memeorandum: Charges dropped in first federal genital mutilation case in US (Laura Ly/CNN)

8:15 AM ET, November 21, 2018

Top Items:

Trump Wanted to Order Justice Dept. to Prosecute Comey and Clinton — WASHINGTON — President Trump told the White House counsel in the spring that he wanted to order the Justice Department to prosecute two of his political adversaries: his 2016 challenger, Hillary Clinton …

Matt Naham / Law & Crime:

Here's Why the New York Times Bombshell Report Could Be the Finishing Touch for Mueller's Obstruction Case — If special counsel Robert Mueller is seriously pursuing an obstruction of justice case against President Donald Trump, then you can bet that information revealed …

Discussion: Mediaite

David Corn / Mother Jones:
Matt Whitaker Suggested Trump Administration Should Prosecute Hillary Clinton

Discussion: The Week, Daily Kos, CNBC, Mediaite, Raw Story and The Guardian

Tess Bonn / The Hill:
House GOP to hold hearing into DOJ's probe of Clinton Foundation

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

CNN:
Trump raised investigating Clinton with Rosenstein, Whitaker and McGahn

Discussion: New Republic

Lachlan Markay / The Daily Beast:

Ex-Facebook President Sean Parker Funded Race-Baiting Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith's Super PAC — A spokesman for the Napster founder said he denounces Cindy Hyde-Smith's comments but isn't calling for a refund of the money he's given. — As embattled incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) …

Discussion: Splinter, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story and Political Wire

Jackson Free Press:

Hyde-Smith Demanded No Audience, No Press for Tonight's Debate … JACKSON—U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith demanded there be no audience or outside press allowed at tonight's U.S. Senate debate and requested other restrictions, two sources familiar with the debate negotiations told the Jackson Free Press Tuesday morning.

Discussion: Roll Call, Common Dreams, Talking Points Memo, TheBlaze, Daily Kos, CNN, Balloon Juice, Political Wire and CNBC

James Arkin / Politico:

Hyde-Smith apologizes ‘to anyone offended’ by public hanging remark — Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith on Tuesday offered her first qualified apology to “anyone that was offended” by her remark that she would gladly attend a “public hanging” if one of her supporters invited her.

Jonathan Allen / NBC News: Democrat Espy charges in debate that Sen. Hyde-Smith's public hanging comment gave Mississippi ‘another black eye’

Matthew Choi / Politico:
Embattled Hyde-Smith posted photo of herself in Confederate hat

Discussion: HuffPost, NPR, The Cook Political Report, Snopes.com, Weekly Standard, Washington Post, Raw Story, ABC News, The Clarion Ledger, Reuters, IJR, The Week, Political Wire, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, RedState, Splinter, Breitbart and The Hill

Caroline Kelly / CNN:
Photo surfaces of Cindy Hyde-Smith posing with Confederate artifacts

Discussion: USA Today, ABC News, Raw Story and Mike Espy for U.S. Senate

The White House:

Statement from President Donald J. Trump on Standing with Saudi Arabia — America First! — The world is a very dangerous place! — The country of Iran, as an example, is responsible for a bloody proxy war against Saudi Arabia in Yemen, trying to destabilize Iraq's fragile attempt at democracy …

Discussion: The Federalist, Washington Post, HuffPost, Vox, Just Security, USA Today, Middle East Eye, VICE News, Associated Press, ABC News, Mediaite, Althouse, New York Times, France 24, Informed Comment, Townhall, The American Conservative, Hill Reporter, CNN, VTDigger, CBS News, NY State of Politics, Power Line, New York Magazine, Mashable, RedState, The Atlantic, IJR, Raw Story, Al Jazeera, Hit & Run, Breitbart, NBC News, The Intercept, Defense One, fox13now.com, The Gateway Pundit, AOL, Politico, The Guardian, The Mahablog, Common Dreams, The Week, Daily Wire, Front Page Magazine, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, TheBlaze, Washington Times, FOX2now.com, CNBC, Wonkette, Conservative Review, Daily Kos, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, Florida Politics, Weekly Standard, Washington Free Beacon and New Republic, more at Mediagazer »

Julian E. Barnes / New York Times:

Trump's Statement on Saudi Arabia, Explained! — The president makes the case for the crown prince: Iran, arms sales and oil. — WASHINGTON — President Trump released an exclamation point-filled statement on Tuesday about the assassination of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi.

Washington Post:
Trump's latest statement on Khashoggi was a betrayal of American values

Discussion: Washington Monthly, New York Times, Vox, HuffPost, RedState and The Root

Washington Post:
Trump continues to question CIA conclusion that Saudi crown prince was responsible for Khashoggi's death

Discussion: Politico, Mediaite, Al Jazeera, The American Conservative and The Guardian

Wall Street Journal:
Saudi Arabia Accused of Torturing Women Activists in Widening Crackdown on Dissent

Discussion: Politico and Washington Press

Kareem Fahim / Washington Post: Jailed Saudi women's rights activists said to face electric shocks, beatings and other abuse

Josh Feldman / Mediaite: Fox News' Shepard Smith on Trump Khashoggi Statement: He ‘Insulted the Murder Victim and Sided With the Saudis’

Washington Post:

Conservative nonprofit with obscure roots and undisclosed funders paid Matthew Whitaker $1.2 million — In the three years after he arrived in Washington in 2014, Matthew G. Whitaker received more than $1.2 million as the leader of a charity that reported having no other employees, some of the best pay of his career.

