memeorandum: Trump Gives Mattis Wide Discretion Over Transgender Ban (New York Times)

7:10 AM ET, August 26, 2017

Top Items:

Mollie Hemingway / The Federalist:

Breaking: Sebastian Gorka Resigns From Trump Administration — Sebastian Gorka is resigning his post as Deputy Assistant to President Trump, multiple sources familiar with the situation have told The Federalist. — In a blunt resignation letter, the national security and counterterrorism …

New York Times:

Sebastian Gorka Is Forced Out as White House Adviser, Officials Say — Sebastian Gorka, an outspoken adviser to President Trump and lightning rod for controversy, has been forced out of his position at the White House, two administration officials said on Friday.

Discussion: Politico, The Guardian and The Last Refuge

Yahoo:

Sebastian Gorka, Bannon protégé, leaves White House post — WASHINGTON — Sebastian Gorka, the British-born deputy assistant to President Trump whose unsmiling, dark-bearded visage and plummy English accent made frequent appearances on political talk shows, left his post late Friday.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Mother Jones

Paul McLeod / BuzzFeed:
Trump Adviser Sebastian Gorka Exits The White House

Discussion: Weekly Standard and Daily Kos

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Sebastian Gorka, a fiery nationalist and Bannon ally, abruptly exits White House

Discussion: Raw Story

New York Times:

Trump Pardons Joe Arpaio, Who Became Face of Crackdown on Illegal Immigration — WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday pardoned Joe Arpaio, the former Arizona sheriff whose aggressive efforts to hunt down and detain undocumented immigrants made him a national symbol of the divisive politics …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Talking Points Memo, Hit & Run, The Daily Caller, Washington Post, Raw Story, Latino Rebels, ThinkProgress, Mediaite, TheBlaze, The Week, Media Matters for America and The Last Tradition

Philip Bump / Washington Post:

If he'll pardon Arpaio, why wouldn't Trump pardon those who ignore Robert Mueller? — That President Trump pardoned former Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio surprised no one who'd been paying attention. On Tuesday, he'd all but said that he was going to do so, soaking up the applause …

Adam Kelsey / ABC News:

Trump pardons controversial former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio — Controversial former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio was pardoned by President Donald Trump on Friday after being found guilty in July on criminal contempt charges stemming from his refusal to stop imprisoning suspected illegal immigrants.

Discussion: Joe.My.God. and Axios

Politico:

Trump pardons former Sheriff Arpaio — President Donald Trump pardoned former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Friday, according to a White House announcement. — The White House broke the news just after 8 p.m. and laid out the case for why the 85-year-old Arpaio …

Discussion: CBS Dallas, emptywheel, Raw Story, San Antonio Current, IJR, WCBD News 2 and Mediaite

Megan Cassidy / Arizona Republic:

President Donald Trump pardons former Sheriff Joe Arpaio … President Donald Trump has pardoned former Sheriff Joe Arpaio from his criminal contempt conviction, removing the only legal consequences the lawman faced stemming from a racial-profiling suit. — The White House announced …

Discussion: RedState, WND and Feeds

Abby Phillip / Washington Post:
Trump pardons controversial former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio

Discussion: Fox News and Power Line

Kaili Joy Gray / Shareblue:
Racist Trump pardons racist criminal Joe Arpaio in biggest gift to white supremacists yet

Discussion: Daily Kos and Axios

CNN:
Trump pardons former Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Discussion: Splinter, WREG-TV, Daily Wire, KTLA, Mashable, FOX2now.com, The Resurgent, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Mediaite

Shane Harris / Wall Street Journal:

Special Counsel Examines Possible Role Flynn Played in Seeking Clinton Emails From Hackers — Mueller probe of potential link between Trump campaign and Russia follows trail of GOP operative's correspondence — WASHINGTON—Special counsel Robert Mueller is examining what role, if any …

Discussion: Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Vox, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, Axios, Politicus USA, Daily Kos, Political Wire and Mediaite

NBC News:

Mueller Seeks Grand Jury Testimony from PR Execs Who Worked With Manafort — WASHINGTON — Special Counsel Robert Mueller issued grand jury subpoenas in recent days seeking testimony from public relations executives who worked on an international campaign organized by Paul Manafort …

Discussion: New York Magazine, The Atlantic, The Gateway Pundit, Talking Points Memo and Political Wire

ICE:

Joint statement from ICE and CBP regarding Hurricane Harvey — As Hurricane Harvey approaches the United States, the Governor of Texas has issued a State of Disaster declaration for 30 counties in Texas, and the Governor of Louisiana has declared a State of Emergency.

