memeorandum: Pentagon is last holdout as Stephen Miller tries to slash number of refugees allowed in U.S. (NBC News)

8:50 AM ET, September 20, 2019

Top Items:

Whistleblower complaint about President Trump involves Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the matter — A whistleblower complaint about President Trump made by an intelligence official centers on Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the matter, which has set off …

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

‘Of course I did’: Giuliani acknowledges asking Ukraine to investigate Biden — Rudy Giuliani acknowledged on Thursday that he had asked top Ukrainian officials to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, an admission that comes as Capitol Hill Democrats investigate whether President Donald Trump …

Discussion: Washington Post, BizPac Review, Outside the Beltway, ABC News, The Week, The Daily Beast and Occupy Democrats

New York Times:

‘Urgent Concern’ About the President — A whistle-blower's report has alarmed the intelligence agencies' watchdog. Why won't the administration share it with Congress? — The editorial board represents the opinions of the board, its editor and the publisher. It is separate from the newsroom and the Op-Ed section.

Discussion: The Week, Daily Kos, CNN, Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Politico, Fox News and Mediaite

Ken Dilanian / NBC News:
Annual complaints to intel watchdog hotline have more than doubled since Trump took office

Discussion: CNBC, Daily Kos, The Root and Washington Post

Politico: POLITICO Playbook: How Trump has handcuffed Washington

Paul LeBlanc / CNN:
Rudy Giuliani denies asking Ukraine to investigate Biden — before admitting it

Discussion: Washington Post, The Daily Beast, The Week, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Alternet.org

Mayor Bill de Blasio / NBC News:

Why I'm ending my 2020 presidential campaign — and what I promise to do next — My presidential campaign may be over, but I am going to keep fighting for working people — and ensuring that New York City remains the vanguard of progressivism. — There is a framed picture hanging …

Discussion: Axios, Vox, Talking Points Memo, Breitbart, CBS New York and Towleroad Gay News

Adam Edelman / NBC News:

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio drops 2020 bid — De Blasio's bid — launched in May — ultimately lasted just over four months and was largely mocked for most of its short life. — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped out of the 2020 presidential race Friday …

Discussion: Slate, The Daily Caller and The Resurgent

Alexandra Svokos / ABC News:

Bill de Blasio ends 2020 presidential campaign — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday morning that he is ending his 2020 presidential campaign. — “Getting out there, being able to hear people's concerns, address them with new ideas has been an extraordinary experience,” he told MSNBC's “Morning Joe.”

Discussion: Politico

Jeffery C. Mays / New York Times:
Bill de Blasio Drops Out of Democratic Presidential Contest

Discussion: Althouse

John Wagner / Washington Post:
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio leaves presidential race

Discussion: Political Wire

Washington Post:

HUD Secretary Ben Carson makes dismissive comments about transgender people, angering agency staff — Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson expressed concern about “big, hairy men” trying to infiltrate women's homeless shelters during an internal meeting, according to three people present …

Discussion: BizPac Review, Splinter, The Root, WTKR-TV, Out Magazine, Alternet.org, The Guardian, Mediaite and Raw Story

David Brooks / New York Times:

A Brief History of the Warren Presidency — A look back at American politics from the year 2050. — A crisis of legitimacy swept across American politics in the second decade of the 21st century. Many people had the general conviction that the old order was corrupt and incompetent.

Associated Press:
Buttigieg calls Warren ‘extremely evasive’ on health taxes

Discussion: Politico and Breitbart

Becket Adams / Washington Examiner:

NYT reporters haven't kept their story straight about Brett Kavanaugh asking them to lie — Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh supposedly asked New York Times reporters to lie to their readers. At least, that is the story certain journalists have repeated, following Times reporters Robin Pogrebin …

Matthew Continetti / Washington Free Beacon:
Kavanaugh and the Crisis of Legitimacy

Discussion: Washington Post

Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal: Why They'll Never Stop Targeting Kavanaugh

Michael Gold / New York Times:

Trump Lawyers Argue He Cannot Be Criminally Investigated — The president's legal team is trying to block a subpoena seeking his tax returns, claiming that any criminal investigation of Mr. Trump is unconstitutional. — Lawyers for President Trump argued in a lawsuit filed on Thursday …

Discussion: BuzzFeed News, Associated Press, Daily Kos, U.S. Political News …, Politico, The Daily Beast and Lawyers, Guns & Money

John Myers / Los Angeles Times:
Federal judge blocks California law to force disclosure of Trump's tax returns

Discussion: The Guardian, BizPac Review, Politico, Axios, Fox News, Daily Caller News Foundation, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Breitbart, Talking Points Memo, The Gateway Pundit, U.S. Political News …, Judicial Watch, New York Post and The Week

John Wagner / Washington Post:

Beto O'Rourke says Senate's top Democrat has accomplished ‘absolutely nothing’ on gun control — White House hopeful Beto O'Rourke escalated his feud with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) on Thursday night, asserting that his fellow Democrat has accomplished “absolutely nothing” on gun control.

