memeorandum: Johnny Cash is replacing one of the Capitol's Civil War statues (Ben Peters/Roll Call)

6:05 AM ET, April 18, 2019

Top Items:

White House and Justice Dept. Officials Discussed Mueller Report Before Release — WASHINGTON — Robert S. Mueller III's findings will be public on Thursday, but some of them will not be news to President Trump. — Justice Department officials have had numerous conversations …

Washington Post:

Mueller report will be lightly redacted, revealing detailed look at obstruction of justice investigation — The Justice Department plans to release a lightly redacted version of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's 400-page report Thursday, offering a granular look at the ways …

Discussion: Fox17, CNN, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, Vox, NB Blog, Mother Jones, The Week and New York Post

NBC News:

Congress to receive the redacted Mueller report at 11 a.m. Thursday — The documents will be provided to lawmakers only after a press conference about it by Attorney General William Barr. — A hard-copy of the redacted of special counsel Robert Mueller's report will be made available …

Discussion: CNBC, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, Splinter, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, The Week and Slate

Washington Post:

Barr's redactions on the Mueller report don't deserve the benefit of the doubt — As Washington prepared for the release of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's final report, a fight was brewing between House Democrats and the Justice Department about how much would be redacted.

Discussion: The Hill, Raw Story, Vanity Fair, Politico, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, Slate and The Daily Caller

Natasha Bertrand / Politico:

Post-Mueller report likely to target Russia dossier author Steele — The frenzied anticipation around special counsel Robert Mueller's full report has overshadowed another Justice Department report on the Russia probe that could land as soon as next month, and which will likely take direct aim …

Discussion: Raw Story, Fox News, The Daily Beast, Axios, Daily Kos, Mediaite and Contemptor

Justin Miller / The Daily Beast:

Mueller Report Rollout Won't Have Mueller — Barr will hold a press conference to discuss the Mueller's work without him there. Meanwhile, the DOJ has briefed Trump's team as it prepares a counteroffensive. — Justin Miller — The Mueller report isn't out yet, but the rollout is and it's already causing controversy.

Discussion: Washington Post, Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA, The Gateway Pundit, twitchy.com, Breitbart and Law & Crime

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

‘Keep your mouth shut’: Dems erupt over Barr's Mueller report rollout — House Democrats exploded in anger Wednesday over Attorney General William Barr's plans to roll out special counsel Robert Mueller's report, accusing the Justice Department of trying to spin the report's contents and protect President Donald Trump.

Discussion: New York Times, USA Today, CNN, The Guardian and RedState

Tom Scocca / Hmm Daily:
It's the Barr Report, Not the Mueller Report

Discussion: BuzzFeed News, The Guardian and Townhall

Associated Press:
Mueller report release spirals into political gamesmanship

Discussion: TechCrunch

Chuck Ross / The Daily Caller: Report: Christopher Steele Refusing To Meet With DOJ Inspector General, Which Is Scrutinizing Ex-Spy's Dossier

Joe Schneider / Bloomberg: Some Lawmakers to Get Less Redacted Mueller Report, Prosecutors Say

Sharon LaFraniere / New York Times:
The Mueller Report Will Be Released on Thursday. Here's a Guide.

Discussion: TalkLeft, Coffee House, Deadline, Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA, Fortune, The Stranger, Reason and New Republic

John Solomon / The Hill:
Ten post-Mueller questions that could turn the tables on Russia collusion investigators

Discussion: CANNONFIRE

Mike Spies / New Yorker:

Secrecy, Self-Dealing, and Greed at the N.R.A. — The organization's leadership is focussed on external threats, but the real crisis may be internal. — This winter, members of the National Rifle Association—elk hunters in Montana, skeet shooters in upstate New York …

Discussion: Raw Story

Jack Shafer / Politico:

Why the Media Dumped Beto for Mayor Pete — Burning with the velocity of a prairie fire on a gusty Indiana day, Pete Buttigieg scorched the airwaves, seared the podcasts, and charred the press this week as he ignited his presidential campaign, temporarily torching his Democratic competition in the process.

