memeorandum: The Upstart Saudi Prince Who's Throwing Caution to the Winds (New York Times)

1:40 PM ET, November 15, 2017

Top Items:

Fox News's Shepard Smith debunks his network's favorite Hillary Clinton ‘scandal,’ infuriates viewers — Fox News anchor Shepard Smith debunked what his own network has called the Hillary Clinton uranium “scandal,” infuriating Fox viewers, some of whom suggested that he ought to work for CNN or MSNBC.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Associated Press, Raw Story, Mediaite, Business Insider, Shareblue Media, bizpacreview.com, Joe.My.God. and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

Jonah Goldberg / National Review:

Good for Shep Smith — I was going to do this as a column for tomorrow, but since Shep beat me to the punch I'll do it as a Corner post. Shep is right. The Uranium One story is crap. — Now let me say that I have no problem believing that Hillary Clinton sold influence or the appearance of influence.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Politico

Alvin Chang / Vox:
Sean Hannity has become the media's top conspiracy theorist

Discussion: Hit & Run, IJR, Washington Post and Bangor Daily News, more at Mediagazer »

Samantha Schmidt / Washington Post:
Even Sean Hannity has had it with Roy Moore, gives candidate 24 hours to explain ‘inconsistencies’

Discussion: HuffPost, American Prospect, The Daily Beast and Balloon Juice

Matthew Yglesias / Vox:

Bill Clinton should have resigned — What he did to Monica Lewinsky was wrong, and he should have paid the price. — Many years ago, when I was a high school student making my first visit to Washington for a two-week summer camp for weird politics dorks, the dominant news story …

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon and THE WARREN (HENRY) REPORT

David Harsanyi / The Federalist:
Liberals' Sudden Concern About Bill Clinton's Behavior Is Cynical And Self-Serving

Discussion: Power Line, Fox News, New York Post, twitchy.com, Weekly Standard and Mediaite

Jeff Greenfield / Politico:
How Roy Moore's Misdeeds Are Forcing an Awakening on the Left

Discussion: Althouse, Washington Free Beacon, twitchy.com and Axios

Jim Geraghty / National Review: Kennedy, Clinton, and Weinstein: A Convenient Reckoning

Bill Riales / WKRG-TV:

LISTEN: Curious Robocall Seeks ‘Damaging’ Information on Moore — UPDATE 3:31 p.m. (WKRG) — The Executive Editor, Marty Baron, of the Washington Post released the following statement: — “The Post has just learned that at least one person in Alabama has received a call from someone falsely claiming to be from The Washington Post.

Steve Deace:

Judge Roy Moore initiates first legal action against media for defamation, starting with local outlet Alabama Media Group. — UPDATE....similar version of this letter also sent to Washington Post.

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, IJR, The Resurgent and The Gateway Pundit

Brandon Carter / The Hill:

Limbaugh: Moore was a Democrat at time of sexual misconduct allegations — Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh on Tuesday criticized Republicans for distancing themselves from Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore, while saying that Moore was a Democrat at the time he allegedly engaged in sexual misconduct with teenage girls.

Discussion: dailyrushbo.com, RedState and The Rush Limbaugh Show

Brandy Zadrozny / The Daily Beast:

‘Unsafe and Just Plain Dirty’: Women Accuse Vice of ‘Toxic’ Sexual-Harassment Culture … In the summer of 2015, Phoebe Barghouty was 23 years old and had a new master's degree in journalism from Stanford—but little other experience—when she landed what most of her peers would consider a dream job …

Discussion: Axios, The Daily Caller and Page Six

Jonathan Cohn / HuffPost:

The GOP Tax Cut Plan Opens A New Front In The War On Obamacare — Among the casualties: Millions of Americans who wouldn't have health insurance. — Here we are again, talking about a Republican proposal that would rattle health insurance markets, increase overall premiums …

Discussion: CNBC, Business Insider, The United States …, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Refinery29

Sam Baker / Axios:
The GOP makes another run at repealing the individual mandate

Discussion: Politico, RedState and Associated Press

Alan Rappeport / New York Times:
Republicans May Target Entitlement Programs to Reduce Deficit

Discussion: Daily Kos

Steven Shepard / Politico:

Poll: Biden leads Trump in prospective 2020 matchup — Former Vice President Joe Biden would lead President Donald Trump in a 2020 general election, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll. — Only 35 percent of voters would choose to reelect Trump in 2020, the poll shows …

Discussion: AOL, TheBlaze, IJR and Business Insider

Eli Yokley / Morning Consult:
Biden Would Beat Trump if 2020 Election Were Held Right Now

Discussion: Vox

New York Times:

Zimbabwe's Military, in Apparent Takeover, Says It Has Custody of Mugabe — HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe's military said early Wednesday that it had taken custody of President Robert Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state and one of Africa's longest-serving leaders, in what increasingly appeared …

Discussion: Townhall.com and twitchy.com

Jason Burke / The Guardian:
Robert Mugabe in detention after military takes control of Zimbabwe

Discussion: RedState, The Root, Business Insider, VICE News and France 24

Randy Krehbiel Tulsa / Tulsa World:

Democrat pulls off special election victory for Senate seat in west Tulsa County — A year ago, Democrats threw $200,000 and a first-tier candidate at Senate District 37, trying to unseat incumbent Republican Dan Newberry. — They lost the conservative west Tulsa County district by 15 percentage points.

