memeorandum: President Donald Trump Fires FBI Director James Comey, and Even White House Aides Are Stunned (The Daily Beast)

9:50 PM ET, May 9, 2017

Top Items:

F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired by Trump — WASHINGTON — President Trump has dismissed the director of the F.B.I., James B. Comey, on the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the White House spokesman, Sean Spicer, said Tuesday. — “While I greatly appreciate you informing me …

New York Times:

Live Updates and Reactions to F.B.I. Director Comey's Firing — President Trump has fired James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director, the White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday. — Mr. Comey was delivering a speech in Los Angeles when he learned he had been fired.

Discussion: Lawfare, Talking Points Memo, RedState, CNBC, The Daily Caller, Mashable, The Week, Politicus USA, Business Insider and Mediaite

Hunter Walker / Yahoo:

Trump team marks 6-month election anniversary by vowing to air video of Clinton campaign's concession call — WASHINGTON — President Trump's upset November victory never seems to be far from the White House's mind. — On Tuesday, Dan Scavino, the White House director of social media …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Daily Kos, The Gateway Pundit, Shakesville, Vox, Mediaite, BizPac Review, Washington Free Beacon, IJR, Political Wire and The Week

CNN:

CNN exclusive: Grand jury subpoenas issued in FBI's Russia investigation — Washington (CNN)Federal prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas to associates of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn seeking business records, as part of the ongoing probe of Russian meddling in last year's election …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Political Wire and The Atlantic

The Daily Beast:

President Donald Trump Fires FBI Director James Comey, and Even White House Aides Are Stunned — President Donald Trump has fired FBI Director James Comey. — The stunning and sudden removal comes after Comey told Congress in March that the FBI was engaged in an ongoing investigation …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, New York Times, Business Insider and Mediaite

Devlin Barrett / Washington Post:

Comey misstated key Clinton email evidence at hearing, say people close to investigation — FBI Director James B. Comey overstated key findings involving the Hillary Clinton email investigation during testimony to Congress last week, according to people close to the inquiry.

Dave Lawler / Axios:

7 questions about the James Comey firing, answered — President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey suddenly on Tuesday evening. — What happened? Trump informed Comey in a letter that he was terminated “effective immediately.” CNN reports Trump's private security guard may have delivered …

Discussion: Washington Post, Politico, ABC News and CNBC

Erik Wemple / Washington Post:

The Daily Spicer: Let's not ‘smear a good man.’ Let's smear a good woman! — An interesting standard emerged Tuesday from the lectern at the White House briefing room. — White House press secretary Sean Spicer fielded a question as to why President Trump continues defending former national …

Discussion: CNN, Business Insider and The Week

CNN:

Trump fires FBI director James Comey — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump on Tuesday fired FBI Director James Comey after his attorney general and deputy attorney general recommended his removal. — In a signed letter, Trump informed Comey that he was “hereby terminated and removed from office …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, The FADER and ThinkProgress

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

Trump fires Comey — President Donald Trump has fired FBI Director James Comey — a move that comes as the FBI is probing contacts between Trump's campaign aides and Russian officials ahead of last year's presidential election. — “The president has accepted the recommendation …

Discussion: ABC News

Peter Baker / New York Times:
In Trump's Firing of James Comey, Echoes of Watergate

Discussion: Politico, The Atlantic, Talking Points Memo and Business Insider

Jonathan Karl / ABC News:
FBI Director James Comey has been fired

Discussion: Associated Press, MichelleMalkin.com, Politico, The Daily Signal, Common Dreams, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, Mother Jones, The Guardian, ACLU, TheBlaze, FOX31 Denver, CBS Los Angeles, Hot Air and The Week

Los Angeles Times:
Comey was ‘caught flat-footed’ and learned of firing from TV while talking to FBI agents in L.A., source says

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, KTLA and Business Insider

Politico:
Is This a Constitutional Crisis? — As the news broke late …

Discussion: Washington Post, ABC News and Josh Blackman's Blog

Meghan Keneally / ABC News:
Sean Spicer defends lag in Michael Flynn's dismissal, takes aim at Sally Yates

Discussion: Politico and Associated Press

Esme Cribb / Talking Points Memo:
Spicer: WH Slow To Act On Yates' Warning Because She Was ‘Political Opponent’

Discussion: Salon, Hullabaloo and The Week

Ted Barrett / CNN:

Sen. Hatch: ‘The public wants every dime they can be given’ — Washington (CNN)Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch warned Tuesday that efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act in the Senate might be complicated because once the public “is on the dole, they'll take every dime they can.”

Discussion: Politico, Axios, Vox, IJR, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, Political Wire, Shakesville and The Week

Dylan Scott / Vox:

The Senate really, really doesn't want to repeat the House's health care mistakes — This is the web version of VoxCare, a daily newsletter from Vox on the latest twists and turns in America's health care debate. Like what you're reading? Sign up to get VoxCare in your inbox here.

