memeorandum: Can a President Obstruct Justice? (Wall Street Journal)

9:45 AM ET, December 11, 2017

Top Items:

Suspected bomber in custody after explosion at Port Authority — A suicide bomber set off a device at the Port Authority bus terminal Monday morning, law enforcement sources said. — The suspected bomber - who had wires attached to him - was armed with a pipe bomb and a battery pack, sources said.

Discussion: RedState, New York's PIX11, Power Line, The Guardian, Hollywood Life, Raw Story, NPR, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Week and TheBlaze

New York Times:

New York Explosion Empties Port Authority; Suspect Is in Custody — A peaceful beginning to the workweek was shattered Monday after an explosion rattled through one of the busiest transit hubs in New York City, causing the authorities to evacuate hundreds of commuters and throwing the morning into chaos.

Discussion: The Atlantic, Shakesville, FOX31 Denver and WHNT-TV

CBS News:

Explosion reported at Port Authority bus terminal in New York City - live updates — NEW YORK — The New York Police Department says it is responding to a report of an explosion near Times Square. — The response is centered in the area of the Port Authority bus terminal.

Discussion: Washington Post, abc7ny.com, Politico, CBS New York, CNBC, The Root, twitchy.com, The Daily Caller, Shot in the Dark, CBS Boston and Mediaite

Ashley Collman / Daily Mail:
BREAKING NEWS - ‘Possible pipe bomb explodes’ at New York's Port Authority: Suspect 'wearing wires …

Discussion: New York Daily News, RedState and Scared Monkeys

Eliott C. McLaughlin / CNN:
New York explosion: 1 in custody after blast at Port Authority bus station

Discussion: Hollywood Life

Andrew Kaczynski / CNN:

Roy Moore in 2011: Getting rid of amendments after 10th would ‘eliminate many problems’ — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — (CNN)Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore appeared on a conspiracy-driven radio show twice in 2011, where he told the hosts in an interview that getting rid …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Hill, AOL, Splinter, Raw Story and Mediaite

Jeff Zeleny / CNN:

First on CNN: Obama tells Alabama voters to reject Roy Moore — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — (CNN)Former President Barack Obama is adding his voice to the Alabama Senate race, imploring voters to go to the polls Tuesday to reject the candidacy of Roy Moore as part of an aggressive effort by Democrats …

Discussion: Political Wire

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

How Trump came around to an accused child molester — Mitch McConnell had publicly disavowed Roy Moore when the Senate majority leader received one of several phone calls from President Donald Trump. McConnell wanted Trump's help to push Moore out of the Alabama Senate race after he'd been accused …

Discussion: The Hill, Weekly Standard, Raw Story and Mediaite

Charles M. Blow / New York Times:
Rise of the Roypublicans — If Alabama voters on Tuesday elect …

Discussion: al.com

Gabriel Debenedetti / Politico:
Did Roy Moore spend the final weekend of the campaign in Philly?

Discussion: Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, VICE News, New York Magazine, BuzzFeed, ABC News, Washington Monthly, The Daily Caller and The Montgomery Advertiser

Alexandra Jaffe / VICE News:
Trump should resign over sexual harassment allegations, Booker says

Discussion: Shareblue Media, theGrio, Business Insider, Splinter, New York Times, Roll Call and Washington Post

New York Times:
Liberal Outsiders Pour Into Alabama Senate Race, Treading Lightly

Discussion: CNN, No More Mister Nice Blog, New York Magazine, NBC News, CNBC, The Daily Caller, Balloon Juice, Washington Monthly, RedState, WHNT-TV, Daily Kos and The Week

NBC News:

18 crucial days: What did the president know and when did he know it? — WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert Mueller is trying to piece together what happened inside the White House over a critical 18-day period that began when senior officials were told that National Security Adviser Michael Flynn …

Discussion: Axios, The Week and Raw Story

Darren Samuelsohn / Politico:

As Russia probes progress, one name is missing: Bannon's — As special Russia counsel Robert Mueller wraps up interviews with senior current and former White House staff, one name has been conspicuously absent from public chatter surrounding the probe: Steve Bannon.

Daniel Lippman / Politico:
PUTIN in Syria — WSJ: Some will pay 100 percent marginal rate — WHERE IS ROY MOORE?

Discussion: Bloomberg

Irene Plagianos / Eater NY:

Mario Batali Steps Away From Restaurant Empire Following Sexual Misconduct Allegations — Four women accuse the chef of inappropriate touching in a pattern of behavior that spans at least two decades, according to dozens of Eater interviews — About 10 years ago, at the after-party …

Discussion: RedState, Hollywood Life, Splinter, Mediaite, AOL and The Week

Ryan Goodman / Just Security:

Why Conservatives Should Embrace Bob Mueller — Conservatives have strong reasons to embrace—rather than try to discredit—Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. An effort appears underway to damage the credibility of Mueller's team in anticipation that damning evidence may emerge …

Discussion: National Review

Albert R. Hunt / Bloomberg:
The Trump-Russia Probe Is About to Get Uglier

Discussion: CNN

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill: Schiff: Evidence of coordination between Trump campaign and Russia ‘pretty damning’

Richard Rubin / Wall Street Journal:

The Taxman Cometh: Senate Bill's Marginal Rates Could Top 100% for Some — Certain high-income business owners would face backwards incentives; lawmakers work to bridge gap — WASHINGTON—Some high-income business owners could face marginal tax rates exceeding 100% under the Senate's tax bill …

Discussion: Reuters, Althouse, The Week and Washington Post

Julia Ioffe / The Atlantic:

The Myth of Vladimir Putin the Puppet Master — I. The Hack — The large, sunny room at Volgograd State University smelled like its contents: 45 college students, all but one of them male, hunched over keyboards, whispering and quietly clacking away among empty cans of Juicy energy drink.

Discussion: Raw Story

Jack Cashill / American Thinker:

In 1990, when liberal journalists still had some sense of obligation to the truth, Michael Kelly wrote the following for GQ: … The incident above took place in 1985 at the restaurant La Brasserie in Washington, D.C., where Loh and Gavigilio both worked as waitresses.

Wall Street Journal:

Can a President Obstruct Justice? — Yes, but not by doing any of the things we know Trump to have done. — Speculation about Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation has turned toward obstruction of justice—specifically, whether President Trump can be criminally prosecuted …

Daniel W. Drezner / Washington Post:

Four thoughts on the story that almost broke the #ToddlerinChief thread — Regarding the sixty-source New York Times story confirming that the president has the emotional maturity of a four-year old. — The hard-working staff here at Spoiler Alerts has taken great pains to curate …

Discussion: Booman Tribune

Associated Press:

Pioneering black journalist Simeon Booker dies at age 99 — WASHINGTON (AP) — Simeon Booker, a trail-blazing African-American journalist and the first full-time black reporter at The Washington Post, died Sunday at the age of 99. — Booker died at an assisted-living community in Solomons …

Discussion: The Root

Emily Langer / Washington Post:
Simeon Booker, intrepid chronicler of civil rights struggle for Jet and Ebony, dies at 99

Discussion: The Week, NPR and NBC News, more at Mediagazer »

David / Latest from Crooks and Liars:

Trump UN Ambassador Nikki Haley Wishes Jewish Host Jake Tapper A ‘Merry Christmas’ — One of the Trump administration's top diplomats, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, wished CNN host Jake Tapper a “Merry Christmas” on Sunday — even though he is Jewish. — At the end of an interview with Haley …

Discussion: RedState and twitchy.com