memeorandum: CONFIRMED: US Responsible for Aleppo Mosque Bombing (Christiaan Triebert/bellingcat)

12:45 PM ET, March 18, 2017

Top Items:

Erin McPike / IJR:

Transcript: Independent Journal Review's Sit-Down Interview with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson — In his first sit-down interview since becoming secretary of state, Rex Tillerson spoke with Independent Journal Review's Erin McPike about the challenges of American diplomacy with China …

Rebecca Morin / Politico:

Tillerson rebuts ‘fatigue’ reports: South Korea ‘never invited us for dinner’ — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson denied reports in South Korean media outlets that he did not dine with the country's officials due to “fatigue” on a leg of his Asia trip, according to an interview published Saturday.

Discussion: Political Wire, The Guardian and Salon

Dylan Byers / CNNMoney:

Trump administration ramps up efforts to block media — President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration “can get around the media when the media doesn't tell the truth, so I like that.” — The president was referring to his Twitter account. But recently he has taken steps to control news coverage.

more at Mediagazer »

Steven Perlberg / BuzzFeed:
A Top Adviser To Mike Pence Is An Investor In Favored Media Outlet

Discussion: Media Matters for America, more at Mediagazer »

Shin Hyon-hee / The Korea Heald:
US says ‘strategic patience’ on NK is over

Discussion: Death and Taxes, Business Insider, The Guardian, Fox News Insider, Daily Wire, Associated Press, The Week, twitchy.com, Washington Monthly and Daily Kos, more at Mediagazer »

Olivia Nuzzi / New York Magazine:

Kellyanne Conway Is the Real First Lady of Trump's America — Not your star, perhaps. But that's the point. — On the third floor of the West Wing, one flight past the stairwell portrait of President Donald Trump talking on his Android phone, is an office once occupied by Valerie Jarrett …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog and Raw Story

Osita Nwanevu / Slate:

Paul Ryan: I've Been Dreaming About Kicking Poors Off Medicaid Since I Was a Drunk Frat Boy — At the National Review Institute's Ideas Summit on Friday, House Speaker Paul Ryan had an interesting exchange with National Review editor Rich Lowry about the AHCA's changes to Medicaid:

Robert King / Washington Examiner:
Scalise: GOP won't wait for new CBO score on health bill

Discussion: Politico

Ezra Klein / Vox:
Does Donald Trump know what the GOP health bill does?

Discussion: Politico and ABC News

Jerry Iannelli / Miami New Times:

Rundle Won't Charge Prison Guards Who Allegedly Boiled Schizophrenic Black Man to Death … On June 23, 2012, Darren Rainey, a schizophrenic man serving time for cocaine possession, was thrown into a prison shower at the Dade Correctional Institution. The water was turned up top 180 degrees …

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Julie K. Brown / miamiherald:
Prosecutors find no wrongdoing in shower death at Dade Correctional mental health unit

Discussion: Hit & Run

Christiaan Triebert / bellingcat:

CONFIRMED: US Responsible for Aleppo Mosque Bombing — This is a developing investigation, which will be updated as soon as there are new findings. We are currently waiting for a reaction from CENTCOM and the Pentagon with regards to our findings. Last update: March 18, 2017, 14:44 UTC.

Discussion: Occupy Democrats

Mark Hensch / The Hill:

White House cites satire column to tout budget — The White House included a satirical column in its list of news stories meant to promote Trump agenda — apparently ignoring the fact that the column actually savages Trump's new budget. — Friday's edition of the “1600 Daily” …

Discussion: RedState, Washington Post, Mediaite, DCist, Mashable and Daily Kos

Laura M. Holson / New York Times:

Donald Trump Jr. Is His Own Kind of Trump — Donald Trump Jr. is the Trump who has not always seemed at ease with being a Trump. He grew up in the penthouse of Trump Tower but was happy to escape the gilded trappings of his Manhattan childhood to spend parts of the summers hunting and fishing …

Discussion: Althouse

Reuters:

Russian elite invested nearly $100 million in Trump buildings — A Reuters review found that at least 63 individuals with Russian passports or addresses have bought at least $98.4 million worth of property in seven Trump-branded luxury towers in southern Florida.

