memeorandum: The Media Tries to Divide Republicans (Nikki R. Haley/Wall Street Journal)

8:15 AM ET, February 18, 2021

Top Items:

FBI, U.S. attorney in Brooklyn probing Cuomo administration on nursing homes — Investigation is in its early stages; no allegations of wrongdoing have been made — ALBANY — The FBI and the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn have launched an investigation that is examining, at least in part …

Discussion: Fox News, ABC News, NBC New York, New York Post, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, Becker News, RedState, Insider, Townhall, TheBlaze, CNN, Washington Examiner, Axios, Raw Story, IJR and HuffPost

Jesse McKinley / New York Times:

Cuomo Faces Revolt After Handling of Nursing Home Deaths — Democratic lawmakers have begun to challenge Gov. Andrew Cuomo's handling of virus-related nursing home deaths, and the governor also faces a federal inquiry. — ALBANY, N.Y. — The Democratic leaders of the New York State Senate …

Discussion: National Review, Bloomberg, The Gateway Pundit, Townhall and Politico

CNN:

Cuomo said ‘he can destroy me’: NY assemblyman alleges governor threatened him over nursing homes scandal — (CNN)New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been pleading with lawmakers for support and even threatening political retribution against Democrats who have criticized him in an aggressive effort …

Jesse McKinley / New York Times:
Cuomo Attacks a Fellow Democrat Over Nursing Home Criticism

New York Times:
Covid-19: U.S. Officials Pledge Almost $200 Million to Track Variants as Lawmakers Push for More

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

The Texas Tribune:

Texas leaders failed to heed warnings that left state's power grid vulnerable to winter extremes, experts say — Texas officials knew winter storms could leave the state's power grid vulnerable, but they left the choice to prepare for harsh weather up to the power companies — many of which opted against the costly upgrades.

Discussion: New York Times, Balloon Juice, Washington Post, KXAN-TV, Slate, Reuters, CNN, Joe.My.God. and New York Magazine

Alex Samuels / The Texas Tribune:

Stop dripping your faucets: Texas officials say the state's water supply is at risk — After enduring multiple days of freezing temperatures and Texans dripping faucets to prevent frozen pipes from bursting, cities across the state warned Wednesday that water levels are dangerously low, and it may be unsafe to drink.

Discussion: Dallas Morning News, City of Arlington, CBS Dallas / Fort Worth, The Week, Washington Post, Twitchy and WTOP

Elizabeth Findell / Wall Street Journal:

In Frigid Texas, Desperate Families Take Risks to Stay Warm — Parents resort to gas stoves or build fires inside their homes during power outages, with no relief in sight — AUSTIN, Texas—The children played in front of four lighted gas burners in East Austin on Tuesday night …

Discussion: Insider and The Week

Wall Street Journal:

Texas Spins Into the Wind — An electricity grid that relies on renewables also needs nuclear or coal power. — By The Editorial Board — While millions of Texans remain without power for a third day, the wind industry and its advocates are spinning a fable that gas, coal and nuclear plants …

Discussion: Instapundit, Forbes and Media Matters for America

James Osborne / Houston Chronicle:
Perry says Texans willing to suffer blackouts to keep feds out of power market

Dionne Searcey / New York Times:
What Caused the Blackouts in Texas?

Discussion: Houston Public Media, Earther, The Dispatch, ercot.com and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Andrew Exum / The Atlantic:
I'm Freezing Cold and Burning Mad in Texas

Discussion: Washington Post, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Jacobin and Raw Story

Ben Domenech / New York Post:

Appreciation: Rush Limbaugh remade talk radio — and modern conservatism — For more than 30 years, Rush Limbaugh sat down and talked to Americans about America. Across the country, in pickup trucks, roadside diners and quiet cubicles where his listeners were obliged to wear headphones lest they offend …

Discussion: House Republican Leader and Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler

Dan Froomkin / Press Watch:
Limbaugh obituaries show the mainstream media still fawning over the people who poisoned politics

Discussion: National Review, The Times of Israel, Washington Post, PRESS RUN, New Republic, Associated Press, The Hill, Insider, WTOP and KTLA

Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:
Rush Limbaugh's Legacy of Weaponizing Radio Commentary

Discussion: Slate, Daily Kos and CNN, more at Mediagazer »

Andrew Klavan / City Journal: On the Ground … Rush's Monument — Let us all speak, and fearlessly. — Other

HuffPost:
Rush Limbaugh, Bigoted King Of Talk Radio, Dies At 70

Discussion: LGBTQ Nation, Snopes.com, PinkNews, CNN, emptywheel, Breitbart, FiveThirtyEight, Common Dreams, RedState, Associated Press, The Week, Washington Post, Media Matters for America, Talking Points Memo, Discourse Blog, The Daily Beast and Poynter

Michael Brendan Dougherty / National Review:
Rush's Place — Rush's program, beamed into cars sitting in traffic across the nation …

Discussion: The Federalist and RedState

Erin Gloria Ryan / The Daily Beast:
Rush Limbaugh Spent His Lifetime Speaking Ill of the Dead

Discussion: The Times of Israel, The Moderate Voice and Political Wire

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Rush Limbaugh Taught Republicans to Love an Angry, Racist Bully

Discussion: Grand Forks Herald, NBC New York, Washington Free Beacon, Vox, National Review and Axios

John F. Harris / Politico:
Let's briefly praise Rush Limbaugh—then bury him forever

Discussion: The Week, National Review and Washington Examiner

Charles Sykes / Washington Post:
We're living in the world Rush Limbaugh created

Discussion: TIME, spectator.us, Snopes.com and Crooks and Liars

Politico:

Trump-McConnell rift threatens GOP's Senate hopes — Republicans are starting their life in the Senate minority mired in a civil war over the future of the GOP and former President Donald Trump's role in the party. — Trump's scathing attack on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Tuesday exposed rifts …

Discussion: Informed Comment, Raw Story, Washington Times, Twitchy, RedState, Insider and The Independent

New York Times:

McConnell's Strategy Has Party in Turmoil and Trump on Attack — The Republican leader's calculus was simple: Don't stoke a full-on revolt by Trump supporters by voting to convict the former president, but demonstrate to anti-Trump Republicans that he recognized Mr. Trump's failings. It didn't work.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Newsbusters, TheBlaze, Big League Politics and Political Wire

Washington Post:

Trump-McConnell clash threatens to settle into a cold war as GOP eyes midterms — Were it up to former president Donald Trump, Republicans would spend the next two years purging their ranks and reshaping themselves in his own image — a process he moved to jump-start Tuesday with a searing attack …

Discussion: Insider, The Week, The Daily Caller, Raw Story and Vanity Fair

Politico:

POLITICO Playbook: Biden-blessed immigration bill drops today — but even he's not sold — DRIVING THE DAY — SCOOP: House Minority Whip STEVE SCALISE (R-La.) made the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday to meet with the King of the GOP while fundraising in the area.

Discussion: Washington Post, Bloomberg and NBC News

New York Times:

A Grim Measure of Covid's Toll: Life Expectancy Drops Sharply in U.S. — American life expectancy fell by one year, to 77.8 years, in the first half of 2020. It may rebound as the pandemic's end approaches. — Life expectancy in the United States fell by a full year in the first six months of 2020 …

Marilynn Marchione / Associated Press:

US life expectancy drops a year in pandemic, most since WWII — Life expectancy in the United States dropped a staggering one year during the first half of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic caused its first wave of deaths, health officials are reporting. — Minorities suffered the biggest impact …

Discussion: Forbes

Lenny Bernstein / Washington Post:
Pandemic cut U.S. life expectancy by a year during the first half of 2020

Discussion: The Week and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Bronson Stocking / Townhall:

Here's What Trump Said When Asked If He's Running for President — On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump gave his first interviews since leaving the White House. While the former president discussed the remarkable life of radio legend and conservative icon Rush Limbaugh …

Discussion: National Review and Washington Examiner

Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:

The ‘audacious lie’ behind a hedge fund's promise to sustain local journalism — When Alden Global Capital announced Tuesday that it was positioned to buy the Chicago Tribune and several other major newspapers, its statement might have sounded promising. — But only if you knew nothing …

Discussion: Vanity Fair, The Week and Chicago Tribune, more at Mediagazer »

Washington Post:
The Baltimore Sun was spared a hedge-fund owner. Now it will try to survive as a nonprofit.

