memeorandum: Trump's Troubling Helsinki Remarks: Bizarre—and Historic? (Todd S. Purdum/The Atlantic)

9:10 AM ET, July 20, 2018

Top Items:

Trump Is Being Manipulated by Putin. What Should We Do? — Lawmakers must keep the American people informed of the current danger, writes a Republican congressman from Texas. — Mr. Hurd, a former C.I.A. officer, is a congressman from the 23rd District of Texas.

Discussion: Washington Post, Axios, Roll Call, Bloomberg, The Week, Political Wire and Mediaite

Blake Hounshell / Politico:

Why I'm No Longer a Russiagate Skeptic — Facts are piling up, and it's getting harder to deny what's staring us in the face. — When I wrote, back in February, that I was skeptical that President Donald Trump would ever be proved to have secretly colluded with Russia to sway the 2016 election in his favor, I mistyped.

Discussion: Raw Story and CNN

Adam Davidson / New Yorker:

A Theory of Trump Kompromat — Why the President is so nice to Putin, even when Putin might not want him to be. — The former C.I.A. operative Jack Devine watched Donald Trump's performance standing next to Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday, and his first thought was, “There is no way Trump is a Russian agent.”

Ilya Arkhipov / Bloomberg:

Putin Tells Diplomats He Made Trump a New Offer on Ukraine at Their Summit — Russian leader suggested referendum in separatist regions — Putin said to agree to let Trump mull plan before going public — Vladimir Putin told Russian diplomats that he made a proposal to Donald Trump …

Discussion: CNN, The Guardian, News Agency UNIAN, The Hill, Breitbart, Axios, Hot Air, Washington Post, Politico, Vox, Raw Story, Contemptor, Jamie Dupree - AJC, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, Political Wire, Joe.My.God. and Hullabaloo

Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:

“No Way to Run a Superpower”: the Trump-Putin Summit and the Death of American Foreign Policy — In the days since the Monday meeting in Helsinki, there's been an understandable frenzy over President Trump's post-summit press conference, given that he sided with the Russian President …

Discussion: Just Security, Balloon Juice and Wall Street Journal

Eliana Johnson / Politico:

White House morale tanks amid Helsinki fallout — Staffers are considering accelerating their departures in the wake of the president's equivocations on Russian meddling in the 2016 election. — President Donald Trump's disastrous performance since his news conference alongside Russian …

Discussion: Raw Story, Breitbart and Politico

Scott Bixby / The Daily Beast:

Poll: Half of Americans Think Trump Acted ‘Treasonous’ in Helsinki … President Donald Trump has repeatedly defended his extraordinary performance at a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in Helsinki, dismissing the “many haters” who wanted to see “a boxing match.”

Discussion: Media Matters for America and CNN

Todd S. Purdum / The Atlantic:

Trump's Troubling Helsinki Remarks: Bizarre—and Historic? — Whether Donald Trump is president for four years or eight, whatever history's ultimate judgment of him, and however he tries to explain it away, his remarks in Helsinki absolving Vladimir Putin of interference in the 2016 election …

Discussion: Vox and POLITICUSUSA

Emily Cochrane / New York Times:
Who Heard What Trump Said to Putin? Only One Other American

Discussion: RedState, TheBlaze, HuffPost and Washington Free Beacon

Daniel Lippman / Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: What we've learned this week

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, HuffPost and CNNMoney

Peter Montgomery / Right Wing Watch: League Of The South Reaches Out To ‘Russian Friends’

Mark Landler / New York Times:
Trump to Invite Putin to Washington, but Much of Their Last Meeting Is Still a Mystery

Discussion: CNN, USA Today, The Atlantic, CNBC, Washington Free Beacon, RT, Althouse, Fox News, HeraldScotland, News Agency UNIAN, Boing Boing, Joe.My.God. and What The Fuck …, more at Mediagazer »

Michael Collins / USA Today:
Trump's interpreter: Should she be compelled to tell what she heard during private meeting with Putin?

Discussion: Bustle

Bret Stephens / New York Times:
Resign, Mike Pompeo. Resign, John Bolton.

