memeorandum: Benghazi-obsessed Trump MIA on key security post (Austin Wright/Politico)

1:10 PM ET, April 18, 2017

Top Items:

Steven Ginsberg / Washington Post:

The night Clinton said what she never expected to say: ‘Congratulations, Donald’ — Steven Ginsberg is the senior politics editor for The Washington Post. — Around 7:45 on election night, when Hillary Clinton and her aides still thought they were headed to the White House, troubling news emerged from Florida.

Discussion: RedState, IJR, The Daily Caller, Liberal Values, New York Times, TheBlaze, Washington Free Beacon and Shakesville

Mike Allen / Axios:

Inside the Hillary Hindenburg — A new book by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes, “ Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign ,” makes it clear that whatever you thought was happening in Brooklyn at Clinton's campaign headquarters, it was worse. One of the kickers: … More highlights from the book:

Discussion: Mediaite

Ron Elving / NPR: ‘Shattered’ Picks Through The Broken Pieces Of Hillary Clinton's Dream

Max Greenwood / The Hill:

Georgia Dem: No issue I don't live in district — Democrat Jon Ossoff dismissed concerns on Tuesday over the fact that he doesn't live in the Georgia congressional district in which he's running for a House seat. — “I grew up in this district; I grew up in this community - it's my home.

Discussion: Politico, Power Line, Business Insider, Politicus USA, twitchy.com, Political Insider blog and CNN

Christy Riggins / Zpolitics:

Exclusive: Weekend poll shows Gray may take the lead in CD-6 — With less than 24 hours until Election Day, a new zpolitics and Clout Research poll shows that Republicans may have a new front runner in the race to replace Tom Price. — According to the report, Democrat Jon Ossoff remains …

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, Booman Tribune, Washington Post, Political Wire and The Daily Caller

Nate Cohn / New York Times:
Georgia Election: Expect the Early Vote Count to Be Misleading

Discussion: Washington Post

Charles Bethea / New Yorker:
In Georgia, Jon Ossoff Tries to Vanquish Seventeen Candidates at Once

Discussion: Power Line, CNN, Center for Public Integrity, New York Times, Political Insider blog, Washington Post, CNBC, Hullabaloo, Politicus USA, Mediaite, Vox, New York Magazine and Business Insider

Ben Kamisar / The Hill:
Dems look for Trump rebuke in Georgia special election

Discussion: Politico and Hot Air

Joe Concha / The Hill:

Trump: Presidents Obama, Clinton were ‘outplayed’ by North Korea — President Trump said his predecessors Presidents Bill Clinton — were “outplayed” by North Korea and that he won't be broadcasting his plans to deal with the isolated and increasingly aggressive country.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Politico, Just Security, Al Jazeera English, The Guardian and New York Times

The Guardian:

US military considers shooting down North Korea missile tests, sources say — As Pentagon looks for strategies to pressure North Korea into denuclearization, US officials worry that intercepting missiles could escalate tensions and risk war … The US military is considering shooting …

Discussion: Business Insider, Axios, Gothamist, Eschaton, The Hill, New York Magazine and TheBlaze

Mother Jones:
Mike Pence's Trip to Korean Border Featured Lots of Angry Staring

Discussion: RedState, CNN, Washington Post, Vanity Fair, Hot Air and TheBlaze

Elizabeth Elizalde / New York Daily News:

Oregon man dies thinking President Trump was impeached after being lied to by ex-wife — A man died peacefully in his Oregon home after his ex-wife lied to him that President Trump was impeached from office. — Michael Garland Elliott, 75, passed away on April 6 and was surrounded by his caregivers …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Root, Daily Wire, CNN, IJR, Daily Mail, Sputnik International, Daily Kos, Mashable, TheBlaze, AOL, twitchy.com and Raw Story

Associated Press:

Ivanka's biz prospers as politics mixes with business — SHANGHAI (AP) — On April 6, Ivanka Trump's company won provisional approval from the Chinese government for three new trademarks, giving it monopoly rights to sell Ivanka brand jewelry, bags and spa services in the world's second-largest economy.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and The Root

Brooke Seipel / The Hill:
China approved three Ivanka trademarks on same day she met with Xi: report

Discussion: RedState

Ross Cavitt / WSB-TV:

Equipment stolen days before special election; Sec. of State: ‘Unacceptable’ — Twtter — COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Channel 2 Action News has learned that critical voting machines were stolen just days before polls will open for a special election. — State officials are investigating …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, The Daily Caller and AOL

Financial Times:

US admits Trump tax reforms will be hit by healthcare setback — Treasury secretary Mnuchin rejects currency war fears, plans new Syria sanctions — Read next … The US Treasury secretary has conceded that the administration's timetable for ambitious tax reforms is set to slip following setbacks …

Discussion: bradford-delong.com, New York Times, The Hill, New York Magazine, Reuters, Morning Consult, TheStreet, Business Insider, Axios and Talking Points Memo

Alan Rappeport / New York Times:
Trump's Unreleased Taxes Threaten Yet Another Campaign Promise

Discussion: ThinkProgress and NBC News

Tom LoBianco / CNN:
Cotton booed for defending Trump on tax returns

Discussion: CNNMoney, Politicus USA, Washington Free Beacon, Business Insider, IJR, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, USA Today and Infowars

Peter Baker / New York Times:

As Trump Drifts Away From Populism, His Supporters Grow Watchful — WASHINGTON — President Trump visited the Tennessee estate of Andrew Jackson last month to symbolically claim the mantle of the first genuinely populist president since the 1830s. Just like Jackson, Mr. Trump defeated …

Discussion: Daily Kos

Jordain Carney / The Hill:

Cruz: Dems want a government shutdown — (R-Texas) is warning that Democrats could prompt a shutdown with less than two weeks until the government funding deadline. — Cruz said that while he “very much” hoped lawmakers could clench a deal, Democrats are under pressure to oppose any agreement.

