memeorandum: Congressional Democrats plan to launch inquiry into Trump's alleged role in scheme to silence affair accusations (Washington Post)

8:20 AM ET, September 3, 2019

Top Items:

Congressional Democrats plan to launch inquiry into Trump's alleged role in scheme to silence affair accusations — House Democrats plan to make President Trump's alleged involvement in a 2016 scheme to silence two women who claimed they had affairs with him a major investigative focus this fall …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Week, One America News Network, Power Line, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Times, Raw Story and electionlawblog.org

Politico:

Democrats' messy impeachment push hits critical phase — The window to impeach Trump is closing, and senior lawmakers are sending mixed messages. — House Democrats return to Capitol Hill next week with an impeachment mess on their hands and just weeks to make a choice that could define the rest of Donald Trump's presidency.

Discussion: Daily Kos

Katie Rogers / New York Times:

President Trump, Weatherman: Dorian Updates and at Least 122 Tweets — WASHINGTON — Over the long weekend, President Trump monitored Hurricane Dorian from a golf cart at his club in Virginia, calling for regular updates from an aide trailing him around the course.

Discussion: Washington Post, Raw Story, CNN, The Daily Caller, The Right Scoop and The Week

Miami Herald:

Rick Scott can hang up that Navy cap. DeSantis is large, in charge and keeping us informed about Hurricane Dorian | Editorial — For eight long, silent years, former Gov. Rick Scott shut the media — and, therefore, Floridians — out of his twice-a-day briefings with emergency managers.

Discussion: Politico and Florida Politics

Rebecca Falconer / Axios:
5 U.S. states to declare emergency as Dorian closes in on Florida

Discussion: Associated Press, nhc.noaa.gov and USA Today

Benjamin Goggin / Business Insider: Video appears to show Trump golfing in Virginia in the run-up to catastrophic Hurricane Dorian

Associated Press:
White House: Trump gets hourly updates on Hurricane Dorian

Discussion: Breitbart

Jack Blanchard / Politico:
London mayor mocks Trump for dealing with hurricane ‘out on the golf course’

Discussion: The Hill, Fox News, Slate, Washington Press and Raw Story

Elena Schneider / Politico:

It's now Biden, Warren, Sanders — and everyone else — The bottom is falling out of the Democratic presidential primary. And the top-tier — no longer five candidates, but three — is becoming more insurmountable. — For more than a year, Democrats had approached their nominating contest …

Discussion: Des Moines Register, New York Times, Associated Press and Washington Post

Sahil Kapur / Bloomberg:

Why Kamala Harris Hasn't Caught Fire in the Democratic 2020 Race — Attacks on Biden appear to have backfired in the second debate — Californian faces questions about ideology and prosecutor past — Kamala Harris entered the presidential race with impressive credentials …

John F. Harris / Politico: What We Know About the Democratic Primary — Iowa is just months away.

Geoff Brumfiel / NPR:

Amateurs Identify U.S. Spy Satellite Behind President Trump's Tweet — Amateur satellite trackers say they believe an image tweeted by President Trump on Friday came from one of America's most advanced spy satellites. — The image almost certainly came from a satellite known as USA 224 …

Discussion: RedState and New York Post

The Harvard Crimson:

Freshman Previously Denied Entry to the United States Arrives at Harvard — Harvard freshman Ismail B. Ajjawi '23, who United States border officials turned away ten days ago, arrived on campus Monday in time for the start of classes Tuesday. — Ajjawi's family issued a statement Monday through …

Discussion: Fox News

Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch:
Another US visa holder was denied entry over someone else's messages

Discussion: Splinter

Nolan Hicks / New York Post:

De Blasio logged a 7-hour work month at City Hall — Mayor de Blasio spent a mere seven hours — less than one full workday — at City Hall during the month he launched his bid for the White House, records reviewed by The Post show. — Hizzoner showed up at his office on just six occasions in May …

Lee Moran / HuffPost:

People Can't Believe How Easily Kim Jong Un ‘Played’ Donald Trump — “Kim has ridden Trump like a pony.” — President Donald Trump is accused of being “played” by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un over the advancement of the Hermit Kingdom's weapons arsenal.

New York Times:
North Korea Missile Tests, ‘Very Standard’ to Trump, Show Signs of Advancing Arsenal

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Clay Masters / NPR:

‘Details Are Irrelevant’: Biden Says Verbal Slip-Ups Don't Undermine His Judgment — Toggle more options — Joe Biden wants voters to look at the big picture. — His campaign is focused on a mission to “restore the soul of this nation.” — That's also why the former vice president does …

Discussion: Washington Times

Mike Allen / Axios:

Scoop: Trump allies raise money to target reporters — President Trump's political allies are trying to raise at least $2 million to investigate reporters and editors of The New York Times, The Washington Post and other outlets, according to a three-page fundraising pitch reviewed by Axios.

Discussion: Big League Politics

Associated Press:

UK Parliament takes on pivotal day on Brexit — Opposition parties are challenging Prime Minister Boris Johnson's insistence that the U.K. will leave the European Union on Oct. 31 even without a deal, setting up a pivotal day in British politics. — Parliament is returning …

Discussion: One America News Network

Mark Di Stefano / BuzzFeed:
Mark Di Stefano

Discussion: Politico and Hullabaloo

Ivan Rogers / Coffee House: the realities of a no-deal Brexit

Apple Podcasts:

Apple Podcasts Preview — The NPR Politics Podcast is where NPR's political reporters talk to you like they talk to each other. With weekly roundups and quick takes on news of the day, you don't have to keep up with politics to know what's happening. You just have to keep up with us.

Miriam Jordan / New York Times:

Faced With Criticism, Trump Administration Reverses Abrupt End to Humanitarian Relief — LOS ANGELES — The Trump administration on Monday announced that it would reconsider its decision to force immigrants facing life-threatening health crises to return to their home countries …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Week, Hullabaloo and Vanity Fair

New York Times:

France Dangles $15 Billion Bailout for Iran in Effort to Save Nuclear Deal — A senior Iranian delegation arrived in Paris on Monday to work out the details of a financial bailout package that France's president, Emmanuel Macron, intends to use to compensate Iran for oil sales lost to American sanctions.

Discussion: Front Page Magazine, The Week and UPI

Amir Tibon / Haaretz:

Netanyahu, Trump in Intensive Talks for Dramatic Diplomatic Gesture in Coming Days, Ahead of Israeli Election — Israeli prime minister in close contact with people close to U.S. president, with one option under consideration being an American statement on creating ‘defense pact’ with Israel

Discussion: middleeastmonitor.com

Stanley B. Greenberg / American Prospect:

The Tea Party-Trump Decade — Donald Trump speaks at a rally organized by Tea Party Patriots on Capitol Hill, September 9, 2015. — The following is an excerpt of RIP GOP: How the New America Is Dooming the Republicans, by Stanley B. Greenberg, out September 10 from Thomas Dunne Books.

News 12 Brooklyn:

NYPD: Pair attacks Jewish man outside Midwood synagogue in 4th anti-Semitic attack this week — MIDWOOD - — Police say a Jewish man was attacked in Brooklyn Saturday, marking the fourth attack on the Jewish community in the borough this week. — It happened outside the synagogue …

Washington Post:

Why young white evangelicals aren't likely to leave the Republican Party — Maybe they don't like Trump. But that's not what counts. — In 2020, will white evangelical Christians stick with the Republican Party, where they've long been a reliable voting bloc?