memeorandum: John Chapman Died Alone On A Mountaintop Fighting Al Qaeda. Now He's Getting The Medal Of Honor (Paul Szoldra/Task & Purpose)

4:45 PM ET, April 20, 2018

Top Items:

Justice Department Watchdog Probes Comey Memos Over Classified Information — Former FBI director has said he considered the memos, which he gave to a friend to release to media, personal documents — WASHINGTON—At least two of the memos that former FBI Director James Comey gave …

Discussion: Townhall, Axios, Breitbart, Daily Wire, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, Sean Hannity, The Right Scoop and Political Wire

Jeremy Stahl / Slate:

Why Were Republicans So Desperate To Release the Embarrassing Comey Memos? Here's One Explanation. — On Thursday, the Department of Justice handed over James Comey's contemporaneous memos of his conversations with President Donald Trump over to Congress. They were immediately revealed to the press.

Discussion: Washington Post, MSNBC, The Atlantic and Raw Story

Erik Wemple / Washington Post:

Responding to James Comey, New York Times's Baquet says key Russia-Trump story was ‘NOT inaccurate’ … The James Comey book tour, at some collective psychological level, is another excuse for the country to indulge a hangover obsession with the 2016 presidential election.

Discussion: New Yorker and Mediaite

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

New revelations shed light on Comey, Trump, and that ‘loyalty’ demand — There was great indignation and much disapproval last year when it was reported that President Trump had asked then-FBI Director James Comey for “loyalty.” Such a request, it was said, was more characteristic of a mob boss …

Discussion: CNN, Axios, The Federalist, emptywheel, Breitbart, New York Magazine, The Daily Beast and RedState

Stef W. Kight / Axios:

Andrew McCabe fights back — Former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe is looking to sue for defamation, wrongful termination and other possible civil claims, his lawyer told reporters Friday. — One big thing: McCabe's lawyer, Michael Bromwich, announced the launch of the Andrew McCabe Legal Defense Fund.

Discussion: The Federalist and Daily Wire

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
The leaked Comey memos just blew up in Trump's face

Discussion: Politico, CNN and Splinter

Mollie Hemingway / The Federalist:
Comey's Memos Indicate Dossier Briefing Of Trump Was A Setup

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Comey Memos: Clear Proof Trump Repeatedly Lied About His Trip To Moscow

Discussion: Political Wire, VICE News, ThinkProgress and Washington Press

Jacqueline Thomsen / The Hill:
McCabe to sue Trump admin for defamation, wrongful termination

Discussion: Townhall, IJR and Sean Hannity

Nancy LeTourneau / Washington Monthly:
The Big Takeaway From the Release of the Comey Memos

Discussion: Associated Press, The Federalist, Raw Story, Mother Jones and Daily Wire

Robert Costa / Washington Post:
Trump hires Giuliani, two other attorneys amid mounting legal turmoil over Russia

Discussion: Vox, New Yorker, New York Post, ABC News, The Source, MSNBC, Outside the Beltway, IJR, Talking Points Memo, The Hill, Shareblue Media, Joe.My.God. and RedState

Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
6 Takeaways From the James Comey Memos

U.S. House of Representatives Permanent …:
Nunes, Gowdy, Goodlatte Statement on Comey Memos

Discussion: Washington Post, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, CNBC and Raw Story

Nicholas Fandos / New York Times:
Comey Memos Provide Intimate Look Into Trump Presidency

Stephen Collinson / CNN:
Comey memos paint deeply unflattering view of Trump

Discussion: New York Times, The Guardian, Breitbart, Pajiba, IJR, HuffPost, Shareblue Media, Washington Post, The Week, NBC News, Sean Hannity, Daily Wire, Daily Kos, Raw Story, Mediaite, The Right Scoop and Washington Times

Byron Tau / Wall Street Journal:
Justice Department to Give Congress Access to Comey Memos

Discussion: HuffPost, Vox, Washington Post, The Week, VICE News, Raw Story and AOL

Washington Post:

Democratic Party files lawsuit alleging Russia, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks conspired to disrupt the 2016 campaign — The Democratic National Committee filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit Friday against the Russian government, the Trump campaign and the WikiLeaks organization alleging …

Gideon Resnick / The Daily Beast:

Hillary Clinton on Election Night: ‘They Were Never Going to Let Me Be President’ … “No one in modern politics, male or female, has had to withstand more indignities, setbacks and cynicism. She developed protective armor that made the real Hillary Clinton an enigma.

