Top Items:
Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:
Kelly emotionally defends Trump's call to military widow — White House chief of staff John Kelly on Thursday forcefully and emotionally defended President Donald Trump's call to the widow of a U.S. soldier recently killed in Niger, accusing a Florida congresswoman of being “selfish” …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Vox, Shareblue Media, TheBlaze, IJR, Task & Purpose, Washington Free Beacon, Business Insider, Fox News Insider, The Daily Caller, WPLG-TV, Daily Wire, Mediaite, NPR, twitchy.com, Weekly Standard, The Root, France 24, Media Matters for America, Slate and The Hill
RELATED:
Michael D. Shear / New York Times:
Kelly Speaks About Son's Death and Criticizes Congresswoman Wilson — WASHINGTON — John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, delivered an emotional, personal defense of President Trump's call this week to the widow of a slain soldier, describing the trauma of learning about his own son's death …
Discussion:
The Atlantic
Tom Vanden Brook / USA Today:
Trump's treatment of families of the fallen ‘sickens’ Chuck Hagel — WASHINGTON — President Trump's treatment of families of fallen troops “sickens” former Defense secretary Chuck Hagel, who labeled his recent calls and other statements “beneath the dignity of the presidency.”
Marc Caputo / Politico:
Florida Democrat calls Niger ambush 'Trump's Benghazi' — The Florida Democratic congresswoman who clashed with President Donald Trump over his call to the widow of a soldier killed in an ambush in Niger wants Congress to investigate what she's calling “Mr. Trump's Benghazi.”
CNN:
What we know and don't know about the deadly Niger attack
What we know and don't know about the deadly Niger attack
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, The Hill, IJR, Axios, Daily Kos and Daily Wire
Bill Palmer / Palmer Report:
Donald Trump's Niger scandal just turned into a (real) Benghazi scandal
Donald Trump's Niger scandal just turned into a (real) Benghazi scandal
Discussion:
CANNONFIRE
Ashley Killough / CNN:
McCain: Administration not being up front about Niger attack
McCain: Administration not being up front about Niger attack
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, TIME, The Independent, KTLA, IJR, AOL, Mediaite, ABC News and New York Magazine
John Haltiwanger / Newsweek:
IS NIGER TRUMP'S BENGHAZI? FOUR U.S. SOLDIERS DIED AND IT TOOK HIM 12 DAYS TO RESPOND
IS NIGER TRUMP'S BENGHAZI? FOUR U.S. SOLDIERS DIED AND IT TOOK HIM 12 DAYS TO RESPOND
Discussion:
CBS News and Jamie Dupree - PBP
Chris Cillizza / CNN:
Donald Trump just suggested the FBI, Democrats and Russia might all be co-conspirators
Donald Trump just suggested the FBI, Democrats and Russia might all be co-conspirators
Discussion:
The Federalist, RedState, News, East Bay Express, emptywheel, Politicus USA, IJR and Political Wire
Jacqueline Thomsen / The Hill:
Dem rep threatened after sharing account of Trump's call to soldier's widow: report
Dem rep threatened after sharing account of Trump's call to soldier's widow: report
Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
George W. Bush's unmistakable takedown of Trumpism — and Trump — For the past nine years, George W. Bush has largely stayed out of presidential politics; he declined to criticize his successor, Barack Obama, and he chose not to endorse but largely ignored President Trump.
Discussion:
Slate, Little Green Footballs, Towleroad and Washington Free Beacon
RELATED:
Politico:
Full text: George W. Bush speech on Trumpism — Below is a transcript of George W. Bush's speech delivered Oct. 19, 2017 at the at the “Spirit of Liberty: At Home, In The World” event in New York. — Thank you all. Thank you. Ok, Padilla gracias. So, I painted Ramon. I wish you were still standing here.
Discussion:
Vox, ABC News, Mother Jones and TheBlaze
Edward-Isaac Dovere / Politico:
George W. Bush slams Trumpism, without mentioning president by name — Former President George W. Bush offered an unmistakable denunciation of Trumpism on Thursday without mentioning the president by name, urging citizens to oppose threats to American democracy. — “Bigotry seems emboldened.
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog and New York Magazine
Arlette Saenz / ABC News:
Bush blasts bigotry and white supremacy, says US politics ‘vulnerable’ to ‘outright fabrication’
Peter Baker / New York Times:
Without Saying ‘Trump,’ George W. Bush Delivers an Implicit Rebuke
Without Saying ‘Trump,’ George W. Bush Delivers an Implicit Rebuke
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
Jodi Kantor / New York Times:
Tarantino on Weinstein: ‘I Knew Enough to Do More Than I Did’ — Quentin Tarantino, the Hollywood director most closely tied to Harvey Weinstein, has known for decades about the producer's alleged misconduct toward women and now feels ashamed he did not take a stronger stand and stop working with him, he said in an interview.
Discussion:
The Nation, AOL, The Ringer, People.com and Page Six
RELATED:
Los Angeles Times:
LAPD investigating Harvey Weinstein after a woman in L.A. accuses him of rape — Los Angeles police are investigating new allegations against Harvey Weinstein after an Italian model-actress reported that the producer sexually assaulted her in 2013. (Al Powers / Associated Press)
Amy Kaufman / Los Angeles Times:
Harvey Weinstein is done. But what about Lisa Bloom?
Harvey Weinstein is done. But what about Lisa Bloom?
