memeorandum: Puerto Ricans still waiting for aid a week after Maria's devastation (Nicole Chavez/CNN)

12:05 PM ET, September 27, 2017

Top Items:

Mike Allen / Axios:

Trump, at war with everyone, mocks McCain, McConnell — In private, President Trump has taken to physically mocking M&M: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (slumped shoulders; lethargic body language) and Sen. John McCain (imitating the thumbs-down of his historic health-care vote).

Discussion: Politicus USA, Talking Points Memo, FIREHOUSE Strategies, IJR, Business Insider, Political Wire, The Week, Joe.My.God., Mediaite, Raw Story, AOL and Washington Post

Jonathan Bernstein / Bloomberg:

How Roy Moore's Win Roils Republicans — Jonathan Bernstein's morning links. — There are three big reasons why Roy Moore's defeat of President Donald Trump-endorsed Senator Luther Strange in the Alabama Republican primary on Tuesday matters. — RIP, Trump's Magic: Sure …

Discussion: LegBranch.com

CNN:

Trump infuriated after backing Alabama loser — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — (CNN)Returning from a high-dollar fundraiser in Manhattan on Tuesday evening, an infuriated President Donald Trump watched aboard Air Force One as Fox News called the Alabama Senate primary for Roy Moore against Trump's favored candidate, Luther Strange.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Slate, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, Mediaite, Joe.My.God. and Washington Times

Robert Costa / Washington Post:

After Alabama, GOP anti-establishment wing declares all-out war in 2018 — Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore spoke Sunday at a campaign rally in Fairhope, Ala. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) — The stunning defeat of President Trump's chosen Senate candidate in Alabama on Tuesday amounted …

Discussion: New York Magazine, Politico, The Hill, Vox, The Atlantic, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, ABC News, No More Mister Nice Blog, Althouse, Axios, Mickey Kaus, The Daily Beast and Washington Monthly

Russell Goldman / New York Times:

Trump Deletes Tweets Supporting Luther Strange — After enthusiastically endorsing an Alabama senator's campaign for re-election, President Trump distanced himself on Tuesday night from the candidate's loss in the most Trumpian way possible: He deleted his supportive tweets.

Discussion: Vox, Washington Post, Jezebel, Gizmodo, CNN, IJR, WIAT-TV, The Daily Signal, The Daily Caller, Talking Points Memo, Political Wire, Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite and BuzzFeed

Ed Rogers / Washington Post:
Roy Moore's win is bad for Alabama, and even worse for the GOP

Discussion: CNN, Balloon Juice and TheBlaze

Mike Allen / Axios:
Mitch McConnell's epic losing streak

Discussion: Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, New York Times, rubber hose, ThinkProgress, Balloon Juice, The Last Tradition, Shareblue and Outside the Beltway

New York Times:
Roy Moore Wins Senate G.O.P. Runoff in Alabama

Discussion: Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, Common Dreams, IJR, The Last Tradition, Political Wire and Vox

Jordan Gehrke:
Alabama Senate Memo: Return of the Civil War and the Fall of Mitch McConnell

Discussion: BuzzFeed, THE WARREN (HENRY) REPORT and The Federalist

Josh Dawsey / Politico:
Mitch McConnell's dreadful day

Discussion: Washington Post and Daily Kos

New York Times:
Alabama Election Results: Roy Moore Advances in Race for U.S. Senate Seat

Discussion: USA Today, New York Magazine, Washington Post, Weekly Standard, Above the Law, Splinter, Real Clear Politics, Daily Kos, The Atlantic and Joe.My.God.

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Moore's win spells trouble for GOP establishment in 2018

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Washington Post and Splinter

Jacqueline Thomsen / The Hill:
Trump deletes tweets backing Strange after primary loss

Discussion: Washington Post, Vox, CNN, Breitbart, RedState, Mother Jones, BillMoyers.com, Rewire, CNBC, Axios, ABC News, Lawyers, Guns & Money, IJR, Fox News Insider, NBC News, Mediaite, Mashable, Engadget, Washington Free Beacon, The Week, Joe.My.God. and The Daily Caller

Washington Post:

GOP tax document reveals plan for massive tax cuts, preserves key deductions — Republicans on Wednesday will propose slashing tax rates for the wealthy, middle class and businesses, while also preserving popular tax deductions that encourage buying homes and giving to charity …

Discussion: Common Dreams

Josh Barro / Business Insider:

The ‘doubled standard deduction’ in the GOP tax plan is a lie — In selling their soon-to-be-released tax plan, Republicans have been leaning hard on what they say is a provision to cut and simplify taxes for the middle class: Doubling the standard deduction that income tax payers may take.

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, AOL, Eschaton and Axios

Jonathan Swan / Axios:
Here's the GOP tax plan

Discussion: RedState and Business Insider

Dan Primack / Axios:
GOP tax plan cuts corporate interest deductibility

Discussion: Politico

Associated Press:
Trump, GOP tax plan cuts rates, nearly doubles deduction

Discussion: ABC News and Axios

Bloomberg:
Trump Will Let Congress Decide on Tax Rate for Top Earners

Discussion: ThinkProgress and New York Magazine

Timothy Gardner / Reuters:

U.S. denies request for Puerto Rico shipping waiver — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Tuesday denied a request to waive shipping restrictions to help get fuel and supplies to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico, saying it would do nothing to address the island's main impediment to shipping, damaged ports.

Discussion: New York Times, Axios, The Hill, Daily Kos, Washington Post, mccain.senate.gov, DCReport.org, Honolulu Civil Beat, The Week and rubber hose

Dan Lamothe / Washington Post:
Clinton pressed Trump to deploy hospital ship Comfort to Puerto Rico. Now it's preparing to go.