Discussion: BloombergQuint and CNBC

Matthew Lee / Associated Press: Did Trump and Putin agree to anything? Only they know

Jeff Cox / CNBC:

Trump says he's ‘ready’ to put tariffs on all $505 billion of Chinese goods imported to the US — President Donald Trump has indicated he is willing to put tariffs on all $505 billion of Chinese goods the U.S. imports. — The rhetoric marks ramps up the U.S-China trade war another step …

Discussion: Axios, Political Wire, Raw Story, The Week and The Guardian

CNBC:

Stock futures fall after Trump says he's ‘ready to go’ to $500 billion in tariffs on China — U.S. stock index futures declined after President Donald Trump said he is ready to put tariffs on every Chinese good coming to the U.S. if necessary. — “I'm ready to go to 500,” …

Louis Nelson / Politico:
Trump threatens tariffs on all $500 billion worth of Chinese imports

Discussion: Washington Post and Axios

Caitlin Owens / Axios: Trade war shakes up Senate races in Trump states

Politico:

McConnell issues Supreme Court ultimatum — The Senate GOP leader is vowing to squeeze Democrats with a vote on Brett Kavanaugh right before the midterms if they don't back down on their demand for documents. — Mitch McConnell has a warning for Democrats demanding copious documents …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and The Week

Robert Barnes / Washington Post: Russian firm indicted in special counsel probe cites Kavanaugh decision to argue that charges should be dismissed

BuzzFeed News:

Congratulations, Mr. President: Zuckerberg Secretly Called Trump After The Election — In the days following Donald Trump's election victory over Hillary Clinton, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg placed a secret, previously unreported call to the president-elect during which, sources tell BuzzFeed News …

Discussion: BloombergQuint and Bustle, more at Techmeme »

Kevin Collier / BuzzFeed News:
The Russians Who Hacked The DNC Have Targeted At Least Three 2018 Campaigns, Microsoft Says

Discussion: Engadget, Gizmodo, The Verge, Cyberscoop and Talking Points Memo

Hollywood Reporter:

Paramount TV President Amy Powell Fired Over Inappropriate Comments — She was tapped to oversee the division in 2013 and has delivered hits including ‘13 Reasons Why’ and ‘The Alienist.’ — Five years after being tapped to lead the newly relaunched Paramount Television banner, Amy Powell is out.

Discussion: New York Times, BloombergQuint, KTLA and theGrio, more at Mediagazer »

Ellen Nakashima / Washington Post:

Justice Department plans to alert public to foreign operations targeting U.S. democracy — The Justice Department plans to alert the public to foreign operations targeting U.S. democracy, under a new policy designed to counter hacking and disinformation campaigns such as the one Russia undertook …

Discussion: Engadget, Vox and The Week

Desmond Butler / Yahoo: Rosenstein defends charging foreign agents US can't arrest

NBC 6 South Florida:

Father of Parkland School Shooting Survivors Killed in North Lauderdale Armed Robbery — North Lauderdale Robbery Surveillance Video — The father of two Parkland school shooting survivors was fatally shot at his own North Lauderdale convenience store during a robbery, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office.

Discussion: Townhall

New York Times:

Bill Shine, Trump's Top Communicator, Was Questioned by Federal Prosecutors — WASHINGTON — Bill Shine, a former co-president of Fox News hired this month as President Trump's communications chief, brought conservative credentials and heavy baggage with him into the White House.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Our Country Is Insane — I am by nature an optimist, but it is hard to maintain a positive attitude in the face of the rampant insanity that has seized control over our national life. When I get time, I am going to write about the ritual defenestration of Papa John's pizza company …

Discussion: Front Page Magazine and The American Conservative

Daniel Chaitin / Washington Examiner:

Robert Mueller offers Tony Podesta immunity to testify against Paul Manafort: Report — Tony Podesta, founder of the now-shuttered Podesta Group and brother to former Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, has been offered immunity by special counsel Robert Mueller to testify …

Discussion: The Federalist, Fox News, The Gateway Pundit and Front Page Magazine

Mara Siegler / Page Six:

