memeorandum: The Confederate Flag Fight Is Back (Henry J. Gomez/BuzzFeed)

2:50 PM ET, August 9, 2017

Top Items:

Trump's Threat to North Korea Was Improvised — BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — President Trump delivered his “fire and fury” threat to North Korea on Tuesday with arms folded, jaw set and eyes flitting on what appeared to be a single page of talking points set before him on the conference table at his New Jersey golf resort.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Weekly Standard, CNBC, Business Insider, No More Mister Nice Blog, USA Today, IJR, The Week, Shareblue, Politico, NPR, Washington Post, The Guardian, ABC News, The Atlantic and NBC News

Julie Hirschfeld Davis / New York Times:

Trump's Harsh Language on North Korea Has Little Precedent, Experts Say — WASHINGTON — President Trump's warning on Tuesday that North Korea would experience “fire and fury like the world has never seen” if it continued threatening the United States was a remarkable escalation of military rhetoric …

Discussion: BillMoyers.com, Althouse, Washington Post, The Moderate Voice, Business Insider, Shakesville, Foreign Policy, HuffPost, The FADER, The Guardian, Scared Monkeys, The Daily Caller, New York Magazine, The Week, Daily Kos and The Atlantic

Alberto Nardelli / BuzzFeed:

This Is What European Diplomats Really Think About Donald Trump — Interviews with six top officials paint a picture of a president who is regarded even by allies as erratic and limited, and whose shortcomings are compounded by the ongoing chaos beneath him in the White House. — Reporting From

Discussion: Business Insider, CNBC, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, Gizmodo, TheBlaze and The Week

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Ignore Our Crazy President, U.S. Government Tells North Korea — President Trump brought the United States and North Korea to the precipice of war by warning that any further threats would be met with a nuclear attack. ("North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States.

Discussion: CNN and The Week

Sarah Pulliam Bailey / Washington Post:

‘God has given Trump authority to take out Kim Jong Un,’ evangelical adviser says — Texas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress, one of President Trump's evangelical advisers who preached the morning of his inauguration, has released a statement saying the president has the moral authority to take out North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress, CNN, Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, Common Dreams, CBN.com, The New Civil Rights Movement, AOL, Right Wing Watch, IJR, Shakesville, The American Conservative, CNBC, No More Mister Nice Blog, FOX6Now.com, Raw Story and The Week

CNN:

North Korea vows strikes on US as Trump warns of ‘fire and fury’ — (CNN)North Korea has threatened preemptive military strikes against the US, as President Donald Trump vowed to unleash “fire and fury” on Pyongyang if its aggression continued. — State-run media threatened a missile strike …

Alex Horton / Agence France-Presse:
Why North Korea threatened Guam, the tiny U.S. territory with big military power

Discussion: Washington Post, Weekly Standard, ThinkProgress, Wall Street Journal, Politico, Fox News, The Hill, Hit & Run, Associated Press, Yonhap News Agency, Fox News Insider, The Atlantic and Business Insider

David A. Graham / The Atlantic:
Trump's Pointless Untruths About U.S. Nuclear Weapons

Discussion: Washington Post, ThinkProgress, CNBC, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, The Week and twitchy.com

Kim Hjelmgaard / USA Today:
‘Not helpful,’ Donald: World reaction to Trump's ‘fire and fury’ comments

Discussion: politics.blog.myajc.com and The Week

Nyshka Chandran / CNBC:
Trump just set his own, uncrossable ‘red line’ — and North Korea crossed it instantly

Discussion: Power Line

CNN:
North Korea threatens strike on Guam

Discussion: American Prospect, ThinkProgress, Business Insider, Mediaite, Washington Post, Common Dreams, Raw Story, WGNO, IJR, FOX6Now.com and The Daily Caller

Henry Farrell / Washington Post:
North Korea just called Trump's bluff. So what happens now?

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and The Week

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Trump warns N. Korea: U.S. nuclear arsenal is ‘more powerful than ever before’

James Hohmann / Washington Post:
The Daily 202: The GOP congressional majority may be too strong for Trump to break

Discussion: Breitbart, ABC News and RedState

New York Times:
On North Korea Threat, ‘Americans Should Sleep Well at Night,’ Tillerson Says

David Ignatius / Washington Post:
This is the moment of truth on North Korea

Discussion: Reuters, Business Insider and Bloomberg

Washington Post:

FBI conducted predawn raid of former Trump campaign chairman Manafort's home … FBI agents raided the Alexandria home of President Trump's former campaign chairman late last month, using a search warrant to seize documents and other materials, according to people familiar …

New York Times:

Manafort's Home Searched as Part of Mueller Inquiry — WASHINGTON — Investigators for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, recently searched a home of President Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, for tax documents and foreign banking records, according to a person briefed on the matter.

