memeorandum: Trump: Democrats ‘trying to start a rumor’ about 2020 Russian interference (Morgan Chalfant/The Hill)

8:45 PM ET, February 21, 2020

Top Items:

Bernie Sanders briefed by U.S. officials that Russia is trying to help his presidential campaign — U.S. officials have told Sen. Bernie Sanders that Russia is attempting to help his presidential campaign as part of an effort to interfere with the Democratic contest, according to people familiar with the matter.

Dustin Volz / Wall Street Journal: Bernie Sanders Was Warned Russia Is Trying to Boost His Presidential Campaign

Jim Acosta / CNN:
Former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker: Russia ‘trying to interfere in 2020’

Discussion: The Hill

Paul LeBlanc / CNN:
Sanders told Russia is trying to help his campaign

Discussion: Townhall, The Hill and Raw Story

Morgan Chalfant / The Hill:
Trump: Democrats ‘trying to start a rumor’ about 2020 Russian interference

Discussion: Bloomberg, Breitbart, Associated Press, Deseret News and The Gateway Pundit

Isaac Arnsdorf / ProPublica:

Trump's New Spy Chief Used to Work for a Foreign Politician the U.S. Accused of Corruption — Richard Grenell did not disclose payments for advocacy work on behalf of a Moldovan politician whom the U.S. later accused of corruption. His own office's policy says that could leave him vulnerable to blackmail.

Discussion: New York Times

Eli Yokley / Morning Consult:

Bloomberg Loses Ground Following Debate Debut in Las Vegas — Former New York City mayor loses first-choice support, and popularity wanes — Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg stands behind the lectern at Wednesday's Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Slate, The Hill, Mother Jones and Eschaton

CBS News:

Bernie Sanders on Bloomberg debate performance: “I think it's quite likely that Trump will chew him up and spit him out.” — Bernie Sanders tells 60 Minutes he was surprised by how unprepared Michael Bloomberg seemed at Wednesday's debate and sounded off on a hypothetical debate matchup between Bloomberg and President Trump.

Discussion: NBC News, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, Washington Times, Raw Story, New York Times, The Hill and CNN

Nihar Kabinittal / ABC News:
Trump continues to haunt 2020 Democrats with Vegas rally ahead of Nevada caucuses

Discussion: Associated Press and The Hill

Carrie Dann / NBC News:
NBC News/WSJ poll: Sanders gains ground on Biden with black voters nationally

Discussion: The Hill, New York Post, One America News Network, ABC News, Breitbart, Mediaite and TheBlaze

Mike Bloomberg for President:

Statement from Mike Bloomberg on Non-Disclosure Agreements — I've had the company go back over its record and they've identified 3 NDAs that we signed over the past 30-plus years with women to address complaints about comments they said I had made. If any of them want to be released …

Discussion: Townhall, Mother Jones, NPR, The Federalist, New York Times, Slate, CNN, The Slot, Mediaite, Rolling Stone, The Wrap, Gothamist, Deadline, TheBlaze, The Daily Caller, New York Post, Law & Crime, The Week, HuffPost and Washington Examiner, more at Mediagazer »

Colby Itkowitz / Washington Post:
Bloomberg says he will release women from three nondisclosure agreements

Discussion: Politico, NBC News, The Shipler Report, Quartz, Spectator USA, Raw Story, Slate and Balloon Juice, more at Mediagazer »

Tim Perry / CBS News:
Mike Bloomberg trolls Trump with billboards as Trump campaigns in West

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, The Gateway Pundit, Fox News, The Independent, Althouse, Mediaite, The Hill and NBC News

Emily Stewart / Vox:
Bloomberg says his company will release 3 women from nondisclosure agreements

Discussion: ABC News, Townhall and courthousenews.com

Ryan Grim / The Intercept:

FBI Arrests Hacker Linked to Former Rep. Katie Hill's Campaign — Federal agents have arrested Arthur Dam in connection with a hacking spree that disrupted the 2018 Democratic California primary that ultimately nominated Katie Hill, according to a new criminal complaint.

Discussion: Politico, National Review, Rolling Stone, CBS Los Angeles, Roll Call, Fox News, The Hill, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller, CyberScoop, Twitchy and Raw Story

Addy Baird / BuzzFeed News: The FBI Arrested A Man For Allegedly Hacking Former Rep. Katie Hill's Opponent To Help Her Win

New York Times:

Richard Grenell Begins Overhauling Intelligence Office, Prompting Fears of Partisanship — The new acting director of national intelligence also asked to see the facts underlying the finding that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election and favors President Trump's re-election.

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Foreign Policy, NB Blog, Raw Story, The Hill, National Review, New Republic, Slate, The Root and Townhall

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Don't mince words. Trump is abetting an attack on our country.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Vox, The Daily Signal, Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, The Mahablog, Commentary, Rolling Stone, The National Interest and Raw Story

Eli Lake / Bloomberg:
Trump's Latest ‘Russia Scandal’ Is Less Than It Appears

Discussion: The Hill, New York Times and Politico

Natasha Bertrand / Politico:
Trump's new intel chief was a Trump critic in 2016

Discussion: Wired, Talking Points Memo and The Hill

William H. McRaven / Washington Post:

If good men like Joe Maguire can't speak the truth, we should be deeply afraid — William H. McRaven, a retired Navy admiral, was commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command from 2011 to 2014. He oversaw the 2011 Navy SEAL raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden.