Discussion: Townhall, National Review, The Root, IJR, RedState, Mediaite, Wall Street Journal, Front Page Magazine, The Daily Caller, Sean Hannity, The Right Scoop, Daily Wire, Splinter, Publishers Lunch, Washington Free Beacon, twitchy.com, Washington Times and Political Wire

Ellie Shechet / Jezebel:

Philippe Reines Responds to Clinton Book, Tells Jezebel He Has ‘Tapes’ — New York Times reporter Amy Chozick has a new memoir out called Chasing Hillary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling, and in it she recalls being gaslit and harassed by Clinton's male press aides, whom she refers to as “The Guys.”

Discussion: Mother Jones and Washington Free Beacon

Amy Chozick / New York Times:

‘They Were Never Going to Let Me Be President’ — Covering Hillary Clinton's campaign from before it started to the very last moment. — Things were already looking bad when, several people told me, Chelsea Clinton popped the Champagne. It was just after 9 p.m. on election night …

Discussion: Mother Jones, The Daily Caller and twitchy.com

Carlos Lozada / Washington Post:

Amy Chozick covered Hillary Clinton for a decade. Here's what she learned — and what she endured. — Review of ‘Chasing Hillary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling’ by Amy Chozick … CHASING HILLARY: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon

David Rutz / Washington Free Beacon: New York Times Reporter: ‘I Cried’ After Writing Story About How Clinton Lost the Election

Jonathan Greenberg / Washington Post:

Trump lied to me about his wealth to get onto the Forbes 400. Here are the tapes. — Posing as ‘John Barron,’ he claimed he owned most of his father's real estate empire. — In May 1984, an official from the Trump Organization called to tell me how rich Donald J. Trump was.

Discussion: RedState, Washington Monthly, Axios, CNN, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Hullabaloo, Splinter, Booman Tribune, MSNBC, KTLA, CNBC, AOL, FOX40, The Week, CBS Baltimore, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo and Mediaite

New York Times:

Michael Cohen Has Said He Would Take a Bullet for Trump. Maybe Not Anymore. — For years, a joke among Trump Tower employees was that the boss was like Manhattan's First Avenue, where the traffic goes only one way. — That one-sidedness has always been at the heart of President Trump's relationship …

Discussion: Splinter, Mediaite, Raw Story and Joe.My.God.

Kevin D. Williamson / Wall Street Journal:

When the Twitter Mob Came for Me — Recently hired by the Atlantic and then promptly fired, the conservative writer Kevin D. Williamson discusses the social-media outrage that made the celebrated magazine retreat — In early March, I met up with Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of the Atlantic …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, New York Magazine, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Daily Caller and Mediaite

Jem Aswad / Variety:

Avicii Dead at 28 — Artist, DJ and producer Tim Bergling, a.k.a. Avicii, died this afternoon in Oman, according to a statement from his rep. He was 28. — “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii,” the statement reads.

Discussion: Task & Purpose, Pajiba, Mashable and Joe.My.God.

Rosa Flores / CNN:

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel to face no-confidence vote from his own deputies — (CNN)Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, who touted his own “amazing leadership” after the Parkland school shooting, is facing a no-confidence vote from the union representing his deputies.

Discussion: CBS Miami, Florida Politics and twitchy.com

CNN:
Student wounded in shooting at Florida high school, authorities say

Discussion: WESH-TV, Talking Points Memo, Washington Press, KTLA, Refinery29, FOX40, FOX6Now.com, CBS San Francisco and WPMT FOX43

Anna Merlan / Splinter:

The CIA Says Mike Pompeo Didn't Fight in the Gulf War — In the frenzied game of musical chairs that is the Trump administration, CIA Director Mike Pompeo is set to become the next Secretary of State. It's an ideal time, then, to clarify details of his biography, including a rather major one …

Discussion: The Week

Ken Sweet / Associated Press:

Big banks saved $3.6B in taxes last quarter under new law — NEW YORK (AP) — An analysis by The Associated Press shows the nation's six big Wall Street banks saved at least $3.59 billion in taxes last quarter, thanks to the recently enacted Trump tax law. — Banks typically kick off …

Discussion: Washington Post, Shareblue Media, Splinter, Media Matters for America, Common Dreams, MSNBC and twitchy.com

Cristiano Lima / Politico:

Trump won't attend Barbara Bush funeral ‘out of respect’ for family — President Donald Trump will not join first lady Melania Trump in attending the funeral services for former first lady Barbara Bush, the White House said in a statement, citing a desire to “avoid disruptions” …

Discussion: The Root

Alex Leary / Tampa Bay Times:
Roger Stone calls Barbara Bush a ‘nasty drunk’ and whips up controversy in Northwest Florida

Discussion: Joe.My.God.

