memeorandum: Rick Perry blasts election of Texas A&M's first gay SGA president (Houston Chronicle)

12:40 PM ET, March 23, 2017

Top Items:

TIME:

Read President Trump's Interview With TIME on Truth and Falsehoods — President Trump spoke with TIME Washington Bureau Chief Michael Scherer on March 22 for a cover story about the way he has handled truth and falsehood in his career. — This is a transcript of the exchange, with some minor edits.

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Trump's Defense of His Lies: 'I'm President and You're Not' — It is remarkable — and perhaps praiseworthy — that Donald Trump gave a long and detailed interview on the subject of his being a pathological liar. The interview, with Time's Michael Scherer, covers a wide range of Trump's lies …

Michael Scherer / TIME:

Can President Trump Handle the Truth? — Generations of American children have learned the apocryphal tale of young George Washington, bravely admitting to his father that he chopped down the cherry tree. The story sprang from a culture that wanted even its fables to serve the ideal of truth.

Discussion: Mother Jones, CNBC and Mediaite

Matthew Yglesias / Vox:
9 bonkers things Donald Trump said in his new exclusive interview with Time

Discussion: Political Wire, Politico, The Moderate Voice, Raw Story and AOL

Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:
President Trump's cascade of false claims in Time's interview on his falsehoods

Discussion: Sputnik International, The Resurgent, Media Matters for America and Politico

John Bresnahan / Politico:

Obamacare repeal in jeopardy as Trump offers 11th-hour concessions — The Republican plan to replace Obamacare — backed vehemently by President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan — continued to bleed support from moderate House members Thursday morning just hours before an expected vote.

Discussion: Congresswoman Jaime …, Common Dreams, Vox, The Daily Signal, New York Times, Business Insider, New York Magazine, Campaign for America's Future, No More Mister Nice Blog and Balloon Juice

Matt Fuller / The Huffington Post:

Freedom Caucus Closing In On Deal To Rewrite Health Care Bill At 11th Hour — Republicans are considering changes that could doom the bill in the Senate and save face in the House. — WASHINGTON Just hours before an expected Thursday vote in the House, congressional Republicans …

Discussion: Vox, Politico, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos and Political Wire

Peter Suderman / Hit & Run:

Republicans Are Rushing To Vote on a Health Care Bill They Haven't Read. They Learned Nothing From Obamacare. — On the eve of a major vote on the House health care plan, Republicans, fearing that the bill lacks enough support to pass, have apparently settled on a new plan …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Vox, Hot Air, New York Times, New York Magazine, Rewire, Politico and STAT

The Hill:

Freedom Caucus, Trump reach ‘agreement in principle’ on ObamaCare repeal bill — Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) said Wednesday night he and President Trump have come to an “agreement in principle” on a plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare, just one day before a historic House vote on the bill.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Politico, CNN, Hit & Run, Daily Wire, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Talking Points Memo, Balloon Juice and Hot Air

Theodore Schleifer / CNN:
Kochs to withhold millions for health care ‘yes’ votes

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Stranger …, The Guardian, Hot Air, DCReport, TheBlaze, RedState, Washington Post and Reuters

CNN:

US Officials: Info suggests Trump associates may have coordinated with Russians — Washington (CNN)The FBI has information that indicates associates of President Donald Trump communicated with suspected Russian operatives to possibly coordinate the release of information damaging to Hillary Clinton's campaign, US officials told CNN.

Axios:
Russia erupts: “I'm President and you're not”

Discussion: Political Wire

Nicholas Kristof / New York Times:
'There's a Smell of Treason in the Air'

Discussion: Washington Post, Shareblue and Balloon Juice

Ed O'Keefe / Washington Post:

Schumer: Democrats will filibuster Gorsuch nomination — As the Senate Judiciary Committee was hearing from witnesses for and against Judge Neil Gorsuch, his Supreme Court nomination was delivered a critical blow: Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced he would oppose Gorsuch …

Discussion: RedState, Political Wire, Daily Kos, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Business Insider

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Democrats weigh deal to let Gorsuch through — A group of Senate Democrats is beginning to explore trying to extract concessions from Republicans in return for allowing Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch to be confirmed, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Vox, New York Times, New York Magazine, Power Line, electionlawblog.org, Betsy's Page, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos, Washington Post, BizPac Review, twitchy.com, Mediaite, Washington Examiner, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and The Resurgent

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Schumer a no on Gorsuch, will urge Dems to oppose

Discussion: Politico

The Washington Times http / Washington Times:
Schumer says Dems will filibuster Gorsuch

Discussion: The Resurgent

Jerusalem Post:

‘Dual US-Israeli citizen behind most JCC bomb threat calls’ — Israeli authorities have arrested an 19-year-old suspect on suspicion of instigating a series of threats to Jewish communities in the US, Europe, Australia and New Zealand over the past six months.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Times of Israel, RT, IJR, Business Insider, The Daily Caller, Raw Story, twitchy.com, AOL, The Verge and Mediaite

Yaniv Kubovich / Haaretz:

Israel's Cyberattack Unit Arrests Israeli-American Teen for ‘Hundreds’ of Bomb Threats Against Jewish Institutions Worldwide — A resident of Israel in his late teens with both American and Israeli citizenship is suspected of being behind a host of fake bomb threats directed at Jewish institutions and other targets worldwide.

