memeorandum: Trump's weird ideas on the US-Saudi relationship, sort of explained (Matthew Yglesias/Vox)

6:05 PM ET, September 17, 2019

Top Items:

Karma Allen / ABC News:

Legendary journalist and political commentator Cokie Roberts dies at 75 — Renowned ABC News journalist and political commentator Cokie Roberts has died at the age of 75. — Roberts won countless awards, including three Emmys, throughout her decades-long career.

Discussion: New York Times, Daily Kos, abc7NY, TVNewser, Talking Points Memo, FOX40, Deadline, NPR, Breitbart, The Week, Associated Press, Full Feed, Page Six, Splinter and Townhall

Bobby Allyn / NPR:

Cokie Roberts, Pioneering Journalist Who Helped Shape NPR, Dies At 75 — Toggle more options — Veteran journalist Cokie Roberts, who joined an upstart NPR in 1978 and left an indelible imprint on the growing network with her coverage of Washington politics before later going to ABC News, has died.

Discussion: Towleroad Gay News, Outside the Beltway and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

John Wagner / Washington Post:

Trump on death of Cokie Roberts: ‘She never treated me nicely. But I would like to wish her family well.’ — President Trump reacted Tuesday to the death of journalist and political commentator Cokie Roberts from complications from breast cancer by saying “she never treated me nicely” …

Discussion: Occupy Democrats and U.S. Political News …

Nina Totenberg / NPR:

‘The Personification Of Human Decency’: Nina Totenberg Remembers Cokie Roberts — Our newsroom is in tears. My phone and email are bursting with more tears. The country has lost a great journalist. But I and so many thousands of others have lost a great friend. Yes, thousands of others.

Ken Thomas / Wall Street Journal:

Biden, Warren Gain in Latest Poll of Democratic Primary Voters — WSJ/NBC survey shows former vice president with 31% support and Massachusetts senator at 25% — WASHINGTON—Former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren have gained support since the summer …

Discussion: Political Wire

Mark Murray / NBC News:

NBC/WSJ poll: Biden leads Dem 2020 field, Warren's support grows — While Biden dominates among more moderate Democrats and black voters, Warren overperforms among whites and liberals. — Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., continue to top …

Discussion: Axios and Bloomberg

Alexander Burns / New York Times:

Warren and Trump Lay Out Competing Visions of Populism — In New York, Senator Elizabeth Warren described a government compromised by the influence of the wealthy. President Trump, in New Mexico, denounced a “failed liberal establishment.” — Senator Elizabeth Warren stood beneath …

Discussion: Roll Call, Common Dreams, Hullabaloo and The Week

John Harwood / CNBC: Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren separate themselves from the 2020 Democratic pack in new NBC/WSJ poll

Trent Spiner / Politico:
Sanders campaign wracked by dissension

Discussion: The Week, VTDigger, Breitbart and POLITICUSUSA

Hamilton Nolan / Splinter:
The Big Fight, Not the Little Fight

Discussion: TIME, New York Times and VICE

CNN:
Elizabeth Warren took selfies for 4 hours after her New York rally. It's part of her plan.

Discussion: Politico

Jamelle Bouie / New York Times:

Mad About Kavanaugh and Gorsuch? The Best Way to Get Even Is to Pack the Court — The lifetime appointments cry out for Democratic hardball. — President Trump bragged on Twitter recently about his success filling up the federal judiciary. “I want to congratulate” Senate majority leader …

Discussion: National Review, The Resurgent, Slate, The New Neo, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Instapundit

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
A key witness in the Brett Kavanaugh saga comes down on his side

Discussion: Slate, Daily Wire, Outside the Beltway, Breitbart, National Review and Washington Examiner

The Babylon Bee: Hypocrisy: Right-Wingers Who Love It When The Babylon Bee Makes Stuff Up Suddenly Get Mad When The NYT Does It

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
“The Real Bombshell”: CBS News Hits NYT Over Kavanaugh Story To Focus On Witness Tampering

Discussion: Vox, RedState, JustOneMinute, New Republic, USA Today, Daily Wire and Power Line

David French / National Review:
The New York Times Still Doesn't Understand What It Did

Discussion: Vox, Washington Post and RedState

Madeline Osburn / The Federalist: New York Times Reporters Complain Their Reporting On Kavanaugh Has Been ‘Seized’ For Politics

Colby Hall / Mediaite:
Kavanaugh Book Co-Author Admits She Wrote Bad Tweet That NY Times Had to Delete

Discussion: New York Post, Washington Post, Politico, twitchy.com and MSNBC

Mollie Hemingway / The Federalist:
New York Times Reporters Also Omitted Key Kavanaugh Detail In NPR Interview

Discussion: Townhall and NPR

Matthew Yglesias / Vox:

Trump's weird ideas on the US-Saudi relationship, sort of explained — Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US President Donald Trump with Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Osaka Castle Park during the G20 Summit on June 28, 2019. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

Discussion: One America News Network, ABC News, IJR and BizPac Review

NBC News:
Trump admin weighing retaliatory action against Iran after Saudi oil attack

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post and U.S. Political News …

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post: How the Iran conflict would have unfolded under a normal president

Anthony Capaccio / Bloomberg: Pentagon Readying a Public Show of Evidence in Saudi Attacks

Anne Gearan / Washington Post:
Trump's dual instincts on Iran: Big threats and an eagerness to deal

Discussion: Politico, Associated Press, National Review, The Week and Axios

Mary Clare Jalonick / Associated Press:

Lewandowski rebuffs questions at House impeachment hearing — WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats' first hearing in what they are calling an impeachment investigation quickly turned sour on Tuesday as their sole witness, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, refused to answer most of their questions.

