memeorandum: Robert O'Brien ‘Looks the Part,’ but Has Spent Little Time Playing It (New York Times)

9:45 AM ET, September 19, 2019

Top Items:

Trump's communications with foreign leader are part of whistleblower complaint that spurred standoff between spy chief and Congress, former officials say — The whistleblower complaint that has triggered a tense showdown between the U.S. intelligence community and Congress involves President …

Ken Dilanian / NBC News:

Trump communication reportedly at center of whistleblower complaint — The complaint the administration is withholding from Congress was filed by an intelligence officer after a phone call the president had, according to a former official. — A whistleblower complaint by an intelligence officer …

Discussion: Politico, Raw Story and The Week

Zachary Cohen / CNN:
Trump's communications with a foreign leader sparked whistleblower complaint

Discussion: Washington Post, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Gateway Pundit

Justin Baragona / The Daily Beast:
CNN Analyst Condemns Whistleblower Complaint: Intel Community Should Not ‘Snitch’ on Trump to Congress

Discussion: The Week and U.S. Political News …

TIME:

Justin Trudeau Wore Brownface at 2001 ‘Arabian Nights’ Party While He Taught at a Private School — Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, wore brownface makeup to a party at the private school where he was teaching in the spring of 2001. TIME has obtained a photograph of the incident.

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.

Discussion: VICE, Breitbart, The Independent, twitchy.com, Mediaite and Politico

Peter Zimonjic / CBC News:
Trudeau says he is ‘deeply sorry’ he appeared in brownface at school gala in 2001

Discussion: Toronto Star, The Daily Caller and The Gateway Pundit

New York Times:
Justin Trudeau Says He Is ‘Deeply Sorry’ After Brownface Photo Surfaces

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Slate, ABC News, The Daily Caller, Louder With Crowder, Townhall, New York Post and The Week

Toronto Star:
‘I should have known better’: Trudeau apologizes for wearing brownface in 2001

Discussion: Washington Post

Nancy Cook / Politico:

An unshackled Trump finally gets the presidency he always wanted — The China trade war, talks with the Taliban, the response to Iran after Saudi attacks, gun control, new tax legislation and a long list of other policy issues are up in the air and awaiting decisions from President Donald Trump …

Discussion: Raw Story

Daniel Lippman / Politico:

Bolton unloads on Trump's foreign policy behind closed doors — John Bolton, President Donald Trump's fired national security adviser, harshly criticized Trump's foreign policy on Wednesday at a private lunch, saying that inviting the Taliban to Camp David sent a “terrible signal” and that it was …

Discussion: Vanity Fair, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, CNN, VICE, Axios, Hot Air, Reason, Talking Points Memo, Alternet.org, The Week, New York Post, Daily Kos, U.S. Political News …, Political Wire and RedState

New York Times:

Robert O'Brien ‘Looks the Part,’ but Has Spent Little Time Playing It — Mr. O'Brien, President Trump's new national security adviser, is said to bring milder views and a sunnier personality to the job than John R. Bolton. — WASHINGTON — Even his many critics conceded …

Discussion: Washington Post, The Week, Deseret News, The Last Refuge, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo and Politico

Associated Press:

Despite his tough talk, Trump is leery of foreign conflict — WASHINGTON (AP) — A president with few ideological constants, Donald Trump has consistently been leery of getting entangled in overseas military engagements. It's a stance shaped by his belief that wars in places like Vietnam …

Discussion: KTLA

Franco Ordoñez / NPR:
Once A ‘Rocket Ship,’ National Security Council Now Avoided By Government Pros

Discussion: Raw Story

Nick Paton Walsh / CNN:

Exclusive: Zarif threatens ‘all-out war’ in case of military strike on Iran — Tehran, Iran (CNN)Iran's foreign minister has raised the specter of “all-out war” in the event of US or Saudi military strikes and that Saudi Arabia would have to fight “to the last American soldier.”

Discussion: Washington Post, Bloomberg, Politico, Fox News, New York Times, New York Post, Common Dreams, Reuters, Associated Press and Alternet.org

David Martin / CBS News:

Saudi oil attack was approved by Iran's supreme leader, U.S. official says — Washington —The recent attack on Saudi oil facilities was approved by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, but only on the condition that it be carried out in a way that made it possible to deny Iranian involvement, a U.S. official told CBS News.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Drive, Radio Free Europe, New York Post and CNN

Wall Street Journal: Iran's Whip Hand

Nicholas Kristof / New York Times:
We're Not the Saudis' Mercenaries — Trump brought the crisis with Iran on himself.

Discussion: Common Dreams, Shareblue Media and Foreign Policy

Christopher Cadelago / Politico:

Kamala Harris bets it all on Iowa to break freefall — Kamala Harris is putting her stumbling campaign on the line with a new Iowa-or-bust strategy: She's shifting away from the closed-door fundraisers that dominated her summer calendar to focus on retail politicking in the crucial kickoff state.