Discussion: The Intercept, cbp.gov, New Republic, San Antonio Current, Vox, The Daily Caller, Rewire, VICE News, ThinkProgress, Bloomberg and The Texas Tribune

New York Times:
Hurricane Harvey Makes Landfall Near Corpus Christi, Tex.

Discussion: CBS Dallas, NewsBusters, NPR, CBS New York, CNBC, Refinery29 and The Weather Channel

Michael D. Brown / The Hill:
OPINION | Michael Brown: Mr. President, don't let Hurricane Harvey be your Katrina

Discussion: Fox News Insider, ABC News and Media Matters for America

NBC News:

Trump Likely to End DACA Immigrant Program — WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump appears likely to pull the plug on DACA, the Obama-era program allowing young people who came to the U.S. illegally as children to remain here, several government officials said Friday.

Discussion: New York Magazine, Washington Free Beacon, The Gateway Pundit, VICE, Washington Post, Daily Kos and Mediaite

Jackson Landers / The Daily Beast:

Protesters Got Christopher Cantwell Arrested, Cops Didn't Even Try … CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia — Police did not seek the warrants that led to the arrest of white supremacist Christopher Cantwell this week, documents reviewed by The Daily Beast show. — Cantwell was booked …

Discussion: Splinter and Raw Story

The Hill:

Trump officially bans transgender people from military — President Trump signed a presidential memo Friday instructing the Defense Department to stop accepting transgender people who want to enroll in the military. — The memo details Trump's previous Twitter announcement last month …

Discussion: Washington Post, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Politico and RedState

Jeremy Diamond / CNN:
Trump signs directive banning transgender military recruits

Discussion: NPR, New York Magazine, The Daily Caller, Axios, Joe.My.God. and Deadline

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:
Trump Orders An End To Open Transgender Military Service In 2018

Discussion: Mother Jones, Mediaite, The Atlantic and VICE News

Jenna Lyons / San Francisco Chronicle:

Man facing charges from pro-Trump rally in Berkeley put in jail — A convicted felon charged with possession of a leaded stick allegedly used to hit counterprotesters during a pro-President Trump event in Berkeley this year was ordered jailed Friday and told to stay away from the site …

Discussion: Raw Story and Joe.My.God.

News, East Bay Express:
Kyle “Based Stickman” Chapman Jailed, Barred from Possessing Sticks and Other Weapons

Discussion: Gizmodo

Washington Post:

Trump considers backing away from Strange in heated Alabama Senate runoff … President Trump is considering backing away from Sen. Luther Strange in a heated Republican primary runoff in Alabama, according to multiple Republicans close to the White House, underscoring the deteriorating relationship between …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Politico

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

RNC approves anti-KKK resolution — after White House signoff — NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Republican National Committee on Friday unanimously approved a resolution condemning Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan, a move that comes just two weeks after President Donald Trump was widely criticized …

Discussion: Washington Post, Splinter and The Atlantic

Mike Lillis / The Hill:
GOP floats condemning Charlottesville violence

Discussion: Daily Kos and Joe.My.God.

Marin Independent Journal:

San Anselmo's San Domenico School creates stir by removing Catholic statues — Removal of a number of statues and other smaller Catholic icons from the campus of San Domenico School in San Anselmo has raised concerns among some parents. — In an email to the school's board of directors …

Discussion: Washington Times, Fox News, RedState, TheBlaze, neo-neocon, Weekly Standard, IJR, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Free Beacon and Daily Wire

Jeremy Berke / Business Insider:

Richard Spencer stayed at Trump's D.C. hotel while he planned the Charlottesville rally — Richard Spencer, a noted white nationalist and supporter of President Donald Trump, is one of many frequent guests at the new Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C., according to a New York Times report published Friday.

Discussion: New York Times and Joe.My.God.

Lachlan Markay / The Daily Beast:

Trump Saves Citgo, Repped by His Ex-Aides, From New Sanctions … The White House on Friday announced a new round of sanctions against Venezuela that explicitly exempt the U.S. arm of the country's state-owned oil company. That company, Citgo, donated six-figure sums to Trump's inauguration …

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Times, RedState and Daily Kos