Top Items:
Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:
Behind scenes, NBC execs concede Matt Lauer forum performance was “disaster” — NBC News knows the “Commander-in-Chief Forum” was not Matt Lauer's finest hour. — One executive, speaking anonymously, was blunt about it: “Disaster.” — The morning after Lauer's back-to-back interviews …
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs, Politicus USA, Daily Kos and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
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Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Matt Lauer Fields Storm of Criticism Over Clinton-Trump Forum — It was a high-stakes political moment, far from the chummier confines of the “Today” show and, for Matt Lauer, NBC's stalwart of the morning, a chance to prove his broadcasting mettle on the presidential stage. — The consensus afterward was not kind.
Discussion:
New York Magazine, TVNewser, USA Today, The Federalist, New Urban Legends, Washington Post, TheStreet.com, Politicus USA, Gothamist, Mediaite, The Stranger …, Ghosts of Tom Joad, Political Insider blog, The Daily Caller, BillMoyers.com, Business Insider and Scared Monkeys, more at Mediagazer »
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Matt Lauer's Pathetic Interview of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Is the Scariest Thing I've Seen in This Campaign — I had not taken seriously the possibility that Donald Trump could win the presidency until I saw Matt Lauer host an hour-long interview with the two major party candidates.
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Ok, I Admit It: I'm a Lauer Truther — The conventional wisdom has hardened to granite. Matt Lauer was the worst debate moderator in history. He was unprepared. He hammered Hillary and devoted too much time to emails. He let Trump lie like crazy without calling him to account at all.
Discussion:
The Atlantic and Balloon Juice
Charles C. W. Cooke / National Review:
Welcome to the Club, Jonathan Chait: Part II — Last year, New York magazine's Jonathan Chait came to the conclusion that “political correctness” was a problem after all. Why? Because, as Kevin Williamson put it at the time, the tool was “now being used as a cudgel against white liberals …
Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:
Matt Lauer Failed The Moderator Test
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, press.nbcnews.com, The Intercept, Business Insider, Informed Comment, CNNMoney, Politico, Washington Free Beacon, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Post, Mother Jones, AOL, Western Journalism, American Prospect, Mediaite, Liberty Unyielding, Independent Journal Review, Common Dreams, Vox, NBC News and twitchy.com
James Poniewozik / New York Times:
Matt Lauer Loses the War in a Battle Between the Candidates
Discussion:
The Mahablog, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos and Mashable
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
As debates near, forum shows potential Trump advantage
Discussion:
Townhall.com, Power Line and Politico
William Saletan / Slate:
NBC's Commander in Chief Forum Was an Authoritarian Farce
Discussion:
NBC News, Washington Post, PolitiFact, fox8.com and Guardian
True Pundit:
NYPD: Hillary Clinton Was Wearing “Invisible” Earpiece To Receive Stealth Coaching During Live NBC TV Town Hall — Hillary Clinton was sporting a mini earbud wired to receive stealth communications from her campaign handlers during Wednesday's Commander-in-Chief Forum carried live on NBC from New York City, True Pundit has learned.
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mediaite, ThinkProgress and Independent Journal Review
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Joe Concha / The Hill:
Conservative media jumps on Hillary's ‘earpiece’ — Conservative media was dominated on Thursday by claims Hillary Clinton — was wearing an earpiece during a nationally televised presidential forum on veterans affairs the previous evening. — The story originally took off via a tweet …
Amie Parnes / The Hill:
Clinton campaign warns media to tread carefully — 's campaign is working the refs hard when it comes to reports about her health. — While Clinton responded to a fit of coughing this week with humor, saying she was “allergic” to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump
Discussion:
Politico, Instapundit, RedState, naked capitalism, Infowars and John Hawkins' Right Wing News
Paul Joseph Watson / Infowars:
Was Hillary Wearing an Earpiece During Last Night's Presidential Forum? — Conservative actor James Woods: “She can't even lie without help” — Was Hillary Clinton wearing an earpiece during last night's presidential forum? That's the latest question swirling around the Internet …
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs, Mediaite, alan.com, LifeZette, New Century Times, Breitbart, ThinkProgress, Raw Story, Althouse, BizPac Review and The Week
NBC News:
What Really Happened at Donald Trump's Intelligence Briefing — What ‘body language’ is Trump talking about? — As U.S. officials cast doubt on Donald Trump's claim he read the “body language” of intelligence officials at a recent briefing, NBC News has learned exclusive details …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Atlantic, alan.com, Daily Kos, CNBC, Talking Points Memo, Independent Journal Review, Gothamist, Raw Story, Hot Air and Balloon Juice
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Ken Dilanian / NBC News:
Clinton Slams Trump But Blabbed About Briefing in 2008 — Clinton on the offensive following IAVA Forum 5:07 — Hillary Clinton slammed Donald Trump for talking about an intelligence briefing he received — but she's done it, too. — “I think what he said was totally inappropriate …
Discussion:
Washington Post and Washington Free Beacon
Alan Rappeport / New York Times:
‘What Is Aleppo?’ Gary Johnson Asks, in an Interview Stumble — Gary Johnson, the former New Mexico governor and Libertarian Party presidential nominee, revealed a surprising lack of foreign policy knowledge on Thursday that could rock his insurgent candidacy when he could not answer …
Discussion:
Slate, Talking Points Memo, Washington Free Beacon, Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, The Daily Caller, twitchy.com, Hit & Run, The Federalist, Red Alert Politics, BizPac Review, Raw Story, Bloomberg, Mediaite, Politico, Salon, PRI, The Concourse, New Urban Legends, The American Conservative, Fox News Insider, The Atlantic, New York Magazine, Mashable, Independent Journal Review and Mother Jones
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Daniel Strauss / Politico:
Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson: ‘What is Aleppo?’
