memeorandum: Trump appointee Darrell Issa's confirmation hearing held up because he couldn't pass the background check: report (Sarah K. Burris/Raw Story)

7:25 PM ET, September 19, 2019

Top Items:

Whistle-Blower's Complaint Is Said to Involve Multiple Acts by Trump — The complaint goes beyond a commitment that President Trump was said to have made to a world leader. — WASHINGTON — A potentially explosive complaint by a whistle-blower in the intelligence community …

Sarah K. Burris / Raw Story:

Trump appointee Darrell Issa's confirmation hearing held up because he couldn't pass the background check: report — Former Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) was once the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, but as of Thursday, he's no longer being considered for a position in President Donald Trump's administration.

Discussion: Roll Call

Manu Raju / CNN:

House Judiciary Committee weighs holding Lewandowski in contempt — (CNN)The House Judiciary Committee is preparing to take initial steps to potentially hold former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in contempt over his refusal to answer questions at this week's hearing before the panel, multiple sources tell CNN.

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA

David Frum / The Atlantic:
The Question Posed by Trump's Phone Call

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Alternet.org, Breitbart, CNN, VICE, Shareblue Media and Mediaite

Caitlin Oprysko / Politico:
Schiff threatens to sue over secret whistleblower complaint

Discussion: RedState, Front Page Live, Washington Press, Raw Story, NBC News, The Daily Beast, The Last Refuge, CNN and NB Blog

CNN:
White House also involved in advising DNI not to share whistleblower complaint

Discussion: The Week, Daily Kos and Washington Post

Benjamin Siegel / ABC News:
Trump denies news report that ‘promise’ he made to foreign leader prompted complaint

Discussion: Washington Post, Axios, The Gateway Pundit, Talking Points Memo, The Rush Limbaugh Show and Daily Caller News Foundation

Medium:

2020 and the Party We're Building Together — The last few days have been a whirlwind since we announced our endorsement for Senator Elizabeth Warren for President in the Democratic primary. We were immensely proud for WFP to have the opportunity to introduce Senator Warren at her 20,000-person rally …

Discussion: The Atlantic and The Federalist

Philip Klein / Washington Examiner:

Kamala Harris's big blunder — Sen. Kamala Harris started this year with a smooth rollout that had many insiders predicting she was the likeliest Democratic nominee in 2020. Now, as the fall campaign season kicks off, she finds herself well out of the top tier of candidates, struggling just to stay relevant.

Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Monthly and FiveThirtyEight

Katherine Krueger / Splinter:

Black Leaders Condemn Attacks by Sanders Supporters Amid Fallout From WFP's Warren Endorsement — In a draft letter obtained by Splinter on Thursday, dozens of prominent black progressive leaders condemned the “hateful, violent, and racist threats” they said have been leveled by “self-identified …

Discussion: Salon, The Nation and U.S. Political News …

David M. Drucker / Washington Examiner:
‘Only plausible candidate’: Never Trump Republicans plotting to back Biden

Discussion: RedState

Gideon Resnick / The Daily Beast:
Why These Wall Streeters Are Giving to Elizabeth Warren

Discussion: Fox News, Hullabaloo and Raw Story

Scott Shafer / KQED: KQED Poll: Harris Slips in California, as Warren, Sanders and Biden Lead the Pack

Holly Otterbein / Politico:
Bernie Sanders hits 1 million donors

Discussion: Axios

Associated Press:

Colt suspends production of AR-15 for civilian market — WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Gunmaker Colt says it is suspending its production of rifles for the civilian market including the popular AR-15. — Colt's chief executive officer, Dennis Veilleux, says it is not permanently ending production …

Discussion: National Review, ABC News, NBC News, Townhall, Daily Wire, Bearing Arms, IJR, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos and The Guardian

Laura Widener / American Military News:

Colt is ending production of AR-15s — Colt Firearms will be ending its production and sales of its AR-15 rifles due to lack of public demand amid excess market capacity. — Get the most beautiful D-Day 75th Anniversary Commemorative Coin on the market, here

Discussion: Washington Post, National Review, Talking Points Memo, New York Post, Fox News, VICE, The Week, Raw Story, Bearing Arms, Task & Purpose and Breitbart

Amir Tibon / Haaretz:

Netanyahu Used ‘Misinformation’ to Persuade Trump, Says Tillerson — U.S. President Donald Trump's first secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, spoke at Harvard on Tuesday during a 90-minute panel interview with Harvard professors — >> Election results are in. Subscribe now - save 30%

Harvard University Gazette:

Rex Tillerson details his frustrations on Iran, Israel, Russia, and his revamp of the State Department — Rex Tillerson had seen and learned much in his 41-year career at ExxonMobil Corp., and some of it proved useful in his 13 months as U.S. secretary of state.

Discussion: Axios, BuzzFeed News, Politico, Washington Post, Algemeiner.com, Jewish Insider and Associated Press

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:

In turnaround, McConnell backs $250 million in election security funding — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell came out Thursday in support of providing states with an additional $250 million in election security funding, an abrupt turnaround after more than a year of opposition by the Kentucky Republican on the issue.