Discussion:
Power Line
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Trump is thrashing around in a straitjacket of GOP lies — THE MORNING PLUM: — It is common enough for lawmakers to set policy goals and devise talking points that are designed to build a case for them. But in the battle over President Trump's ongoing sabotage of Obamacare …
Discussion:
Politico, ThinkProgress, New York Magazine, USA Today, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, New York Times, CNN, Mediaite and CNBC
RELATED:
Jennifer Haberkorn / Politico:
GOP to Trump: Stop flip-flopping on Obamacare deal — Key Senate Republicans are urgently trying to get President Donald Trump to reconsider his apparent opposition to a bipartisan deal shoring up health insurance markets, several senators said Thursday morning.
Discussion:
ABC News, Axios, Political Wire and Business Insider
New York Times:
Senators Demand Online Ad Disclosures as Tech Lobby Mobilizes — WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain and two Democratic senators will move on Thursday to force Facebook, Google and other internet companies to disclose who is purchasing online political advertising, after revelations …
Discussion:
Recode, Vox, Quartz, mccain.senate.gov, Hit & Run, Feeds, Mashable and Politico, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Playboy:
Meet Your November 2017 Playmate, Ines Rau — To the astute playboy reader, and to anyone who keeps tabs on the fashion world, Ines Rau may look familiar. In addition to commanding couture runways, appearing in Vogue Italia and starring in a Balmain campaign, Ines has graced these pages before …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, NewsBusters and Full Feed
Josh Dawsey / Politico:
Trump leaning toward Powell for Fed chair, officials say — Powell has been heavily favored by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who is leading the search. — Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell is the leading candidate to become the chair of the U.S. central bank …
Brian Beutler / Crooked Media:
LEAKED MEMO REVEALS WHITE HOUSE WISH LIST — Since federal courts first enjoined President Donald Trump's Muslim travel ban, lawyers for his administration have been at pains to insist that anti-Muslim animus is not a driving force of policymaking in his government.
Discussion:
The American Conservative, CNN and FOX6Now.com
Kieran Nicholson / Denver Post:
A Cub Scout questioned a Colorado state senator at a meeting. Now he's been kicked out of his den. — Sen. Vicki Marble spoke to Broomfield scouts last week — A Cub Scout in Broomfield has been kicked out of his den, allegedly for asking pointed questions of a Colorado state senator at meeting organized by the Boy Scouts.
Discussion:
bizpacreview.com and Raw Story
Charles M. Blow / New York Times:
Trump Isn't Hitler. But the Lying ... It is a commonly accepted rule among those who are in the business of argument, especially online, that he or she who invokes Adolf Hitler, either in oratory or essays, automatically forfeits the argument. — The reference is deemed far too extreme …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Daily Wire, Towleroad and twitchy.com
The Tyee:
Never Mind Trump: Worry About His Supporters — Nuclear war has moved from unthinkable to possible — and Trump's political army thinks that's fine. — If you were born after, say, 1980, you are too young to remember the years of dread provoked by nuclear weapons.
Eric Levenson / CNN:
Richard Spencer: Protesters heckle him at Univ. of Florida talk — (CNN)Protesters greeted white supremacist Richard Spencer with boos and chants during his speech Thursday afternoon at the University of Florida in Gainesville. — It was Spencer's first planned visit to a college campus since …
Discussion:
Washington Post, USA Today, Business Insider, US News, Vox, FOX59, The Root and fox8.com
New York Times:
Signaling Frustration, Senior House Republican Plans to Quit Early — In a sign of mounting frustration among Republicans in Washington, Representative Pat Tiberi of Ohio, a senior lawmaker with close ties to his party's leaders, is expected to resign and take up an executive post …
Adam Edelman / NBC News:
Brennan: Trump Aides May Need to Talk Him Out of War — Former CIA Director John Brennan, noting that President Donald Trump has escalated tensions with North Korea to a dangerous level, said Thursday that Cabinet members and other senior officials may need to step in as “governors” over the president to prevent war.
Discussion:
IJR
Alex Lubben / VICE News:
Hear Trump's judge pick admit he discriminates against gay people — President Donald Trump's nominee to become a district judge in Texas admitted that he discriminates based on sexual orientation. But he didn't think that should prevent him from serving on the federal bench. — “Guess what?
Niv Elis / The Hill:
Corker calls budget ‘a hoax’ — (R-Tenn.) lambasted the budgetary process ahead of a key vote Thursday, calling the Senate budget a hoax and saying that he would dismantle the Senate Budget Committee. — “The only thing about this that matters is preparation for the tax reform,” said Corker …
Discussion:
Politico, The Daily Caller and Raw Story
McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Russia-sponsored troll networks still operating, targeting America — WASHINGTON — The number of networks of Russian-sponsored trolls spreading propaganda to the United States and Europe may number in the hundreds, including the one team drawing wide attention for blitzing American social media outlets …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Andrew Kaczynski / CNN:
Trump pick for top environmental post called belief in global warming a ‘kind of paganism’ — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — (CNN)President Donald Trump's nominee to be the White House senior adviser for environmental policy in 2016 described the belief in “global warming” as a “kind of paganism” for “secular elites.”
Discussion:
Political Wire
Mark Joseph Stern / Slate:
Why rumors of a Gorsuch-Kagan clash at the Supreme Court are such a bombshell. — Following his nomination to the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch was packaged by his wealthy benefactors as the judicial equivalent of a carrot cake: mild and wholesome with the occasional hint of spice.
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money