memeorandum: Trump wants to buy Greenland. But hey, it's not his $1.7 trillion. (Dave Goldiner/New York Daily News)

10:00 AM ET, August 17, 2019

Top Items:

Trump's large union crowd at Shell was given the option of not showing up — and not getting paid — The choice for thousands of union workers at Royal Dutch Shell's petrochemical plant in Beaver County was to either spend Tuesday standing in a giant hall waiting for President Donald Trump to speak, or to take the day off with no pay.

Discussion: Washington Press, Daily Kos and Payday Report

Mary Papenfuss / Yahoo:

Shell Workers Had To Attend Trump Speech To Be Paid, Were Ordered Not To Protest: Report — Workers at a massive new Shell plant in — Pennsylvania had to attend a speech by President — Donald Trump there earlier this week to be paid — and were — ordered not to protest, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Michael Wilner / Miami Herald:

House Democrats weigh action against U.S. and Israel ambassadors over banned visit — Senior Democratic members of Congress are considering action against top emissaries of the Israeli government and the Trump administration for their roles in Israel's decision to bar two House members from entering the country.

Discussion: Front Page Magazine

Lisa Mascaro / Associated Press:
AP Interview: Pelosi assails ‘weakness’ of Trump, Netanyahu

Discussion: Associated Press, New York Post and The Week

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Trump and Netanyahu Put Bipartisan Support for Israel at Risk

Discussion: Washington Monthly, BizPac Review and Breitbart

Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times: If You Think Trump Is Helping Israel, You're a Fool

David French / National Review:
Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib Partnered with Vicious Anti-Semites to Plan Their Trip to Israel

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Power Line, Fox News, Breitbart, Washington Post, Jihad Watch, New York Post, The Nation, The National Interest, Townhall, Pirate's Cove, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Common Dreams

Washington Post:
Meet Rashida Tlaib's grandma: 'Who wouldn't be proud of a granddaughter like that?'

Discussion: Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Common Dreams, Breitbart, The Last Refuge, The Atlantic, twitchy.com, The New Arab, The Root, National Review, New York Post and Talking Points Memo

Sahil Kapur / Bloomberg:

Warren Chips Away at Biden's Strength as The One Who Beats Trump — Democratic voters are eager to find a nominee who can win — Warren's electability score has risen by 14 points since June — Joe Biden's strongest selling point — that he's the most likely to beat Donald Trump …

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, Political Wire, Washington Post, Breitbart and POLITICUSUSA

Benjamin Wallace-Wells / New Yorker: Elizabeth Warren Sells Populism to Professionals

Pew Research Center: Most Democrats Are Excited by ‘Several’ 2020 Candidates - Not Just Their Top Choice

Brooke Seipel / The Hill:

Trump admin argues transgender workers aren't protected by civil rights law in new Supreme Court filing — The Trump administration on Friday filed a brief with the Supreme Court arguing that federal civil rights laws do not protect transgender workers. — The filing relates to the case …

Discussion: The Root

Dominic Holden / BuzzFeed News:

The Trump Administration Asked The Supreme Court To Legalize Firing Workers Just For Being Transgender — The Trump administration on Friday took one of its most agressive steps yet to legalize anti-transgender discrimination by telling the Supreme Court that federal law allows firing workers solely …

Discussion: Common Dreams and Out Magazine

Lee Moran / HuffPost:

Anthony Scaramucci Predicts Exact Month Donald Trump Will Abandon 2020 Race — The former White House communications director also turned to “Game of Thrones” to explain why Trump should be primaried. — Anthony Scaramucci thinks he knows when Donald Trump will decide not to run for president again.

Discussion: Daily Wire, Fox News, Mediaite and Breitbart

Brian Schwartz / CNBC:

Anthony Scaramucci talks to Bill Kristol about trying to force Trump off the GOP ticket in 2020 — KEY POINTS — Anti-Trump pundit and veteran GOP operative Bill Kristol confirmed to CNBC in a few brief text messages that he has spoken to Anthony Scaramucci since the SkyBridge Capital founder had a public falling out with Trump.

Discussion: twitchy.com, Breitbart, The Week and Vanity Fair

New York Times:

Jeffrey Epstein Autopsy Results Show He Hanged Himself in Suicide — Jeffrey Epstein Autopsy Results Conclude He Hanged Himself — The findings from New York City's chief medical examiner refute conspiracy theories that Mr. Epstein may have been murdered.

