memeorandum: Hannity's surprising advice to Trump on Rosenstein: “Under zero circumstances should the president fire anybody” (Emily Stewart/Vox)

4:45 PM ET, September 22, 2018

Top Items:

Heidi Przybyla / NBC News:

Spokesman for GOP on Kavanaugh nomination resigns; has been accused of harassment in the past — An adviser for the Senate Judiciary Committee has resigned amid questions from NBC News about a previous sexual harassment complaint. — WASHINGTON — A press adviser helping lead …

Discussion: CNN, Politico, New York Times, Mother Jones, ThinkProgress, Joe.My.God., Raw Story, Axios, Reuters, Bustle, CNBC, The Guardian, POLITICUSUSA, Balloon Juice, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Political Wire and Mediaite

Jessica Contrera / Washington Post:

Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford moved 3,000 miles to reinvent her life. It wasn't far enough. — When Donald Trump won his upset presidential victory in 2016, Christine Blasey Ford's thoughts quickly turned to a name most Americans had never heard of but one that had unsettled her for years: Brett M. Kavanaugh.

Washington Post:

Lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford say she has accepted Senate Judiciary Committee request to testify against Kavanaugh — The Senate Judiciary Committee and lawyers for Ford have been in negotiations for days about whether she would appear before the panel.

Discussion: Political Wire and Daily Kos

Bret Stephens / New York Times:

G.O.P. Leaders Can't Even Fake Respect for Christine Blasey Ford — They are struggling to pretend they will fairly weigh her accusations against Brett Kavanaugh. — The editorial board represents the opinions of the board, its editor and the publisher. It is separate from the newsroom and the Op-Ed section.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Los Angeles Times, RedState, The Hill, IJR and France 24

Wall Street Journal:

The Presumption of Guilt — The new liberal standard turns American due process upside down. — The Editorial Board — “As Judge Kavanaugh stands to gain the lifetime privilege of serving on the country's highest court, he has the burden of persuasion. And that is only fair.”

Discussion: The Other McCain

Bret Stephens / New York Times:

This I Believe About Blasey v. Kavanaugh — I believe Blasey deserves to be fairly heard, not automatically believed. — I have absolutely no idea what, if anything, happened between Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford at a party in Maryland in the early 1980s.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, CNBC, Townhall and Bustle

Javier E. David / CNBC:

Christine Blasey Ford, accuser of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, agrees to Senate testimony about sexual assault claim — Christine Blasey Ford, a California professor at the center of a sexual assault accusation against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh …

Discussion: National Review, Power Line, Breitbart, twitchy.com and New York Times

Deirdre Shesgreen / USA Today:

Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford agrees to testify about sexual assault allegation — WASHINGTON - Dr. Christine Blasey Ford agreed Saturday to testify before Congress next week about her allegations that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers.

Discussion: RedState

Seung Min Kim / Washington Post:
Lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford say she has accepted Senate Judiciary Committee's request to testify against Kavanaugh

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Washington Monthly, East Bay Times and Q13 FOX News

Seung Min Kim / Washington Post:
Grassley adviser resigns after sexual harassment accusation

Discussion: New York Times, NPR, Bustle, HuffPost, POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story, Joe.My.God. and Politico

Trish Turner / ABC News:
Kavanaugh accuser accepts request to testify before Senate committee next week

Discussion: ThinkProgress and CNBC

Michael Dresser / Baltimore Sun:
Gov. Hogan rules out state police investigation of Kavanaugh allegations

Discussion: Raw Story, ThinkProgress and The Intercept

John Culhane / Politico:
Ed Whelan's Troubles Might Be Just Beginning

Discussion: TalkLeft, Axios, One America News Network and Raw Story

Harry Enten / CNN:
Brett Kavanaugh is the least popular Supreme Court nominee in 30 years

Discussion: The Guardian and The Week

Gina Martinez / TIME:
Ronald Reagan's Daughter Comes Out As Sexual Assault Survivor in Op-Ed Defending Kavanaugh Accuser

Discussion: IJR, LifeZette and New York Times

Amber Athey / The Daily Caller:
Kavanaugh Accuser's Lawyer Caught On Camera: ‘We Are Going To Resist’

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Louder With Crowder, Conservative News Today, The Other McCain and LifeZette

Washington Post:

Former top White House official revises statement to special counsel about Flynn's calls with Russian ambassador — A former top White House official has revised her statement to investigators about a key event in the probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election, after her initial claim …

