memeorandum: Boris Johnson caught on camera reciting Kipling in Myanmar temple (Robert Booth/The Guardian)

9:30 PM ET, September 30, 2017

Top Items:

Trump called San Juan's mayor a weak leader. Here's what her leadership looks like. — When Hurricane Maria destroyed the infrastructure of Puerto Rico, the mayor of San Juan became the spokeswoman of a stranded people. — Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto told the world of the “horror” …

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

The Media Needs To Stop Rationalizing President Trump's Behavior — Whenever President Trump lashes out against someone or something in a way that defies traditional expectations for presidential behavior — for instance, his decision to criticize the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico …

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Times, Mediaite and Raw Story

James Fallows / The Atlantic:

From Donald Trump, a New Low — The purpose of my 152-installment Trump Time Capsule series during the 2016 campaign was to record, in real time, things Donald Trump said or did that were wholly outside the range for previous serious contenders for the White House.

Discussion: Hullabaloo

New York Times:

One Day in the Life of Battered Puerto Rico — 6 a.m. — Near Corozal — The sun rose Wednesday morning in the low mountains of north-central Puerto Rico, near the town of Corozal, to reveal the world that Hurricane Maria has made: shattered trees, traffic lights dangling precipitously …

Discussion: NBC News, emptywheel and New York Magazine

Mike Allen / Axios:

Trump's new feud — Three days before flying to Puerto Rico, President Trump this morning attacked the mayor of San Juan, the capital. Yesterday, the mayor took to TV to lash out at the administration for a disaster response that she said could come “close to a genocide” if logistics aren't figured out.

Discussion: Washington Post, IJR, Mediaite, Hullabaloo and Political Wire

Peter Baker / New York Times:
Trump Lashes Out at Puerto Rico Mayor Who Criticized Storm Response

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Raw Story, Refinery29, Daily Kos, The Mahablog, Outside the Beltway, CNN, Vox, ThinkProgress, The Hill and CNBC

NBC News:
Puerto Rico Crisis: San Juan Mayor Pleads for Federal Aid, Trump Hits Back

Discussion: NBC News, The Daily Caller, US News, Mediaite, IJR, Raw Story, CBS Dallas, Mother Jones, AOL, Chicago Tribune, Little Green Footballs, twitchy.com, The Week and Balloon Juice

Brandon Carter / The Hill:
Trump slams Puerto Rico: ‘They want everything to be done for them’

Discussion: Breitbart, neo-neocon, twitchy.com, No More Mister Nice Blog, RedState, Patterico's Pontifications, IJR, The Daily Caller, The Week and Politico

Juana Summers / CNN:
Trump attacks San Juan mayor over hurricane response

Michelle Ye Hee Lee / Washington Post:
Did President Trump add $33 million to Puerto Rico's debt by bankrupting a golf course there?

Discussion: Booman Tribune, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo and Washington Free Beacon

Brandon Carter / The Hill:
Trump: ‘Fake news’ is trying to ‘disparage’ first responders in Puerto Rico

Discussion: Mediaite, Vox, RedState, Talking Points Memo and Balloon Juice

David Nakamura / Washington Post:
On Twitter, Trump attacks mayor of San Juan for ‘poor leadership’ amid deepening crisis

Discussion: ABC News, CNN, The Hill, Mediaite, Splinter, IJR, The Guardian, ThinkProgress, Vox, The Daily Caller, Conservative News Today, twitchy.com, CBS New York, Mashable and Political Wire

David E. Sanger / New York Times:

U.S. in Direct Communication With North Korea, Says Tillerson — BEIJING — The Trump administration acknowledged on Saturday for the first time that it is in direct communication with the government of North Korea over its missile and nuclear tests. — “We are probing, so stay tuned,” …

Discussion: NPR, Daily Kos, New York Magazine, ABC News, Politico, Axios and The Week

Los Angeles Times:

Tillerson reveals U.S. is in direct contact with North Korea — U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson walks by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi before a meeting in Beijing on Sept. 30, 2017. (Andy Wong / Pool photo) — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged in Beijing on Saturday …

Nick Wadhams / Bloomberg:
U.S. Talking With North Korea on Nuclear Program, Tillerson Says

Discussion: The Week

Reuters:
U.S. ‘probing’ to see if North Korea interested in dialogue: Tillerson

Discussion: ThinkProgress and SARAH PALIN

Adam Coleman / Houston Chronicle:

Local high school football players kicked off team after protest during anthem — Two Victory & Praise Christian Academy football players were kicked off the team for protesting during the national anthem at a game Friday night. — Cedric Ingram-Lewis raised his fist while cousin Larry …

Discussion: Raw Story, AOL, The Daily Caller and Splinter

John Sexton / Hot Air:

Steven Crowder Infiltrates Antifa At Ben Shapiro Event — Wednesday I wrote about the far left's plans to disrupt a speech by Ben Shapiro at the University of Utah. What I didn't know is that YouTube host Steven Crowder and his producer had infiltrated a local Antifa group and captured …

Discussion: RedState

Dakota Smith / Los Angeles Times:

Garcetti is increasingly traveling outside California, raising eyebrows back in L.A. — L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and his wife, Amy Wakeland, arrive at the opening ceremony of the 131st International Olympic Committee Session in Lima, Peru, on Sept. 12. Some of Garcetti's travel over the last year …

Robert Booth / The Guardian:

Boris Johnson caught on camera reciting Kipling in Myanmar temple — Foreign secretary's impromptu recital of colonial-era poem was so embarrassing the UK ambassador was forced to stop him — The foreign secretary has been accused of “incredible insensitivity” after it emerged he recited part …

John Bowden / The Hill:

Ex-Medicare head says Trump ‘purposely’ raising insurance premiums — The former head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) under President Obama blamed President Trump on Friday for rising health-care premiums around the country. — Andy Slavitt, who was acting CMS administrator …

Jack Stubbs / Reuters:

Russian hacker wanted by U.S. tells court he worked for Putin's party — MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian hacker arrested in Spain on a U.S. warrant said on Thursday he previously worked for President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party and feared he would be tortured and killed if extradited, RIA news agency reported.