memeorandum: ISIS broken, but leader slipped away due to leak, says key general (Fox News)

2:25 PM ET, July 22, 2017

Top Items:

Sessions discussed Trump campaign-related matters with Russian ambassador, U.S. intelligence intercepts show … Russia's ambassador to Washington told his superiors in Moscow that he discussed campaign-related matters, including policy issues important to Moscow, with Jeff Sessions during …

Peter Baker / New York Times:

Trump Says He Has ‘Complete Power’ to Pardon — WASHINGTON — President Trump on Saturday asserted the “complete power to pardon” relatives, aides and possibly even himself in response to investigations into Russia's meddling in last year's election even as he came to the defense …

Fox News:

ISIS broken, but leader slipped away due to leak, says key general — ASPEN, Colo. - ISIS in Iraq and Syria has been “dismantled,” with tens of thousands of its jihadist fighters dead, but a promising lead on its leader “went dead” after a media leak, according to a key U.S. military official.

Discussion: The Hill, IJR, New York Times, Geller Report, No More Mister Nice Blog, neo-neocon and The Last Refuge

Adam Kelsey / ABC News:
Jeff Sessions has no plans to resign amid reports of campaign conversations with Russia: source

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Washington Post, IJR, Common Dreams, Politico, New York Magazine, The Daily Caller and Joe.My.God.

Mike Allen / Axios:

Trump is building a Cabinet ready for political, legal war — When President Trump makes more changes in his West Wing (insiders suspect August or September, but who knows?), any new faces are likely to be in the mold of Anthony Scaramucci, age 53, the pugilistic Wall Streeter known as …

Discussion: Politico, Joe.My.God., Hullabaloo, Raw Story and AOL

Michael C. Bender / Wall Street Journal:

Sean Spicer Faced Myriad Obstacles During Dramatic White House Rise and Fall — The former White House press secretary's briefings became must-see TV, but he was often out of sync with his boss.

Discussion: Business Insider, The Daily Caller, Raw Story, Gothamist, Mediaite, IJR and Mashable, more at Mediagazer »

Jonathan Swan / Axios:
Scaramucci goes full Breitbart

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and neo-neocon

Charlie Spiering / Breitbart:
EXCLUSIVE - Anthony Scaramucci: Breitbart ‘Captured the Spirit’ of America

Discussion: The Last Refuge

Josh Dawsey / Politico:
Inside the 24 hours that broke Sean Spicer

Charlie Savage / New York Times:

Can the President Be Indicted? A Long-Hidden Legal Memo Says Yes — WASHINGTON — A newfound memo from Kenneth W. Starr's independent counsel investigation into President Bill Clinton sheds fresh light on a constitutional puzzle that is taking on mounting significance amid the Trump-Russia inquiry …

Discussion: Political Wire, Daily Kos and Raw Story

Dave Quinn / People.com:

Home Alone and Sopranos Star John Heard Has Died — John Heard — the actor known for his role in several iconic '80s and '90s movies including Big, Beaches, and Home Alone — died Friday in Palo Alto, California, the Santa Clara County medical examiner's office confirms to PEOPLE. He was 71.

Discussion: The Week

TMZ.com:

John Heard Dead at 71 — John Heard, the beloved star of several huge 80s and 90s movies, died Friday in Palo Alto, CA ... TMZ has learned. — Heard was found dead in a hotel by the maid service ... according to family sources. Police were called to the hotel for a report of a medical emergency …

Discussion: IndieWire, East Bay Times, The Guardian, Washington Post, SFist, AOL, Mashable and Jezebel

Reuters:

U.S. investigators seek to turn Manafort in Russia probe: sources — 3 MIN READ — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. investigators examining money laundering accusations against President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort hope to push him to cooperate with their probe …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

Noor Sabai / Raw Story:

'This is the last call we'll have': Trump's new lawyer sends cryptic message to Rachel Maddow — The White House is breaking the glass and sounding the alarm over the Russia investigation, according to MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. — Maddow began her segment with a bombshell observation …

Seung Min Kim / Politico:

McConnell's last-ditch Obamacare strategy — Talking is no longer working. It's time to vote. — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is taking the rare step of forcing his members to take a tough vote on an Obamacare repeal bill, H.R. 1628 (115), that is on track to fail, making them own their votes.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and The Hill

HuffPost:
Senate Referee Rejects Key Pieces Of Repeal Bill, Dealing Major Blow To GOP

Discussion: The Atlantic

Seung Min Kim / Politico: Parliamentarian rules against key provisions in Obamacare repeal bill

Wall Street Journal:

Jared Kushner Discloses Dozens More Assets in Revised Financial Filing — Ivanka Trump disclosed $2.5 million in salary and severance from her father's businesses — WASHINGTON— Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, on Friday released …

Discussion: Balloon Juice, The Hill, RedState and Raw Story

New York Times:
Ivanka Trump Received at Least $12.6 Million Since 2016, Disclosure Shows

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Jonathan O'Connell / Washington Post:
In revised filing, Kushner reveals dozens of previously undisclosed assets

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Political Wire, Politico and The Week

Annie Karni / Politico:

The untouchable Hope Hicks — Hope Hicks was celebrating a family wedding at a Bermuda golf club the weekend after Donald Trump was elected president when she overheard members of another party expressing dismay about his victory. — The young press secretary was off duty …

Discussion: ABC News, IJR and The Hill

Rosa Goldensohn / New York Times:

Manhattan's District Attorney vs. Aeschylus — In a criminal courtroom in downtown Manhattan on Wednesday evening, a group of prosecutors were screaming for revenge. — “We are wretched, overcome with rage, completely consumed by the lust for vengeance now coursing through our veins!” they roared.

Laurence H. Tribe / Washington Post:

No, Trump can't pardon himself. The Constitution tells us so. — Laurence H. Tribe is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor and Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard Law School. Richard Painter, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, was chief White House ethics lawyer …

Discussion: Raw Story, Constitution Daily and Mashable

Mitch Smith / New York Times:

Minneapolis Police Chief Forced Out After Fatal Shooting of Australian Woman — The Minneapolis police chief, Janee Harteau, resigned on Friday at the mayor's request, less than a week after one of the city's officers fatally shot an unarmed Australian woman who had called 911 for help.

Discussion: Vox, The Hill, The Atlantic, Geller Report, Fox News and Star Tribune