memeorandum: Trump Says Soleimani Strike Followed General Saying ‘Bad Things’ (Justin Sink/Yahoo News)

4:55 PM ET, January 18, 2020

Top Items:

Lev Parnas Dishes on Kushner, Maduro, and Soros — In an interview from his lawyer's office, the ex-Giuliani ally talked cannabis, conspiracies, and one very weird meeting with the lawyers of an indicted Ukrainian oligarch. — A dinner with Jared and Ivanka about cannabis …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Raw Story and emptywheel

Jordain Carney / The Hill:

Parnas pressure grows on Senate GOP — Pressure is growing on Senate Republicans to call Lev Parnas, an associate of President Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, to testify in the impeachment trial. — Democrats are opening the door to hearing from Parnas as a witness at the impeachment trial …

Chuck Ross / The Daily Caller:

Sender Of Cryptic Messages About Yovanovitch Says They Were A Joke, Denies Spying On Diplomat — A Florida-based Trump supporter who sent text messages suggesting that he was surveilling former U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch in Ukraine is apologizing for the exchanges and says they were part of a …

Discussion: NBC News and Associated Press

ABC News:
Giuliani associate Parnas texted with Trump campaign donors, including about Ukraine efforts

Discussion: The Independent

Washington Post:
Nunes aide communicated with Parnas about Ukraine campaign, messages show

Discussion: Mother Jones, The Week, The Guardian, MSNBC and New York Times

CNN:
New impeachment documents show more texts about possible surveillance of former US ambassador to Ukraine

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Washington Post, UPI, Daily Kos and Talking Points Memo

Rebecca Ballhaus / Wall Street Journal:
Coordinated Posts Defend Connecticut Man Who Exchanged Ukraine Texts

Discussion: Axios and Daily Kos, more at Mediagazer »

Bob Brigham / Raw Story: Why was Lev Parnas wearing a ‘Presidential Service Badge’ awarded to troops who serve in the White House?

NBC News:
Texts suggest Robert Hyde passed along details about Yovanovitch movements

Discussion: Vox, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo and The Daily Caller

Kevin Liptak / CNN:

Trump recounts minute-by-minute details of Soleimani strike to donors at Mar-a-Lago — (CNN)President Trump recounted minute-by-minute details of the US strike that killed Iran's top military commander during remarks to high-dollar Republican donors at his South Florida estate, according to audio obtained by CNN.

Discussion: Mother Jones, Law & Crime, The Guardian, POLITICUSUSA, The Hill, Mediaite and New York Post

Washington Post:

Trump privately told donors new details about Soleimani airstrike at Mar-a-Lago fundraiser — President Trump delivered a dramatic account of the airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, joked that he doesn't care if construction projects kill all the rattlesnakes and noted …

Discussion: One America News Network and Raw Story

Justin Sink / Yahoo News:

Trump Says Soleimani Strike Followed General Saying ‘Bad Things’ — (Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump gave a new justification for killing Qassem Soleimani, telling a gathering of Republican donors that the top Iranian general was “saying bad things about our country.” — “How much are we going to listen to?”

Kashmir Hill / New York Times:

The Secretive Company That Might End Privacy as We Know It — A little-known start-up helps law enforcement match photos of unknown people to their online images — and “might lead to a dystopian future or something,” a backer says. — Until recently, Hoan Ton-That's greatest hits included …

Discussion: Engadget, more at Techmeme »

Tom Cullen / The Guardian:

‘The red wall is cracking’: Buttigieg gets ovation after expecting protests — His campaign feared hostility in Iowa's most conservative county. But the local response told a different story — Pete Buttigieg knew he was foraying into unfriendly confines when he was en route to Orange City …

BuzzFeed News:

“Why Are We Not Winning Them?”: Pete Buttigieg's White Supporters Are Baffled By His Lack Of Black Support — DES MOINES — The white voters who come to Pete Buttigieg's rallies just don't understand. — Many of them fell for the 37-year-old former mayor of South Bend, Indiana …

Discussion: Daily Kos, Washington Post and CNN

Elena Schneider / Politico:
Buttigieg tries to recapture Iowa magic

Discussion: Associated Press and Washington Post

The Royal Family:

Statement from HM The Queen — Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family. — Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family.

Discussion: New York Times, Page Six, Mashable, Variety, Sputnik News, The Gateway Pundit, Slate, UPI and fox8.com

Maria Cramer / New York Times:

National Archives Apologizes for Altering Image of 2017 Women's March — A photo from the march displayed at the National Archives was altered to blur signs that were critical of President Trump or might be offensive, officials said. — The National Archives and Records Administration …

Discussion: Washington Post, POLITICUSUSA and Mediaite

Joe Heim / Washington Post:
National Archives exhibit blurs images critical of President Trump

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

Rod Rosenstein says he made call to release Strzok-Page texts — Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein authorized the release to the media of text messages between two highly placed FBI employees who exchanged criticism of then-candidate Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign …

Discussion: Redstate, The Hill, The Week, Contemptor and New York Post

Alan Fram / Associated Press:

Impeachment lands Sen. Collins in familiar spot: crosshairs — WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing perhaps her toughest reelection fight, veteran Sen. Susan Collins has parachuted into familiar terrain — the heart of a hot-button issue, this time President Donald Trump's impeachment.

Darren Samuelsohn / Politico: Trump's impeachment, starring Bill Clinton

Bloomberg Law:
Senate Judiciary Pauses Nominations for Impeachment Trial

Discussion: Redstate

Paul J. Weber / Associated Press:

2020′s first big test? Not Iowa, but a tiny Texas House race — KATY, Texas (AP) — Beto O'Rourke is livestreaming again. Joe Biden and Julián Castro are making their presence felt. Mike Bloomberg has knocked on doors and outside groups are running TV attack ads.

Ryan Grim / The Intercept:

The Sanders Campaign Researched Whether Warren Could Be Both Vice President and Treasury Secretary at Once — The presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders has researched the question of whether the same person can serve as both vice president and treasury secretary, according to three sources on the campaign.

Discussion: Redstate and Mediaite

Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post: The Sanders-Warren ‘feud’ and Ukraine revelations are nowhere near equal in importance.

William Cole / Honolulu Star-Advertiser:

Navy to name aircraft carrier for Pearl Harbor hero Doris Miller — On Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Pearl Harbor Monday, the U.S. Navy is expected to announce that a new aircraft carrier will be named after Mess Attendant 2nd Class Doris Miller, the first African American to receive …

Discussion: Associated Press, Breitbart and Task & Purpose

Steve Vockrodt / Kansas City Star:

Kansas City radio station agrees to broadcast Russian-owned ‘propaganda’ program — A Kansas City area radio station can broadcast Russian state-owned media programming, the type that U.S. intelligence called a “propaganda machine,” for six hours a day through a lease agreement struck by a local radio operator.

Discussion: The Hill