Washington Post:

Trump wants to block Bolton's book, claiming most conversations are classified — President Trump has directly weighed in on the White House review of a forthcoming book by his former national security adviser, telling his staff that he views John Bolton as “a traitor,” …

Discussion: Mediaite

Adam Schiff / Los Angeles Times:
Op-Ed: How to protect democracy from lawless presidents like Trump

Discussion: Raw Story

Hillel Italie / Associated Press:
Former Ukraine diplomat Marie Yovanovitch has book deal

Discussion: NBC News, The Hill and Law & Crime

Politico:

White House fears coronavirus could shape Trump's 2020 fortunes — The Trump administration is bracing for a possible coronavirus outbreak in the United States that could sicken thousands — straining the government's public health response and threatening an economic slowdown in the heat …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA and Washington Post

Washington Post:

Trump was not told coronavirus-infected Americans would be flown home from cruise ship — President Trump grew furious with senior advisers this week over a decision to allow 14 Americans who tested positive for coronavirus to return to the United States from Japan after being assured …

Discussion: TheBlaze, Raw Story and Breitbart

New York Times:

Biden Adds a Claim to His Biography: An Arrest in South Africa — Joe Biden has recounted a story — three times in two weeks — about being arrested on his way to see Nelson Mandela. He did not mention it in his memoir or speak prominently of it before. — LAS VEGAS — In at least three …

Discussion: The Week, The Gateway Pundit and Twitchy

Jonathan Blitzer / New Yorker:

How Stephen Miller Manipulates Donald Trump to Further His Immigration Obsession — Donald Trump's senior adviser has been the true driving force behind this Administration's racist agenda. How far will he go? — One afternoon in November, a half-dozen government officials sat …

Discussion: The American Independent, Slate and Eschaton

Axios:

Scoop: New White House personnel chief tells Cabinet liaisons to target Never Trumpers - Axios — McEntee has told people there will be no more promotions for “Never Trumpers.”

Discussion: Washington Post, The Last Refuge, CNN, Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA, Daily Kos, Vanity Fair, Breitbart, The Hill, The American Independent, Law & Crime and Mediaite

Brandy Zadrozny / NBC News:

She wanted a ‘freebirth’ with no doctors. Online groups convinced her it would be OK. — As Judith's pregnancy stretched past 44 weeks, she grew worried. But rather than seeking medical assistance, she turned to extreme online communities.

Discussion: Eat Me, Matt's Newsletter and Gothamist

Edward Luce / Financial Times:

Lloyd Blankfein: ‘I might find it harder to vote for Bernie than for Trump’ — The former Goldman chief executive on the crash, the criticism — and sparring with Bernie Sanders — Lloyd Blankfein has not had far to travel. As we take our table, Goldman Sachs' former chief executive points …

Discussion: Mediaite, HuffPost, Vanity Fair, Fox News, The Hill and Bloomberg

Caitlin Oprysko / Politico: Former Goldman Sachs CEO: ‘I might find it harder to vote for Bernie than for Trump’

Associated Press:

Weinstein jury indicates it is split on most serious counts — NEW YORK (AP) — Jurors deliberating in Harvey Weinstein's rape trial indicated Friday that they are deadlocked on the most serious charges, but the judge told them to keep trying. — In a note sent to the judge during their lunch break …

Discussion: National Review

NBC News:
Jury in Harvey Weinstein trial says they're deadlocked; judge orders them to keep deliberating

Discussion: Page Six, VICE, New York Times, Gothamist, Variety and UPI

Steve Contorno / Tampa Bay Times:

The Republican Party is sending ‘deceptive’ census forms nationwide, including in Florida: Report — We obtained one. Take a look. — Just as the 2020 U.S. Census count is about to begin, the Republican National Committee is sending people across the country a letter it confusingly labeled as a …

Discussion: Daily Kos

Sarah D. Wire / Los Angeles Times:
GOP is accused of sending misleading ‘census’ forms ahead of the actual count

Discussion: Raw Story and The Hill

Tom Espiner / BBC:

JP Morgan economists warn of ‘catastrophic’ climate change — Human life “as we know it” could be threatened by climate change, economists at JP Morgan have warned. — In a hard-hitting report to clients, the economists said that without action being taken there could be “catastrophic outcomes”.

Discussion: Earther

Rebecca Tan / Washington Post: In liberal Takoma Park, a bold new climate proposal: Banning fossil fuels

Andrew Sullivan / New York Magazine:

Trump's Presidency Isn't a Dark Comedy — It's an Absurd Tragedy — The idea that Donald J. Trump is a president best defined by his weakness has always carried a kind of knowing, world-weary authority. It's basically the Washington Republican response when you're freaking out about Trump's incessant power grabs.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

San Francisco Chronicle:

Chronicle recommends Amy Klobuchar in the Democratic primary — This nation desperately needs a change in course. For all the metrics that suggest the United States is on the right track — economy booming, crime falling — all is not well. Our international stature is declining …

Discussion: Bloomberg

The Seattle Times: Endorsement: Amy Klobuchar for president

Bob Christie / Associated Press:

Arizona governor pulls immigration plan amid business revolt — PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey spent much of his first term working to repair the damage to the state's reputation caused by a 2010 tough-on-immigrants law known as SB 1070 that his predecessor signed.

Catie Edmondson / New York Times:

Ocasio-Cortez Builds Progressive Campaign Arm to Challenge Democrats — Ms. Ocasio-Cortez plans to endorse a slate of progressive challengers to Democratic candidates and incumbents, working to create a liberal counterweight to the party's official campaign arm.