memeorandum: Sinclair Requires TV Stations to Air Segments That Tilt to the Right (Sydney Ember/New York Times)

2:30 PM ET, May 13, 2017

Top Items:

Election Is Over, but Trump Still Can't Seem to Get Past It — WASHINGTON — In the small dining room next to the Oval Office where he works much of the time, President Trump keeps a stack of color-coded maps of the United States representing the results of the 2016 election.

Discussion: CNN and RealClearPolitics

New York Times:

‘Looking Like a Liar or a Fool’: What It Means to Work for Trump — WASHINGTON — President Trump has never shown any reluctance to sacrifice a surrogate to serve a short-term political need, so he apparently did not think twice this week about exposing a series of staff members to ridicule …

Discussion: The Hill, Politico, Raw Story, The Week, Washington Post, Salon, Mediaite, Daily Kos, Washington Free Beacon, Shareblue, CNN, The Guardian, CBS New York, CBS Miami, Gizmodo and Balloon Juice, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:

President Trump Craves Loyalty, but Offers None — It is often at moments of crisis that Americans get the clearest glimpses of a president's character, and this week they had the chance to learn a good deal about the true Donald Trump after his abrupt decision to fire James Comey, the F.B.I. director.

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Politicus USA, The Guardian, emptywheel, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, Real Clear Politics and Mediaite

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:

Gingrich urges Trump: ‘Close down the press room’ — Former Speaker Newt Gingrich is urging President Trump to follow through on his threat to cancel daily White House press briefings, accusing news media of being “dishonest opponents” of the president. — “What they ought …

Discussion: RedState

The Daily Beast:

White House Staff React in Real-Time as Trump Tweets: ‘Jesus’ … It was 7:51 a.m. eastern time on a Friday, and the president was angrily tweetstorming again. — This time, it was about “Fake News,” “the Russians,” China and beef, James Comey and “tapes,” and his sometimes hapless White House staff.

Discussion: Politicus USA

Edward-Isaac Dovere / Politico:

Trump stokes fears of how he'd handle real crisis — So, what if there's a real crisis? — A real war — not a war with the media, or James Comey. A real showdown — not a political showdown. A real surprise that's out of the White House's control — not a situation …

Discussion: Daily Kos and Viking Pundit

New York Times:
A Look at the Candidates Trump Is Considering to Head the F.B.I.

Discussion: Joe.My.God., The Guardian, Above the Law and The Atlantic

Joe DePaolo / Mediaite:
‘It Took My Breath Away’: Chris Wallace Offers Stunning, Must-Watch Critique of Trump White House

Discussion: CNN, The American Conservative, American Power and The Week

Wall Street Journal:
Trump Weighs Shake-Up of Press Team

Discussion: Political Wire

Sydney Ember / New York Times:

Sinclair Requires TV Stations to Air Segments That Tilt to the Right — They are called “must-runs,” and they arrive every day at television stations owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group — short video segments that are centrally produced by the company. Station managers around the country …

Discussion: Shareblue and Raw Story

Wall Street Journal:

Former Trump Adviser Paul Manafort's Bank Records Sought in Probe — Federal investigators looking into Russian election interference requested information; New York investigators also examining his real-estate transactions — The Justice Department last month requested banking records …

Discussion: The Hill, RedState, Politicaldog101.Com and Political Wire

Adam Davidson / New Yorker: The Senate Starts to Look at Trump's Businesses

Wall Street Journal:
Financial-Crimes Monitor to Share Records in Trump-Russia Probe

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Hullabaloo, Business Insider and Reuters

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

Trump meltdown sets off GOP alarms over 2018 midterm — CORONADO, Calif. — With the White House in meltdown mode, top Republican Party officials and operatives gathered at a posh oceanside resort here and contemplated a 2018 midterm election that will test them in unimaginable ways.

Discussion: Raw Story and Political Wire

Mark Scott / New York Times:

Hacking Attack has Security Experts Scrambling to Contain Fallout — Governments, companies and security experts from China to Britain on Saturday raced to contain the fallout from an audacious global cyberattack amid fears that if they do not succeed, companies will lose their data unless they meet ransom demands.

Discussion: Gizmodo, Ars Technica, The Intercept, Hot Air, CNNMoney, The Atlantic, NPR, ForeignAffairs.co.nz, The Guardian and Politico, more at Techmeme »

Steven Rosenfeld / Alternet:

Donald Trump's Financial Ties to Russian Oligarchs and Mobsters Detailed In Explosive New Documentary from the Netherlands — Dutch TV did what no American TV network dares, suggesting Trump's past includes illegal racketeering. — Donald Trump's business partners have included Russian oligarchs …

Discussion: Raw Story

Mike Allen / Axios:

Dumbfounded, demoralized GOP publicly defends Trump — Elected Republican officials are publicly defending Trump but privately are dumbfounded, disgusted and demoralized by this turn of events. — We haven't had a single conversation with a top Republican that doesn't reflect this.

Alexandra Petri / Washington Post:

This is not a crisis, Republicans say as a large spider slowly devours them — I would recognize a crisis if it were happening. — When the president seized me, stunned me with his venom and covered me with digestive fluid from his chelicerae, I was initially taken aback …

Avi Selk / Washington Post:

The New Yorker drew Comey being dragged off a plane. The United passenger's lawyer critiqued it. — Thomas Demetrio is no art critic; he's the attorney for David Dao — whom you and probably the rest of the world saw dragged off a United Airlines flight last month.

Discussion: CNN, Althouse and TheBlaze

Josh Feldman / Mediaite:

Hannity: Trump Should End Press Briefings and ‘Tweet Out All of His Accomplishments’ Instead — Sean Hannity opened his show with a monologue attacking the mainstream media, but this time he used the opportunity to voice his support for President Donald Trump ending those daily press briefings.

Discussion: Refinery29, Raw Story, CNBC, Geller Report and CNNMoney

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Trump threatens to cancel White House briefings because it is ‘not possible’ …

Jessica Huseman / ProPublica:

Trump's Expected Pick for Top USDA Scientist Is Not a Scientist — The USDA's research section studies everything from climate change to nutrition. Under the 2008 Farm Bill, its leader is supposed to serve as the agency's “chief scientist” and be chosen “from among distinguished scientists …

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

Source: 4 to be interviewed for FBI Director post Saturday — Top Justice Department officials are scheduled to interview four candidates Saturday to serve as FBI director on a permanent basis, a source familiar with the process told POLITICO Friday night. — The four potential nominees set …

Discussion: New York Magazine, The Daily Caller, The Week, Axios and ABC News

Chris Smith / Vanity Fair:
Inside Trump's Coming War with the F.B.I.

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Marc Fisher / Washington Post:

Trump has a long history of secretly recording calls, according to former associates — Throughout Donald Trump's business career, some executives who came to work for him were taken aside by colleagues and warned to assume that their discussions with the boss were being recorded.