memeorandum: Joe Biden makes joking reference to controversy over touching women (Matt Viser/Washington Post)

10:35 PM ET, April 5, 2019

Top Items:

The Reluctance of Bernie Sanders to Release His Damn Tax Returns Is Part of a Bigger Issue — Why hasn't Bernie Sanders just released his damn tax returns already? — It's a question that's something of a Rorschach test for Democratic primary voters. For veterans of the great war of 2016 …

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, TheBlaze and Boing Boing

CNN:

Trump lawyers issue letter fighting tax return request — Trump on releasing his tax returns: Speak to my lawyers — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump continues to hold his ground against Democratic efforts to obtain his tax returns, with one administration official telling CNN …

David French / National Review:

The Trump Era Should Make Libertarians of Us All — Democrats' quest for Trump's tax returns once again highlights the distortions in American law. — Democrats and many other Trump opponents are thrilled that House Ways and Means Committee chairman Richard Neal has “formally requested” six years of Donald Trump's tax returns.

Discussion: Washington Post and Patterico's Pontifications

Richard Rubin / Wall Street Journal:
President Trump's Lawyer Urges IRS to Reject Democrats' Tax-Return Demand

Discussion: Law & Crime and Washington Times

New York Times: Trump Lawyer Asserts President's Right to Keep Tax Returns Private

Lisa Lerer / New York Times:

Joe Biden Jokes About Hugging in a Speech, Then Offers a Mixed Apology — WASHINGTON — Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Friday twice jokingly referred to complaints from several women that he had made them uncomfortable with his physical contact, and then gave a convoluted apology about their concerns and his behavior.

Discussion: Bloomberg, The Root, The Hill, New York Magazine, Vanity Fair, No More Mister Nice Blog, Common Dreams, CBS News, Vox, VICE News, Fox News and The Daily Caller

Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:

If Biden Runs, They'll Tear Him Up — The old Democratic Party was warm, like him. The new one rising is colder, less human and divisive.

Discussion: National Review and No More Mister Nice Blog

Brett Samuels / The Hill:
Biden: 'I'm not sorry for anything that I have ever done'

Discussion: CNN, Front Page Magazine, Daily Wire, Breitbart and Politico

Sofie Karasek / Washington Post:
A photo of me and Joe Biden went viral. I want him to take ownership for his actions.

Discussion: CNN, Brass Pills, Talking Points Memo, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Conservative News Today, Daily Wire, SARAH PALIN, Washington Free Beacon, Young Conservatives, New York Times, The Hill, Althouse and Politico

Kevin Robillard / HuffPost:
Joe Biden Is Betting The Democratic Party Hasn't Changed

Discussion: Washington Post, ABC News and PJ Media Home

Matt Viser / Washington Post:
Joe Biden makes joking reference to controversy over touching women

Discussion: Politico, Quartz and Balloon Juice

The Babylon Bee: Joe Biden Appointed As Head Of TSA

Nancy Cook / Politico:

Mnuchin losing two senior Treasury aides — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is about to lose two of his most trusted aides, just as House Democrats ramp up pressure on his department to release President Donald Trump's tax returns. — Eli Miller, chief of staff at Treasury …

Brett Samuels / The Hill:
Trump says law ‘100 percent’ on his side in tax return fight

Discussion: Breitbart, Axios and IJR

David Jackson / USA Today:
Donald Trump says he will again skip the White House correspondents dinner

Discussion: Washington Post and The Root, more at Mediagazer »

Brian Faler / Politico:
Democrats face minefield if they get Trump's tax returns

Discussion: Raw Story

Steve Benen / MSNBC:

Trump raises eyebrows by saying, ‘We should get rid of judges’ — A reporter asked Donald Trump this morning why, after all of his rhetoric, he didn't close the border like he said he would. The president replied: … On the first point, the idea that Mexico is suddenly implementing policies …

Discussion: The Guardian

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Trump is floundering disastrously on multiple fronts. Stop pretending he's in control.

Discussion: Raw Story, Althouse, Just Security and The Week

Associated Press:
‘Our country is full’: Trump says migrants straining system

Discussion: CBS San Francisco

Marcy Wheeler / Washington Post:

We already knew Barr's summary was too easy on Trump. Public records prove it. — Court filings and congressional testimony show the attorney general left out a lot of Mueller's findings. — When Attorney General William P. Barr released a four-page memo two weeks ago opining that …

Discussion: Raw Story, Spectator USA, Daily Kos, The Week and Gothamist

ProPublica:

The IRS Tried to Take on the Ultrawealthy. It Didn't Go Well. — Ten years ago, the tax agency formed a special team to unravel the complex tax-lowering strategies of the nation's wealthiest people. But with big money — and Congress — arrayed against the team, it never had a chance.