Discussion: RedState, Breitbart and Jezebel

Christopher Cadelago / Politico: O'Rourke confronts cable TV drought

Bill McMorris / Washington Free Beacon:
Mayor Pete Will Make You Bake the Cake

Discussion: Politico, twitchy.com, Daily Wire and Washington Blade

Brian Schwartz / CNBC:
Rising Democratic star Pete Buttigieg enlists Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton fundraisers …

Discussion: Slate and Washington Post

Sam Levin / The Guardian:

Facebook teams with rightwing Daily Caller in factchecking program — Site co-founded by Fox News host Tucker Carlson has promoted misinformation and is known for pro-Trump content — Facebook's controversial factchecking program is partnering with the Daily Caller, a rightwing website …

more at Mediagazer »

Associated Press:

AP sources: Ex-Virginia Gov. McAuliffe to rule out 2020 run — RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe won't run for president in 2020, according to two people familiar with calls he made Wednesday to allies. — McAuliffe had flirted with a Democratic presidential run for months …

Discussion: Political Wire

Washington Post:
Ex-Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe will not run for White House in 2020

Discussion: Axios and Sara A. Carter

Catherine Lucey / Associated Press:

APNewsBreak: Ivanka Trump says she passed on World Bank job — ABIDJIAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump says her father asked her if she was interested in taking the job of World Bank chief but she passed on it. — In an Associated Press interview …

Discussion: Vanity Fair, Shareblue Media, Daily Kos, CNN, Politico, ITV, Splinter, Axios and Mediaite

Catherine Lucey / Associated Press:
AP Interview: Ivanka Trump says Africa would inspire her dad

Discussion: Joe.My.God.

Luke Darby / GQ:

Kentucky Republicans Worried Inviting AOC to Meet with Coal Miners Might Backfire — Ocasio-Cortez actually said yes to their invite, and now they're waffling. — Last month, a clip of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went predictably viral after she forcefully responded to one of her colleagues …

Discussion: The Week, Washington Press, The Independent, New York Magazine, Raw Story, Mediaite, Daily Kos and Lawyers, Guns & Money

politics.theonion.com:

Pete Buttigieg Stuns Campaign Crowd By Speaking To Manufacturing Robots In Fluent Binary — DES MOINES, IA—Revealing that he taught himself the language after developing an interest in computer science and artificial intelligence, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg stunned …

Alex Griswold / Washington Free Beacon:

Middlebury College Cancels Conservative Philosopher's Lecture on Totalitarianism — Middlebury College has canceled a campus speech by conservative Polish Catholic philosopher Ryszard Legutko in response to planned protests by liberal activists. — A professor of philosophy …

Discussion: The College Fix, Reason and Instapundit

Molly Walsh / News + Opinion, Seven Days:
Middlebury College Bristles Over Planned Forum Featuring Polish Conservative

Discussion: Seven Days

Rob Price / Business Insider:

Facebook says it ‘unintentionally uploaded’ 1.5 million people's email contacts without their consent — Facebook says that it ‘unintentionally uploaded’ the e-mail contacts of 1.5 million new Facebook users since May 2016. — The revelation comes after a security researcher noticed …

Discussion: WTKR-TV, Gizmodo and Engadget, more at Techmeme »

Marc Fortier / NBC10 Boston:

Florida Prosecutors Say They'll Release Videos of Robert Kraft at Day Spa — WHAT TO KNOW — Prosecutors said in court documents Wednesday that they are planning to release video of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft at a Florida day spa. — Kraft's lawyers argued in court last week …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, BostonGlobe.com, Raw Story, New York Post and New York Times

ABC News:
Judge halts prosecutors' efforts to release police surveillance video of Patriots owner Robert Kraft …

Discussion: Rolling Stone and New York Post

Greg B. Smith / The City:

MAYOR DE BLASIO VIOLATED ETHICS RULES IN SEEKING DONATIONS DESPITE WARNINGS, PROBE FINDS — Mayor Bill de Blasio violated conflict of interest rules after being warned repeatedly not to solicit donations from individuals actively seeking tax breaks, deed transfers and other favors from his administration …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, New York Post and The Real Deal New York

Amber Athey / The Daily Caller:

SCOOP: HUD Planning Crackdown On Illegal Immigrants Taking Advantage Of Public Housing — The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will be proposing a new rule that further prevents illegal immigrants from taking advantage of public housing assistance, The Daily Caller has learned.