Discussion: JustOneMinute, The Atlantic, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, New York Magazine and NPR

New York Times:
Jewish Center Bomb Threat Suspect Is Arrested in Israel

Discussion: Washington Post, Hit & Run, Gothamist and Hot Air

Ezra Klein / Vox:

The health care bill could be Donald Trump's Iraq War — Sold on lies, poorly planned, deadly to thousands, and a catastrophe for its authors. — If it passes, the American Health Care Act will be Donald Trump and Paul Ryan's Iraq War. It's been sold with lies.

Discussion: STAT and Slate

NBC News: Four Reasons the Health Care Bill Might Pass — and 7 Reasons It Might Not

Margot Sanger-Katz / New York Times:
Late G.O.P. Proposal Could Mean Plans That Cover Aromatherapy but Not Chemotherapy

Discussion: NPR and Daily Wire

Jonathan Cohn / The Huffington Post:
Mental Health, Maternity Care Guarantees In Jeopardy As GOP Wrangles For Votes

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Slate

Paul Ryan / Wall Street Journal: Keeping Our Promise to Repeal ObamaCare

Ezra Klein / Vox:
Trump's weak closing argument on health care — and why it matters

Discussion: Politico, NBC News, Townhall.com, New York Times and bradford-delong.com

Houston Chronicle:

Rick Perry blasts election of Texas A&M's first gay SGA president — U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry, a former Texas governor and Texas A&M University Aggies Yell Leader, said Wednesday the election of the first openly gay president of the institution's student body was “stolen” …

Rick Perry / Houston Chronicle:

Did A&M shun due process in the name of ‘diversity’? — As Texas' first Aggie governor and as someone who was twice elected Yell Leader of Texas A&M University, I am deeply troubled by the recent conduct of A&M's administration and Student Government Association (SGA) during the Aggie student-body president elections for 2017-2018.

Discussion: The Guardian, Raw Story and Towleroad

The Texas Tribune:
Former Gov. Perry questions legitimacy of Texas A&M student body election

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Niraj Chokshi / New York Times:
Rick Perry Calls Texas A&M Student Election a ‘Mockery’

Discussion: Dallas Morning News

Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:

Nunes apologizes for going directly to White House with monitoring claims — House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes apologized to members of his panel Thursday for not informing Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat, before going public with allegations that Trump transition messages …

Discussion: Political Wire

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:
McCain: Nunes actions ‘very disturbing’

Discussion: RedState, U.S. House of … and The Daily Signal

Bwittes / Lawfare:
What The Heck Is Devin Nunes Talking About? A Guide for the Perplexed

Discussion: Vox, Washington Post, Balloon Juice, Daily Wire, Mediaite, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, RT, Shareblue and New York Magazine

Veronica Stracqualursi / ABC News:
The Note: The crucial health care vote

Discussion: Politico and Political Wire

Louis Nelson / Politico:
Trump tweets NBC, ABC broadcast ‘biased and fake’ Russia stories

Discussion: The Hill and Occupy Democrats

Women's Media Center:

Women's Media Center Report: Women journalists report less news than men; TV gender gap most stark — New research headlines WMC's annual report on the Status of Women in U.S. Media — WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Women's Media Center report examining who provides coverage for 20 top news outlets shows …

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon

Joe Concha / The Hill:
Women's group report: Fox News website best for gender parity

Discussion: The Daily Caller

The Guardian:

London attack: police confirm seven people arrested - live — Seven arrested in six counter-terrorism raids in London, Birmingham and elsewhere following Wednesday's terrorist attack on London … French authorities have launched an inquiry into the London attack after it became clear three …

Discussion: The Nation, The Daily Caller, New York Times, Occupy Democrats and AOL

Liam Stack / New York Times:
Donald Trump Jr. Criticizes London Mayor After Deadly Attack

Discussion: The Guardian, Washington Post, Geller Report, Infowars, Occupy Democrats, BizPac Review, TheBlaze, Mashable, Taylor Marsh, AOL, The Last Tradition and RedState

Brookings Institution:

Senior Scholar - Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs — In “Mortality and morbidity in the 21st Century,” Princeton Professors Anne Case and Angus Deaton follow up on their groundbreaking 2015 paper that revealed a shocking increase in midlife mortality among white non …

Discussion: Washington Post, NPR and Instapundit