Discussion: New York Times, more at Mediagazer »

Grant Stern / Washington Press:

Allegations of sexist cyberstalking by Trump's top advisor roils secretive paternity case — The key advisor in Donald Trump's post-presidency is an often-deadbeat dad who just sent a grave threat to opposing counsel, upending the extraordinarily lengthy Florida paternity case he's spending a fortune to fight.

CNN:

White House announces sweeping immigration bill — What Biden has said he'll do about immigration — (CNN)The White House announced a sweeping immigration bill Thursday that would create an eight-year path to citizenship for millions of immigrants already in the country and provide …

Discussion: USA Today, Washington Examiner, Politico, NBC News, New York Times, Axios, The Daily Beast, The Hill, CBS News, Raw Story, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times and Washington Times

Fran Spielman / Chicago Sun-Times:

Statues of four U.S. presidents among 41 under the microscope by Chicago committee — Mayor Lori Lightfoot is confronting the “hard truths of Chicago's racial history,” launching a public process to review the fate of 41 statues and other monuments, including some of former presidents Abraham Lincoln …

Sara Randazzo / Wall Street Journal:

Theranos Lab Chief Says He Found Blood-Testing Technology Didn't Work — Kingshuk Das is expected to testify at Elizabeth Holmes's fraud trial that he faced pushback over concerns he raised — Theranos Inc.'s laboratory director in the company's final years is expected to testify …

Casey Newton / Platformer:

Australia's bad bargain with platforms — Google and Facebook should support journalism — but not like this — Today let's talk about a conflict threatening to accelerate the splintering of the internet in profound new ways: Australia's plan to force Google and Facebook to pay news publishers millions …

Discussion: CNN, Variety, The Guardian, WTOP, New York Times, Kyodo News+, Politico, NPR, Snopes.com and Newsbusters, more at Mediagazer »

About Facebook:
Changes to Sharing and Viewing News on Facebook in Australia

KSAT-TV:

Did Ted Cruz fly to Cancun during Texas' winter disaster? — Cruz hasn't commented but some Twitter sleuths believe they have proof — Kolten Parker, Digital Executive Producer — Photos circulating on Twitter late Wednesday purport to show Texas Senator Ted Cruz on a flight to Cancun …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars

Politico:

It might just be game over for the Iowa caucus — The siege of Iowa and New Hampshire has begun. — The two states with privileged places on the presidential primary calendar are finding their roles more threatened than ever before — most recently in the form of a bill introduced in Nevada …

Discussion: CNN

Skyler Swisher / Sun-Sentinel:

'I wouldn't be complaining.' Gov. DeSantis threatens to pull coronavirus vaccine from communities that criticize distribution — Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested Wednesday that he would divert COVID-19 vaccines from communities that criticize his distribution methods, sparking complaints that he is playing politics with lifesaving medicine.

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Daily News, WJXT-TV, Politico, CNN, Florida Politics, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Crooks and Liars, Forbes and The Hill

Rick Moran / pjmedia.com:

Study: Biden's $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Bill Will Devastate the Economy — Conventional wisdom dictates that if the government pumps a lot of money into the economy it will bloom and blossom like a flower getting water and grow and grow and grow. — It's the basis of modern liberal economic thinking and has been since the New Deal.

Discussion: Liberty Unyielding and Foundation for Economic …

Richard Winton / Los Angeles Times:

UCLA student with extremist views who FBI says sat in Pence's chair is charged in Capitol riot — A UCLA student who posted white supremacist views online and founded an ultra-right campus organization has been charged with federal crimes for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Daily Bruin, Daily News, Insider, WTOP, KTLA, UPI, Raw Story and Law & Crime

Ezra Klein / New York Times:

'There's No Natural Dignity in Work' — Punishing mothers for needing help cannot be the answer. A generous child allowance might be. — Wanda Lavender lives in Milwaukee. She's 39, with six children and one grandchild. She used to be a day care teacher and proud of the work.

Discussion: Foreign Policy