Discussion: Politico

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Left adopts shock tactics in Obamacare repeal fight

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, The Daily Caller, Hit & Run, Fox News Insider, Hot Air, twitchy.com, Need To Know Network, Snopes.com, Balloon Juice and CNN

Talking Points Memo:
GOP Senators Signal They're On Board With Big Medicaid Cuts

Discussion: CNN and Daily Kos

Burgess Everett / Politico: Senate GOP on defensive over all-male health care group

Tom LoBianco / CNN:

First on CNN: Senate Russia investigators ask Treasury for Trump team financial information — Clapper: Putin sought to advantage Trump — (CNN)Senate Russia investigators have sent a request to the Treasury Department's criminal investigation division for any information related …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, Morning Consult and Joe.My.God.

Max Greenwood / The Hill:
Senate Intel panel asks Treasury for Trump financial info: report

Discussion: RedState

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:

Jimmy Carter on Sanders: 'Can y'all see why I voted for him?' — Former President Jimmy Carter on Monday revealed he supported Sen. Bernie Sanders — (I-Vt.) in the Democratic presidential primaries. — During an event Monday at a Carter Center discussion about politics and human rights …

Discussion: Townhall.com and IJR

Brian Beutler / New Republic:
Chris Murphy: We'll hit Republican “liars” with Medicare-for-all if Trumpcare passes.

Discussion: Foreign Policy, Raw Story, Betsy's Page, NBC News, The Daily Beast, Politico, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, Hullabaloo, The Atlantic and ThinkProgress

ABC News:
Comey overstated number of emails forwarded by Huma Abedin

Discussion: Politico

WTTG-TV:

Woman seen in Trader Joe's video incident with Muslim shopper: It was taken out of context — RESTON, Va. - A video showing an unidentified white woman telling a Muslim shopper, “I wish they didn't let you in the country,” has gone viral, but the woman seen in the video tells FOX 5 there's more to the story.

Discussion: Raw Story, TheBlaze, Mediaite, IJR, The Root, theGrio and Boing Boing

Ari Berman / The Nation:

Wisconsin's Voter-ID Law Suppressed 200,000 Votes in 2016 (Trump Won by 22,748) — A new study shows how voter-ID laws decreased turnout among African-American and Democratic voters. — Donald Trump holds a campaign event in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, November 1, 2016. (Reuters / Carlo Allegri)

Discussion: electionlawblog.org, RedState and Common Dreams

Emma Green / The Atlantic:

It Was Cultural Anxiety That Drove White, Working-Class Voters to Trump — White Americans carried Donald Trump to the White House. He won college-educated white voters by a four-point margin over Hillary Clinton, according to exit polls. But his real victory was among members of the white working class …

Discussion: Hullabaloo, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, IJR, Washington Post and Axios

PRRI:
Beyond Economics: Fears of Cultural Displacement Pushed the White Working Class to Trump |

Discussion: Hit & Run, Vox and Booman Tribune

Tegna / KING-TV:

Tunnel at plutonium finishing plant collapses in Hanford … Hundreds of workers were in “take cover” position after a tunnel in a plutonium finishing plant collapsed at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation early Tuesday morning. — The AP reports no workers were in the tunnel at the time of collapse.

Discussion: NBC News, Talking Points Memo and twitchy.com

Hanford Site:
HANFORD EMERGENCY INFORMATION

Discussion: KING-TV, tri-cityherald, Washington Post, Gizmodo, fox13now.com, Balloon Juice, Mashable and Snopes.com

New Republic:

Sarah Jones — The New York Times allowed an anti-choice group to write a press release on the op-ed page. — Mad about Bret Stephens? The Times sees that and respects your rage, choosing to double down on its decision to publish right-wing propaganda.

Discussion: Washington Post and Eschaton

Lori Szala / New York Times:
The Problem With Linking Abortion and Economics

Discussion: Hot Air, RedState and twitchy.com

Sari Horwitz / Washington Post:

Sessions weighs return to harsher punishments for low-level drug crimes — Attorney General Jeff Sessions is reviewing policy changes set in place by the Obama administration that eliminated harsh punishments for low-level drug crimes and could direct federal prosecutors to again charge drug offenders …

Discussion: Common Dreams

Chris Perez / New York Post:

Anonymous warns world to ‘prepare’ for World War 3 … The infamous hacktivist group Anonymous has released a chilling new video — urging people across the globe to “prepare” for World War 3 — as the US and North Korea continue to move “strategic pieces into place” for battle.

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News and theGrio

Choe Sang-Hun / New York Times:
South Korea Elects Moon Jae-in, Who Backs Talks With North, as President

Discussion: BBC, Reuters, Outside the Beltway, New York Magazine and Business Insider

Gizmodo:

Here's How Easy It Is to Get Trump Officials to Click on a Fake Link in Email — Even technology experts can be insecure on the internet, as last week's “Google Docs” phishing attack demonstrated. An array of Gmail users, including BuzzFeed tech reporter Joe Bernstein, readily handed over access to their email to a bogus app.

Discussion: The Week

CNN:

Spirit Airlines cancels flight, passenger brawl breaks out — (CNN)Screams and commotion took over Fort Lauderdale's airport Monday as travelers clashed with Spirit Airlines employees and police. — About 300 Spirit flights have been canceled over the past seven days, leaving thousands of passengers angry.