memeorandum: Northam says he will not resign over blackface, KKK photo (Tal Axelrod/The Hill)

12:30 PM ET, February 2, 2019

Top Items:

Ralph Northam Resists Calls to Resign as Virginia Governor Over Racist Yearbook Photo — Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia, facing intense pressure to resign from fellow Democrats after admitting that he posed for a photo in a racist costume as a medical student more than 30 years ago …

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, POLITICUSUSA, Splinter, FOX59, Mediaite, The Week, FOX6Now.com, The Guardian and The Daily Beast

Washington Post:

Va. Gov. Northam is refusing to step down, despite flood of calls for his resignation for ‘racist and offensive’ photo, party says — RICHMOND — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) is refusing to resign despite overwhelming pressure from within his own party and has told at least one lawmaker …

Discussion: Associated Press, The Guardian, Big League Politics, Joe.My.God., Outside the Beltway, Political Wire, Mediaite and The Daily Beast

Politico:

POLITICO Playbook: DNC convention buzz ... DRIVING THE DAY — DNC CONVENTION BUZZ ... Our sources tell us MILWAUKEE is the odds-on favorite for the 2020 Democratic National Convention. (John Bresnahan's sources tell him this too.) Houston and Miami are also still in the hunt …

Discussion: Axios, CBS News, Los Angeles Times, Chicks On The Right and WTOP

Virginian-Pilot:

Ralph Northam yearbook page shows men in blackface and KKK robe — A photo from Gov. Ralph Northam's medical school yearbook shows two men, one in blackface and one in a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood, on the same page as the governor. — The photo, which The Virginian-Pilot obtained a copy …

Associated Press:

The Latest: Virginia governor to speak again about photo — RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Latest on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and racist photo in 1984 yearbook (all times local): — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is planning a news conference where he's expected to say he's not resigning …

Discussion: Daily Wire, Townhall, Breitbart, thenationalsentinel.com and The Daily Beast

Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Northam must resign — Gov. Ralph Northam has served his nation and commonwealth with admirable distinction and dedication. So it gives us no pleasure to see his rapid fall from grace. He is by all accounts a decent and considerate man. And yet, his poor judgment has undermined …

Discussion: Conservative News Today, WPIX 11 New York, Breitbart, Political Wire and Mediaite

Washington Post:
Va. Gov. Northam's medical school yearbook page shows men in blackface, KKK robe

Karen Tumulty / Washington Post:
Ralph Northam must resign. And that's just a start.

Discussion: IJR, Townhall and The Gateway Pundit

Tal Axelrod / The Hill:
Northam says he will not resign over blackface, KKK photo

Discussion: Washington Post, IJR, Breitbart and twitchy.com

Tyler O'Neil / PJ Media Home: Reminder: Ralph Northam Won After Calling Ed Gillespie Racist

New York Times:
Ralph Northam, Virginia Governor, Admits He Was in Racist Photo

Discussion: Refinery29, CNN, thenationalsentinel.com, WTOP, Big League Politics, Althouse and Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times

Brianne Pfannenstiel / Des Moines Register:
Sherrod Brown: Va. Gov. Northam should resign after ‘racist’ photo surfaces of the governor

Discussion: Mother Jones, Talking Points Memo and NorthJersey.com

NBC News:
Va. Gov. Northam's yearbook pic of men in blackface, Klan robe spurs calls for his resignation

Discussion: abc7ny.com, fox8.com and Chicks On The Right

Grace Segers / CBS News:
Ralph Northam's yearbook page shows man in KKK costume and another apparently in blackface

Discussion: Washington Post, National Review, Breitbart, TheBlaze, Politico, Liberty Unyielding, Mediaite, WTVR-TV, fox5sandiego.com, Raw Story and Louder With Crowder

Axios:

The Schultz effect: Liberals own 2020 — The rising Democratic enthusiasm for big government liberalism is forcing a trio of leading 2020 contenders to rethink jumping in, several sources tell Axios. — What's happening: Michael Bloomberg and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe …

Change Research:

Polling on Howard Schultz for President — Change ResearchBlockedUnblockFollowFollowing — There's been much speculation about the impact of Howard Schultz running for president as an independent. — Change Research conducted a poll from January 31-February 1 of 1,338 likely 2020 general election voters …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Washington Post and Political Wire

Kristen Soltis Anderson / Washington Post:

Sorry, Howard Schultz. You're not the centrist American voters are looking for. — Kristen Soltis Anderson is a Republican pollster and columnist at The Washington Examiner. — “How many of you would consider yourselves fiscally more conservative but socially more liberal?”