Dan Mangan / CNBC:

Democratic Party files suit alleging Russia, the Trump campaign, and WikiLeaks conspired to disrupt the 2016 election — The Democratic National Committee sued the Trump campaign, the Russian government, Wikileaks on Friday, accusing them of conspiring to disrupt the 2016 presidential election.

Discussion: The American Mirror, Sean Hannity and The Last Tradition

The Democrats:
We're suing the Trump campaign and Russia.

Discussion: Engadget

Melissa Chan / TIME:

‘The Time Is Now.’ This New Coalition of Celebrities and Activists Just Pledged to Take on the NRA — A new coalition of celebrities and activists, including actor Alyssa Milano and Parkland student David Hogg, announced plans Friday to take on the National Rifle Association and elected officials …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, HuffPost, The Guardian, IndieWire, Deadline, TheBlaze and twitchy.com

Katie Kilkenny / Hollywood Reporter:
Alyssa Milano, Alec Baldwin, Amy Schumer Help Launch Anti-NRA Campaign

Discussion: Breitbart, IJR and The Daily Caller

Ken White / Popehat:

Michael Cohen's Motion to Stay The Stormy Daniels Case Deferred, Cohen's Situation Pronounced Ominous — Today, in a mood for some history, I walked half a mile to the new federal courthouse to watch United States District Court Judge James Otero hear argument on Michael Cohen's motion to stay …

Fenit Nirappil / Washington Post:

D.C. lawmaker accused of anti-Semitism donated to event where Farrakhan denounced Jews … D.C. campaign finance officials have asked council member Trayon White Sr. for more information about a $500 donation he made to a Nation of Islam event in Chicago where leader Louis Farrakhan declared “powerful Jews are my enemy.”

Discussion: Daily Wire, Townhall, PoPville, TheBlaze and HuffPost

Cecilia Kang / New York Times:

U.S. Said to Investigate AT&T and Verizon Over Wireless Collusion Claim — WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into potential coordination by AT&T, Verizon and a telecommunications standards organization to hinder consumers from easily switching wireless carriers …

Discussion: BloombergQuint, more at Techmeme »

Patrick J. Buchanan:

Why the Authoritarian Right Is Rising — This post was viewed 78 times. — Votes: 5.00 Stars! — Loading... Share Pat's Columns! — A fortnight ago, Viktor Orban and his Fidesz Party won enough seats in the Hungarian parliament to rewrite his country's constitution.

David Wasserman / The Cook Political Report:

Risk Factors for 2018 GOP House Incumbents — Multiple indicators, including generic ballot polls, President Trump's approval ratings and recent special election results, point to midterm danger for Republicans. But without robust race-by-race polling, it's trickier to predict individual races six months out.

Peter Kornbluh / Politico:

‘My Dearest Fidel’: An ABC Journalist's Secret Liaison With Fidel Castro — Lisa Howard had been waiting for more than two hours in a suite of the Hotel Riviera, enough time to bathe, dress and apply makeup, then take it all off to get ready for bed when she thought he wasn't coming.

Discussion: One America News Network, Front Page Magazine, Washington Free Beacon and The Daily Caller

Celeste Katz / Town & Country:

Karen Pence Is Playing the Mother of All Long Games — We don't hear much about the Second Lady, and that's on purpose. But that doesn't mean that Karen Pence has nothing to say. — Before running for Congress 18 years ago, Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, sat their kids down to talk about it.

Discussion: LGBTQ Nation

The Genesis Prize:

Natalie Portman Cancels Visit to Jerusalem to Receive the “Jewish Nobel” — Natalie Portman will not travel to Israel in June to receive the Genesis Prize, dubbed by Time Magazine as “The Jewish Nobel.” The Genesis Prize Foundation (GPF) was notified by a representative of Ms. Portman that …

Discussion: The Guardian, The Daily Caller, Common Dreams, Breitbart and Mediaite

Wall Street Journal:

Rising Sea Levels Reshape Miami's Housing Market — Properties on the coast now trade at discounts as flood waters and ‘king tides’ damp enthusiasm for oceanfront living — MIAMI—Concerns over rising sea levels and floods are beginning to reshape one of the country's largest housing markets …

Bernard Condon / Associated Press:

Kushner Cos. subpoenaed by feds after AP report — NEW YORK (AP) — The Kushner Cos. has been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors for information related to an Associated Press report that the company filed dozens of false documents about its buildings in New York City.

Discussion: Jezebel