memeorandum: Merkel Knows She Has to Deal With Trump. The Question Is How. (New York Times)

8:30 AM ET, July 7, 2017

Top Items:

McConnell: Limited Bill Needed If GOP Senate Obamacare Repeal Bill Dies — GLASGOW, Ky. (AP) — A bill focused on buttressing the nation's insurance marketplaces will be needed if the full-fledged Republican effort to repeal much of President Barack Obama's health care law fails, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday.

Discussion: Politico

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Trumpcare Is Having a Very Bad Day — Last week, just as the Senate appeared to be racing toward the stealth repeal of Obamacare, it came to a screeching halt. Mitch McConnell has tried to use the July Fourth recess to regroup and find a way to assemble the 50 votes he needs to roll back the Affordable Care Act.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, more at Mediagazer »

Bryan Lowry / Kansas City Star:

Packed town hall in Palco, Kan., urges Moran to stand firm against GOP health bill — PALCO, KAN. — The mass of people stretched into the grass outside the community center in western Kansas where U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran laid out his objections to the Republican-crafted health care plan Thursday.

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post, Wichita Eagle, New York Times, The Guardian and Talking Points Memo

Jordain Carney / The Hill:
McConnell signals doubts about ObamaCare vote

Discussion: Politico, New York Magazine, The Atlantic and Joe.My.God.

Washington Post:
McConnell says GOP must shore up ACA insurance markets if Senate bill dies

Discussion: The Week and Political Wire

Caitlin Owens / Axios:
Mike Lee takes harder stance on conservative health care amendment

Discussion: Politico, ABC News, Daily Kos, RedState and The Daily Caller

Paul Kane / Washington Post:
One reason the GOP health bill is a mess: No one thought Trump would win

Discussion: Townhall.com, WHTM-TV, New York Magazine, The Week and Political Wire

CNN:

Russia steps up spying efforts after election — Sources: Russia steps up spying efforts — (CNN)Russian spies are ramping up their intelligence-gathering efforts in the US, according to current and former US intelligence officials who say they have noticed an increase since the election.

Discussion: The Hill, USA Today, Business Insider, Axios, Politicus USA, AOL, Shareblue, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Political Wire, Raw Story and Vox

Associated Press:

Timeline: Key moments between Trump and Putin — A timeline of key events in the relationship between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as allegations about Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential election, in advance of their meeting on Friday:

Discussion: Axios and ABC News

Louis Nelson / Politico:
Trump pats Putin on back during brief meeting at G-20

Discussion: ABC News

Louis Nelson / Politico:
Trump: ‘Everyone’ at G-20 talking about Podesta not giving server to authorities

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Axios and Joe.My.God.

Neil MacFarquhar / New York Times:
For Russia, Trump-Putin Meeting Is a Sure Winner

Discussion: The Hill, Just Security, The Week, NY State of Politics and The Guardian

Nicole Perlroth / New York Times:

Hackers are Targeting Nuclear Facilities, Homeland Security Dept. and F.B.I. Say — Since May, hackers have been penetrating the computer networks of companies that operate nuclear power stations and other energy facilities, as well as manufacturing plants in the United States and other countries.

Discussion: Joe.My.God., Engadget, The Hill, The Week, Mediaite, Raw Story and The Verge

Bloomberg:

Russians Are Said to Be Suspects in Hacks Involving Nuclear Site — Attacks could pave way to disrupt U.S. electric grid — Kansas site is among those trying to eject intruders — Hackers working for a foreign government recently breached at least a dozen U.S. power plants …

Discussion: Sputnik International, New York Magazine, Business Insider, Mediaite and Balloon Juice

Stephen Battaglio / Los Angeles Times:

Fox suspends business news host Charles Payne amid sexual harassment allegations — Fox lawyers are reviewing sexual harassment allegations against business news host Charles Payne, left. (John Lamparski / Getty Images) — Fox Business Network host Charles Payne has been suspended …

Discussion: HuffPost, Conservative News Today, Joe.My.God., Mediaite, Media Matters for America, New York Times, The Week, Deadline, IJR, Washington Free Beacon and TheBlaze

Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Fox Business Suspends Anchor Charles Payne Amid Harassment Investigation

Discussion: Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Spencer Ackerman / The Daily Beast:

This Is Trump's Plan to Team Up With Putin in Syria—and Leave Assad in Power … For once, Rex Tillerson is not freelancing. — Late Wednesday, ahead of the first-ever meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the secretary of state suggested that the U.S. is willing to explore …

Discussion: Reuters, Sputnik International and Axios

Spencer Ackerman / The Daily Beast:

How Ex-Spies Think Putin Will Sucker ‘Sociopathic Narcissist’ Trump … Foreign ministries around the world are filled with anticipation over what will happen when Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump meet for the first time at the G20 summit. But veteran U.S. spies who've studied manipulation tactics …

Discussion: Axios, The National Interest, TASS, US Department of State, Hullabaloo, Raw Story and The Last Refuge

Peter Beinart / The Atlantic:

The Racial and Religious Paranoia of Trump's Warsaw Speech — In his speech in Poland on Thursday, Donald Trump referred 10 times to “the West” and five times to “our civilization.” His white nationalist supporters will understand exactly what he means. It's important that other Americans do, too.

