memeorandum: Following Trump's trip, Merkel says Europe can't rely on ‘others.’ She means the U.S. (Washington Post)

10:05 AM ET, May 29, 2017

Top Items:

Kushner's Relationship With Trump Tested as Russia Accusations Swirl — WASHINGTON — The most successful deal of Jared Kushner's short and consequential career in real estate and politics involves one highly leveraged acquisition: a pair of adjoining offices a few penny-loafer paces from his father-in-law's desk in the White House.

Discussion: The Guardian, Raw Story, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, War in Context, The Times of Israel, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Joe.My.God. and Balloon Juice

Eliana Johnson / Politico:

Trump's obsession over Russia probe deepens — President Donald Trump has been aggressively working the phones since returning this weekend from his foreign trip, talking to friends and outside lawyers as he obsesses over the deepening investigations into his aides and Russia.

Discussion: Raw Story and Political Wire

NBC News:

Kushner Asked to ‘Lay Low’ After Russia-Related Reports, Source Says — WASHINGTON — Back on his home turf after an eight-day foreign trip, President Donald Trump is once again facing down controversy — and now it's hitting close to home. — Trump was greeted on U.S. soil by new reports involving …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, CNN, Raw Story and Business Insider

Mallory Shelbourne / The Hill:
Kushner under pressure to take hiatus from White House: report

Discussion: The Right Scoop

Stef W. Kight / Axios:
The shadow secretary of State

Discussion: Political Wire, IJR and emptywheel

ABC:

Vladimir Putin a bigger threat than Islamic State, John McCain says — Russian President Vladimir Putin is a bigger threat to world security than the Islamic State group, US senator John McCain has told the ABC. — The Republican also admitted in an exclusive interview with 7.30 …

Discussion: Political Wire, Raw Story and The Guardian

Brandon Carter / The Hill:

McCain: Putin a greater threat than ISIS … (R-Ariz.) said Monday that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is a greater threat to the world than ISIS. — In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's “7:30,” McCain said Putin is the “premier and most important threat, more so than ISIS.”

Molly Ball / The Atlantic:

How Trump Is Torturing Capitol Hill — The speaker of the house strode to his lectern on a recent Thursday to confront another totally normal day on Capitol Hill: health care, tax reform, a president under investigation, rumblings of impeachment. — “Morning, everybody!” Paul Ryan chirped.

Peter Jamison / Washington Post:
These 8th-graders from New Jersey refused to be photographed with Paul Ryan

Discussion: Politico and IJR

Heather Dockray / Mashable:
8th graders refuse to take a photo with Paul Ryan because they don't “want to be associated with him”

Discussion: Joe.My.God., twitchy.com, Conservative News Today and The Gateway Pundit

Scott Bixby / The Daily Beast:

President Trump Turned International Diplomacy Into A Fistfight—And Lost … During his inaugural international trip as the leader of the free world, President Donald Trump learned the problem with first impressions—you only get to make one. — After indulging the royals of Saudi Arabia …

Discussion: Raw Story, Daily Mail, The Moderate Voice and New York Times

Matthew Karnitschnig / Politico:

What Angela Merkel meant at the Munich beer hall — Spoiler alert: The German chancellor didn't just throw in the towel on the alliance with America. — BERLIN — Did Angela Merkel just draw a line under the Western postwar order? — In a word, Nein. — A comment by Merkel …

Washington Post:
Following Trump's trip, Merkel says Europe can't rely on ‘others.’ She means the U.S.

Discussion: The Atlantic, France 24 and Hot Air

Nile Gardiner / CNN:
President Trump passes his first test on the world stage

Discussion: Axios, War in Context and New York Post

Miguel Medina / Agence France-Presse:
Merkel warns US, Britain no longer reliable partners

Discussion: Balloon Juice, The Week, Bloomberg, The Right Scoop, Hot Air, ThinkProgress, RT, Mediaite, American Power, CANNONFIRE and The Daily Caller

Danny Hakim / New York Times:

The Coat of Arms Said ‘Integrity.’ Now It Says ‘Trump.’ — LONDON — At the Trump National Golf Club outside Washington, which hosted the Senior P.G.A. Championship this weekend, the president's coat of arms is everywhere — the sign out front, the pro shop, even the exercise room.

Sam Stein / HuffPost:

The Madness And Science Behind The Donald Trump Handshake — The definitive breakdown of the most insane greeting in all of politics. — Had French President Emmanuel Macron been paying close attention, he would have recognized quickly just how fraught his coming exchange with Donald Trump was to be.

Discussion: twitchy.com, Raw Story, Politico and The Guardian

Arutz Sheva:

Trump furious with Abbas: You lied to me — President Trump reportedly outraged with Palestinian Authority leader. ‘The Israelis showed me that you are involved in incitement.’ — Abbas and Trump — President Donald Trump lambasted Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas …

Discussion: Israpundit and RedState

Pam Key / Breitbart:

Maxine Waters: American Public ‘Getting Weary’ That Trump Not Impeached Yet — Sunday on MSNBC's “AM Joy,” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said the public was “getting weary” that Democrats have not done enough to begin the process of impeaching President Donald Trump. — Partial transcript as follows:

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The Gateway Pundit and The Last Tradition

Julia Manchester / The Hill:

Huckabee on Trump priorities: ‘A beheading is still worse than a sunburn’ … Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) touted President Trump's priorities as combatting terrorism ahead of addressing climate change on Sunday by saying, “a beheading is worse than a sunburn.” — “I think Donald Trump