Discussion: Townhall

Associated Press:

North Korea says it test-fired new tactical guided weapon — SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Thursday that it had test-fired a new type of “tactical guided weapon,” in what may be an attempt to register displeasure with a deadlock in nuclear talks with the United States without causing …

Bloomberg:

Rick Perry Plans His Exit as Trump's Energy Secretary — Energy Secretary Rick Perry is planning to leave the Trump administration and is finalizing the terms and timing of his departure, according to two people familiar with his plans. — While Perry's exit isn't imminent and one person familiar …

Discussion: Splinter, Axios and The Week

Hot Air:

Architects And Historians Wonder: Maybe The New Notre Dame Should Be Less “Overburdened” With Christian Meaning — I don't share Michael Brendan Dougherty's faith but I do share his impulse in reading this Rolling Stone piece: “I promise right now. If you try to rebuild it as a ‘secular’ Notre Dame …

Discussion: The Resurgent, Daily Wire and The American Conservative

Rohollah Faghihi / Al-Monitor:

Iranian hard-liners leverage IRGC terrorist designation to kill FATF bills — Members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards march during a military parade to commemorate the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War in Tehran, Iran, Sept. 22, 2007. — If the US administration's goal is to weaken Iran's reform movement, it deserves a round of applause.

Discussion: The American Conservative

CBS News:

Naval Academy to ban transgender students starting in fall 2020 — The U.S. Naval Academy will ban people who are transgender from attending the school, beginning with the 2020 school year. — The Defense Department confirmed the policy change to the Capital Gazette newspaper on Monday.

Discussion: capitalgazette.com and Talking Points Memo

Lloyd Grove / The Daily Beast:

‘New York Times’ Contacts Article Subject's Mother. Twitter Erupts In Fury. — The ‘Times’ has been accused of being ‘disgusting’ and ‘pathetic,’ as well as sexist, after it contacted and quoted the mother of former Hillary Clinton aide Neera Tanden. — Lloyd Grove

Discussion: Washington Post, Nieman Lab and Mondoweiss, more at Mediagazer »

The Daily Beast:

Trump Tells Aides: ‘Keep an Eye’ on Fox News, Make Sure It Stays Loyal to Me — Even before publicly freaking out about Bernie Sanders' town hall, the president has long kept tabs on whether the network was going wobbly on him. — It was late March, and Donald Trump was preoccupied …

Discussion: Washington Post and Fox News, more at Mediagazer »

Paul Kiernan / Wall Street Journal:

Herman Cain Says He Won't Withdraw From Consideration for Fed Board — Former restaurant executive and presidential candidate remains committed to taking the job and has resigned from board of a Pro-Trump PAC — STOCKBRIDGE, Ga.—Herman Cain said Wednesday he has no intention of withdrawing …

Discussion: Politico, Slate, CNN, Joe.My.God., CNBC, Daily Kos, New York Post, Mediaite and TheBlaze

Michael Gold / New York Times:

Judith Clark, Getaway Driver in Deadly Brink's Heist in 1981, Is Granted Parole — Ms. Clark, 69, had evolved during her long incarceration from a left-wing extremist to a model prisoner known for good works. — Judith Clark, who as a young woman took part in a deadly attempted robbery …

Discussion: New York Post and Rolling Stone

Ben Peters / Roll Call:

Johnny Cash is replacing one of the Capitol's Civil War statues — The times are changing, and so is the marble. Arkansas is leaving behind statues of the old guard and sending a few new faces to the U.S. Capitol. — Civil rights icon Daisy Gatson Bates and musician Johnny Cash will join …

Discussion: AMP, Washington Post, The Gateway Pundit, CNN and The Root