Discussion: Business Insider, The Gateway Pundit, The Stranger … and The New Civil Rights Movement

Steven T. Dennis / Bloomberg:
Trump Campaign Turns Over Thousands of Documents in Russia Probe

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Times, Raw Story, The Week and The Washington Journal

Aaron Rupar / ThinkProgress:
Trump called for acting FBI director's firing hours after FBI agents raided Paul Manafort's home

Discussion: Washington Post, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit and IJR

Andrew Kaczynski / CNN:

GOP Sen. Ron Johnson: McCain's brain tumor might have been factor in no vote on health care — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — (CNN)Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said Tuesday that he thinks that Sen. John McCain's brain tumor and the early morning hours may have affected the Arizona Republican's …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Axios, Politico, Business Insider, IJR, Raw Story, New York Magazine, Political Wire, The Week and Mediaite

Melissa Quinn / Washington Examiner:
Ron Johnson suggests John McCain's brain cancer factored into no vote on ‘skinny repeal’

Discussion: RedState, The Daily Caller and WND

Wall Street Journal:

McMaster and the Commander — The NSC adviser is the latest target of Steve Bannon's media friends. — National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster listens during the daily press briefing at the White House, July 31. — Chief of Staff John Kelly is by all accounts imposing more discipline …

Discussion: Raw Story and Talking Points Memo

Robert Costa / Washington Post:

Even in North Korea crisis, retired general John Kelly is an apolitical force in a White House divided by ideology — When John F. Kelly attended one of his first policy meetings last week, the other officials in attendance tried to suss out where the newly minted White House chief of staff stood …

Discussion: Politico, Vox and Washington Free Beacon

Steven Perlberg / BuzzFeed:
Behind The Jared And Ivanka PR Machine

Discussion: Raw Story and Mediaite

Tegna / WXIA-TV:

Atlanta gym owner makes no apologies for ‘No Cops’ sign … A shocking and vulgar sign about police officers has been posted in front of a local business in Atlanta. The sign could be seen from the street with the curse word blurred out, but the message is clear: It says no cops allowed.

Discussion: Fox News, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, TheBlaze and CBS Dallas

Jane Mayer / New Yorker:

Has James O'Keefe Accidentally Stung Himself Again? — James O'Keefe III, the conservative activist famous for undercover stings, has dedicated his life to exposing the “misconduct” of others. But he's developed a side business in accidentally exposing his own.

Discussion: ThinkProgress and Raw Story

National Enquirer:

Trump Advisor Sex Scandal — Paul Manafort's Sick Affair — Target in FBI-Russia probe also cheated with woman half his age!

Discussion: Raw Story

John Crudele / New York Post:

There's something unusual about the job growth numbers — MORE FROM: … Job growth was decent in July — the fourth straight month of just-OK results on that front, which probably led to high fives at the White House. — But there's something unusual in the numbers.

Ashley Killough / CNN:

White House official goes after McConnell over ‘excessive expectations’ comment — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — (CNN)A close aide to President Donald Trump hit back Wednesday against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, exhibiting further tension between the White House and Congress …

Discussion: Courier-Journal, Associated Press, Vox, Business Insider and Joe.My.God.

The Daily Beast:

Pentagon to Bannon's Blackwater Buddy Erik Prince: GTFO … Erik Prince made a windfall convincing the State Department, military and CIA to hire his mercenary firm, Blackwater. But this time, his plan to win Afghanistan through a new infusion of guns-for-hire has few customers.

Discussion: The Atlantic, Washington Post, Raw Story and ThinkProgress

Tatiana Siegel / Hollywood Reporter:

Conservative Koch Brothers Are Secret Investors in ‘Wonder Woman’ (Exclusive) — Steven Mnuchin brought in the right-wing power brokers, as well as Bill Gates, to help fund such Hollywood projects as ‘Dunkirk’ and Steven Spielberg's upcoming ‘Ready Player One.’

Discussion: Business Insider, The Week and Washington Free Beacon

Michael Gartland / New York Post:

Emails reveal de Blasio bullies his staffers — Mayor de Blasio is an imperious bully of a boss who threatens his underlings with dire punishment if they fail to meet his demands, emails obtained by The Post reveal. — “What do I need to get you guys to follow a direct order?

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Front Page Magazine, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Gizmodo and Mediaite

Daniel Squadron / New York Daily News:

Why I'm leaving the N.Y. Senate — On election night 2008, as our taxi crept through Times Square's spontaneous celebration, my fiance and I whooped out the window. We were inspired by Barack Obama's election and excited about my own. I had defeated a 30-year incumbent to become …

Discussion: CBS New York, Capitol Confidential and Gothamist

Henry J. Gomez / BuzzFeed:

The Confederate Flag Fight Is Back — Then-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at the July 2015 bill signing that removed the Confederate flag from Statehouse grounds. — Sean Rayford / Getty Images — Two years ago last month, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley pulled down the Confederate flag …

James Kirchick / Los Angeles Times:

Op-Ed Who are you calling a ‘warmonger’? — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks in Baltimore on June 5. (Patrick Semansky / Associated Press) — Do you believe that economic sanctions are necessary to prevent the Iranian government from obtaining nuclear weapons?