Whoopi Goldberg and Jeanine Pirro get into explosive argument backstage at ‘The View’ — Whoopi Goldberg and Jeanine Pirro got into an explosive argument backstage at “The View” on Thursday — after an intense on-the-air exchange got even more heated behind-the-scenes, sources exclusively tell Page Six.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, fox8.com, The Gateway Pundit, AOL, Contemptor, Splinter, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and Breitbart

Terry Gross / NPR:

Reporter Shows The Links Between The Men Behind Brexit And The Trump Campaign — Carole Cadwalladr's investigation into Cambridge Analytica's role in Brexit led her to Russian connections and the Trump campaign. She says British investigators are working “closely with the FBI.” — TERRY GROSS, HOST:

Associated Press:

US, allies set to evacuate Syrian aid workers from southwest — WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say the United States is finalizing plans to evacuate several hundred Syrian civil defense workers and their families from southwest Syria as Russian-backed government forces close in on the area.

Predrag Milic / Associated Press:

Montenegro more puzzled than affronted by Trump's attention — PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — World War III? Not us, say the puzzled people of Montenegro. — Public officials in this tiny European nation didn't know what to say initially when U.S. President Donald Trump suggested …

Wall Street Journal:

Three Top FBI Cybersecurity Officials to Retire — Three of the top cybersecurity officials at the Federal Bureau of Investigation are retiring from government service—departures that come as cyberattacks are a major concern for the country's security agencies.

Discussion: Engadget and Cyberscoop

Stephen Nellis / Reuters:

Apple Watch, FitBit could feel cost of U.S. tariffs — (Reuters) - The latest round of U.S. tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods could hit the Apple Watch, health trackers, streaming music speakers and other accessories assembled in China, government rulings on tariffs show.

Michelle Goldberg / New York Times:

Are Republicans Covering for Trump, or for Themselves? — If the N.R.A. was compromised by Russia, the whole party's in trouble. — Of all the interlocking mysteries of the Trump-Russia scandal, one that I've found particularly perplexing is the utter servility of congressional Republicans …

Discussion: USA Today, CNN and Mother Jones

Lachlan Cartwright / The Daily Beast:

‘60 Minutes’ Boss Hired Law Firm Over #MeToo Story … One of television's most powerful men, 60 Minutes Executive Producer Jeff Fager, hired a law firm that boasts about “killing stories” for a Washington Post investigation into him, three sources familiar with the matter told The Daily Beast.

more at Mediagazer »

NBC News:

Facing deadline, government reunified 364 of 2,500-plus migrant children — Of 1,607 parents eligible to be reunited with their children, 719 have final orders of deportation, the government says, meaning they could be removed from the country as soon as they are reunited.

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, New York Post and The Week

Matthew Continetti / Washington Free Beacon:

Why NATO Matters — Column: The Atlantic alliance is crucial to American deterrence — President Trump's meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland, has opened another round of debate on the purpose and future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Elizabeth Landers / CNN:

Trump's advocate in Congress reflects on last day in the White House — Blitzer: How can White House defend separation? — (CNN)Friday is the last day for President Donald Trump's legislative director Marc Short, ending a whirlwind tenure of a tumultuous time between the executive and the legislative branch of government.

Kansas City Star:

Eight confirmed dead after duck boat capsized on Table Rock Lake, sheriff says — At least eight people were killed and many are missing after a strong wind burst capsized and sank a pleasure boat Thursday night on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo. — Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader …

Discussion: New York Post, Boing Boing and FOX2now.com

Megan Specia / New York Times:

Inside That Black Sarcophagus in Egypt? 3 Mummies (and No Curses) — When a black granite sarcophagus was found at the bottom of a pit in Alexandria, Egypt, last week, the discovery immediately prompted questions and theories ranging from the sensible to the supernatural.

Discussion: news.avclub.com

Rick Gladstone / New York Times:

U.S. Rebuffed at U.N. on North Korea Sanctions Enforcement — Signaling new tensions over North Korea at the United Nations, Russia and China on Thursday blocked disciplinary steps sought by the United States to stop what it called rampant cheating on North Korea's petroleum imports.