memeorandum: Plot to Smear Mueller Unravels as F.B.I. Is Asked to Investigate (Adam Goldman/New York Times)

9:45 PM ET, October 30, 2018

Top Items:

Natasha Bertrand / The Atlantic:

Mueller Wants the FBI to Look at a Scheme to Discredit Him — A company that appears to be run by a pro-Trump conspiracy theorist offered to pay women to make false claims against Special Counsel Robert Mueller in the days leading up to the midterm elections—and the special counsel's office has asked the FBI to weigh in.

NBC News:

Mueller refers sex assault scheme targeting him to FBI for investigation — “We immediately referred the matter to the FBI for investigation,” said Peter Carr, spokesperson for the special counsel. — Special counsel Robert Mueller last week asked the FBI to investigate a possible scam …

Discussion: TheBlaze, Vox, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, NPR, Lawyers, Guns & Money, BuzzFeed News and Mediaite

The Daily Beast:

Inside the Crazy Cabal Trying to Smear Robert Mueller — A Seth Rich conspiracy pusher and fringe online figures appear to be working behind the scenes. — One of the shadier characters in politics, along with a number of fringe internet figures, appears to be behind an attempt to pay women …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Politico, Mediaite, Spectator USA, Law & Crime, Balloon Juice and twitchy.com

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:

Update on Mueller Accusations — Earlier today we were given information on accusations against former FBI Director Robert Mueller. — We took the documents down and we are currently investigating these accusations. — There are also very serious allegations against Jacob Wohl.

Discussion: Boing Boing and Talking Points Memo

Jay Willis / GQ:

MAGA Trolls' Efforts to Take Down Robert Mueller Flame Out in Hilarious and Spectacular Fashion — In news that will shock you, a plot involving Jacob Wohl has some holes. Here's how it went down. — Politics in 2018 is a nightmarish hellscape that is largely devoid of heroes …

Adam Goldman / New York Times:

Plot to Smear Mueller Unravels as F.B.I. Is Asked to Investigate — WASHINGTON — The office of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has asked the F.B.I. to investigate what appears to be an effort to smear him, stemming from suspicious emails offering women money in exchange for fabricating sexual misconduct claims against him.

Aric Toler / bellingcat:

The Unintelligent Design of SureFire Intelligence — On October 30th, the far-right site Gateway Pundit published documents alleging that Robert Mueller, who is heading up the investigation into foreign interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, sexually assaulted a woman in 2010.

Washington Post:

Trump's proposal to end birthright citizenship is unconstitutional — George T. Conway III is of counsel at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Neal Katyal is a partner at Hogan Lovells and former acting U.S. solicitor general in the Obama administration. — Sometimes the Constitution's text …

Discussion: KTVQ-TV, Mediaite, twitchy.com, CNN, The Week, New York Times, National Review, Bloomberg, Washington Free Beacon, BuzzFeed News, Politico, Law & Crime, Axios and ABC News

Axios:

Exclusive: Trump targeting birthright citizenship with executive order — President Trump plans to sign an executive order that would remove the right to citizenship for babies of non-citizens and unauthorized immigrants born on U.S. soil, he said yesterday in an exclusive interview for …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Hot Air, Washington Post, The Nation, The Federalist, Hmm Daily, CNBC, New York Times, Politico, CNN, ABC News, Front Page Magazine, Associated Press, twitchy.com, ACLU, Raw Story, Breitbart, Daily Kos, Fox News Insider, Reason, Bloomberg, Washington Free Beacon, NPR, Mediaite, HuffPost, Fox News, New York Daily News, RedState, Lawfare, Law & Crime, AOL, Full Feed, The Rush Limbaugh Show, The Resurgent, Hit & Run, Talking Points Memo, No More Mister Nice Blog, Media Matters for America, Shakesville, IJR, Townhall, KTLA, Mother Jones, Daily Wire, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, Conservative Review, The New Neo, BuzzFeed News, NBC News, The Guardian, The Week, Roll Call, The Daily Beast, The Atlantic, The Daily Caller, Washington Monthly, The Moderate Voice, Patterico's Pontifications, Big Think, Splinter, Naked Politics, Weekly Standard, New Republic, Outside the Beltway, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, National Review and NTK Network

Libby Watson / Splinter:

Jonathan Swan Is a Bootlicker — You might have woken up this morning, as I did, to the Axios headline: “Exclusive: Trump to terminate birthright citizenship.” In your bleary-eyed, pre-java state, you would struggle toward the thought: What... the fuck? Can he do that?

