memeorandum: In the rush to harvest body parts, death investigations have been upended (Melody Petersen/Los Angeles Times)

5:45 PM ET, October 13, 2019

Top Items:

U.S. Forces Leave ‘High Value’ ISIS Detainees Behind in Retreat From Syria — About 700 family members of Islamic State fighters escaped a Kurdish-run camp in northern Syria as Turkish-led assault unleashes chaos. — The American military was unable to carry out a plan to transfer about five dozen …

Discussion: Townhall, Al-Monitor, Mother Jones, Political Wire, Occupy Democrats, The Guardian, Hot Air, Bloomberg, Fox News, Progress Pond, Mediaite and Washington Post

New York Times:

Pullback Leaves Green Berets Feeling ‘Ashamed,’ and Kurdish Allies Describing ‘Betrayal’ — WASHINGTON — American commandos were working alongside Kurdish forces at an outpost in eastern Syria last year when they were attacked by columns of Syrian government tanks and hundreds of troops, including Russian mercenaries.

Dan Lamothe / Washington Post:

Trump orders withdrawal of U.S. forces from northern Syria, days after Pentagon downplays possibility — President Trump has ordered a withdrawal of U.S. forces from northern Syria in the face of a Turkish military offensive targeting Kurdish fighters in the region, Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper …

Discussion: Politico, Obsidian Wings and Daily Kos

Washington Post:

U.S. troops withdraw from another Syrian town as Turkish forces block supply lines — BEIRUT — U.S. troops withdrew on Sunday from another town in Syria as Turkish-backed forces pushed deeper inside Syrian territory, seizing positions along a major highway that serves as the U.S. military's main supply route …

Mazloum Abdi / Foreign Policy:

If We Have to Choose Between Compromise and Genocide, We Will Choose Our People — The Kurds' commander in chief explains why his forces are finally ready to partner with Assad and Putin. — The world first heard of us, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), amid the chaos of our country's civil war.

Discussion: Defense One and CNN

Elizabeth Tsurkov / The Forward: ‘Oh My God, Why Are They Doing This?’ Northeastern Syrians Await Their Fate

Zack Budryk / The Hill:
GOP congressman: ‘We all know’ Turkey wouldn't have attacked if U.S. troops remained at border

Discussion: Washington Post, Politico and Raw Story

Robert Burns / Associated Press:
Esper says Trump orders US troops to leave northern Syria

Discussion: The Hill and Politico

Lefteris Pitarakis / Associated Press:
IS supporters escape as Turkish troops near key Syrian town

Discussion: ABC News, The Hill, New York Post and Reuters

CBS News:
U.S. “preparing to evacuate” remaining troops from northern Syria, defense secretary says

Discussion: NBC News, HuffPost and Townhall

The Daily Beast:
U.S. ‘Withdraws’ Forces to Let Turks Advance on America's Allies

Discussion: Common Dreams

CBS News:
Transcript: Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on “Face the Nation,” October 13, 2019

Discussion: Task & Purpose, NPR, National Review and UPI

Bethan McKernan / The Guardian:
At least 750 Isis affiliates escape Syria camp after Turkish shelling

Discussion: Slate, The Week, Hullabaloo and New York Times

Ryan Browne / CNN: Defense secretary says Trump ordered near total withdrawal of troops from northern Syria

Rishika Dugyala / Politico:
Bernie Sanders: ‘The difference between Trump and me is he lies’

Discussion: Axios

George Mesires:

A Statement on behalf of Hunter Biden, dated October 13, 2019 — Hunter Biden's business activities have received significant press attention. Since 2016, I have served as Hunter's lawyer. In recent weeks, I have received numerous questions about those activities, many of which have been shaped …

Discussion: Bloomberg, Washington Post, Vox, New York Times, Fox News, Breitbart, Althouse, The Daily Caller, NBC News, Talking Points Memo, The Week, CNBC, UPI, New York Post, Townhall, Politico and The Hill

Marc Caputo / Politico:

Giuliani bungling gives Biden a new punchline — 'America's mayor' is now a punchline, fundraising tool and political shield for Joe Biden. — With Rudy Giuliani emerging as the face of Donald Trump's star-crossed operation to dig up dirt on Biden in Ukraine, the former vice president …

Discussion: Raw Story

Stephanie Baker / Bloomberg:

Hunter Biden Steps Down from Chinese Board as Trump Attacks — Democratic candidate's son releases statement through lawyer — Trump, Giuliani have accused him of unsubstantiated corruption — Hunter Biden is stepping down from the board of a Chinese-backed private equity company …

Discussion: Washington Post, Axios, Breitbart, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Wall Street Journal, Deadline, Associated Press, Fox News, twitchy.com, Mediaite, RedState, The Hill and Balloon Juice

Bob Hennelly / Salon:
Giuliani was always a fraud. Just ask the FDNY

Discussion: Inquirer.com and New York Times

New York Times:
Amid Show of Support, Trump Meets With Giuliani Over Lunch

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Hullabaloo, POLITICUSUSA, The Hill, Associated Press, New York Post, Deadline, Raw Story and Radio Free Europe/Radio …

CNN:
Sign of solidarity? Trump and Giuliani had lunch at President's golf course

Discussion: Washington Post and The Hill

New York Times:

12 Hours. 4 Syrian Hospitals Bombed. One Culprit: Russia. — The Russian Air Force has repeatedly bombed hospitals in Syria in order to crush the last pockets of resistance to President Bashar al-Assad, according to an investigation by The New York Times.

New York Times: Russia Bombed Four Syrian Hospitals. We Have Proof.

Steven T. Dennis / Bloomberg:

Schiff Says Secret Testimony Aimed at Keeping Trump in the Dark — Says impeachment now in ‘grand jury’ phase of investigation — Whistleblower testimony not needed to determine what happened — House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff defended holding testimony behind closed doors …

Discussion: Political Wire

Heather Caygle / Politico:

Adam Schiff says whistleblower may not testify in impeachment probe — House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff indicated Sunday that the whistleblower at the heart of Democrats' impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump might not testify over concerns about the person's safety.

Discussion: Washington Post and The Hill

Associated Press: Ambassador to testify no quid pro quo assurance was Trump's

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:
Protecting whistleblower's identity is ‘our primary interest,’ Schiff says

Discussion: Axios and The Hill

Washington Post:
Trump's envoy to testify that ‘no quid pro quo’ came from Trump

Discussion: The Guardian, The Hill, The Week, Vanity Fair, POLITICUSUSA, Daily Kos, Axios, Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Talking Points Memo, CNN, The Daily Beast, NBC News, Washington Monthly, Wall Street Journal, Mediaite and NPR

CBS News:

CBS News Battleground Tracker: Warren extends lead across early states, New Hampshire and draws even with Biden in Iowa — Early-state Democratic voters say President Trump's allegations against Joe Biden have not affected their views of Biden and largely think they aren't true.

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Washington Times and Political Wire

Allan Smith / NBC News:
Sanders draws line between himself and Warren: A ‘capitalist to her bones’

Discussion: The Hill and The Week

CBS News:

Transcript: Senator Ted Cruz on “Face the Nation”, October 13, 2019 — The following is a transcript of an interview with Senator Ted Cruz that aired Sunday, October 13, 2019, on “Face the Nation” — MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome back to Face the Nation. We spoke yesterday with Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz.

Allan Smith / NBC News:
Ted Cruz: ‘Of course’ Trump was wrong to ask China to probe Bidens

Discussion: Breitbart and The Gateway Pundit

Casey Michel / The Daily Beast:

Water Finds Its Level as Fox News Hires Dictator-Loving, Deep State-Loathing John Solomon — Journalism's leading conspiracy theorist has finally found his natural home. But he was a fact-masseuse long before Trump came along. — BEAST INSIDE — Over the weekend, Fox News announced …

Washington Post:

There's yet another level to the Trump administration's corruption in Ukraine — IT'S BECOMING evident that the Trump administration's corruption in Ukraine was not limited to the president's pressure for politicized investigations that could help his reelection campaign.

Rosemary Feitelberg / WWD:

President Trump and Bernard Arnault to Open New Louis Vuitton Factory in Jefferson County Texas — By bolstering the number of workers employed in its Texas facility, Louis Vuitton is making good on its support of the Pledge to America's Workers. — Donals Trump and Bernard Arnault