memeorandum: Schumer: No new FBI director without a special counsel on Russia (Eli Watkins/CNN)

3:00 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, 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: 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, Talking Points Memo, No More Mister Nice Blog, Booman Tribune, Vox Popoli, TheBlaze, Political Wire, The Last Tradition and CNN

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

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: Washington Post, NPR, ThinkProgress, Hullabaloo, AOL, The Root and The Week

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: CANNONFIRE, Raw Story and twitchy.com

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, CBS New York, Reuters, 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: Outside the Beltway, Gizmodo 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.

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 »

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.

Alexandra Berzon / Wall Street Journal:

Former Employees of Donald Trump Say They Saw Him Tape Conversations — Three former employees say they saw Mr. Trump tape phone calls in Trump Tower before he was president — A tweet from President Donald Trump on Friday suggesting that he might have taped phone conversations …

Discussion: Axios and Raw Story

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, RedState and twitchy.com