Discussion: PJ Media Home

Dana Blanton / Fox News:
Fox News Poll: Biden at new low in Democratic primary race

Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Times, Grabien News and Political Wire

Tim Reid / Reuters:
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Buttigieg unveils health plan

Discussion: Vox and Political Wire

Aaron Blake / Washington Post: Why the 2020 Democratic race is still a mystery

Nicholas Fandos / New York Times:

This Picture Tells You Everything You Need to Know About Impeachment — A Renaissance-style tableau for a divided Washington. — WASHINGTON — The photograph has all the trappings of a Renaissance painting — crowded with characters, action and emotion — only this one is set …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, CNN, Washington Post, Breitbart, Daily Kos, Yahoo News, New York Post and Politico

Heather Caygle / Politico:
Pelosi says Corey Lewandowski deserves to be held in contempt

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Hill, POLITICUSUSA, Axios and Towleroad Gay News, more at Mediagazer »

Rachael Bade / Washington Post:
Pelosi says she would have held Lewandowski in contempt ‘right then and there’

Discussion: Raw Story, Alternet.org, Mediaite, Political Wire, RedState and Outside the Beltway

Washington Post:

Election setback has Netanyahu now seeking to share power in a unity government — JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seeing his chances of outright victory slipping as the final votes from this week's election were counted, called Thursday for a power-sharing agreement …

Wall Street Journal:
Netanyahu Calls for Unity Government After Election Deadlock

Discussion: Alternet.org and Progress Pond

Anne Gearan / Washington Post:
‘Our relations are with Israel’: Trump appears to give embattled Netanyahu the cold shoulder

Discussion: The Week, Axios, Associated Press and Outside the Beltway

Tia Goldenberg / Associated Press: Israelis contend with prospect of third poll days after vote

New York Times:

San Francisco to Get Environmental Violation for Homelessness, Trump Says — WASHINGTON — President Trump said late Wednesday that his administration would issue a notice of environmental violation against the city of San Francisco because of what he described as its homelessness problem.

Discussion: U.S. Political News …, Daily Wire, Accuracy in Media, Washington Post, BizPac Review, fox5sandiego.com and Daily Kos

Rich Lowry / Politico:
The Ridiculous Campaign Against Vaping

Discussion: The Federalist, Breitbart, Mother Jones and New York Times

Rebecca Ballhaus / Wall Street Journal:
‘Cities Going to Hell’: Trump to Hit San Francisco With Pollution Violation Over Homelessness

Discussion: Slate, The Week, Axios and New York Post

Michael Kruse / Politico:

The Final Lesson Donald Trump Never Learned from Roy Cohn — One of Donald Trump's most important mentors, one of the most reviled men in American political history, is about to have another moment. — Roy Cohn, who has been described by people who knew him as “a snake,” “a scoundrel” …

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Raw Story, Political Wire, Associated Press, The Daily Beast, US Macmillan and New Republic

Colby Itkowitz / Washington Post:

Beto O'Rourke calls for federal legalization of marijuana, government stipends for ex-offenders — Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke unveiled his plan Thursday for federal legalization of marijuana, which includes a tax on the industry to fund a monthly stipend to repay people …

Discussion: Politico and Axios

Eric Bradner / CNN: O'Rourke unveils plan to legalize marijuana — the issue that launched his political career

Alexi McCammond / Axios: Beto O'Rourke's plan to turn voters into gun safety activists

Mike Brest / Washington Examiner:

UPDATED: Ilhan Omar accuses Trump of putting her life in danger after retweeting false claim — Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar accused President Trump of spreading “lies that put my life” in jeopardy after he retweeted a false claim about her on Wednesday. — Conservative pundit Terrence K …

Discussion: U.S. Political News …, WCCO | CBS Minnesota and Informed Comment

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Are Democrats ready for the coming disinformation tsunami?

Discussion: Vox, RedState, Deadline, Shareblue Media and Mediaite

Leigh Ann Caldwell / NBC News:

Pence taps former DHS press aide as new press secretary — WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence has hired Katie Waldman to be his new press secretary, NBC News has learned. — Waldman, who is currently communications director for Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., previously served …

Discussion: The Week, Vox, The National Interest, Washington Post and Mother Jones

The Boston Globe:

Joe Kennedy to formally announce he'll run for Senate — Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III, the last member of the Democratic dynasty serving in Washington, plans to formally announce Saturday that he is launching a primary challenge to Senator Edward J. Markey, an audacious political move …

Discussion: Daily Kos, Axios, Associated Press, Washington Post, Politico, U.S. Political News …, New York Times, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Talking Points Memo and New York Post

Nicole Lafond / Talking Points Memo:

Interior Dept Transfers 500 Acres Of Public Land To Pentagon For Border Wall — The Interior Department is transferring about 500 acres of public land to the Pentagon in order to construct about 70 miles of President Trump's border wall, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and Wall Street Journal

Wall Street Journal: More Than 500 Acres of Public Land to Be Used for Border Wall Construction

Philip Wegmann / Real Clear Politics:

McSally's GOP Senate Challenger Wants to...Annex Mexico — Donald Trump wants to build the wall. A wannabe-Donald Trump in Arizona wants to annex Mexico. — Ahead of a general election where the Grand Canyon State could be a bit of a problem for the president, the wealthy owner of a cosmetics company …

Discussion: Hot Air, Politico and Shareblue Media

Mihir Zaveri / New York Times:

American Airlines Mechanic Accused of Plane Sabotage May Have Ties to Terrorists, U.S. Says — A judge denied bail to the employee, who the authorities said told federal agents he had tampered with the plane because he was upset about an impasse over a union contract.

Discussion: The Crime Report

Chrissy Stroop / The Forward:

Stop Gaslighting The Left About Evangelicals. They Believe Awful Things About Jews — I have a pastor uncle who brought a shofar back from an “end times” trip to Israel. It's a type of religious tourism popular among America's white evangelicals. Guided tours include not just …