memeorandum: Saudi Arabia is at its least stable in 50 years (Bruce Riedel/Al-Monitor)

11:10 PM ET, September 23, 2018

Top Items:

Senate Democrats Investigate a New Allegation of Sexual Misconduct, from Brett Kavanaugh's College Years — As Senate Republicans press for a swift vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, Senate Democrats are investigating a new allegation of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh.

Peter Baker / New York Times:

Kavanaugh to Give Senate Calendars From 1982 to Back Up Denial — WASHINGTON — Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh has calendars from the summer of 1982 that he plans to hand over to the Senate Judiciary Committee that do not show a party consistent with the description of his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford …

Discussion: Hit & Run, TheBlaze, Power Line, National Review, Axios, HuffPost, twitchy.com, Associated Press, The Gateway Pundit, Daily Wire, Talking Points Memo and Law & Crime

Tamar Auber / Mediaite:

Drudge Says Ronan Farrow and Jane Meyer Set to Break Report on Kavanaugh: ‘Another Woman?’ — On Sunday, the Drudge Report ran this blaring headline at the top of their page: “Another Woman?” — The “another woman” appears to refer to a potential — yet still unconfirmed — second Kavanaugh accuser.

Discussion: RedState, The Gateway Pundit and Deadline

NBC News:

Second woman alleges sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh, this time in college — The news comes a few days before the Supreme Court nominee's scheduled testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in response to a previous allegation of sexual assault. — WASHINGTON — A second woman …

Discussion: Townhall, Mother Jones, Axios and CNBC

Alyssa Milano / Vox:

I was sexually assaulted as a teen. Here's why I didn't report. — It took me 30 years to tell anyone. And I'm far from alone. — The courage of survivors will always be stronger than Donald Trump's hate. The lives of survivors will always be more important than Brett Kavanaugh's career.

Discussion: IJR, Daily Wire, Deadline, KTVQ-TV and Mashable

Dana Blanton / Fox News:

Fox News Poll: Record number of voters oppose Kavanaugh nomination — Voter support for Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court is down in the wake of Christine Ford's assault allegations, as more believe her than him. — Currently, 40 percent of voters would confirm Kavanaugh …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA, The Daily Caller, Conservative News Today, The Guardian, Shareblue Media, Political Wire and Vox

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:

Christine Blasey Ford Reaches Deal to Testify at Kavanaugh Hearing — The woman who has accused Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers has reached a final agreement with the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify on Thursday, her lawyers said on Sunday.

Discussion: ABC News, The Gateway Pundit, Refinery29 and Shareblue Media

Hayley Miller / HuffPost:

GOP Rep. Says Brett Kavanaugh Allegations Amount To ‘Character Assassination’ — “If that's the new standard, no man will ever qualify for the Supreme Court again,” Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said of Christine Blasey Ford's sexual assault claims. — Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) …

Discussion: Des Moines Register, Associated Press, Mother Jones, Talking Points Memo and McClatchy Washington Bureau

Kate Feldman / New York Daily News:
Brett Kavanaugh and pals accused of gang rapes in high school, says lawyer Michael Avenatti

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Jamie Dupree - AJC and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Aidan McLaughlin / Mediaite: Lindsey Graham Says Ford Testimony Won't Change His Vote

Washington Post:
Senate Judiciary panel's top Democrat calls for delay in Kavanaugh hearing after new allegation

Discussion: Political Wire, The Gateway Pundit, Politico, Mediaite, Hot Air, CNN, Shareblue Media and Breitbart

Politico:
Kavanaugh confirmation in renewed peril after second assault claim

Discussion: Power Line, The Daily Beast and Political Wire

Ian Kullgren / Politico:
Graham: Ford's testimony won't change my vote

Discussion: Washington Post, Philly.com, USA Today, The Week, Splinter, Florida Politics, No More Mister Nice Blog, ABC News, Breitbart, RedState, Washington Free Beacon, Raw Story, Townhall, Outside the Beltway and HuffPost

John Hinderaker / Power Line:
NY Times Wants to Know About Your High School Sex Life

Discussion: Instapundit and Althouse

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
The party of men: Kavanaugh fight risks worsening the Trump GOP's gender problem

Discussion: Politico, Raw Story, Hullabaloo, Splinter and POLITICUSUSA

Eliot A. Cohen / The Atlantic: The Crisis of the American Elites

CNN:
Kavanaugh accuser will testify in open hearing on Thursday

Discussion: RedState, Washington Post, HuffPost, Jezebel, The Root and IJR

Dan Levin / New York Times:
What Teenagers Think About the Allegations Against Brett Kavanaugh

Discussion: Splinter

Jonathan Lemire / Associated Press:

Amid furor, Trump pushes pause on deciding Rosenstein's fate — BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — As Air Force One streaked across the desert sky and Las Vegas faded in the distance, President Donald Trump began seeking opinions. — The TVs on the plane, tuned as always to Fox News …

Discussion: AOL, Political Wire and Mediaite

Samuel Chamberlain / Fox News:
Trump points finger at Sessions for Rosenstein controversy

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Political Wire

Tom Hamburger / Washington Post:
Lindsey Graham: Appoint special counsel to investigate ‘bureaucratic coup’ against Trump

Discussion: Political Wire

Chuck Ross / The Daily Caller:
Lindsey Graham: FBI And DOJ Waging ‘Bureaucratic Coup’ Against Trump

Discussion: RedState

Fox News:
Sec. Mike Pompeo talks North Korea, the UN and trade

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA and The Week

Eppc / Ethics & Public Policy Center:

Statement from EPPC's Board of Directors — The board of the Ethics and Public Policy Center convened a special telephonic meeting on Friday, September 21, 2018. After the meeting, Edward Whelan, who has led EPPC with integrity and excellence for many years, offered his resignation in light …

Discussion: National Review, HuffPost, Washington Post, Daily Kos and Mother Jones

Mark Murray / NBC News:

NBC News/WSJ poll: Democrats hold the advantage in November's elections — But the same poll shows that Republican enthusiasm about the upcoming election has increased, drawing nearly even with Democrats. — Poll: Democrats open largest margin-ever over GOP in Congressional preference

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, TheBlaze and Political Wire

Dana Blanton / Fox News:
Fox News Poll: Health care boosts Democrats in upcoming midterm elections

Discussion: CBS News

John Harwood / CNBC:
GOP heading for midterm wipeout as ‘blue wave’ scenario gives Democrats a 12-point generic ballot lead: NBC-WSJ poll

Discussion: The American Conservative

Associated Press:

At UN, unrepentant Trump set to rattle foes, friends alike — President Donald Trump is poised to redouble his commitment to “America First” on the most global of stages this week. — In the sequel to his stormy U.N. debut, Trump will stress his dedication to the primacy of U.S. interests …

Discussion: Axios and Politico

Nahal Toosi / Politico:
Foreign policy bigwigs: Trump risking war with Iran

Discussion: The Guardian

Kris Schneider / ABC News:
'I've never heard' President Trump's Cabinet members discuss removing him from office: Nikki Haley

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, The Daily Caller and Breitbart

Owen Gleiberman / Variety:

How Michael Moore Lost His Audience — The fabled documentary muckraker keeps doing films with his trademark fusion of snark and liberal warning. Maybe it's time for him to mix it up. — The films of Michael Moore have been faltering at the box office for several years now.

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

The Trump administration's secret anti-China plans — The Trump administration is planning to launch a major, “administration-wide,” broadside against China, according to two sources briefed on the sensitive internal discussions. These sources, who weren't authorized to discuss the plans with the media …

Discussion: One America News Network, more at Techmeme »

Nellie Bowles / New York Times:

News Site to Investigate Big Tech, Helped by Craigslist Founder — The Markup, dedicated to investigating technology and its effect on society, will be led by two former ProPublica journalists. Craig Newmark gave $20 million to help fund the operation. — When the investigative journalist …

more at Mediagazer »

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

Kushner's mission improbable: Winning over wealthy Trump skeptics — The president's son-in-law, once a member of New York City high society, has quietly taken on the role of ambassador to the GOP's moneyed set. — Jared Kushner huddled behind closed doors with some of the Republican Party's …

Bruce Riedel / Al-Monitor:

Saudi Arabia is at its least stable in 50 years — Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/REUTERS — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shakes hands with guests during the Saudi-United Arab Emirates Summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, June 6, 2018.

Discussion: The American Conservative

New York Times:

Those Who Can't Forget — The rows of white marble headstones at Arlington National Cemetery, on 624 acres beside the Potomac River and the Pentagon, speak to the scale of United States military service across generations — and tell something of its human toll.