Discussion: Observer, The Daily Caller, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Daily Kos, The Intercept and ThinkProgress, more at Mediagazer »

Caitlin Oprysko / Politico:
Speaker Ryan: ‘You cannot end birthright citizenship with an executive order’

Discussion: 24Ahead, Raw Story, Media Matters for America, The Resurgent, Hit & Run, Front Page Magazine, CNN, ABC News and Breitbart

Eliana Johnson / Politico:
How Trump's ‘birthright’ idea went from the fringe to the Oval Office

Discussion: Washington Post and Above the Law

Dara Lind / Vox:
Birthright citizenship, explained

Discussion: New York Times, abc13.com and Mother Jones

Julie Hirschfeld Davis / New York Times:
Trump Wants to End Birthright Citizenship With Executive Order

Morgan Gstalter / The Hill:

Pittsburgh mayor: Our priority is funerals, not Trump's visit — The mayor of Pittsburgh suggested that President Trump choose a different time to visit the city rather than the day of the first of 11 funerals for the victims of Saturday's synagogue shooting.

Discussion: Washington Post, Associated Press, Axios, ABC News, Breitbart, The Root, Shareblue Media and The Daily Caller

Washington Post:
Shooting victim's family, top officials shun Trump in Pittsburgh: ‘He was blaming the community’

Discussion: Daily Mail, WPXI-TV, ThinkProgress, New York Times, Talking Points Memo, CNN, Sputnik International, POLITICUSUSA, The Hill, DC Tribune, The American Conservative, WTAE, Hill Reporter, VICE News US, The Mahablog and Mediaite

Daniel Marans / HuffPost:
‘Rabbi’ At Mike Pence Rally Thinks Jews Who Deny Christ Go To Hell

Discussion: NBC News, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and The Daily Beast

Armin Rosen / Tablet Magazine: The Funeral of David and Cecil Rosenthal

New York Times:
Pittsburgh Unites in Grief, Even as It Splits Over Trump's Visit

Discussion: Althouse

Washington Post:

Zinke's own agency watchdog just referred him to the Justice Department — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has come under scrutiny on multiple fronts — The Interior Department's Office of Inspector General has referred one of its ongoing probes into the conduct of Secretary Ryan Zinke …

Discussion: Splinter, The Week and Axios

CNN:
Sources: Justice Department investigating Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke

Discussion: Politico, The Atlantic, Daily Kos, ThinkProgress, The Guardian, HuffPost and AOL

Mark Murray / NBC News:

Poll: Sinema leads McSally in Arizona Senate race — Democrat Kyrsten Sinema holds a 6-point lead over Republican Martha McSally, fueled by leads among Latinos, Independents and women. — WASHINGTON — Fueled by advantages among Latinos, Independents and women, Democrat Kyrsten Sinema holds …

Discussion: Washington Post, HighGround, Roll Call, Hot Air, The Week, NTK Network, Washington Monthly, Outside the Beltway and Political Wire

Carrie Dann / NBC News:
Poll: Blackburn edges ahead of Bredesen in tight Tennessee Senate contest

Discussion: CNBC, Political Wire and Talking Points Memo

David Edwards / Raw Story:
GOP Senate candidate Martha McSally: 'I'm getting my ass kicked' because of vote to repeal Obamacare

Discussion: Arizona Republic

New York Magazine:

12 Young People on Why They Probably Won't Vote — As told to , Rachel Bashein, Zak Cheney-Rice, Amelia Schonbek, and Emma Whitford — More than half of American adults plan to cast ballots in November, but only a third of people ages 18 to 29 say they will. Here, 12 young adults on why they probably won't vote.

Discussion: New Republic, No More Mister Nice Blog, Daily Wire, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Splinter, twitchy.com and Patterico's Pontifications

Washington Post:

Mueller probes Roger Stone's interactions with Trump campaign and timing of WikiLeaks release of Podesta emails — The special counsel investigation into President Trump's longtime ally Roger Stone is pressing witnesses about Stone's private interactions with senior campaign officials …

Discussion: CNN, emptywheel, Wall Street Journal, Talking Points Memo, KRTV-TV, Political Wire and Raw Story

Ali Dukakis / ABC News:
As special counsel closes in, Roger Stone suits up for legal battle

Discussion: Washington Post, Raw Story and Law & Crime

Kevin Cullen / BostonGlobe.com:

Freddy Geas, suspected killer of Whitey Bulger, didn't like informants — When private investigator Ted McDonough heard that Freddy Geas was suspected by authorities of taking part in the murder of James “Whitey” Bulger, he knew immediately why Geas might have done it.