Discussion: Common Dreams and National Review

Bret Stephens / New York Times: Howard Schultz Derangement Syndrome

DJ Judd / CNN: Sherrod Brown calls Howard Schultz ‘a total idiot’ over possible independent campaign for president

New York Times:

Trump Sought a Loan During the 2016 Campaign. Deutsche Bank Said No. — Donald J. Trump was burning through cash. — It was early 2016, and he was lending tens of millions of dollars to his presidential campaign and had been spending large sums to expand the Trump Organization's roster of high-end properties.

Morgan Gstalter / The Hill:

Colorado Senate passes bill favoring popular vote over Electoral College — The Colorado Senate this week passed a bill that would award the state's electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the nationwide popular vote. — The Senate passed the measure along party lines …

Washington Post:

McConnell privately cautions Trump about emergency declaration on border wall — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell cautioned President Trump privately this week about the consequences of declaring a national emergency to build his border wall, telling him the move could trigger political blowback …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Outside the Beltway, Axios and Raw Story

Alexander Mallin / ABC News:
White House reveals title, themes of Trump's State of the Union

Discussion: Joe.My.God. and Breitbart

David M. Drucker / Washington Examiner:
Pelosi could force Senate Republicans into awkward vote on Trump emergency powers

Discussion: Raw Story

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

Why Putin won't be mad about Trump pulling out of the INF treaty — Given Russia's interference in the 2016 election, this question has stalked Trump throughout his presidency: Why hasn't he taken tougher action against Moscow, beyond the occasional sanction?

Discussion: Raw Story, IJR and Bulletin of the Atomic …

Vladimir Isachenkov / Associated Press:
Russia to pull plug on nuclear arms pact after US does same

Discussion: Politico, Reuters, POLITICUSUSA and NATO

Joseph Cirincione / Washington Post:
John Bolton is a serial arms control killer

Discussion: Raw Story and Common Dreams

Marlow Stern / The Daily Beast:

Bill Maher Makes Racist ‘Popeyes Chicken’ Remark to Black Congressman Will Hurd — On ‘Real Time’ Friday night, the HBO host did the unthinkable... again. — Marlow Stern — Two years ago, comedian Bill Maher got in hot water after using the N-word on his HBO program Real Time.

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon

CNN:

Author of controversial Nunes memo joining National Security Council — (CNN)A congressional aide who was key in crafting the controversial Republican House Intelligence Committee memo that accused FBI and Justice Department officials of abusing their surveillance authority is set to join …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Raw Story

NBC News:

Russia's propaganda machine discovers 2020 Democratic candidate Tulsi Gabbard — Experts who track websites and social media linked to Russia have seen stirrings of a possible campaign of support for Hawaii Democrat Tulsi Gabbard. — The Russian propaganda machine that tried to influence …

Discussion: Raw Story, HuffPost and Washington Free Beacon

Brendan Skwire / Raw Story:

Fox Business host thinks black people are jealous that white Patriots players come from ‘two-parent families’ — Fox Business host Stuart Varney agreed with Fox Sports 1 host Jason Whitlock that the reason sports fans hate the New England Patriots is that the team is racist.

Yashar Ali / HuffPost:

Top Schumer Aide Was Pushed Out After Inappropriate Sexual Encounters With Staff — The sudden departure of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's communications director followed reports of sexual misconduct. — When Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's longtime communications director …

Discussion: The Week, Politico and TheBlaze

Katie Rogers / New York Times:

In the Pale of Winter, Trump's Tan Remains a State Secret — WASHINGTON — The trees in the capital are barren, spindly things. The temperature has dipped, requiring puffy coats. With the government open — for now — President Trump has left the frigidity of governing for a weekend in Palm Beach.

Discussion: Joe.My.God.

Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:

Fever Dream: Mueller's Collusion-Free Collusion Indictment of Roger Stone — There was no crime until the investigations started. — Special Counsel Robert Mueller's indictment of Roger Stone may be the most peculiar document to emerge from the Trump-Russia “collusion” saga.

Discussion: Conservative News Today and The Daily Caller