Discussion: The Week, Outside the Beltway, Althouse, Fox News, VICE, twitchy.com, Mediaite, Rolling Stone, CNN, TheBlaze, Townhall, The Daily Caller, Law & Crime, UPI, Splinter, Daily Kos, The Last Refuge and Vox

Jonathan Martin / New York Times:

Joseph Kennedy III Said to Be Eying Edward Markey's Massachusetts Senate Seat — WASHINGTON — Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III of Massachusetts is considering a primary challenge next year against Senator Edward J. Markey, according to a senior Democratic official.

Discussion: Fox News, Boston Herald, Politico, BostonGlobe.com and New York Post

Dave Goldiner / New York Daily News:

Trump wants to buy Greenland. But hey, it's not his $1.7 trillion. — Trump wants to buy Greenland. But Denmark says he just can't af-fjord it. — President Trump has repeatedly mentioned buying Greenland in recent weeks even though it's not clear why he wants the giant Arctic island …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, the way of improvement …, The American Spectator, The Local and Mediaite

Associated Press:
Greenland to Trump: Thanks, but we're not for sale

Discussion: ITV, NPR and Deseret News

Maxwell Tani / The Daily Beast:

Deadspin Editor Quits, Rails Against Bosses: 'I've Been Repeatedly Lied To and Gaslit' — The new bosses in charge of what used to be the Gawker network of websites have drastically upended the culture, Greenwell said, leaving her no choice but to resign. — Deadspin's editor in chief …

Discussion: RedState, Page Six, Mediaite and Washington Post, more at Mediagazer »

Nataliya Vasilyeva / Associated Press:

Activist emerges as new leader of Moscow election protests — MOSCOW (AP) — After a monthlong hunger strike, it's a struggle for Lyubov Sobol to even raise her hands. Every gesture is difficult for the frail 31-year-old political activist. — This summer's wave of anti-government protests …

Nikolai Petrov / Chatham House: Protests in Russia Show How the Political Environment Has Changed

Andrew Kaczynski / CNN:

Trump official has talked about undocumented immigrants as ‘invaders’ since at least 2007 — Burnett challenges Cuccinelli on new immigration rule — (CNN)Ken Cuccinelli, the acting director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, was a founding member of a group more than a decade ago …

Discussion: ImmigrationProf Blog and The Nation

Associated Press:

Recession signs worry Trump ahead of 2020 — WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is warning of an economic crash if he loses reelection, arguing that even voters who personally dislike him should base their ballots on the nation's strong growth and low unemployment rate.

Discussion: The American Conservative and Washington Post

Lara Jakes / New York Times:

Peace Road Map for Afghanistan Will Let Taliban Negotiate Women's Rights — Afghanistan must “be free of fear and abuse” under a final peace deal, says the country's ambassador to Washington. An agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban, for new talks with Kabul, raises concerns that women …

U.S. Department of Justice:

Unsealed Warrant and Forfeiture Complaint Seek Seizure of Oil Tanker “Grace 1” for Unlawful Use of U.S. Financial System to Support and Finance IRGC's Sale of Oil Products to Syria — A seizure warrant and forfeiture complaint were unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District …

Discussion: Agence France-Presse and Politico

Rachel Maddow / MSNBC:

Trump nominates advocate of ‘ethnonationalism’ for judgeship — Rachel Maddow shares passages from a law journal article by Donald Trump federal court nominee Steven Menashi in which he argues democratic countries work better when everyone in the same ethnicity.

Discussion: The Independent, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, The Daily Signal and Townhall

Ed Whelan / National Review:
Rachel Maddow's Racial Smear of Second Circuit Nominee Steven Menashi

Discussion: NB Blog, Front Page Magazine and Washington Free Beacon

David Mikkelson / Snopes.com:

Study: Too Many People Think Satirical News Is Real — In a news cycle full of clownish characters and outrageous rhetoric, it's no wonder satire isn't fully registering with a lot of readers. — Editors' note: The following article is from the academic-research site The Conversation.

Discussion: BizPac Review, twitchy.com, Real Clear Politics, Althouse, RedState and Daily Wire

Steve Contorno / Tampa Bay Times:

Memo reveals a House Republican strategy on shootings: downplay white nationalism, blame left — The GOP memo falsely pinned the El Paso massacre and other notable mass shootings on the left. — Congressional Republicans recently circulated talking points on gun violence that falsely described …

Discussion: Washington Press, Daily Kos, Splinter, The Week, Shareblue Media, Little Green Footballs and Talking Points Memo

Jeff Cohen / Salon:

Memo to mainstream journalists: Can the phony outrage; Bernie is right about bias — Mainstream media is shocked at Sanders' suggestion that ownership influences coverage. I can tell you it's true — Mainstream journalists are having a ridiculous hissy fit over Sen. Bernie Sanders' suggestion …