memeorandum: Kakistocracy, a 374-year-old word that means ‘government by the worst,’ just broke the dictionary (Avi Selk/Washington Post)

12:15 PM ET, April 14, 2018

Top Items:

U.S., Britain and France Strike Syria Over Suspected Chemical Weapons Attack — WASHINGTON — The United States and European allies launched airstrikes on Friday night against Syrian research, storage and military targets as President Trump sought to punish President Bashar al-Assad …

Laila Bassam / Reuters:

Pro-Assad official says targeted bases were evacuated on Russian warning — BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian government and its allies have absorbed a U.S.-led attack on Saturday and the targeted sites were evacuated days ago thanks to a warning from Russia, a senior official in a regional alliance that backs Damascus said.

Discussion: RedState

Jacqueline Thomsen / The Hill:

Trump supporters slam decision to launch strikes against Syria — Prominent supporters of President Trump — are expressing skepticism over his decision to launch airstrikes against Syria, slamming the move as overly aggressive and unnecessary. — Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson …

Discussion: Politico, The Week and Joe.My.God.

Washington Post:

Damascus defiant as U.S. strikes prove more limited than feared … BEIRUT — Syria, Russia and Iran shrugged off strikes on Saturday by the United States and its allies against three Syrian chemical weapons facilities, which drew angry condemnations but no indication that there would be a wider escalation.

Discussion: Politico, The Guardian, TheBlaze, Sputnik International and Splinter

Washington Post:

After Syria attack, U.S. and Russia tensions rise but fears ease of wider military confrontation … Western leaders warned Syria on Saturday that they could launch further missile strikes if chemical weapons are used again, while the pre-dawn attacks were denounced by Damascus and its backers …

Discussion: Military Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Bloomberg and The Moderate Voice

New York Times:

President Trump Talked Tough. But His Strike on Syria Was Restrained. — WASHINGTON — In sending missiles and bombs at Syria, President Trump hit more targets and used more firepower than he did in a similar military strike last year. But in the end, he opted for what was still …

U.S. Department of Defense:

Assad Chemical Weapons — President Donald J. Trump announced combined U.S., French and British forces launched precision strikes April 13, 2018, against chemical weapons capabilities in Syria to deter Syrian leader Bashar Assad from using banned chemical weapons. … RELATED LINKS

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Ross A. Lincoln / The Wrap:
Rachel Maddow Raises ‘Wag the Dog’ Possibility as Trump Orders Syria Strikes

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Washington Monthly, The Hill, IJR and Mediaite

Brent D. Griffiths / Politico:
Trump: ‘Mission Accomplished’ on Syria

Discussion: Associated Press

CNN:
As it happened: The strike and its aftermath

NBC News:
Trump announces strikes on Syria following suspected chemical weapons attack by Assad forces

Discussion: Bipartisan Report, AOL, Informed Comment and Scared Monkeys

Washington Post:
U.S. launches missile strikes in Syria

Discussion: New York Times, The Daily Caller, The Guardian, Bleeding Heartland, Associated Press, RedState, The Hill, The Week, Raw Story, Daily Kos, Hit & Run, Mother Jones, Washington Free Beacon, his vorpal sword, Althouse and Outside the Beltway

Andrew Restuccia / Politico:
Trump strikes Syria

Discussion: CNN, Associated Press, Breitbart, New York Times, CNBC, One America News Network, Mother Jones and U.S. Department of Defense

New York Times:
President Trump on Syria Strikes: Full Transcript and Video

Discussion: CNN, The Gateway Pundit, Power Line, The Week and The American Conservative

CBS News:
U.S. launches military strike on Syria in response to chemical attack — live updates

Discussion: CNN, RedState, KTLA, The Gateway Pundit, CBS Pittsburgh, CBS New York, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and CBS Boston

Robin Wright / New Yorker: Trump Strikes Syria Over Chemical Weapons

Vera Bergengruen / BuzzFeed: The US And Allies Have Launched Military Strikes On Syria After A Chemical Weapons Attack

Paul Sonne / Washington Post:
Trump's strikes on Syria risk retaliation, escalation in a war he wants to avoid

Discussion: Daily Kos

Wall Street Journal:
Trump Seeks Large Strike in Syria; Mattis Urges Caution

Discussion: AOL, Al Jazeera English, The National, HuffPost, CNBC and Mediaite

Kalina Oroschakoff / Politico:
Broad support from EU leaders for Syria strikes

Discussion: HuffPost, NATO, New York Times and The Week

McClatchy Washington Bureau:

Sources: Mueller has evidence Cohen was in Prague in 2016, confirming part of dossier — WASHINGTON — The Justice Department special counsel has evidence that Donald Trump's personal lawyer and confidant, Michael Cohen, secretly made a late-summer trip to Prague during the 2016 presidential campaign …

CNN:

Exclusive: FBI seized recordings between Trump's lawyer and Stormy Daniels' former lawyer — (CNN)The FBI seized recordings President Donald Trump's attorney made of his conversations with a lawyer representing two women who had alleged affairs with Trump, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN.

Discussion: Politico, Washington Monthly, Washington Press, New York Times, HuffPost, Vox, Mediaite, CANNONFIRE and ThinkProgress

Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:

The Real Investigation — The one in the Southern District of New York, involving Michael Cohen and apparent hush-money payoffs, is a serious peril for Trump. — President Trump now has real legal peril. The potential jeopardy stems from the investigation that came to light this week …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, USA Today, The Week, Bipartisan Report, ABC News, Politico, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast and twitchy.com

Michael Daly / The Daily Beast: Michael Cohen May Learn the Hard Way That There's No Such Thing As Consigliere-Client Privilege

Washington Post:
Criminal investigation into Trump lawyer's business dealings began months ago

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, TalkLeft, The Atlantic, Boing Boing, Breitbart and Talking Points Memo

Marcy Wheeler / New York Times:

Trump Pardoned Libby to Protect Himself From Mueller — “There is a cloud over the White House as to what happened. Don't you think the F.B.I., the grand jury, the American people are entitled to a straight answer?” — With those words, uttered over a decade ago, Patrick Fitzgerald …

Discussion: USA Today, CNN, Splinter, Washington Press, Breitbart, emptywheel, Mediaite, Townhall, The White House and Common Dreams

The Daily Beast: Prosecutors Probing Michael Cohen Have Nailed Financial Frauds, Corrupt Pols, and Organized Crooks

Fox News Insider:
‘A Scapegoat’ for the Iraq War: Judith Miller Says Pardon of Scooter Libby ‘Long Overdue’

Discussion: The Rush Limbaugh Show and The Right Scoop

Peter Baker / New York Times:
Trump Pardons Scooter Libby in a Case That Mirrors His Own

Discussion: NewsBusters, Law & Crime, Power Line, Washington Press, IJR, New Republic, Shareblue Media, Weekly Standard and Washington Post

Jason Easley / POLITICUSUSA: Trump Is Trying To Save His Dying Presidency By Pardoning Scooter Libby

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Trump grants pardon to former Bush official; some say he is using the law as a political tool

Discussion: Breitbart

DOJ Alumni Statement:

DOJ Alumni Statement Regarding Rod Rosenstein, Robert Mueller, and the Rule of Law — We, the undersigned, are proud alumni of the United States Department of Justice. We served this institution out of a commitment to the founding American principles that our democratic republic depends upon …

Discussion: MSNBC, Mashable, Balloon Juice, Washington Press, The Week, Hot Air, RedState, Shareblue Media, IJR and Mediaite

Liam Daniel Pierce / VICE Sports:

Mexican Boxer Destroys American Fighter Wearing Trump Wall Shorts — American super-featherweight Rod Salka came in rocking a wall-themed set of trunks with “America 1st” written on them. He left with the same shorts and a big old L, by way of Mexico's Francisco Vargas.

Discussion: Washington Press

Tom Ley / Deadspin:
Boxer Wears Anti-Immigrant Trunks, Gets Soundly Beaten By Mexican Opponent

Discussion: Washington Post, ImmigrationProf Blog, Bloody Elbow, The Daily Caller, Joe.My.God. and Raw Story

Avi Selk / Washington Post:

Kakistocracy, a 374-year-old word that means ‘government by the worst,’ just broke the dictionary … Today was a productive vocabulary day in the United States of America. — The learning began in the morning, when former CIA director John O. Brennan tweeted at President Trump …

Discussion: CNN, Bipartisan Report, Mashable and Washington Press

Darren Samuelsohn / Politico:

Risks loom for Comey's book blitz — James Comey's new memoir is already a pre-publication media hit, but the former FBI director's tell-all assault on President Donald Trump also poses major risks—not only for Comey's personal reputation but for the wider Russia investigation he helped launch.

BuzzFeed:

A Former Russian Spy Worked On A Trump Moscow Deal While Trump Was Running For President — While Trump was running for president, his business team was trying to develop a Trump tower in Moscow — with the help of a former Russian military intelligence officer.

Discussion: Bipartisan Report

Katie Leslie / Dallas Morning News:

It's official: Rep. Beto O'Rourke has raised at least twice as much as Sen. Ted Cruz so far this year — WASHINGTON — El Paso Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke has raised more than twice as much as Sen. Ted Cruz so far this year in their closely watched Senate contest.

Ben Shapiro / Daily Wire:

‘New Yorker’ Columnist: Chick-Fil-A Is Evil And Must Be Banned From Our Holy City — On Friday, The New Yorker honed in on a serious threat to the lives of all New Yorkers: the arrival of Chick-Fil-A in their homey little corner of the universe. In a 1400-word diatribe titled …

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and twitchy.com