Discussion: Political Wire, RedState, Bearing Arms and Townhall

David Siders / Politico:
O'Rourke rips Schumer for doing ‘absolutely nothing’ on guns

Discussion: Agence France-Presse, Bearing Arms and Washington Times

Scott Rasmussen:
Just 24% Think Owners of Semi-Automatic Weapons Would Comply With Mandatory Buyback Law

Discussion: Shareblue Media

New York Times:

For Trump, a Time of Indecision — WASHINGTON — Speaking to a Fox News reporter near the Mexican border on Wednesday, President Trump seemed taken aback when asked if the White House were preparing to roll out gun control proposals the next day, a timeline administration officials had suggested was likely.

Astead W. Herndon / New York Times:

Younger Black Voters to Their Parents: Break Up With Joe Biden, I'm Bored — An organic effort by black millennials and Gen Z-ers to influence their older family members may be key to overtaking Mr. Biden in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Discussion: Washington Blade and CNN

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, NBC News, Alternet.org, The Week, Deseret News, Earther, The Atlantic, Science, Mother Jones and NPR

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

Sam Adler-Bell / The Outline:
Here's why an endorsement of Elizabeth Warren drove leftists mad

Discussion: Daily Kos

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: ABC News, The Week, BizPac Review, Daily Wire, Bearing Arms, National Review, The Daily Caller, IJR, American Military News, NBC News, Townhall and Daily Kos

Erica L. Green / New York Times:

U.S. Orders Duke and U.N.C. to Recast Tone in Mideast Studies — 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 after concluding that it was offering students …

Discussion: Jewish Insider, Slate, Talking Points Memo, Alternet.org and The Independent

Collin Binkley / Associated Press:
UNC-Duke program too positive on Islam, Trump officials say

Discussion: The Hill and Political Wire

Miami Herald:

U.S. Marine unit wants to hold annual ball at presidential venue: Trump's Mar-a-Lago club — At a time when taxpayer and foreign-government spending at Trump Organization properties is fueling political battles, a U.S. Marine Corps reserve unit stationed in South Florida hopes to hold …

Discussion: Raw Story

Washington Post:

Trump officials considering plan to divert billions of dollars in additional funds for border barrier — Senior Trump administration officials are considering a plan to again divert billions of dollars in military funding to pay for border barrier construction next year …

Discussion: FOX40 and CNN

NBC News:

Trump admin ignored its own evidence of climate change's impact on migration from Central America — An internal report obtained by NBC News showed migration surged from those areas where climate change is hurting crops and farmers. — GUATEMALA CITY — Research compiled one year ago …

Jessica Kwong / Newsweek:

Donald Trump's Approval Rating Surpasses Obama's, Not Just on Rasmussen Reports — President Donald Trump's job approval rating this week averaged across major polls surpassed that of his predecessor President Barack Obama at the same time eight years ago, giving some actual good news to Trump …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, PJ Media Home, The Daily Caller and Accuracy in Media

Burgess Everett / Politico:

The Senate surrenders legislating on guns to Trump — The Senate is essentially outsourcing its legislative duties to a divided White House and the whims of President Donald Trump, as it makes its first sustained attempt at overhauling gun laws in years. — It's a clear reaction from senators …

Discussion: Political Wire

NBC News:

Pentagon is last holdout as Stephen Miller tries to slash number of refugees allowed in U.S. — The Pentagon is the lone voice inside the Trump admin defending the U.S. refugee program. — WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is fighting against proposals by White House officials to drastically cut …

Discussion: Political Wire

Alexi McCammond / Axios:

Democrats target over 26,000 local races to unseat Republicans — Contest Every Race, a new coalition of Democratic groups, is launching a seven-figure campaign to challenge Republican incumbents in 26,849 down-ballot local races, Axios has learned. — Why it matters: 2020 is more than just the presidential election.

Jennifer Valentino-DeVries / New York Times:

Secret F.B.I. Subpoenas Scoop Up Personal Data From Scores of Companies — The F.B.I. has used secret subpoenas to obtain personal data from far more companies than previously disclosed, newly released documents show. — The requests, which the F.B.I. says are critical to its counterterrorism efforts …

Marisa Iati / Washington Post:

Attorney General Barr once lauded ‘masterful’ book that criticizes campus sexual assault investigations — William P. Barr penned a strong endorsement of a book published in 2017 that alleges colleges were unfairly finding students guilty of sexual misconduct amid a national outcry about campus rape.

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Daily Caller News Foundation and NBC News

Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:

“It Won't End Well”: Trump and His Obscure New National-Security Chief — Flattery will get you everywhere with Donald Trump. The President demonstrated this powerfully on Wednesday, when he named the State Department's little-known hostage negotiator, Robert O'Brien …