Discussion:
The Hill, Slate, CNN, Hit & Run, ABC News, Talking Points Memo, RedState, Mediaite and Outside the Beltway
Jordyn Phelps / ABC News:
Gary Johnson Explains Aleppo Mistake
Discussion:
Politico, New York Times, The Daily Caller and RedState
Donald J. Trump / Esquire:
Donald Trump: How I'd Run the Country (Better) — This is what it felt like to be Donald J. Trump in 2004, when The Apprentice was on the air, and he was bros with Regis, and the Iraq War was still at the top of America's collective consciousness. Funnily enough, what he said 12 years ago helps us understand his (il)logic today.
Discussion:
Vox, Little Green Footballs, Talking Points Memo, Political Wire, Mediaite and The Week
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ABC News:
Donald Trump Responds to Accusations of Flip-Flopping on Iraq War — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attempted to clarify his original position on the Iraq War during a speech in Cleveland today, a day after inconsistencies in his stance became a centerpiece of a town hall featuring veterans and their families.
Discussion:
Politico, Associated Press and Mediaite
Josh Rogin / Washington Post:
Inside the collapse of Trump's D.C. policy shop — The Trump campaign built a large policy shop in Washington that has now largely melted away because of neglect, mismanagement and promises of pay that were never honored. Many of the team's former members say the campaign leadership never took …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, Mediaite and The New Civil Rights Movement
Matt Egan / CNNMoney:
5,300 Wells Fargo employees fired for creating over 2 million phony accounts — Everyone hates paying bank fees. But imagine paying fees on a ghost account you didn't even sign up for. — That's exactly what happened to Wells Fargo customers nationwide.
Discussion:
The Atlantic and USA Today
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Francesca Chambers / Daily Mail:
‘Read the reports’: Hillary Clinton refuses to explain what she told the FBI about how a concussion impaired her memory — DailyMail.com asked Hillary Clinton on Thursday if she could clarify what she told the FBI about a concussion that hampered her memory
Discussion:
Infowars and Washington Free Beacon
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Lydia Wheeler / The Hill:
DOJ decides not to retry former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell — Federal prosecutors have decided not to retry former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell on corruption charges. — The decision comes about three months after the Supreme Court tossed McDonnell's conviction and two-year prison sentence.
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Alan Levin / Bloomberg:
Alphabet and Chipotle Are Bringing Burrito Delivery Drones to Campus — Most extensive U.S. trial of deliveries starting this month — Chipotle, Virginia Tech cooperating in FAA-approved test — In what's sure to be a college student's dream come true, drones will soon be delivering burritos on the campus of Virginia Tech.
Discussion:
Daily Mail, Investor's Business Daily, The Verge, Eater, Engadget and Consumerist
Peter Beinart / The Atlantic:
Fear of a Female President — Except for her gender, Hillary Clinton is a highly conventional presidential candidate. She's been in public life for decades. Her rhetoric is carefully calibrated. She tailors her views to reflect the mainstream within her party.
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Vox and Hullabaloo
Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Trump accuses Clinton of running a ‘criminal enterprise’ — unleashed a new barrage of attacks against Hillary Clinton — in a blistering speech on Thursday, accusing his Democratic presidential rival of running a “criminal enterprise” and saying her policies have spread terrorism around the world.
Steven Goff / Washington Post:
Megan Rapinoe: 'It's [expletive] unbelievable. Saddened by it' — Following the Seattle Reign's 2-1 defeat to the Washington Spirit on Wednesday, Megan Rapinoe responded to the Spirit's decision to play the national anthem while the teams were in the locker room.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Slate, Towleroad, Mediaite, DCist, Independent Journal Review and Washington Free Beacon
Daily Mail:
Summer haze! Malia Obama is pictured ‘near a large bong at UPenn frat house’ wearing her ‘Smoking Kills’ T-shirt... weeks after she puffed on a suspicious cigarette at Lollapalooza — A picture circulating on social media appears to show Malia Obama near an item that resembles a large bong.
Discussion:
John Hawkins' Right Wing News
Associated Press:
Hawaiian seafood caught by foreign crews confined on boats — HONOLULU (AP) — Pier 17 doesn't even show up on most Honolulu maps. Cars whiz past it on their way to Waikiki's famous white sand beaches. Yet few locals, let alone passing tourists, are aware that just behind a guarded gate …
Hadas Gold / Politico:
AP deletes Clinton Foundation tweet — The Associated Press announced on Thursday that it is deleting a two week-old tweet about the Clinton Foundation. — “The Associated Press today is deleting a 2-week-old tweet about Hillary Clinton's meetings as Cabinet secretary after concluding …
Discussion:
Media Matters for America, The Point and Breitbart
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