Discussion: Shareblue, Mother Jones, IJR, ABC News, Grist, TalkLeft, Vox, The Daily Caller, Jezebel, The Atlantic, twitchy.com, CNN and Washington Free Beacon

Wall Street Journal:
Second-Class Puerto Rico

Discussion: Business Insider and Cafe Hayek

Megan Cerullo / New York Daily News:
Pitbull sends private plane to Puerto Rico to bring cancer patients to U.S. for chemo

Discussion: WFLA-TV, KFOR-TV and The Root

Nicole Chavez / CNN: Puerto Ricans still waiting for aid a week after Maria's devastation

Clarice Silber / Associated Press:

Famous fake news writer found dead outside Phoenix — https://apnews.com/dc0728173537459b9a1e 38009dd5c4b5 — Link copied! — PHOENIX (AP) — A leading purveyor of fake news in the 2016 presidential election has died outside Phoenix at the age of 38. — Maricopa County Sheriff's …

Discussion: Politico, Gizmodo, The Week and Joe.My.God., more at Mediagazer »

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:

Fake news writer in 2016 presidential election found dead — A political fake news writer who previously said he felt responsible for President Trump's election win has died near Phoenix, police said Tuesday. — Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spokesman Mark Casey told The Associated Press …

Discussion: RedState and IJR

John DiStaso / WMUR:

Upset: Democrat flips NH House seat in 2-1 GOP district — Kari Lerner of Chester defeats former Rep. James Headd of Auburn — CONCORD, N.H. — Democrat Kari Lerner of Chester pulled off a surprising upset win in a Rockingham County special New Hampshire House election Tuesday …

Discussion: Shareblue and Rewire

David Smiley / miamiherald: Taddeo wins as Democrats pick up Florida Senate seat

NBC News:
Millennial Poll: Democrats Can't Take Their Vote for Granted

Discussion: IJR and NBC News

Chris Kahn / Reuters:

A majority of adults disagree with Trump on firing athletes who kneel during anthem: Reuters/Ipsos poll — NEW YORK (Reuters) - A majority of Americans disagree with President Donald Trump's assertion that football players should be fired for kneeling during the national anthem …

Discussion: The Daily Caller and AOL

Wall Street Journal:
DirecTV Allows Some NFL Refunds After Anthem Controversy

Ashley Feinberg / Wired:

Jared Kushner Voted As a Woman, According to His Registration — SINCE MOVING INTO the White House months ago, Jared Kushner—senior advisor and son-in-law to the President, savior of the Middle East, and possible person of interest in a federal investigation—has amassed a rather extensive project portfolio.

Discussion: The Hill, Raw Story and The Week

Sarah K. Burris / Raw Story:

Fire chief who called Mike Tomlin a ‘n**ger’ resigns — and blames the media for making him look racist — Washington County fire chief Paul Smith has resigned in wake of his use of a racial slur to refer to Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. — “The media dragged my fire company …

Discussion: USA Today, The Root, FOX6Now.com, CBS Denver, Hullabaloo, CBS Pittsburgh and Deadspin

Jemele Hill / The Undefeated:

Jemele Hill on doing the right thing — A lesson from her grandmother: Be better. No matter what. — I don't remember exactly how old I was, but let's just say I was 11. — I was spending the night at my grandmother's house with a couple of my close friends. And they had an idea.

Discussion: IJR and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

Dino Grandoni / Washington Post:

The Energy 202: Trump's hiring freeze shrunk National Weather Service staff before hurricanes hit — THE LIGHTBULB — Ahead of what would turn out to be a potentially record-breaking hurricane season, the National Weather Service had 216 vacant positions it could not fill due …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Raw Story, Mediaite and Splinter

Julianna Goldman / CBS News:
3 Cabinet officials under fire for taking costly flights

Discussion: ThinkProgress, MSNBC and Washington Post

Los Angeles Times:

Scuffles break out during far-right march in Berkeley; at least 3 arrested — Police deal with protesters Tuesday in Berkeley. (Benjamin Oreskes / Los Angeles Times) — Far-right activist Joey Gibson, who planned and canceled a much-hyped rally at San Francisco's Crissy Field …

Discussion: Fox News, MichelleMalkin.com, The Daily Caller and Daily Wire

Rachana Pradhan / Politico:

Price's private-jet travels included visits with colleagues, lunch with son — Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price took a government-funded private jet in August to get to St. Simons Island, an exclusive Georgia resort where he and his wife own land, a day and a half before he addressed …

Discussion: Daily Kos, AOL, ACA Signups, Weekly Standard, New York Magazine, baker, The Week, Raw Story, Axios, Talking Points Memo and Political Wire

Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:

Head of Drug Enforcement Administration to Leave, Alluding to Dismay Over Trump — WASHINGTON — The acting head of the Drug Enforcement Administration will resign at the end of the week, according to law enforcement officials, who said he had become convinced that President Trump had little respect for the law.

Discussion: Shakesville, The Daily Caller, Politico, New York Magazine, The Root, Washington Post, NBC News, The Week, CNBC, Mediaite, Mother Jones, Politicus USA and Washington Free Beacon

Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:

Rolling Stone 's Sales Pitch to Investors: Go Monthly, Slash Editorial Budget, Pivot to Video — Jann Wenner and his millennial son capitulate to magazine reality. — Last week, Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner put his iconic magazine on the market, a decision that represents …

more at Mediagazer »

Politico:

Trump's most (and least) popular cabinet members — NEW POLITICO/MORNING CONSULT POLL — MOST POPULAR CABINET MEMBERS: Defense Secretary James Mattis topped the list of Trump's most popular advisers with a 40%favorable rating (+20% net favorable), according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll.