Top Items:
David Frum / The Atlantic:
What the Mueller Report Actually Said — Robert Mueller has advised Americans to go back and actually read his report if we want to understand what happened in 2016. “We chose those words carefully, and the work speaks for itself,” he said on Wednesday morning, speaking publicly for the first time since his appointment.
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, Quartz and Raw Story
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Washington Post:
As he exits, Mueller suggests only Congress can ‘formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing’ — Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III reiterated Wednesday that his office could not clear President Trump of obstructing justice, asserting in his first public remarks about his investigation …
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Examiner, POLITICUSUSA, Breitbart, WREG-TV, Fox News, Washington Monthly, Splinter, Mother Jones, Progress Pond, CANNONFIRE, Power Line, Axios, New York Post and Raw Story
Alan Dershowitz / The Hill:
Shame on Robert Mueller for exceeding his role — The statement by special counsel Robert Mueller in a Wednesday press conference that “if we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime we would have said that” is worse than the statement made by then FBI Director James …
Discussion:
Breitbart, PJ Media Home and The Daily Caller
Sean Davis / The Federalist:
Mueller Just Proved His Entire Operation Was A Political Hit Job That Trampled The Rule Of Law — At a hastily-arranged Wednesday press conference, Special Counsel Robert Mueller proved that he was never interested in justice or the rule of law. — If there were any doubts …
Discussion:
Vox and Big League Politics
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Mueller: Trump Is Not Not a Criminal — Famously taciturn prosecutor Robert Mueller decided to address the public to make it very clear that he did not exonerate President Trump of committing obstruction of justice. “If we had confidence that the president did not commit a crime we would have said so,” he said.
Washington Post:
Mueller should have said this weeks ago — SPECIAL COUNSEL Robert S. Mueller III broke his long silence on Wednesday, telling a news conference that his two-year Russia investigation is closed and that he did not have anything to say publicly beyond what was written in his report, released last month.
William S. Cohen / Washington Post:
When will the Republican silence on Trump end?
When will the Republican silence on Trump end?
Discussion:
Raw Story, emptywheel and The Week
Andy Borowitz / New Yorker:
Mueller Stirs Controversy by Urging Americans to Read
Richard L. Hasen / Slate:
Robert Mueller Was Telling Nancy Pelosi to Begin Impeachment Proceedings
Robert Mueller Was Telling Nancy Pelosi to Begin Impeachment Proceedings
Discussion:
New York Times, Politico, Washington Post, The Moderate Voice, Vox and Common Dreams
Charles M. Blow / New York Times:
Democrats, Do Your Damned Duty!
Pelosi Press / Speaker Nancy Pelosi:
Pelosi Statement on Special Counsel Mueller's Press Statement Reiterating the President's Obstruction
Pelosi Statement on Special Counsel Mueller's Press Statement Reiterating the President's Obstruction
Discussion:
Slate, Politico, NBC News, Contemptor, IJR, Splinter, TheBlaze, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit and The Week
Katelyn Polantz / CNN:
Roger Stone associate agrees to testify before Mueller grand jury
Roger Stone associate agrees to testify before Mueller grand jury
Discussion:
Law & Crime, Fox News and KTLA
Washington Post:
Mueller's statement highlights key differences with Barr on investigation of President Trump
Mueller's statement highlights key differences with Barr on investigation of President Trump
Discussion:
BuzzFeed News, Outside the Beltway and NBC News
Rich Lowry / Politico:
The Wayward Special Counsel
The Wayward Special Counsel
Discussion:
Washington Post, Breitbart and POLITICUSUSA
Ryan Goodman / Just Security:
Mueller's Message: The Obstruction That Nearly Halted Criminal Case Against Russians
Kurt Bardella / NBC News:
Robert Mueller's statement made the Democrats look like cowards
Robert Mueller's statement made the Democrats look like cowards
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, Bloomberg and BuzzFeed News
Rosalind S. Helderman / Washington Post:
On question of obstruction, Mueller hewed to untested Justice Department opinions and ‘principles of fairness’
On question of obstruction, Mueller hewed to untested Justice Department opinions and ‘principles of fairness’
Robert De Niro / New York Times:
Robert Mueller, We Need to Hear More
Robert Mueller, We Need to Hear More
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Breitbart, Fox News, U.S. Department of Justice, The Guardian, Financial Times, Deadline, The Wrap, IndieWire, Splinter, Mediaite and Vanity Fair
Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:
Mueller's Press Conference Makes the Impeachment Tightrope Tougher to Walk for Democrats
Alexander Mallin / ABC News:
Robert Mueller breaks silence, does not want to testify, says charging Trump ‘not an option’
Robert Mueller breaks silence, does not want to testify, says charging Trump ‘not an option’
Chris Megerian / Los Angeles Times:
Mueller says his investigation did not exonerate Trump
Wall Street Journal:
White House Wanted USS John McCain ‘Out of Sight’ During Trump Japan Visit — The White House wanted the Navy to move a warship named for the late Sen. John McCain, a war hero who became a frequent target of President Trump's ire, ahead of the president's visit to Japan last week.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Axios, Fox News, Jalopnik, Raw Story, Washington Press, POLITICUSUSA, Splinter, Mediaite, Slate, Political Wire, Daily Kos, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Guardian
Isabel Kershner / New York Times:
Israel Moves to Hold New Election as Netanyahu Fails to Form a Coalition — JERUSALEM — Seven weeks after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared “a night of tremendous victory” in Israel's election, his failure to form a government by midnight Wednesday has turned into a stunning debacle …
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Washington Post:
Israel will hold unprecedented second election after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fails …
Associated Press:
Netanyahu fails to form coalition; MKs vote for new elections on September 17
Netanyahu fails to form coalition; MKs vote for new elections on September 17
Discussion:
Breitbart, middleeastmonitor.com and Jerusalem Post
Jacob Kornbluh / Jewish Insider:
Here's why Israel is heading back to elections
Miami Herald:
Federal prosecutors demand Cindy Yang records from Mar-a-Lago, Trump campaign — Federal prosecutors in Washington D.C. this week sent subpoenas to Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's private club in Palm Beach, and Trump Victory, a political fundraising committee, demanding they turn …
Discussion:
Washington Post and New York Post
Drew Harwell / Washington Post:
Pelosi says altered videos show Facebook leaders were ‘willing enablers’ of Russian election interference — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that Facebook's refusal to take down an altered video of her shows that the company's leaders were active contributors to online disinformation and …
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, Daily Wire, Politico, ThinkProgress and The Verge
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Marisa Lagos / KQED:
Nancy Pelosi: Doctored Videos Show Facebook ‘Willing Enablers’ of Russians in 2016
Nancy Pelosi: Doctored Videos Show Facebook ‘Willing Enablers’ of Russians in 2016
Discussion:
Fox News, Politico, Bloomberg, Talking Points Memo, Splinter, Axios, Deadline, The Week, New York Times, Variety, Breitbart, Big League Politics, Mashable, Townhall, The Daily Caller, Political Wire and Mediaite
Farhad Manjoo / New York Times:
Worry About Facebook. Rip Your Hair Out in Screaming Terror About Fox News. — Novel forms of digital misinformation still pale in comparison with Fox News' full-time hall of mirrors. — At the risk of losing street cred as a tough-as-nails tech pundit, I'll confess that I couldn't muster …
Discussion:
Lawfare, Techdirt, VICE and Opinion Today, more at Mediagazer »
Lisa Richwine / Reuters:
Exclusive: Disney CEO says it will be ‘difficult’ to film in Georgia if abortion law takes effect — ANAHEIM, Calif. (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co Chief Executive Bob Iger told Reuters on Wednesday it would be “very difficult” for the media company to keep filming in Georgia if a new abortion law takes effect …
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Luke O'Neil / The Guardian:
US energy department rebrands fossil fuels as ‘molecules of freedom’ — Press release from department said increasing export capacity is ‘critical to spreading freedom gas throughout the world’ — America is the land of freedom, as any politician will be happy to tell you.
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Emily S. Rueb / New York Times:
The Next American Export: ‘Freedom Gas’
The Next American Export: ‘Freedom Gas’
Discussion:
Slate, Talking Points Memo and Gizmodo
Amanda Mull / The Atlantic:
There Are Two Types of Airport People — It's not hard to spot people about to miss a flight. They're weaving between on-time travelers at a speed somewhere between a power walk and a sprint, or they're elbow-dancing their way to the front of the TSA line to plead their case for immediate screening.
Brett Samuels / The Hill:
Kellyanne Conway dismisses Hatch Act violation: ‘Let me know when the jail sentence starts’ — White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Wednesday scoffed at a government office's findings that she violated a decades-old law barring officials from weighing in on elections in their government capacity …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media
Sohrab Ahmari / Web Exclusives:
Against David French-ism — In March, First Things published a manifesto of sorts signed by several mostly youngish, mostly Roman Catholic writers, who argued that “there is no returning to the pre-Trump conservative consensus that collapsed in 2016,” that “any attempt to revive …
John Solomon / The Hill:
Did Brits warn about Steele's credibility, before Mueller's probe? Congress has evidence — One of the deepest, darkest secrets of Russiagate soon may be unmasked. Even President Trump may be surprised. — Multiple witnesses have told Congress that, a week before Trump's inauguration in January 2017 …
Discussion:
National Review
James Arkin / Politico:
Roy Moore hits back at Trump in defiant interview — A defiant Roy Moore brushed aside Donald Trump's warning not to run for Senate again, telling POLITICO on Wednesday that Alabama voters are capable of deciding for themselves whether he's fit for office. — “The president doesn't control …
Discussion:
Shareblue Media, Political Wire, KTLA and Vanity Fair
Eric W. Dolan / Raw Story:
‘Is it that bad?’ Fox Business host stunned as Napolitano explains Mueller has evidence Trump committed a crime — Fox legal analyst Andrew Napolitano. (Screenshot) — Fox News senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano said Wednesday that special counsel Robert Mueller had indicated …