tomás Regalado said he won't vote for Clinton, either — The mayor was an early Rubio supporter — Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado remembers walking to school as a young man in Miami and getting heckled.

Discussion: Politico and Washington Post

Bloomberg:
Donald Trump Is Considering Newt Gingrich for Vice Presidential Role

Discussion: New York Times, New York Magazine, The Atlantic, Independent Journal …, National Review, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, RedState, American Spectator, Hot Air and Fox News

CNN:
House GOP warns Ryan to back Trump

Discussion: Bloomberg, AMERICAblog NewsAMERICAblog … and Hot Air

David Wade / Politico:

Bernie Sanders, the Zombie Candidate — When he first decided to run for president, Bernie Sanders had a goal in mind: to start a political revolution by getting big money out of politics. — If he wants to do it—if Sanders wants to build a lasting movement to fight money's outsize influence …

Gabriel Debenedetti / Politico:
Sanders' California director leaves campaign

Discussion: NBC News and Guardian

Marc Caputo / Politico:
Wasserman Schultz's liberal challenger set to announce $1M haul

Discussion: Raw Story, Washington Free Beacon and Mediaite

Numbers / Pew Research Center's Social …:

America's Shrinking Middle Class: A Close Look at Changes Within Metropolitan Areas — The middle class lost ground in nearly nine-in-ten U.S. metropolitan areas examined — The American middle class is losing ground in metropolitan areas across the country, affecting communities from Boston to Seattle and from Dallas to Milwaukee.

Discussion: MishTalk, The Week, Pew Research Center, Informed Comment and CityLab

Emily Badger / Washington Post:

The middle class is shrinking just about everywhere in America — The great shrinking of the middle class that has captured the attention of the nation is not only playing out in troubled regions like Rust Belt metros, Appalachia and the Deep South, but in just about every metropolitan area in America …

Discussion: Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center's … and Marginal REVOLUTION

Jonathan Updated / Glenn Beck:

Glenn Makes Wild Prediction About Trump — Donald Trump has faced consistent pressure and scrutiny from Glenn, so his prediction Wednesday on The Glenn Beck Program came as a surprise. — “I'm going to make a prediction about Donald Trump,” Glenn said. “I could say he's going to be the nominee of the Republican Party.

Discussion: Pirate's Cove, The Hill, Hot Air and Fire Andrea Mitchell!

Center for Constitutional Rights:

CCR Mourns the Passing of Michael Ratner — May 11, 2016, New York - The Center for Constitutional Rights is sad to release the following statement on the occasion of the passing of the Center's president emeritus Michael Ratner:

Discussion: The Nation, Just Security and The Talking Dog

Sam Roberts / New York Times:
Michael Ratner, Lawyer Who Won Rights for Guantánamo Prisoners, Dies at 72

Discussion: Just Security and Electronic Frontier Foundation

The Hill:

Dem meeting boils over with Reid-Grayson confrontation — A routine meeting of liberal Democrats grew heated on Wednesday when Rep. Alan Grayson — (D-Fla.) confronted Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid — (D-Nev.) over the ethics charges dogging Grayson as he vies for the Senate.

Discussion: Political Wire and Hot Air

Seung Min Kim / Politico:
Harry Reid to Rep. Alan Grayson: ‘I want you to lose’

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Week and Talking Points Memo

Shane Harris / The Daily Beast:

The FBI Is Keeping 80,000 Secret Files on the Saudis and 9/11 — The secret ‘28 pages’ are just the start. The FBI has another 80,000 classified documents, many of which deal with Saudi connections to the 9/11 terror plot. What's the Bureau got? — The Obama administration …

Discussion: Washington Post

Annie Karni / Politico:

Biden wanted Warren as his VP — Joe Biden took months to decide he wouldn't run for president — but he was sold on Elizabeth Warren as his running mate from the start, people familiar with the situation told POLITICO. — And he still thinks the Massachusetts firebrand …

Discussion: Booman Tribune and ABC News

David M. Drucker / Washington Examiner:

Mike Lee on Donald Trump: ‘He scares me to death’ — Sen. Mike Lee said Wednesday that Donald Trump “scares me to death” and that he still has concerns about the presumptive Republican presidential nominee and isn't ready to endorse him. — The Utah Republican, who previously backed Texas …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Hill and Mediaite

Wall Street Journal:

Malaysian Leader Najib's Stepson Allegedly Funded U.S. Property Deals With 1MDB Money — At least $50 million allegedly diverted from state investment fund was spent on luxury real estate in the U.S. — At least $50 million allegedly diverted from a state investment fund in Malaysia …

Adam Housley / Fox News:

‘We could have been there’: Squadron member speaks out on stalled Benghazi response — His squadron got the alert: a “real world mission was going down.” — The team - at Aviano Air Base in northeastern Italy - raced to the field and was briefed, as planes were armed and prepared to launch.

Discussion: BizPac Review

Patrick Svitek / The Texas Tribune:

Cruz Running for Re-election in 2018 … *Editor's note: This story has been updated throughout. — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is officially running for re-election in 2018. — Cruz filed paperwork Wednesday afternoon to seek a second term, adding some clarity to his political future …

Discussion: The Hill, CNN, Off the Kuff, The Week, Independent Journal … and The Last Refuge

Matt Donnelly / The Wrap:

Woody Allen Slapped With Rape Joke at Cannes Opening Night Ceremony — “You've shot so many of your films here in Europe and yet in the U.S. you haven't even been convicted of rape,” said Laurent Lafitte — French comic Laurent Lafitte helped the 2016 Cannes Film Festival kick off to an awkward start …

Atrios / Eschaton:

Think Pieces About MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE And How I Could Possibly Be Wrong — I'm tired of reading think pieces about WHY WE ALL THOUGHT DONALD TRUMP WOULD LOSE (I'm looking at you, Chait). First of all, we all didn't, you and your circle jerk did. Secondly, I don't care what your prior beliefs about the Republican party were.

Discussion: Mother Jones and New York Magazine