memeorandum: Case of runaway sisters highlights ongoing plight of Saudi women (Ola Salem/Al-Monitor)

8:40 AM ET, May 1, 2019

Top Items:

Mueller complained that Barr's letter did not capture ‘context’ of Trump probe — Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III wrote a letter in late March complaining to Attorney General William P. Barr that a four-page memo to Congress describing the principal conclusions of the investigation into President Trump …

New York Times:

Mueller Objected to Barr's Description of Russia Investigation's Findings on Trump — WASHINGTON — Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, wrote a letter in late March to Attorney General William P. Barr objecting to his early description of the Russia investigation's conclusions …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, CNN, Fox News, Vox, The Stranger, The Daily Caller, NB Blog, Splinter, The Week, Mother Jones, New York Post and Mediaite

The Daily Beast:

Mueller's Willing to Testify, but Trump DOJ Is Holding It Up: Dems — The special counsel has indicated he's fine going up the Hill. But the Trump administration is getting in the way, Dems say. — House Democrats tell The Daily Beast they've been told Special Counsel Robert Mueller …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Week, Raw Story and Splinter

House Judiciary Dems:

Chairman Nadler's Statement on Mueller's Letter to the Attorney General — Washington, D.C. — Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler released a statement in response to reports that Special Counsel Robert Mueller wrote to Attorney General William Barr last month …

Discussion: NBC News, Axios and Talking Points Memo

Marianne LeVine / Politico:
Just 2 lawmakers have seen less-redacted Mueller report

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and ABC News

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Mueller complained to Barr about Russia report memo

Discussion: The Week and Raw Story

Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: Bill Barr is not going to have a good day

Discussion: Washington Post, CNN and Raw Story

Frank Bowman / Slate: William Barr Is Cowering at the Prospect of a Proper Cross-Examination

Matthew Chapman / Raw Story:
Trump's Justice Department is holding up Mueller from testifying to Congress: report

Discussion: The Daily Beast and NBC News

Rachael Bade / Washington Post:
Pelosi assails Trump for ‘unconstitutional’ acts in new messaging campaign

Discussion: CNN, Fox News and POLITICUSUSA

ABC News:
Read Attorney General William Barr's written testimony before Senate Judiciary Committee

Discussion: Washington Post, Power Line and PJ Media Home

Associated Press:

The Latest: Head of Venezuela secret police chastises Maduro — CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The latest on the political crisis in Venezuela (all times local): — The head of Venezuela's secret police is admonishing President Nicolas Maduro, in the biggest break so far by a senior member of the security forces.

Discussion: Bloomberg, The Week, CNN, Politico, New York Times and Reason

Washington Post:
Don't call it a coup. Venezuelans have a right to replace an oppressive, toxic regime.

Discussion: PJ Media Home and The Hill

Washington Post:
Clashes erupt in Venezuela as opposition leader Juan Guaidó, with troops, announces 'final phase …

Discussion: CNN, Defense One, NetBlocks, NBC News, Raw Story, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, BBC, The American Conservative, Power Line, Boing Boing and The Daily Caller

Nicholas Casey / New York Times:
Venezuelan Opposition Leader Steps Up Pressure, but Maduro Holds On

Discussion: The Guardian, NPR, Balloon Juice and CNSNews

Jim Wyss / Miami Herald:
Venezuelan violence escalates as Maduro regime fights for political survival

Discussion: New York Times and The American Conservative

Terrence Dopp / Bloomberg:

Trump Fires Off 60, Mostly Anti-Biden, Retweets in an Hour — Firefighters union endorsed Democratic frontrunner Monday — Trump retweets messages from dozens of purported firefighters — President Donald Trump retweeted more than five dozen messages in an hour Wednesday morning …

Discussion: USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times

Alex Pareene / New Republic:
Democrats Have Created an “Electability” Monster

Discussion: The Week

Mike Allen / Axios:
Joe Biden is running like he won the Democratic primaries

Discussion: CNN, Political Wire and SSRS

Howard Kurtz / Fox News:
Media that dismissed Biden now see him as clear front-runner

Discussion: Politico and National Review

Eric Bradner / CNN:
Biden takes aim at Trump as he enters Iowa the Democratic front-runner

Discussion: The Hill, Axios and New York Times

Washington Post:

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange sentenced to 50 weeks in prison in bail-jumping case — LONDON — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was sentenced on Wednesday to 50 weeks in a British prison for jumping bail. — His sentencing comes a day before an extradition hearing in London related …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and The Daily Caller

Iliana Magra / New York Times:

Julian Assange Sentenced to 50 Weeks and Still Faces U.S. Charges — LONDON — A British court sentenced Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, to 50 weeks in prison on Wednesday for jumping bail when he took refuge in Ecuador's Embassy in London seven years ago.

Discussion: NPR, Political Wire and The Week

Claudia Koerner / BuzzFeed News:

We Asked All Of The 2020 Presidential Candidates Their Thoughts On Vaccines. Here's What They Said. — Measles, an extremely contagious and potentially dangerous disease, continues to spread in the US, with more than 700 cases so far this year in outbreaks that public health officials …

Discussion: Spokesman.com, twitchy.com, Fox News, Mediaite and Shareblue Media

Will Sommer / The Daily Beast:

‘Make Sh*t Up’: Inside Jacob Wohl's Bonkers Investment Plan — The bumbling political operative pitched investors on a scheme to use fake news stories to manipulate political betting markets for profit. — Bumbling conservative provocateur Jacob Wohl pitched investors this spring on a scheme …

Discussion: The Stranger, Washington Post and TheBlaze

New York Times:

A Rising Tide of Anti-Semitism — By publishing a bigoted cartoon, The Times ignored the lessons of history, including its own. — The editorial board represents the opinions of the board, its editor and the publisher. It is separate from the newsroom and the Op-Ed section.

Discussion: National Review, Simple Justice, Pirate's Cove, Fox News, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, New York Post, Mediaite, Gothamist and New Republic

New York Times:

As Trump Family Sues to Block Subpoenas, Democrats Ponder Impeachment — WASHINGTON — The Trump family lawsuit to block oversight of its finances has House Democrats scrambling to confront what many see as the gravest threat to congressional independence since the Nixon era …

Politico:
Democrats weigh a ‘Benghazi Trump’ strategy

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Heather Long / Washington Post:

GOP support for Stephen Moore falls apart, leaving Trump's Fed pick with slim chance of confirmation — One GOP senator has come out against him and predicted Moore wouldn't get confirmed. — President Trump's plan to put ally Stephen Moore on the Federal Reserve Board appeared on the edge …

Discussion: Politico, The Root, Mother Jones and CNN

Derek Kravitz / ProPublica:

How Taxpayers Covered a $1,000 Liquor Bill for Trump Staffers (and More) at Trump's Club — A top-shelf, closed-door drinking session. $546-a-night hotel rooms. A special government credit card for Mar-a-Lago. Taxpayers foot the costs — and the president profits.

Mathew Ingram / Columbia Journalism Review:

The hiring spreadsheet and the clash at The Markup — There are things about the recent implosion of The Markup that make it unique—in particular, that it raised $23 million with nothing but a trio of co-founders and a brief description of the product they wanted to create.

more at Mediagazer »

Benjy Sarlin / NBC News:

‘Democracy Dollars’: Gillibrand's plan to give every voter $600 to donate to campaigns — The Democratic presidential hopeful wants to use a voucher system to clean up politics — but it's got strings attached. — WASHINGTON — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., unveiled a plan on Wednesday …

Discussion: Political Wire

Washington Post:

At Trump golf course, undocumented employees said they were sometimes told to work extra hours without pay — HILLSDALE, N.Y. — His bosses at the Trump country club called it “side work.” — On some nights, after the club's Grille Room closed, head waiter Jose Gabriel Juarez …

Discussion: Splinter, America's Voice, POLITICUSUSA, The Week, Talking Points Memo, Axios, Raw Story and Jezebel

Jonathan O'Connell / Washington Post:

Congressional Democrats' emoluments lawsuit targeting President Trump's private business can proceed, judge says — The decision sets the stage for lawmakers to possibly begin seeking documents and depositions from the Trump Organization. — Jonathan O'Connell, Ann E. Marimow, Carol D. Leonnig -

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Politico, Axios, Slate, Raw Story and Daily Kos

David Enrich / New York Times:

Trump Wants to Block Deutsche Bank From Sharing His Financial Records — Over two decades, Deutsche Bank lent Donald J. Trump billions of dollars, even as his tarnished financial record put him off limits for most of Wall Street. — “You are a great friend,” Mr. Trump wrote to his Deutsche Bank contact in 1998.

Discussion: Above the Law, The Root, Daily Wire and Mediaite

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Trump Claims He Can Ignore Subpoenas Because Congress Is Mean

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Washington Post, Discourse.net and Shareblue Media

Page Six:

Hunter Biden splits from brother Beau's widow Hallie — Hunter Biden has allegedly split from Hallie Biden — the widow of his late brother, Beau — Page Six has exclusively learned. The breakup comes two years after we first reported that the former in-laws were dating in 2017.

David M. Drucker / Washington Examiner:

See Larry run? Republican Maryland Gov. Hogan has a super PAC — Gov. Larry Hogan has what appears to be a super PAC, a development sure to stoke speculation that Maryland's chief executive might challenge President Trump in the Republican Primary in 2020.

Discussion: Political Wire

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic:

Camille Paglia Can't Say That — For more than 30 years, the critic Camille Paglia has taught at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Now a faction of art-school censors wants her fired for sharing wrong opinions on matters of sex, gender identity, and sexual assault.

Discussion: Merion West