memeorandum: Striking at Assad Carries Opportunities, and Risks, for Trump (David E. Sanger/New York Times)

10:15 AM ET, April 7, 2017

Top Items:

U.S. Launches Missiles at Syrian Base After Chemical Weapons Attack — The United States launched dozens of cruise missiles Thursday night at a Syrian airfield in response to what it believes was the Syrian government's use of banned chemical weapons blamed for having killed at least 100 people on Tuesday …

Haider Newmani / ABC News:

Eyewitness says Syrian military anticipated U.S. raid — Syrian military officials appeared to anticipate Thursday's night raid on Syria's Shayrat airbase, evacuating personnel and moving equipment ahead of the strike, according to an eyewitness to the strike.

Discussion: Occupy Democrats and Business Insider

Dan Lamothe / Washington Post:

Why the Navy's Tomahawk missiles were the weapon of choice in strikes in Syria — The U.S. Navy launched more than 50 Tomahawk missiles early Friday at military targets in Syria in response to a chemical-weapons attack this week on civilians, relying on a mainstay weapon when the Pentagon wants to attack from a safe distance.

Discussion: National Review, The Daily Caller, Business Insider, The Atlantic, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Al Jazeera English

Neil MacFarquhar / New York Times:

Russia Suspends Cooperation With U.S. in Syria After Missile Strikes — MOSCOW — Russia on Friday froze a critical agreement on military cooperation with the United States in Syria after an American military strike, warning that the operation would further corrode already dismal relations between Moscow and Washington.

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, Business Insider, TheStreet, WhoWhatWhy, Washington Post and The Concourse

JGoldsmith / Lawfare:

The Constitutionality of the Syria Strike Through the Eyes of OLC (and the Obama Administration) — “The opinions of judges, no less than executives and publicists, often suffer the infirmity of confusing the issue of a power's validity with the cause it is invoked to promote …

Discussion: National Review, New York Daily News and Patterico's Pontifications

CNN:

Trump launches military strike against Syria — (CNN)The United States launched a military strike Thursday on a Syrian government target in retaliation for their chemical weapons attack on civilians earlier in the week. — On President Donald Trump's orders, US warships launched between …

Brooke Seipel / The Hill:

Rand Paul: Trump needs Congress to authorize military action in Syria — (R-Ky.) said Thursday night that President Trump needs congressional authorization for military action in Syria after Trump ordered an airstrike in retaliation for a deadly chemical attack earlier this week.

Discussion: RedState, Hullabaloo, Althouse, CNN, Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite, Washington Post, NPR, The Daily Signal, AOL, The Atlantic and National Review

David Filipov / Washington Post:

Russia condemns U.S. missile strike on Syria, suspends key air agreement — MOSCOW — Russia on Friday condemned the U.S. missile strike against Syrian government forces as an attack against its ally, and said it was pulling out of an agreement to minimize the risk of in-flight incidents between U.S …

Discussion: Politico, Washington Free Beacon, Washington Monthly, The Root, Snopes.com, The Atlantic, Hot Air and The Daily Caller

Matthew Cole / The Intercept:

U.S. WEIGHS “SATURATION STRIKE” AGAINST SYRIAN GOVERNMENT IN RESPONSE TO CHEMICAL ATTACK — The Pentagon has developed plans for an airstrike against Syrian government targets in response to this week's apparent chemical attack by Syrian government forces, according to two U.S. military officials.

Discussion: The Atlantic, New York Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Raw Story, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Infowars, Occupy Democrats, Mother Jones, Axios and Balloon Juice

Michael R. Gordon / New York Times:
U.S. Said to Weigh Military Responses to Syrian Chemical Attack

Pam Key / Breitbart:
Tillerson: ‘Steps Are Under Way’ to Remove Assad From Power in Syria

Discussion: creepingsharia.wordpress.com

Veronica Stracqualursi / ABC News:
The Note: Trump at War

Discussion: Associated Press and The Moderate Voice

Laura Smith-Spark / CNN:
Russia condemns Syria missile strike ordered by Trump

Discussion: US Department of State, ThinkProgress, National Review, Washington Post, Vocativ and TheBlaze

Jeffrey Goldberg / The Atlantic:
The Obama Doctrine, R.I.P.

Discussion: Axios

Ralph Peters / New York Post:
Trump shows we finally have a fearless leader back in the White House

Discussion: Instapundit

David E. Sanger / New York Times: Striking at Assad Carries Opportunities, and Risks, for Trump

Everett Rosenfeld / CNBC:
The US warned the Russians ahead of Syria missile strikes: Official

Discussion: IJR, Daily Wire, Occupy Democrats, Towleroad and The Daily Beast

New York Times:
Mapping the Targets of the American Military Attack on Syria

Discussion: Washington Times, The Federalist, Vox, WTVR-TV, FOX6Now.com and Vocativ

Barbara Goldberg / Reuters:
Hillary Clinton calls for U.S. to bomb Syrian air fields

Discussion: Mediaite

Andrew Exum / The Atlantic:
The Fight Against the Islamic State Just Got Harder

Discussion: Washington Post, Foreign Affairs and CNN

Matthew Haag / New York Times:
Trump's Far-Right Supporters Turn on Him Over Syria Strike

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications, Washington Post, The Week, CNN, Daily Kos, Vox, KTLA and Dispatches From the …

CNN:
Hillary Clinton: US should ‘take out’ Assad's air fields

Discussion: Washington Post, twitchy.com and TheBlaze

CBS News:
Watch Live: Trump orders airstrikes on Syria

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, CBS New York, Associated Press, KOIN-TV, The National Interest, WREG-TV, CBS Pittsburgh, twitchy.com, RedState and CBS Boston

Ben Schreckinger / Politico:
Trump's Troll Army Isn't Ready for War in Syria

Discussion: Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »

Kristina Wong / Breitbart:
Trump Orders Strikes Against Syrian Regime Airbase in Response to Chemical Attack

Discussion: France 24

Scott Adams' Blog:
Scott Adams' Blog

Discussion: Mediaite, The Daily Beast, The Last Tradition and Infowars

Tara Fowler / ABC News:
Strike on Syria gets mixed reaction from lawmakers

Discussion: BizPac Review, Infowars and Associated Press

Los Angeles Times:
U.S. launches dozens of missiles in response to chemical weapons attack

Discussion: The Daily Caller and KTLA

Antony J. Blinken / New York Times:
After the Missiles, We Need Smart Diplomacy on Syria

Discussion: Just Security and ABC News

Adam Kelsey / ABC News:
Hillary Clinton calls for strikes against Syrian airfields

Discussion: Washington Post

The Guardian:
Donald Trump launches 60 missiles in US strike after Syria chemical attack - live

Discussion: The Hill, RedState, ABC, Business Insider, Raw Story, Just Security, New York Times, France 24 and Shadowproof

Axios:

Exclusive: Trump eyes new chief of staff; House Leader on short list — President Trump is considering a broad shakeup of his White House that could include the replacement of White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and the departure of chief strategist Steve Bannon, aides and advisers tell us.

Discussion: New York Times, CNBC, Raw Story, The Hill, Political Wire, The Week, The Atlantic, Trading with The Fly, Politico, Hot Air, Hullabaloo and Business Insider

New York Times:

In Battle for Trump's Heart and Mind, It's Bannon vs. Kushner — WASHINGTON — Thick with tension, the conversation this week between Stephen K. Bannon, the chief White House strategist, and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, had deteriorated to the point of breakdown.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, NBC News, Politicus USA and Gizmodo

Jennifer Haberkorn / Politico: Frustration mounts, careers jeopardized over Obamacare failure

Washington Post: Bannon wants a war on Washington. Now he's part of one inside the White House.

Eamon Javers / CNBC:
Bannon attended National Security Council meeting after his removal from top committee

Discussion: Breitbart, The Daily Caller and The Gateway Pundit

New York Times:

Kushner Omitted Meeting With Russians on Security Clearance Forms — When Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, sought the top-secret security clearance that would give him access to some of the nation's most closely guarded secrets, he was required to disclose …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Occupy Democrats, Mediaite, The Slot, Raw Story and Political Wire

Matt Lewis / The Daily Beast:

Trump Screws Up Glitz, Racks Up Wins — They don't hold Rose Garden signing ceremonies when a governmental regulation is repealed. But if they did, Donald Trump's still-nascent presidency would be getting a lot more respect. — While the media focuses on sexy topics—Russian spy intrigue …

Discussion: Instapundit, Heat Street, AOL, Washington Post and IJR

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

Nuking The Filibuster May Hurt Republicans In The Long Run — The Supreme Court filibuster just died. Having failed to break a Democratic filibuster on the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, Republicans voted 52-48 to invoke the so-called nuclear option …

Discussion: Bloomberg, USA Today, SCOTUSblog, Washington Post, Politico, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Washington Free Beacon, The Atlantic, RedState, New York Times, Sputnik International and NPR

Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:

C.I.A. Had Evidence of Russian Effort to Help Trump Earlier Than Believed — WASHINGTON — The C.I.A. told senior lawmakers in classified briefings last summer that it had information indicating that Russia was working to help elect Donald J. Trump president, a finding that did not emerge publicly until …

Discussion: emptywheel, Daily Kos and Political Wire

Jose A. DelReal / Washington Post:

Trump asked African Americans what they had to lose. For this rural Kentucky community, the answer is tangible. — MOUNT STERLING, Ky. — Jolene Jouett took a short puff from her cigarette and looked out the window at the neighborhood she has known her entire life.

Max Greenwood / The Hill:

Clinton: ‘Misogyny played a role’ in 2016 … Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton — said on Thursday that misogyny “played a role” her 2016 defeat. — “Certainly, misogyny played a role,” Clinton said at the Women of the World Summit in New York. “I mean, that just has to be admitted.