Discussion: Political Wire

Eli Lake / Bloomberg:

The Resistance Cheers Tactics Trump Will Likely Use Against Them — Monday will be a moment of truth for the assortment of President Donald Trump's critics who like to call themselves “the resistance.” FBI director James Comey and National Security Agency head Admiral Michael Rogers …

Robbie Gramer / Foreign Policy:

Apache Helicopter Guns Down Boat Full of Somali Refugees Fleeing Yemen — Refugees crossing oceans to flee war and famine have to contend with the risks drowning, dehydration and other perils on their journey. Now add Apache helicopters to the list. — On Friday, an Apache military …

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:

This West Virginia newspaper front page should scare Republicans — President Trump unveiled his budget on Thursday, an outline of federal spending that puts heavy emphasis on defense and calls for major cutbacks virtually everywhere else. — It, um, didn't go over so well in West Virginia.

CNN:

DOJ provides wiretap documents to Congress — Cooper: We know Trump has no wiretapping facts — The House Intelligence Chairman and ranking member have said Trump Tower was clearly not wiretapped — (CNN)The Justice Department delivered documents Friday to House and Senate investigators …

Discussion: Business Insider, Little Green Footballs, Axios, Mediaite and Vox

Dale R. Durran / Salon:

Whose votes count the least in the Electoral College? It's not California or Texas — The largest states in the U.S. aren't the ones who are hurt most by our presidential electoral system — In the days following the 2016 presidential election, many pundits and voters alike were stunned …

Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:

White House Fence Jumper Was on Grounds 17 Minutes Before Detection — WASHINGTON — A California man who climbed over the White House fence last week managed to roam undetected on the grounds for about 17 minutes, as Secret Service agents appeared to ignore several alarms, officials said Friday.

Discussion: Business Insider, Althouse, Mediaite and Hot Air

Washington Post:
White House fence jumper roamed grounds for more than 16 minutes before arrest

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Resurgent, Axios, Politico and CBS New York

Mark Bridge / The Times & The Sunday Times:

Google lets antisemitic videos stay on YouTube — Advertisers revolt after web giant's failure — Google is failing to remove virulent antisemitic content from its YouTube video platform in an apparent breach of its own guidelines and the law. — Havas, one of the world's biggest …

Discussion: Business Insider, more at Techmeme »

Molly Harbarger / Oregonian:

Multnomah County offers incentives for homeowners to house homeless in backyards — With more than $300,000 and volunteer homeowners, Multnomah County has a new idea to fight homelessness: Build tiny houses in people's backyards and rent them out to families with children now living on the street.

Discussion: Althouse and KOIN-TV

Wall Street Journal:

Mike Flynn Didn't Report 2014 Interaction With Russian-British National — Meeting at a U.K. dinner occurred when he was head of the Defense Intelligence Agency — WASHINGTON—Former national security adviser Mike Flynn interacted with a graduate student with dual Russian and British nationalities …

Discussion: Raw Story

John Podesta / Washington Post:

The governor's race that could define the Democratic Party's future — John Podesta, the chair of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, served as counselor to President Barack Obama and chief of staff to President Bill Clinton. — The recent race for Democratic National Committee chairman …

Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:

Fox's Andrew Napolitano Stirred the Pot for Trump's British Tempest — Andrew Napolitano was a Superior Court judge in New Jersey until, frustrated by the constraints of his salary, he left the bench for more lucrative pastures: talk radio, a syndicated small-claims court TV series …

Discussion: NO QUARTER USA NET, Mediaite, Media Matters for America and Deadline

Darren Samuelsohn / Politico:

Trump Organization: First Treasury donation on hotel stays to come in 2018 — The Trump Organization will wait until 2018 to make its first annual donation to the U.S. Treasury on any profits it earns from foreign government officials who stay at one of President Donald Trump's luxury hotels, a company official said Friday.

Discussion: The Hill