Boston Herald:
James ‘Whitey’ Bulger dead, had been moved to W. Va.

Discussion: Townhall

Ray Sanchez / CNN:
Boston gangster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger killed in West Virginia prison a day after transfer

Discussion: RedState, TMZ.com and The Daily Caller

Des Moines Register:

Land O'Lakes ag co-op, facing boycott threats, pulls support for U.S. Rep. Steve King — Land O'Lakes, one of nation's leading agricultural and food businesses, said Tuesday its political action committee will stop donating to U.S. Rep. Steve King's campaign treasury amid continuing controversies involving …

Discussion: New York Times, HuffPost and Mother Jones

Bloomberg:
Land O'Lakes, Purina Pull Support for Iowa Congressman Steve King Over Racial Remarks

Discussion: Sludge, CNN, Roll Call, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, CNBC, KRTV-TV, ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, twitchy.com, Jezebel, Mediaite, Political Wire and Axios

Aris Folley / The Hill:
New poll shows anti-immigration firebrand Steve King up by just one point

Discussion: The Intercept, Bloomberg, The Cook Political Report, The Week, HuffPost, Hill Reporter, Washington Post, Raw Story, Political Wire and Twin Cities

TMZ.com:

Kanye West Breaks From Politics and Says 'I've Been Used' — 4:15 PM PT — Kanye contacted us to make it clear he did not mention Donald Trump in his tweets, and he's getting out of politics altogether. — As for being “used” ... he says he was specifically referencing Blexit, and that's it.

Discussion: Raw Story

Yahoo:

Justice Kavanaugh declines more than $600,000 raised in GoFundMe campaign — Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh declined more than $600,000 that was donated to aid his family during the firestorm over sexual misconduct allegations that plagued his confirmation.

Bloomberg: Republicans Fear Some Voters Are Losing Enthusiasm With a Week Until the Midterms

CNN:

The radicalization of an alleged domestic terrorist — Woman warned Twitter about bomb suspect — New York (CNN)Cesar Sayoc's social media accounts read like a blueprint for the radicalization of an alleged domestic terrorist. — A CNN KFile analysis of thousands of tweets sent …

Discussion: The Week and New York Times

David Hudnall / Kansas City Pitch:

Steve Bannon draws crowd of tens to rally for Steve Watkins in Topeka — “Any honeybuns left over from the continental this morning?” — Sherman Smith Twitter — I highly recommend that you take a look at Topeka Capital-Journal managing editor Sherman Smith's Twitter thread about attending …

VICE News US:

We posed as 100 senators to run ads on Facebook. Facebook approved all of them. — One of Facebook's major efforts to add transparency to political advertisements is a required “Paid for by” disclosure at the top of each ad supposedly telling users who is paying for political ads that show up in their news feeds.

Discussion: Boing Boing, more at Mediagazer »

Sophie Novack / The Texas Observer:

We Support Pre-Existing Condition Protections, Say Republicans Who've Repeatedly Tried to Eliminate Them — “Everyone agrees we're going to protect pre-existing conditions,” Senator Ted Cruz said in a debate this month. Yes, the same Ted Cruz who forced a federal government shutdown in 2013 …

Jeffrey Young / HuffPost:
Believe Republicans When They Say They're Coming After Your Health Care

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Maggie Astor / New York Times:

In North Dakota, Native Americans Try to Turn an ID Law to Their Advantage — FORT YATES, N.D. — Nobody in the squat yellow house serving as the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's get-out-the-vote headquarters knew its address. — It was on Red Tail Hawk Avenue; they knew that much.

Discussion: HuffPost

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Rampant Bias and Misinformation at the Guardian — Since becoming President of Minnesota's public policy organization, Center of the American Experiment, at the beginning of 2016, I have gotten a new perspective on media bias and ineptitude. I have always thought those problems were bad.

WAGA-TV:

New FOX 5 Poll: Abrams edging Kemp in dead heat — ATLANTA - A new poll conducted for FOX 5 Atlanta shows Stacey Abrams with a slight lead over Brian Kemp in a statistical dead heat in the race for Georgia Governor. — The new Opinion Savvy poll for FOX 5 shows Democrat Abrams at 48.1% and Republican Kemp at 47.2%.

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Molly Jong-Fast / The Forward:

Trump Is Using Ivanka As A Prop To Whitewash Anti-Semitism — Something you hear a lot from the right when you bring up the President's penchant for inflammatory language that ignites neo-Nazis is that the president can't possibly be anti-Semitic because he has a Jewish daughter.