Discussion: Washington Press, The Week, HuffPost and Talking Points Memo

New York Times:

Matthew Whitaker Earned $1.2 Million From Group Backed by Undisclosed Donors — WASHINGTON — Matthew G. Whitaker, the acting attorney general, was paid more than $1.2 million in the past few years by a group active in conservative politics that does not reveal its donors, according to financial disclosure statements released Tuesday.

Discussion: Gizmodo

Bloomberg: Trump DOJ Chief Whitaker Received $900,000 From Right-Wing Group

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed News:
The White House Won't Say When Trump Formally Named Matthew Whitaker As Acting Attorney General

Discussion: The Daily Signal

Associated Press:
The Latest: Anti-Democrat group paid Whitaker nearly $1M

Discussion: Politico, Raw Story and Breitbart

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Giuliani predicts Mueller won't subpoena Trump — President Trump delivered to Robert Mueller handwritten answers about pre-election dimensions of the Russia probe but did not answer questions about his behavior as president, including allegations of obstruction of justice …

Discussion: Raw Story

New York Times:
Trump Answers Mueller's Questions on Russian Interference

Discussion: Raw Story and Vox

John Santucci / ABC News:
Trump submits written responses to special counsel Robert Mueller

Discussion: Washington Post, emptywheel, VICE News, Daily Kos, The Daily Beast, The Daily Caller and Talking Points Memo

Darren Samuelsohn / Politico: Mueller got some answers, but he's not done with Trump

Brett Samuels / The Hill:
Trump: 'I can't imagine anybody else' other than myself for Time Person of the Year

Discussion: HuffPost, Mediaite and Townhall

Tresa Baldas / Detroit Free Press:

Judge dismisses female genital mutilation charges in historic case — In a major blow to the federal government, a judge in Detroit has declared America's female genital mutilation law unconstitutional, thereby dismissing the key charges against two Michigan doctors and six others accused …

Discussion: Detroit News, The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart and TheBlaze

Laura Ly / CNN:
Charges dropped in first federal genital mutilation case in US

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Seth Fiegerman / CNN:

As problems pile up, Mark Zuckerberg stands his ground in exclusive CNN Business interview — New York (CNN Business)After spending much of this year apologizing for Facebook's many missteps, CEO Mark Zuckerberg was defiant in an exclusive interview with CNN Business on Tuesday.

Discussion: Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget and Investor's Business Daily, more at Techmeme »

Max Read / New York Magazine:
The Decline and Fall of the Zuckerberg Empire

more at Techmeme »

Barbara Ortutay / Associated Press:
As Facebook faces fire, heat turns up on No. 2 Sandberg

Discussion: Mediaite, The Verge and Big Think

Brady McCombs / Associated Press:

Democrats flip Utah House seat as McAdams tops Rep. Mia Love — SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Democrat Ben McAdams has flipped a U.S. House seat in deep-red Utah, defeating incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mia Love by fewer than 700 votes in a race that took two weeks to settle.

Discussion: TheBlaze, The Week and The Hill

Lee Davidson / Salt Lake Tribune:
It's over. Democrat Ben McAdams ousts Republican Rep Mia Love by 694 votes

Discussion: Washington Press, The Daily Caller and Roll Call

Washington Post:
Democrat edges out Republican Rep. Mia Love in Utah

Discussion: Politico

Associated Press:

South Korean named Interpol president in blow to Russia — DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — South Korea's Kim Jong Yang was elected as Interpol's president on Wednesday, edging out a longtime veteran of Russia's security services who was strongly opposed by the U.S., Britain and other European nations.

Discussion: TheBlaze

BBC:
Russia loses Interpol presidency vote

Discussion: The Guardian

Los Angeles Times:

Election fraud scheme on L.A.'s skid row got homeless to sign fake names for cigarettes and cash, D.A. says — A forged signature swapped for $1 — or sometimes a cigarette. — The crude exchange played out hundreds of times on L.A.'s skid row during the 2016 election cycle and again this year …

Discussion: Front Page Magazine, TheBlaze, Townhall and KTLA

Dennis Romero / NBC News: Skid Row vote fraudsters preyed on L.A. homeless, authorities charge

Washington Post:

Romaine lettuce is not safe to eat, CDC warns U.S. consumers — Romaine lettuce is unsafe to eat in any form, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday in a broad alert in response to a new outbreak of illnesses caused by a particularly dangerous type of E. coli contamination.

Discussion: The Week, FOX 61, WCCO | CBS Minnesota, CBS Pittsburgh, CBS Philly, Mother Jones, abc7.com and Gothamist, more at Mediagazer »

Centers for Disease Control:
Outbreak of E. coli Infections Linked to Romaine Lettuce

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Stalemate on Trump's wall amid threat of shutdown — Congress just can't help itself: With a partial government shutdown potentially two weeks away, Democrats and Republicans are dug in, each side upping its demands and vowing not to buckle to the other. — President Donald Trump …

Jeremy Barr / Hollywood Reporter:

Will Fox Business Network Take Action After Lou Dobbs Tells Judge to “Go to Hell”? — “That's generally not a good idea,” a lawyer guest told the ever-controversial host on Monday night. — Lou Dobbs is the Sean Hannity of Fox Business Network, a highly rated conservative gladiator …

James Oliphant / Reuters:

Democrats see rural gains bolstering fight for White House in 2020 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats made dramatic gains in this month's U.S. congressional elections despite getting little love from white, rural, working-class voters who two years ago backed President Donald Trump.