Discussion: Daily Kos and Shareblue Media

Associated Press:
Democrats add to win column in deep-red Oklahoma

Discussion: Washington Blade and Balloon Juice

Kyle Swenson / Washington Post:

His brother died mysteriously when they were toddlers. Years later, a Facebook photo changed everything. — It was an old photo, the original sharp black and white tones worn down into the same muddy gray as television static. — The young man, David Dearlove, sits against a brick wall …

Discussion: Telegraph

Bethany Mandel / New York Times:

Roy Moore Reminds Me of My Rabbi — In 2014, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Rabbi Barry Freundel led the congregation of his Washington synagogue in pursuit of humble repentance before God. Ten days later, he was arrested and charged with dozens of counts of voyeurism.

Discussion: Snopes.com

Joe Concha / The Hill:

Fox's Cavuto: I won't have Trump on my show — Neil Cavuto said he's “just not interested” in interviewing President Trump on his Fox News or Fox Business weekday programs, stating that sitting down with the former real estate mogul “probably would not add” value.

Discussion: IJR and Washington Times

Judy Kurtz / The Hill:

Porn star, Coolio launching 2020 White House bid — A porn star and a rapper say they have what it takes to win the White House in 2020. — Cherie DeVille, who's starred in such videos as “Ass Planet” and “Hot Tub Hottie,” says she was inspired to run for office out of her “personal frustration for the current political climate.”

Discussion: RedState

James Hohmann / Washington Post:

The Daily 202: Inside Scott Walker's comeback strategy — (Matthew DeFour/Wisconsin State Journal/AP) — THE BIG IDEA: — GREEN BAY, Wis. — Scott Walker hit political rock bottom in September 2015, soon after his presidential campaign flamed out. It was depressing to be one of the first candidates …

Discussion: Althouse and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Ruth Maclean / The Guardian:

A swarm of motorbikes, then heavy fire: testimony sheds new light on Niger attack — According to locals, ambushed US special forces faced overwhelming, sustained attack from militants - and Nigerien authorities failed to react when alerted … ew details of the attack in which four US special forces …

Discussion: Shareblue Media

Julian Borger / The Guardian:

Christopher Steele believes his dossier on Trump-Russia is 70-90% accurate — The respected ex-MI6 officer told Guardian journalist and author Luke Harding that his FBI contacts greeted his intelligence report with ‘shock and horror’ … Christopher Steele, the former British intelligence officer …

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Politicus USA

Jessie Hellmann / The Hill:

Nearly 1.5 million sign up for ObamaCare in first 11 days — Nearly 1.5 million people signed up for ObamaCare in the first 11 days of open enrollment, nearly 500,000 more than at the same time last year. — According to numbers released Wednesday by the Trump administration …

Discussion: Politico

US Food and Drug Administration:

Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. on FDA advisory about deadly risks associated with kratom — For Immediate Release — The FDA has issued a public health advisory related to mounting concerns regarding risks associated with the use of kratom.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, AOL, CNBC, NPR, WQAD-TV, The Verge, Hit & Run, CBS Boston, Snopes.com and STAT

David Rutz / Washington Free Beacon:

Leahy Berates Federal Judicial Nominee Over Joke Tweet About Marrying Bacon — Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy (Vt.) on Wednesday grilled Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett over a tweet he sent in 2015 saying he would support a constitutional right to “marry bacon.”

Discussion: RedState, Business Insider and twitchy.com

Rafael Bernal / The Hill:

Judge rules DOJ can't withhold money from Philadelphia over ‘sanctuary city’ policies — A federal judge in Philadelphia ruled Wednesday against the Trump administration's policy of withholding law enforcement grants from so-called “sanctuary cities,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Discussion: Philly.com

Rick Stengel / Politico:

What Hillary Knew About Putin's Propaganda Machine — I was a magazine guy. — After eight years as managing editor of Time, I left at the end of 2013 to become under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs. It's a fancy title, but that job is one of the few …

Alayna Treene / Axios:

Richard Cordray is leaving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Richard Cordray, the Obama-appointed director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), said in an email to employees Wednesday that he will step down at the end of the month. The move comes amid speculation …

Discussion: Politico

Meghan Tribe / The American Lawyer:

Gordon Rees Partner Leaves Management After ‘Hannity’ Appearance — Mercedes Colwin, a litigator at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, has stepped down from her role as managing partner of the firm's New York office following her controversial appearance in a segment that aired last week on Fox News.

Discussion: TVNewser and Above the Law

Cleve R. Wootson Jr. / Washington Post:

‘Who are they gonna believe you or me?’: Texas prosecutor fired after drunken Uber tirade — In what is probably Exhibit A for a one-star passenger rating, a Dallas assistant district attorney was fired after she drunkenly insulted and threatened an Uber driver, then said police officers …

Discussion: Hit & Run, Dallas Morning News, ABC News, The Daily Caller, WCTX-TV and TheBlaze