Charles Duncan / The Charlotte Observer:

Accused of money laundering in Russia, former NC congressman's bank loses license — A Russian bank owned by former North Carolina Congressman Charles Taylor has been accused of money laundering and lost its license, according to Bloomberg News. — The Commercial Bank of Ivanovo …

Discussion: Joe.My.God., Raw Story and BloombergQuint

Associated Press: Ex-US Congressman's Russian bank stripped of license

Liz Mair / USA Today:

Free speech means I don't have to be nice to Devin Nunes on Twitter. So why's he suing me? — I didn't act like Miss Congeniality toward a member of Congress. He's upset that I did my job, so now he's trying to stifle my free speech and yours. — CONNECT

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Liberty Unyielding

Associated Press:

Ex-spy Valerie Plame eyes run for Congress in New Mexico — ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Former CIA operative, author and activist Valerie Plame said Friday she is considering a 2020 run for an open U.S. congressional seat in New Mexico. — Plame told The Associated Press she is spending time with residents and will make a decision soon.

Discussion: Axios and twitchy.com

Colby Itkowitz / Washington Post: Ex-spy Valerie Plame eyeing return to Washington — as a member of Congress

Katelyn Polantz / CNN:

Ruling on grand jury records could affect release of Mueller report details — Mystery grand jury in Mueller probe explained — (CNN)The federal appeals court in Washington, DC, sided with grand jury secrecy on Friday, ruling that federal district judges don't have the power …

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Appeals court narrows path for disclosure of grand jury info in Mueller report

Discussion: Law & Crime and Raw Story

Hell World:

I hate what they've done to almost everyone in my family — Progress is made one funeral at a time — Mom don't read this one. I love you very much and I will call soon I promise but don't read this one ok because it's about me jacking off just kidding it's about a sore spot …

Andrew Sullivan / New York Magazine:

Is Pete Buttigieg a Transformational Candidate? — One of the reasons I thought Donald Trump would win in 2016 was not just that he was focusing on the core issues roiling the middle classes (immigration and globalization). It was because he had the perfect foil for his persona in Hillary Clinton.

Discussion: Front Page Magazine, The Atlantic and Slate

Washington Post:

Trump ditches his nominee to lead ICE, says he wants someone ‘tougher’ for top immigration enforcement role — President Trump said Friday he is looking for someone “tougher” to lead the country's top immigration enforcement agency, hours after the White House unexpectedly withdrew its nomination …

Discussion: Raw Story, Mediaite, Splinter and Associated Press

Media Matters for America:

Herman Cain promoted numerous now-virtually-worthless penny stocks through his mailing list — Herman Cain, whom President Donald Trump is recommending to the Federal Reserve Board, has sent numerous sponsored emails to his mailing list promoting penny stocks that are now virtually worthless.

Discussion: Washington Post, Trending Home, PJ Media Home and Media Matters for America

Catherine Rampell / Washington Post:
Trump's next possible Fed nominee can't understand basic policy issues

Discussion: Bloomberg, WTVR-TV, Fortune, RedState, Outside the Beltway, BloombergQuint, Power Line, FiveThirtyEight, POLITICUSUSA, The Week and Raw Story

The Daily Beast:

Trump Is Already Plotting His Post-White House Tell-All Memoir — The president is ‘excited’ about penning a dishy book. So much so that he keeps talking about the scores he plans to settle. — As he navigates turbulent domestic and international affairs, President Donald Trump …

Wall Street Journal:

U.S. to Designate Iranian Guard Corps a Foreign Terror Group — The Trump administration is preparing to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization, U.S. officials said, a step that would vastly escalate the American pressure campaign against Tehran but which has divided U.S. officials.

Discussion: CNN, The Guardian and The American Conservative

Carlos Lozada / Washington Post:

Critical Carlos reads ‘Healthy Holly’ — Inside the children's book that has landed Baltimore's mayor in a political scandal — Hi, I'm Critical Carlos, and I want you to read books like I do! Reading is good for your brain and helps us all learn. If you read enough books, then one day …

Paul Farhi / Washington Post:

That Fox-y feeling? The nation's largest TV station owner hires some familiar Fox News names — Sinclair Broadcast Group, the nation's largest TV station owner, rolled out its latest news and public affairs program this week, a one-hour broadcast called “America This Week” hosted by Eric Bolling.

Stephanie Baker / Bloomberg:

Where Rudy Giuliani's Money Comes From — When Rudy Giuliani traveled to Ukraine's second-biggest city, Kharkiv, in November 2017 to advise the mayor, an unconventional scene awaited him. In an anteroom outside the mayor's office, his pet parrot, Johnny, perched in a large metal cage.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Washington Post:

Trump to have dinner at his for-profit golf course near L.A. during West Coast trip — President Trump plans to have dinner at his for-profit golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Friday night, with his son Eric Trump, the city council and dozens of friends and supporters, according to one person who was told about the gathering.