Discussion: Shareblue Media, U.S. Political News … and Daily Kos

Leigh Ann Caldwell / NBC News:
McConnell changes position and backs $250 million for election security

Discussion: Washington Post

Burgess Everett / Politico:
McConnell warns Pelosi's drug-pricing plan is DOA

Discussion: STAT, Fortune, Axios, Political Wire, One America News Network, NPR and Protect Our Care

Helena Bottemiller Evich / Politico:
Senate Democrats release list of climate studies buried by Trump administration

Discussion: Axios

globalnews.ca:

Exclusive: Video shows Trudeau in blackface in 3rd instance of racist makeup — Watch: Global News has obtained video showing Justin Trudeau in blackface. — Global News has obtained video showing Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau in blackface, the third instance of racist dress to come to light in 12 hours.

BBC: Trudeau can't remember how often he wore blackface

John Myers / Los Angeles Times:

Federal judge blocks California law to force disclosure of Trump's tax returns — A federal judge ordered a temporary injunction Thursday against California's first-in-the-nation law requiring candidates to disclose their tax returns for a spot on the presidential primary ballot …

Discussion: Politico, Axios, Talking Points Memo, The Gateway Pundit, The Week, New York Post, U.S. Political News … and Political Wire

Associated Press: Trump gets victory in bid to block California tax return law

CNBC:
Trump sues Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and accounting firm Mazars over attempt to get tax returns

Discussion: NBC News, Associated Press and Breitbart

Carl Zimmer / New York Times:

Birds Are Vanishing From North America — The number of birds in the United States and Canada has declined by 3 billion, or 29 percent, over the past half-century, scientists find. — The skies are emptying out. — The number of birds in the United States and Canada has fallen by 29 percent since 1970 …

Discussion: Washington Post, Mother Jones, The Atlantic, Deseret News, Alternet.org, The Week, Earther, Science and NPR

Dan Diamond / Politico:

White House abruptly cancels meeting with vaping advocates — The White House abruptly organized — and then quickly canceled — a meeting Thursday with frustrated conservative policy leaders, to try to tamp down anger about a sweeping vaping ban that's inflamed the Trump administration's traditional allies …

Discussion: Bloomberg and Americans for Tax Reform

Nancy Cook / Politico:
An unshackled Trump finally gets the presidency he always wanted

Discussion: Alternet.org and Raw Story

Burgess Everett / Politico:
Senate eyes e-cigarette crackdown

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Reuters:

U.S. drone strike kills 30 pine nut farm workers in Afghanistan — JALALABAD/ KABUL (Reuters) - A U.S. drone strike intended to hit an Islamic State (IS) hideout in Afghanistan killed at least 30 civilians resting after a day's labor in the fields, officials said on Thursday.

Discussion: New York Times, Occupy Democrats, Alternet.org, Rolling Stone, The Week and Defense One

Erica L. Green / New York Times:

With New Investigation at Duke and U.N.C., Feds Hunt Anti-Israel Bias in Higher Education — WASHINGTON — The Education Department has ordered Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to remake the Middle East studies program run jointly by the two schools …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Federal Register, The Independent, Alternet.org and Algemeiner.com

Alex Rogers / CNN:

Senate panel postpones Darrell Issa confirmation hearing over FBI file questions — Washington (CNN) — A year after President Donald Trump picked former California Rep. Darrell Issa to run the US Trade and Development Agency, a Senate hearing to consider the nomination was postponed over how to handle questions raised in his FBI file.

Brooke Singman / Fox News:
Sen. Menendez stalls Issa nomination over fake ID flap from youth

Discussion: Politico

Carla Herreria / U.S. Political News …:

NY Times Reporters Say Kavanaugh Asked Them Lie In Exchange For An Interview — Reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly said that Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed to speak to them as long as they publicly said he declined the interview. — New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly …

Discussion: Above the Law, Fox News, BizPac Review, Hot Air, RedState, Occupy Democrats, Daily Wire and Raw Story

Wall Street Journal:

Democrats and Republicans Aren't Just Divided. They Live in Different Worlds. … America's political polarization is almost complete. Its two main political parties increasingly represent two different economies. And they barely overlap. — Democrats can be found in educated cities …

John Haltiwanger / Business Insider:

Just 13% of Americans would support US military going to war over Saudi oil field attack — A new Insider poll found just 13% of respondents would back the US military joining or supporting Saudi Arabia in a conflict following an attack on two major Saudi oil facilities.

Robert F. Worth / New York Times:
The End of Saudi Arabia's Illusion

Discussion: Breitbart, Washington Free Beacon and Alternet.org

Bill Barrow / Associated Press:

Biden flexes muscle with new Black Caucus endorsements — A consistent but uneasy front-runner in Democrats' 2020 presidential primary scramble, Joe Biden is flexing his muscle with new endorsements from three congressmen: two former chairmen of the Congressional Black Caucus and a former Florida governor.

Discussion: Political Wire

Armin Rosen / Tablet Magazine:

A Reporter From Hell — The title of the talk was “The War in Syria Is Not Over,” but it was more like Nir Rosen's valedictory address. For roughly 20 minutes, the gonzo war-journalist-turned-mysterious- diplomatic-operator—who counts top advisers to both former U.S. President Barack Obama …

Cristiano Lima / Politico:

Zuckerberg gets chilly reception in day of meetings in Congress — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg received some harsh messages from lawmakers as he made the rounds in Congress on Thursday, holding a series of one-on-one meetings with Republicans, including Sen. Josh Hawley, a top tech industry critic.

Discussion: Axios and One America News Network

CNN:

Marianne Williamson entertained 9/11 conspiracy theories in 2012 interview — (CNN)Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson once entertained 9/11 conspiracy theories on a radio show hosted by a prominent “truther” who claimed that the World Trade Center attacks were orchestrated by a “Zionist organized crime outfit.”

Discussion: Mediaite