Discussion: Washington Post, CNN, Reuters, CANNONFIRE, No More Mister Nice Blog, KTLA, CNBC and Talking Points Memo

Olivia Beavers / The Hill:
Lewandowski hearing descends into chaos

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and Political Wire

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Democrats see Lewandowski's combativeness as Trump impeachment fuel

Discussion: The Atlantic, Washington Post, CBS News and Axios

CNN:
READ: Opening statement by Corey Lewandowski at House hearing

Discussion: Occupy Democrats, Daily Wire and The Week

Coral Davenport / New York Times:

Trump to Revoke California's Authority to Set Stricter Auto Emissions Rules — WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is expected on Wednesday to formally revoke California's legal authority to set tailpipe pollution rules that are stricter than federal rules, in a move designed by the White House …

Discussion: Mother Jones, Los Angeles Times, National Review, Raw Story, U.S. Political News …, The Resurgent, Political Wire, KTLA and California Governor

Bloomberg:
EPA to Unveil Plan to Take Away California's Authority on Car Emissions

Discussion: Politico and Axios

Scaachi Koul / BuzzFeed News:

How Did Lauren Duca's Revolution Backfire? — The viral writer wants to galvanize young people with her new book, How to Start a Revolution. But past controversies — and a new complaint filed by her New York University students — threaten to undermine her message.

Discussion: twitchy.com and Mediaite

Christine Mai-Duc / Los Angeles Times:

California Republican Rep. Paul Cook to retire from Congress, run for county supervisor seat — Rep. Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley) will retire from Congress at the end of his term and will announce a run for a seat on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, according to John Sobel, the congressman's chief of staff.

Discussion: Fox News, Politico, CNN, Washington Times, Shareblue Media, Talking Points Memo, POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Roll Call and Axios

Matt Wilstein / The Daily Beast:

Sean Spicer Has Most Embarrassing ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Debut Ever, Period — “It's like you were being attacked by a swarm of wasps,” one judge said after Spicer attempted a salsa dance. — Despite its best efforts, America could not shame Sean Spicer out of joining Dancing With the Stars.

Discussion: CNN, Outside the Beltway, Occupy Democrats, RedState, BizPac Review, Poynter, KTLA and New Yorker, more at Mediagazer »

Daniel Lippman / Politico:
White House intervenes in General Motors strike

Discussion: The Atlantic, Mic, Daily Wire, CNBC and Detroit Free Press

Gil Hoffman / Jerusalem Post:

NETANYAHU-GANTZ STALEMATE: NO CLEAR WINNER IN SUPER-TIGHT ISRAELI ELECTION — Both Channel 12 and Channel 13 exit polls foresee yet another stalemate, granting Blue and White the highest amount of seats. — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to carry on his dynasty with a historic victory …

Discussion: Haaretz, Power Line, The Times of Israel, Breitbart and Raw Story

New York Times:

Women Poop. At Work. Get Over It. — Why must the bathroom continue to be fraught? — There once was a woman who walked regularly from her office in Midtown Manhattan to a hotel across the street in order to use the restroom, and that woman may have been one of us.

Discussion: RedState

U.S. Department of Justice:

United States Files Civil Lawsuit Against Edward Snowden — ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The United States today filed a lawsuit against Edward Snowden, a former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA), who published a book entitled Permanent Record …

Discussion: CNBC, Slate, Talking Points Memo, Wall Street Journal, The Independent, Axios, Law & Crime, Engadget, NPR, VICE, Sara A. Carter, The Verge, Mediaite and The Hill, more at Techmeme »

Jake Gibson / Fox News:
DOJ files civil suit against Edward Snowden over new memoir

Discussion: Politico and U.S. Political News …

Ben Schreckinger / Politico:

Air Force crews stayed at Trump's Turnberry resort for days at a time — TURNBERRY, Scotland— Air Force officers who have earned medals for their tours of duty can pick up some more brass with a short pit stop in Southwest Scotland. — As part of its relationship with the Air Force …

Discussion: Alternet.org, Vox, Talking Points Memo and Raw Story

Richard Lardner / Associated Press:

Trump's Cabinet has had more ex-lobbyists than Obama or Bush — WASHINGTON (AP) — In less than three years, President Donald Trump has named more former lobbyists to Cabinet-level posts than his most recent predecessors did in eight, putting a substantial amount of oversight in the hands …

Discussion: Political Wire

Katie Shepherd / Washington Post:

A teen allegedly wanted to ‘shoot 400 people for fun.’ Cops found an AK-47 in her bedroom. — Alexis Wilson was working an afternoon shift at the local Pizza Inn in McAlester, Okla., on Sunday, when she pulled a co-worker aside to boast about her new gun. — The slight 18-year-old …

Discussion: VICE, Raw Story and Law & Crime

Michael Schneider / Variety:

Norman Lear Won't Stop: TV Legend's Sony Deal Renewal Takes Him to Age 100 (EXCLUSIVE) — Ask Norman Lear what the past couple of months have been like for him, and he responds with a joke. “It's been 60 days of waking up,” he says. “I love that. I love waking up. And I love going to bed too.”

Discussion: New York Post

Angie Martoccio / Rolling Stone:

Mitch McConnell: The Man Who Sold America — Fittingly enough, it was hot as blazes in Kentucky when Mitch McConnell slunk back home for Congress' annual summer recess. One week earlier, Robert Mueller had testified that Russia was meddling in the 2020 U.S. elections.