memeorandum: Clapper: US institutions ‘under assault’ (Eli Watkins/CNN)

3:55 PM ET, May 14, 2017

Top Items:

Mark Murray / NBC News:

NBC/WSJ Poll: Just 29 Percent Approve of Trump's Firing of James Comey — Just 29 percent of Americans say they approve of President Donald Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, while 38 percent disapprove, according to results from a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Discussion: New York Times, RedState, New York Magazine, Hullabaloo, The Guardian, Common Dreams, AOL, Shareblue, CNBC, The Week, Politico, Washington Free Beacon, Political Wire and Business Insider

Eli Watkins / CNN:

Schumer: No new FBI director without a special counsel on Russia — Washington (CNN)Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday that the Senate should refuse to confirm a new FBI director until the Department of Justice appoints a special counsel to lead a probe into allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Discussion: ABC News, twitchy.com, IJR and New York Times, more at Mediagazer »

Ayesha Rascoe / Reuters:
Senate Democrats may refuse to vote on Trump FBI pick: Schumer

Discussion: The Hill and The Week

Mallory Shelbourne / The Hill:
Warner: I will ‘absolutely’ subpoena tapes between Comey and Trump if they exist

Discussion: Hot Air and ABC News

Veronica Stracqualursi / ABC News:
Trump denies he asked Comey for loyalty, threatens to cancel press briefings

Discussion: Politico and Axios

Mike Allen / Axios:

Scoop: Trump, irked at cabinet and staff, mulls sweeping shake-up — At the urging of longtime friends and outside advisers, most of whom he consults after dark, President Trump is considering a “huge reboot” that could take out everyone from Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and chief strategist Steve Bannon …

Discussion: RedState, No More Mister Nice Blog, Booman Tribune, Vox Popoli, TheBlaze, Talking Points Memo, Political Wire and The Last Tradition

Daily Progress:

Torch-wielding protesters gather at Lee Park — Several dozen torch-wielding protesters gathered in Charlottesville's Lee Park just after 9 p.m. Saturday, chanting “You will not replace us,” “Russia is our friend” and “Blood and soil.” — After about 10 minutes, Charlottesville police arrived …

Discussion: The Hill, ABC News, Washington Post, NPR, AOL, Hullabaloo, ThinkProgress, The Root and The Week

Colin Campbell / Raleigh News & Observer:

At 3 a.m., NC Senate GOP strips education funding from Democrats' districts — N.C. Senate Republicans were visibly upset with Democrats for prolonging the budget debate with amendments during an after-midnight session Friday morning. — As the clock approached 1 a.m. …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Washington Post and Raw Story

Wall Street Journal:

Senate Conservatives Look to Cut Medicaid — Conservative Senate Republicans are weighing faster and steeper cuts to Medicaid that could drop millions of people from coverage and mark the biggest changes to the program in its 52-year history.

Discussion: Mother Jones and The Daily Caller

Sarah Ferris / Politico:

Republicans plan massive cuts to programs for the poor — House Republicans just voted to slash hundreds of billions of dollars in health care for the poor as part of their Obamacare replacement. Now, they're weighing a plan to take the scalpel to programs that provide meals to needy kids …

Discussion: Political Wire

Eli Watkins / CNN:

Clapper: US institutions ‘under assault’ — Clapper: US institutions under assault by Trump — Washington (CNN)Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper issued a stern warning Sunday about the state of the US government after President Donald Trump's decision …

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, Political Wire and The Week

patribotics:

EXCLUSIVE: Sealed Indictment granted against Donald Trump — Separate sources with links to the intelligence and justice communities have stated that a sealed indictment has been granted against Donald Trump. — While it is understood that the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution means that …

Discussion: twitchy.com, Raw Story and CANNONFIRE

Michael Edison Hayden / ABC News:

Nikki Haley: Trump is ‘CEO of the country,’ can ‘fire anyone he wants’ — U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley defended President Trump's firing of former FBI director James Comey, saying that he can “fire anyone he wants.” — “The president is the CEO of the country,” …

Discussion: Politico

Reuters:
North Korea fires missile days after new South Korea leader pledges dialogue

Discussion: The Atlantic, BBC, Reuters, CBS New York, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Politico, Mediaite and The Gateway Pundit

Choe Sang-Hun / New York Times:
North Korea Launches a Missile, Its First Test After an Election in the South

Discussion: Gizmodo, Outside the Beltway and Washington Monthly

Jeffrey Toobin / New Yorker:

Firing Comey Was a Grave Abuse of Power — In 1974, Republicans put country before Party and told Nixon it was time to go. Today's G.O.P. seems unlikely to live up to its predecessor's example. — On August 7, 1974, a trio of Republican politicians made a sombre journey from Capitol Hill to the White House.

David Frum / The Atlantic:

A Special Prosecutor Is Not the Answer — Careful what you wish for. — In the wake of the firing of FBI Director James Comey, many are demanding a special prosecutor into the Trump-Russia connection. It's not appreciated enough that such an appointment could well turn into a shield for wrongdoing.

Ben Schreckinger / Politico:

The Widening Blast Radius of the Fox News Scandal — While the growing chorus of allegations from former employees are making Rupert Murdoch's cable news network sound more like a malevolent bachelor party in Las Vegas, what happens at Fox News is not staying at Fox News.

Discussion: Media Matters for America, more at Mediagazer »

Dan Balz / Washington Post:

Comey firing shows White House problems go far beyond communications strategy — The firing of James B. Comey as director of the FBI has left the credibility of President Trump's White House in tatters. The White House now appears to be an institution where truth struggles to keep up with events …

Discussion: The Week, more at Mediagazer »

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
White House ‘systems failed’ with Comey firing, but Trump pushed the buttons

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Politico, IJR, Axios, The Week, New York Times and ABC News

Mallory Shelbourne / The Hill:

Comey's 9-year-old neighbor baked him cookies after he was fired: report — Former FBI Director James Comey's nine-year-old neighbor reportedly baked and hand delivered chocolate chip cookies to him after he was fired by President Trump this week. — A reporter for NPR recounted a text she received from the little girl's mom.

Discussion: Mashable, twitchy.com and RedState