memeorandum: Fight over Kavanaugh intensifies amid confusion over limits of FBI sexual assault investigation (Mike DeBonis/Washington Post)

8:40 AM ET, October 1, 2018

Top Items:

The Confusion Surrounding the F.B.I.'s Renewed Investigation of Brett Kavanaugh — As the F.B.I. began its investigation this weekend into allegations of sexual misconduct by Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, several people who hope to contribute information …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, CNN, Raw Story and CANNONFIRE

New York Times:

Chad Ludington's Statement on Kavanaugh's Drinking and Senate Testimony — Chad Ludington, a Yale classmate of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh's who said he often drank with him, issued a statement on Sunday saying the Supreme Court nominee was not truthful about his drinking in his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.

Discussion: Axios and New York Post

James Comey / New York Times:

The F.B.I. Can Do This — Despite limitations and partisan attacks, the bureau can find out a lot about the Kavanaugh accusations in a week. — Mr. Comey is the former F.B.I. director. — The F.B.I. is back in the middle of it. When we were handed the Hillary Clinton email investigation in 2015 …

Discussion: Politico, The Resurgent, HuffPost, RedState, CNN, The Week, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, Mother Jones and Talking Points Memo

New York Times:

Democrats Denounce Limits on F.B.I.'s Kavanaugh Inquiry as a ‘Farce’ — WASHINGTON — The F.B.I. moved on Sunday to quickly complete an abbreviated investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, even as Democrats demanded more information about the inquiry's scope …

Discussion: CNN, Hit & Run, Raw Story, Daily Kos, The Gateway Pundit, HuffPost, CBS Denver, Splinter, Talking Points Memo and Mediaite

Mike DeBonis / Washington Post:

Fight over Kavanaugh intensifies amid confusion over limits of FBI sexual assault investigation — The White House has not placed any limits on the FBI investigation into claims of sexual assault leveled against Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh but is also opposed an open-ended …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Political Wire, The Week, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Washington Monthly, Reuters and CNN

Politico:

POLITICO Playbook: Kavanaugh's recusal problem — DRIVING THE DAY — THOUGHT BUBBLE ... IF BRETT KAVANAUGH is confirmed to the Supreme Court, won't he have to recuse himself from a whole broad swath of cases, based on what he said at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing?

Discussion: Associated Press and Los Angeles Times

CBS News:
Brett Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford hearing spurs more division - CBS News Poll

Discussion: Political Wire

Nicole Gaudiano / delawareonline:
Sens. Coons and Flake discuss drama that led to call for FBI probe: ‘It was quite a moment’

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and HuffPost

CNN:
FBI spoke with Deborah Ramirez, second Kavanaugh accuser

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Conservative News Today, The Week, Washington Free Beacon, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, HuffPost, Axios, twitchy.com, Daily Wire, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Jezebel and ThinkProgress

Byron York / Washington Examiner: In Kavanaugh fight, Democrats move goalposts far, far away

Seung Min Kim / Washington Post:
In memo, outside prosecutor argues why she would not bring criminal charges against Kavanaugh

Discussion: Political Wire, Betsy's Page, Lawyers, Guns & Money, HuffPost and The Week

Wall Street Journal:
White House Questioned on Its Role in Kavanaugh FBI Probe

Discussion: The Hill, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Just Security, New York Times, Fox News, CBS Los Angeles, The Week and Hot Air

CBS News:
Transcript: Sen. Tom Cotton on “Face the Nation,” Sept. 30, 2018

Discussion: Power Line, Conservative News Today and The Daily Caller

Michael Burke / The Hill:
Nadler raises possibility of House investigation of Kavanaugh

Discussion: Conservative News Today, The Daily Caller and The Intellectualist

Ryan Lizza / Esquire:

Devin Nunes's Family Farm Is Hiding a Politically Explosive Secret — Rep. Devin Nunes is head of the House Intelligence Committee and one of President Trump's biggest defenders. For years, he's spun himself as a straight talker whose no-BS values are rooted in his family's California dairy farm.

Discussion: Raw Story

Doug Palmer / Politico:

U.S. reaches trade deal with Canada and Mexico, providing Trump a crucial win — Trade ministers from the U.S., Mexico and Canada have reached a deal to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Trump administration announced late Sunday night. — The new pact, which is being called …

Discussion: Townhall, Globe and Mail, One America News Network and Political Wire

David J. Lynch / Washington Post:

Canada agrees to join trade accord with U.S. and Mexico, sending new NAFTA deal to Congress — BREAKING: Canada has agreed to join the trade deal that the U.S. and Mexico announced last month, according to two people familiar with the matter. The move preserves the three-country format …

Discussion: Reuters and twitchy.com

Associated Press:
Canada-US reach free trade deal with Mexico

Discussion: Axios and Breitbart

Wall Street Journal: U.S. and Canada Reach Nafta Deal

Lauren Gardner / Politico:
No sleep till NAFTA

Discussion: CTVNews and One America News Network

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Brett Kavanaugh is “too big to fail” — For the White House, it's Brett Kavanaugh or bust. They have no Plan B and there's not even discussion of one, according to five sources with direct knowledge of the sensitive internal White House talks. — What they're saying: “He's too big to fail now …

Discussion: Daily Kos, Washington Monthly, The Week, twitchy.com and Raw Story

Annie Karni / Politico:

‘This is march or die’: Kavanaugh urged to hit back hard — Allies push for an aggressive offense even as some concede that confirmation to the Supreme Court is an uphill battle. — Judge Brett Kavanaugh is being advised by allies to mount an aggressive and proactive campaign to win …

Discussion: ABC News, Washington Post and Breitbart

Jonathan Swan / Axios:
A 4-4 court? — This scenario seemed unthinkable a month ago …

Discussion: Townhall, Breitbart and Political Wire

Washington Times:

Retraction: Aaron Rich and the murder of Seth Rich — ANALYSIS/OPINION: — The Washington Times published an op-ed column titled, “More cover-up questions: The curious murder of Seth Rich poses questions that just won't stay under the official rug,” by Adm. James Lyons (Ret.) (the “Column” …

Oliver Darcy / CNNMoney:

The Washington Times settles lawsuit with Seth Rich's brother, issues retraction and apology for its coverage — The Washington Times on Monday issued a lengthy retraction and apology for an editorial it published in March about Aaron Rich, the brother of the slain Democratic National Committee …

more at Mediagazer »

Sarahm / Popula:

The Movie Assassin — The Movie Girl — In October 1996, I was 27, a freelance film reviewer at Philadelphia's second best (of two) alt-weeklies and excited to see and review Anthony Minghella's The English Patient. My excitement was not about the movie itself, which I was pretty sure would be mediocre …

Washington Post:

The Trump administration is suing California to quash its new net neutrality law — The Trump administration said Sunday it will sue California in an effort to block what some experts have described as the toughest net neutrality law ever enacted in the United States, setting …

Discussion: Joe.My.God. and The Verge, more at Techmeme »

Charlie Cooper / Politico:

Dominic Raab: Time for EU to ‘get serious’ in Brexit talks — BIRMINGHAM, England — The EU takes a “theological” approach to negotiations with the U.K., has allowed “no room” for compromise, and it must “get serious” now or risk the U.K. leaving without a deal, U.K. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said Monday.

Discussion: One America News Network

Yuri Kageyama / Marine Corps Times:

Critic of US military bases on Okinawa wins election for governor — TOKYO — Denny Tamaki, who campaigned criticizing the American military presence on the southwestern Japanese islands of Okinawa, won the election for governor Sunday, defeating a ruling party-backed candidate pushing the status quo.