Discussion: RedState

Patrick Svitek / The Texas Tribune:
Ted Cruz concerned Democrats will trigger government shutdown

Discussion: Axios

Cristina Marcos / The Hill:

House Democrat introduces bill to amend presidential removal procedures — A House Democrat has introduced legislation to enhance the Constitution's presidential removal procedures in response to concerns about President Trump's behavior. — Rep. Earl Blumenauer

Discussion: TheBlaze and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Bloomberg:

Apple Readies iPhone Overhaul for Smartphone's 10th Anniversary — Apple is testing a revamped iPhone with an all-screen front, curved glass and a stainless steel frame alongside upgrades to the current models. — Ten years after Steve Jobs held up the original iPhone to a gushing San Francisco crowd …

Discussion: Refinery29, Mashable, Daily Mail and The Verge, more at Techmeme »

CBS Sacramento:

Congressman Walks Off Stage During Oroville Town Hall — OROVILLE (CBS13) — The boos and shouts of displeasure started during the introduction of Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) at his town hall meeting in Oroville. — For nearly two hours, the crowd at the State Theater shouted down responses by the congressman.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times and Raw Story

TODAY.com:

Elizabeth Warren on Jon Ossoff campaign, Trump and whether she'll run for president — Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat who has positioned herself as a leading voice in opposition to President Trump and author of a new book, “This Fight Is Our Fight,” tells TODAY that Democrats have become energized …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Axios and Washington Times

Matthew Reade / The Claremont Independent:

Students Demand Administrators ‘Take Action’ Against Conservative Journalists — In an open letter to outgoing Pomona College President David Oxtoby, a group of students from the Claremont Colleges assail the president for affirming Pomona's commitment to free speech and demand that all five colleges …

Discussion: Breitbart, Hit & Run, The Daily Caller, Power Line, Heat Street and National Review

Fox News:

Facebook killer Steve Stephens dead, police say — Steve Stephens, the so-called “Facebook killer” who sparked a multi-state manhunt after he brazenly gunned down a Cleveland man at random, killed himself Tuesday morning in Erie County as cops closed in, Pennsylvania State Police said on Facebook.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

Chris Jones / The Atlantic:

Alec Baldwin Gets Under Trump's Skin — Alec Baldwin collapses onto his dressing-room couch at Saturday Night Live like a man participating too enthusiastically in a trust fall. He is 58 years old. He has three children under 4. He has been dividing what's left of his time between filming …

Discussion: Washington Post

Associated Press:

VIEWERSHIP OF 'O'REILLY FACTOR' DROPS WITHOUT BILL O'REILLY — NEW YORK (AP) — Through three days of Bill O'Reilly's vacation, his show's viewership declined by 26 percent in the hands of substitutes Dana Perino, Eric Bolling and Greg Gutfeld. — O'Reilly is on a nearly two-week vacation …

Allan Smith / Business Insider:

TOP TRUMP CONFIDANT: Trump should make a deal with Ruth Bader Ginsburg — Chris Ruddy, a confidant of President Donald Trump, told Business Insider in a Monday interview that Trump should cut a deal with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. His proposition: Replace her on the bench …

Discussion: RedState and Mediaite

Josh Eidelson / Bloomberg:

Facebook Gives Staff Green Light to Protest Trump on May 1 — Service vendors reminded that subcontractors have rights, too — A workplace ‘where employees feel comfortable speaking up’ — Facebook Inc. said it won't punish employees who take time off to join pro-immigrant protests on May 1.

Discussion: Mashable

Sean Higgins / Washington Examiner:

Hike in minimum wage prompts more closings of San Francisco restaurants — San Francisco's higher minimum wage is causing an increasing number of restaurants to go out of business even before it is fully phased in, a new study by the Harvard Business School found.

Discussion: Breitbart and Hot Air

Ryan J. Reilly / The Huffington Post:

The Murder Rate Jumped Again In 2016. A Handful Of Cities Are Largely Responsible. — Baltimore, Chicago and Houston play a big role in the spike in murders, according to a new Brennan Center report. — WASHINGTON The national murder rate rose again last year, with much of the deadly spike concentrated …

Discussion: Vox, Daily Wire and Heat Street

Andrew Ross Sorkin / New York Times:

Steve Ballmer Serves Up a Fascinating Data Trove — Guess what Steven A. Ballmer has been up to for the last several years. (No, not just cheering for the basketball team he owns, the Los Angeles Clippers.) It's a novel project, and he plans to take the wrapping off it Tuesday.

Discussion: The Verge and Axios, more at Techmeme »