Discussion: Bloomberg, Breitbart, The Guardian, Fox News, EURACTIV.com, twitchy.com, Hit & Run, The White House, Washington Post, Daily Wire and ThinkProgress

Sarah Wildman / Vox:
Trump's speech in Poland sounded like an alt-right manifesto

Anne Applebaum / Washington Post:
Trump affirms the Polish government's assault on democracy

Discussion: EURACTIV.com and The Daily Caller

Marcus Engert / BuzzFeed:

President Trump Apparently Couldn't Find A Hotel To Book For The G20 Summit — He is one of the most powerful people in the world. He is coming to the meeting of 20 powerful countries. And he has a problem: no hotel room for the G20. — White House officials apparently waited too long …

Discussion: Mashable, AOL, Balloon Juice, New York Magazine, Shakesville, abendblatt.de, Vox, IJR, Mediaite, Raw Story, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo and Political Wire

New York Times: Merkel Knows She Has to Deal With Trump. The Question Is How.

Mythili Sampathkumar / The Independent:
Donald Trump ‘has trouble finding hotel room at G20 summit’

Discussion: Watts Up With That? and Daily Kos

CBS News:

Are sleeveless dresses “appropriate attire”? Congress doesn't think so — A young, female reporter recently tried to enter a guarded room known as the Speaker's lobby outside the House chamber, but her outfit was considered inappropriate because her shoulders weren't covered. She was wearing a sleeveless dress.

Discussion: Washington Post, Mic, Vogue, New York Post, Weekly Standard, Refinery29, IJR, Mashable, Joe.My.God. and Raw Story

Stassa Edwards / The Slot:
The House Has a ‘No Sleeveless’ Dress Code for Women [Updated]

Discussion: Mediaite and twitchy.com

Lloyd Grove / The Daily Beast:

High Anxiety at CNN Amid Attacks From Trump and His Trolls … It's a sign of the anxious, fractious times that CNN's Chris Cuomo, who'd just finished anchoring his New Day program Thursday morning, was ambushed by a camera-toting alt-right activist as he left the network's headquarters at Manhattan's Time Warner Center.

Discussion: Politico, The Week, Washington Examiner, RedState, The Gateway Pundit, New York Magazine, Raw Story, Conservative News Today, Mediaite, IJR, TVNewser, The Daily Caller, Axios, Daily Kos and Hot Air, more at Mediagazer »

Walter Shaub / CBS News:

Walter Shaub says America should have right to know motivations of its leaders — In a conversation with CBS News Thursday, Walter Shaub, Jr., spoke about his resignation from his position as director of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE). — “Do you think the president and his family are using the office to enrich themselves?”

Discussion: Axios and Politico

Nicholas Fandos / New York Times:
U.S. Government Ethics Chief Will Resign, Casting Uncertainty Over Agency

Discussion: NPR, Washington Post, The Slot, Daily Wire, Weekly Standard, The Guardian, Politico, DCist, Common Dreams, The Atlantic, Campaign Legal Center, Washingtonian, New York Magazine, Sunlight Foundation and The Week

Ian Sample / The Guardian:

Mars covered in toxic chemicals that can wipe out living organisms, tests reveal — Discovery has major implications for hunt for alien life on the red planet as it means any evidence is likely to be buried deep underground — The chances of anything coming from Mars have taken a downward turn …

Discussion: Nature, Engadget and The Daily Caller

Josh Dawsey / Politico:

Trump's leaks crackdown sends chills through national security world — Agency officials say measures have been taken to isolate leakers, creating a culture of fear. — National security officials across the federal government say they are seeing new restrictions on who can access sensitive information …

Emily Yoffe / Politico:

Is Donald Trump a TV Addict? — The president consumes hours of television daily—and it consumes him. Here's how that could affect his brain. — For a man who famously doesn't drink, television has been Donald Trump's drug of choice his entire adult life.

Wall Street Journal:

Trump's Defining Speech — In Poland, he asks the West to defend its values of faith and freedom.

New York Post:

De Blasio races to Germany to protest G20 summit — Mayor de Blasio on Thursday skipped an NYPD swearing-in ceremony made somber by this week's assassination of a cop — then hours later revealed he was busy preparing to jet off on a surprise trip to join leftist protesters at the G-20 summit in Germany.

Discussion: Power Line, Daily Mail and Mediaite

The Federalist:

Ratings Collapse: CNN Now Losing To Nick-At-Nite In Prime Time Ratings War — Last week, more Americans tuned in to watch re-runs of “Yogi Bear,” “Full House,” and “Friends” on Nick At Nite than to watch Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon's shows on CNN. — According to cable ratings from the week …

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Power Line

New York Times:

Illinois Lawmakers Override Budget Veto, Ending Two-Year Stalemate — CHICAGO — After more than two years of political sparring, missed payments to creditors and plunging credit ratings, Illinois did on Thursday what most states do every year. It finished a budget.

Ted Hesson / Politico:

Hawaii judge declines to clarify travel ban guidelines from SCOTUS — A federal judge in Hawaii declined on Thursday to clarify who should be allowed to bypass President Trump's recently reinstated travel ban — a small victory for the administration in the ongoing legal battle over the policy …

Discussion: The Week