Discussion: The Hill, Axios, emptywheel and Mediaite

Emily Stewart / Vox:

Hannity's surprising advice to Trump on Rosenstein: “Under zero circumstances should the president fire anybody” — The Fox News host thinks the New York Times' story on Rod Rosenstein is part of a “deep state” maneuver to set up Trump. — Sean Hannity has a perhaps surprising take on a report …

Discussion: Politico, ThinkProgress, The Guardian, Lawfare and Breitbart

Politico:

Trumpworld divided on Rosenstein — not whether to fire him, but when — The disagreement between his advisers in the West Wing and those on Fox News aren't about whether he should, but about timing and stated justification. — Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham, once a top recruit to serve …

Discussion: FRONTLINE

Isaac Chotiner / Slate:

The New York Times Stands By Its Rod Rosenstein Scoop — In a blockbuster story in Friday's New York Times, Adam Goldman and Michael S. Schmidt reported that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein suggested covertly recording President Donald Trump's conversations in 2017.

Discussion: New York Times, Fox News and NPR

CNN:
Smears of Robert Mueller are baseless

Discussion: Fox News Insider, Vox and Outside the Beltway

Alexandra Hutzler / Newsweek:

Former Trump Aide Jason Miller Accused of Secretly Administering Abortion Pill — Former Donald Trump aide Jason Miller has been accused of secretly administering an “abortion pill” to a woman he got pregnant during an affair, new court documents show. — The court filing …

Discussion: Political Wire, Hollywood Life, Law & Crime, Raw Story, Bustle, Joe.My.God. and Splinter

Ben Brody / BloombergQuint:

White House Drafts Order to Look Into Google, Facebook — (Bloomberg) — The White House has drafted an executive order for President Donald Trump's signature that would instruct federal antitrust and law enforcement agencies to open probes into the practices of Alphabet Inc.'s Google, Facebook Inc., and other social media companies.

Discussion: Raw Story, Washington Times, Your News Wire and LifeZette

Washington Post:

White House distances itself from reports that Trump could target Facebook, Google and Twitter with a new executive order — The White House sought to distance itself Saturday from reports that President Trump is considering an executive order that would subject tech giants like Facebook …

Discussion: The Verge, more at Techmeme »

Jim Edwards / Business Insider:
The White House is considering an antitrust investigation into ‘online platform bias’ …

Discussion: Conservative News Today, TheBlaze, Gizmodo, CNBC, The Gateway Pundit and AOL

Wall Street Journal:

No Sex Please, We're Apple: iPhone Giant Seeks TV Success on Its Own Terms — The tech giant wants to make scripted shows for streaming, only without violence, politics and risqué story lines — Tim Cook sat down more than a year ago to watch Apple Inc.'s AAPL -1.08% first scripted drama …

Discussion: The Verge, more at Techmeme »

Eli Rosenberg / Washington Post:

These six — yes, six — siblings of a Republican congressman just endorsed his opponent — Families are complicated, their private tensions and political disagreements often kept under wraps. — That's not the case with Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), whose opponent in the midterm election just got a boost from Gosar's siblings.

Discussion: Joe.My.God., Talking Points Memo, Mashable, RedState, The Slot and Phoenix New Times

Danielle Paquette / Washington Post:

China cancels trade talks with U.S. as new Trump tariffs loom — China has scrapped trade talks with the United States days before President Trump is set to escalate the commercial battle with a new round of tariffs, according to a person familiar with the discussion.

Lingling Wei / Wall Street Journal:
China Cancels Trade Talks With U.S. Amid Escalation in Tariff Threats

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Bloomberg, BloombergQuint, CNBC and The Week

The Texas Tribune:

Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke clash over immigration, Trump, guns during intense debate — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke held a feisty debate Friday evening at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. … DALLAS — U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso …

Discussion: Dallas Morning News, The Daily Caller, Fox News, Conservative News Today, Off the Kuff and Hot Air

Julia Manchester / The Hill:

Clinton would beat Trump in landslide in 2016 re-run, says Hill.TV poll — would lose the popular vote again if the 2016 presidential election were held again today, according to a new Hill.TV poll. — The survey conducted by Hill.TV and the HarrisX polling company found that 36 percent …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA and The Daily Caller

Paul Kane / Washington Post:

Senate's seniority rules raise questions when presidential succession is at stake — When the Judiciary Committee reconvenes to determine the fate of Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh, four veterans will sit in the middle of the panel dais with a combined 150 years of Senate service.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway