memeorandum: May to rally party with promise the UK's best days (still) ‘lie ahead’ (Charlie Cooper/Politico)

6:20 PM ET, October 2, 2018

Top Items:

Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father — The president has long sold himself as a self-made billionaire, but a Times investigation found that he received at least $413 million in today's dollars from his father's real estate empire, much of it through tax dodges in the 1990s.

New York Times:

11 Takeaways From The Times's Investigation Into Trump's Wealth — Donald J. Trump built a business empire and won the presidency proclaiming himself a self-made billionaire, and he has long insisted that his father, the legendary New York City builder Fred C. Trump, provided almost no financial help.

Discussion: CNBC, Raw Story and Mediaite

New York Times:

4 Ways Fred Trump Made Donald Trump and his Siblings Rich — In Donald J. Trump's version of how he got rich, he was the master dealmaker who parlayed an initial $1 million loan from his father into a $10 billion empire. It was his guts and gumption that overcame setbacks, and his father, Fred C. Trump, was simply a cheerleader.

Discussion: Raw Story

Wall Street Journal:

FBI Probe of Kavanaugh Is Expected to Wrap Up Very Soon — People familiar with the process said Tuesday that the FBI investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct against Judge Kavanaugh could wrap up very soon, well ahead of the end-of week deadline.

Discussion: NBC News, The Gateway Pundit, New York Times, Vox, TheBlaze, Politico, Raw Story, Daily Wire, Daily Kos, Splinter and Mediaite

Elaina Plott / The Atlantic:

Jeff Flake: 'We Can't Have That on the Court' — As the Senate awaits the results of the FBI investigation into the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Jeff Flake, one of the lawmakers who spurred the inquiry, criticized the judge Tuesday for his recent appearance in the upper chamber.

Discussion: TheBlaze, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, Common Dreams, The Week, The Gateway Pundit, The Resurgent, Talking Points Memo and Political Wire

Jordain Carney / The Hill:

McConnell says only senators will see FBI's Kavanaugh report — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Tuesday that only senators will see the FBI's report on its investigation into the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. — “We'll get an FBI report soon.

Discussion: ABC News, Axios and Joe.My.God.

NBC News:

Kavanaugh's testimony is starting to look more and more problematic — First Read is your briefing from “Meet the Press” and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter. — WASHINGTON — Two reports last night — from NBC News and the New York Times …

Discussion: Shareblue Media, Hot Air, Axios, Washington Free Beacon and Philly.com

Michael Reynolds / Bangor Daily News:

Kavanaugh is unfit for Supreme Court — Last month, Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's choice to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court, appeared headed for a quick confirmation with little questioning from Republican senators. — Then, a letter from Christine Blasey Ford …

Discussion: USA Today, Shareblue Media, Daily Kos, Right Wing Watch, HuffPost, Washington Post and Jezebel

United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary:
Judiciary Committee Receives Statement Regarding Swetnick Allegations

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Trump defends Kavanaugh: ‘Very scary time for young men in America’

Discussion: Washington Post and Breitbart

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Red-state Dems face nightmare scenario on Kavanaugh

Discussion: Reuters, Politico, The Resurgent, Daily Wire and POLITICUSUSA

Cheyenne Haslett / ABC News:
Hillary Clinton says Kavanaugh's political ‘revenge’ claim ‘deserves a lot of laughter’

Discussion: Washington Post and Breitbart

Bloomberg:
Broader FBI Probe Into Kavanaugh Still Faces Some Limits, Source Says

Discussion: Raw Story and Political Wire

Matthew Yglesias / Vox:
Republicans don't care if Kavanaugh is guilty because they don't think what he did was wrong

Discussion: The Federalist, Splinter, ThinkProgress and The Mahablog

Joe Perticone / Business Insider:
Some Democrats see Michael Avenatti's entry into the Brett Kavanaugh scandal as a ‘distraction’

Discussion: Weekly Standard, NBC News, Daily Wire and RedState

Dara Lind / Vox:
Trump: “It's a very scary time for young men in America”

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Jamie Dupree - AJC, Common Dreams and IJR

Guy Benson / Townhall:
‘Gang Rape’ Accuser: Actually, I Don't Know What Kavanaugh Did — and I Don't Have Proof Anyway

Discussion: Fox News Insider, Conservative News Today and RedState

Jason Kander:

I Suffer From Depression and Have PTSD Symptoms — After 11 years, I'm finally ready to do something about it — About four months ago, I contacted the VA to get help. It had been about 11 years since I left Afghanistan as an Army Intelligence Officer, and my tour over there still impacted me every day.

Discussion: Military Times, Politico, ThinkProgress, CNN, Associated Press, HuffPost, Axios, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, IJR, Mediaite and Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Kansas City Star: Jason Kander ends campaign for Kansas City mayor to focus on depression, PTSD

Benjamin Wittes / The Atlantic:

I Know Brett Kavanaugh, but I Wouldn't Confirm Him — If I were a senator, I would not vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh. — These are words I write with no pleasure, but with deep sadness. Unlike many people who will read them with glee—as validating preexisting political, philosophical …

Discussion: Washington Post, Raw Story, Just Security, Above the Law and Instapundit

Mollie Hemingway / The Federalist:

THE NEW YORK TIMES PREPARING HIT PIECE ON BRETT KAVANAUGH FOR PARTY PLANNING — Multiple sources tell The Federalist that the New York Times is prepping yet another attack piece on Brett Kavanaugh for his party planning efforts in the 1980s. — Having failed to corroborate any allegations …

Discussion: Breitbart, Washington Times, National Review, Washington Free Beacon, NTK Network, TheBlaze, Raw Story, Townhall and The Daily Caller

Philip Klein / Washington Examiner:
Twitter has made liberal media bias more overt — and that's a good thing

Discussion: Breitbart, Townhall and Daily Wire

Amy Russo / Mediaite:
New York Times Admits Error in Having Op-Ed Writer Who Bashed Kavanaugh Later Report on Him

Discussion: Splinter, Vox, New York Times, Washington Post and Daily Wire, more at Mediagazer »

Jason Schwartz / Politico:
New York Times says it made mistake by assigning opinion writer to Kavanaugh story

Discussion: CNNMoney and The Daily Caller

Dan Alexander / Forbes:

How Trump Is Trying—And Failing—To Get Rich Off His Presidency — When Donald Trump opened Trump Tower in 1983, it marked a seminal moment in American retail, as six stories of glitzy shops like Harry Winston and Cartier beckoned luxury buyers who strode past a live pianist and a 60-foot indoor waterfall.

Discussion: Washington Post, Politico, The Daily Beast, CNBC and Joe.My.God.

Wall Street Journal:

Trump Directed Legal Action to Enforce Stormy Daniels's Hush Agreement — President in February instructed Michael Cohen to seek restraining order against adult-film actress, people familiar with the effort say — President Trump personally directed an effort in February to stop Stormy Daniels …

Discussion: Newsweek, Raw Story, Washington Monthly, Talking Points Memo, KRTV-TV, The Root, HuffPost, Vox, Washington Post, Shakesville, Joe.My.God., Chicks On The Right, Spectator USA, Daily Kos, Splinter, NPR, The Week, CNBC, Political Wire, Washington Times and Mediaite

RealClearInvestigations:

Renovation Records Undercut Ford's Exit-Door Account — Real estate and other records undercut a key part of Christine Blasey Ford's account of why she finally came forward with charges of attempted rape against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after some 30 years.

Discussion: RedState and twitchy.com

Thomas Lipscomb / Real Clear Politics:
Records Raise Questions About Ford's Double-Door Story

Discussion: Daily Wire

Jason Rezaian / Washington Post:

Post contributor and prominent Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi feared missing in Turkey — Our contributor Jamal Khashoggi entered the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul on Tuesday afternoon. Many hours later, there is still no news from him. — We don't know if he is being detained, questioned or when he will be released.

Discussion: New York Times and The New Arab

Middle East Eye:
Leading Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi missing after entering consulate

Discussion: The American Conservative

Kareem Fahim / Washington Post: Friends fear for safety of prominent Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi

The Harvard Crimson:

Students Filed Title IX Complaints Against Kavanaugh to Prevent Him From Teaching at Harvard Law — In the days before Harvard Law School announced embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh will not teach in Cambridge this January, undergraduates eager to block his return to campus struck …

Discussion: BostonGlobe.com, Chicks On The Right, twitchy.com, Daily Wire and The College Fix

Robby Soave / Hit & Run:
Harvard Students Filed Multiple Title IX Complaints Against Brett Kavanaugh To Get Him Fired

Discussion: ThinkProgress, New York Post, Vox and Instapundit

Haley Byrd / Weekly Standard:

Hazmat Team Sent to Cruz Campaign Office in Houston — Staffers opened an envelope containing a white powdery substance. — A hazardous materials response team was dispatched to Texas Senator Ted Cruz's campaign office in Houston on Tuesday morning to investigate a mailed envelope …

Discussion: abc13.com, KRIV, RedState, National Review, The Right Scoop, twitchy.com, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Chicks On The Right, Geller Report, Raw Story, Conservative News Today, The Week, The Gateway Pundit, TheBlaze, Daily Wire, The Daily Caller, Roll Call and Big League Politics

Breaking911: 2 Hospitalized After ‘White Substance’ Sent To Office of Sen. Ted Cruz

Ellen Knickmeyer / Associated Press:

APNewsBreak: Trump's EPA moving to loosen radiation limits — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is quietly moving to weaken U.S. radiation regulations, turning to scientific outliers who argue that a bit of radiation damage is actually good for you — like a little bit of sunlight.

Discussion: The Intellectualist

Kadhim Shubber / Financial Times:

Money laundering expert to leave Robert Mueller team — A money laundering expert working on Robert Mueller's Russia probe is leaving the special counsel's team to return to her previous role at the US Department of Justice, the FT has learnt. — Kyle Freeny, a trial attorney seconded …

Sara Murray / CNN:
Roger Stone built a ‘dirty trickster’ image. Now Robert Mueller might build a case on it.

Discussion: Raw Story

Robert Costa / Washington Post:

Michael Bloomberg jolts Senate battle with $20 million for Democrats — Michael R. Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City who is considering a 2020 presidential campaign, will give $20 million to the main Democratic Senate super PAC this week — jolting the national battle …

Discussion: Politico, Talking Points Memo, Political Wire and Joe.My.God.

Dwight Garner / New York Times:

What a Book Critic Finds in Mark Judge's ‘Wasted’ 21 Years Later — Alcohol warms some people up and gives them a little glow; for others, it offers almost instant access to their inner troglodyte. Life is unfair this way. — Mark Judge started out as the first kind of drinker and quickly became the second.

Monica Hesse / Washington Post:

Dear dads: Your daughters told me about their assaults. This is why they never told you. — A man emailed recently in response to something I'd written about street harassment. He was so glad, he said, that his college-age daughter never experienced anything like that. Less than a day later, he wrote again.

HuffPost:

Feds Make Several Arrests In Connection With Charlottesville Unite The Right Weekend — Federal charges came more than a year after violence surrounding the August 2017 rally. — WASHINGTON Federal authorities in Virginia have arrested several individuals in connection with the violence …

Discussion: Politico, Vox, Associated Press, The Week, Axios, Right Wing Watch, The Daily Beast and Talking Points Memo

CNN:

Ricin detected in mail sent to Pentagon — (CNN)Two pieces of mail delivered to the Pentagon mail facility on Monday have initially tested positive for ricin, according to a US defense official. — The mail facility is in a separate building on the grounds of the Pentagon and the piece …