memeorandum: I watched the GOP's Arizona election audit. It was worse than you think. (Jennifer Morrell/Washington Post)

4:00 PM ET, May 19, 2021

Top Items:

Manu Raju / CNN:

Republicans fear January 6 probe could undercut 2022 midterm message — (CNN)Senior Republicans are making clear they have little interest in moving forward with a sweeping January 6 investigation in part because a detailed probe could become politically damaging and amount to a distraction …

Discussion: Insider, The Intellectualist, Axios, Political Wire, KEYT-TV and Mock Paper Scissors

Amanda Carpenter / The Bulwark:

Why America Needs a January 6 Commission — Our last best hope for a baseline of truth. — Everyone knows what happened on January 6, 2021: The United States Capitol was breached by Trump supporters who hoped to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden's 2020 victory.

Discussion: Washington Post, ABC News, The Constitutionalist, Los Angeles Times, CNN, Daily Kos, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, The Editorial Board and The Hill

Mike DeBonis / Washington Post:

McConnell comes out against Jan. 6 commission, imperiling its chances of becoming law — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that he will oppose legislation to create a commission tasked with investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol — a signal that the legislation …

Thomas B. Edsall / New York Times:

How the Storming of the Capitol Became a ‘Normal Tourist Visit’ — Mr. Edsall contributes a weekly column from Washington, D.C. on politics, demographics and inequality. — It is no wonder that Republican leaders in the House do not want to convene a truth and reconciliation commission to scrutinize the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, CNN, Insider and Washington Post

Politico:
McConnell turns Senate Republicans against Jan. 6 commission

Discussion: NBC News, Fox News, HuffPost, Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera, Washington Examiner, RedState, Mediaite, New York Post, New York Times and The American Independent

Wall Street Journal:
The Jan. 6 Narrative Commission

Discussion: Los Angeles Times

Tristan Justice / The Federalist:
No Self-Respecting Republican Would Vote For Democrats' Partisan Jan. 6 Commission

Discussion: PolitiFact, The Hill, CNN and Talking Points Memo

Washington Post:
Biden sets deadline for Netanyahu; McConnell announces opposition to Jan. 6 commission bill

Discussion: Political Wire and Balloon Juice

Olafimihan Oshin / The Hill:
Trump calls for Jan. 6 commission debate to end ‘immediately’

Discussion: HotAir, The Daily Beast, Politico, The Daily Caller, CNN, Washington Times and Raw Story

NC Policy Watch:

PW special report: After conservative criticism, UNC backs down from offering acclaimed journalist tenured position — Journalism school will instead offer Nikole Hannah-Jones a fixed five-year contract — In her career in journalism, Nikole Hannah-Jones has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize and a MacArthur Fellowship “Genius Grant.”

Discussion: Medium, The Progressive Pulse, The Root and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

CNN:

New York attorney general adds ‘criminal capacity’ to probe of Trump Organization — (CNN)New York Attorney General Letitia James is joining the Manhattan district attorney's office in a criminal investigation of the Trump Organization, James' office said Tuesday.

Jason Easley / POLITICUSUSA:

Ivanka Trump Is Now Under Criminal Investigation In New York — Ivanka, Don Jr., and Eric Trump are all under criminal investigation as the state of New York is investigating the entire Trump Organization. — NBC News reported: … The state probe is different from the Manhattan investigation …

Discussion: NBC News and HotAir

Donald J. Trump:

back to feed — I have just learned, through leaks in the mainstream media, that after being under investigation from the time I came down the escalator 5 ½ years ago, including the fake Russia Russia Russia Hoax, the 2 year, $48M, No Collusion Mueller Witch Hunt, Impeachment Hoax #1 …

Discussion: Politico, Washington Examiner, RedState, ijr.com, New York Post and Law & Crime

New York Times:
New York's Attorney General Joins Criminal Inquiry Into Trump Organization

Rebecca Shabad / NBC News:
Trump calls New York criminal investigation ‘corrupt’ and ‘in desperate search of a crime’

Discussion: MSNBC

BBC:
New York prosecutor says Trump inquiry now criminal

Discussion: NPR

Sahil Kapur / NBC News:

GOP to Democrats: If you raise taxes now, we'll cut them back when we win power … WASHINGTON — Republicans are sending a pointed warning to congressional Democrats: If you raise taxes on corporations and top earners, we'll just cut them back when we regain power.

Discussion: New York Magazine, Politico, Daily Kos, Balloon Juice, The American Independent, Washington Post, Hackwhackers, One America News Network, The National Interest, AIER and Center on Budget …

Eli Stokols / Los Angeles Times:
‘What an old politician understands’ — Biden turns the age issue to advantage

Discussion: New York Times

Jennifer Morrell / Washington Post:

I watched the GOP's Arizona election audit. It was worse than you think. — Cyber Ninjas is hunting for bamboo fibers and cheese dust. — When Arizona's secretary of state asked me whether I would serve as an observer of the Arizona Senate's audit of Maricopa County's ballots, I anticipated that I would see some unusual things.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos, Press Enterprise and Media Matters for America

Steven Rosenfeld / National Memo: Arizona Audit's Major Procedural Flaws Will Create Conflict With Official Tally

Shannon Najmabadi / The Texas Tribune:

Gov. Greg Abbott signs into law one of nation's strictest abortion measures, banning procedure as early as six weeks into a pregnancy — The signing of the bill opens a new frontier in the battle over abortion restrictions as first-of-its-kind legal provisions intended to make the law harder …

Discussion: HuffPost, CBS News, Breitbart, Washington Examiner, USA Today, ijr.com, National Review, The Week, NPR, CNN, Washington Times, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth and Political Wire

Alex Briseno / Dallas Morning News:
Gov. Abbott signs near-complete ban on abortion in Texas

Discussion: Raw Story, CBS Dallas / Fort Worth and Washington Post

New York Times:
Where Abortion Access Would Decline if Roe v. Wade Were Overturned

Discussion: OpenSecrets.org and FiveThirtyEight

Edward-Isaac Dovere / Politico:

The Inside Story of the Biden-Harris Debate Blowup — As president, Joe Biden has made sure to elevate Vice President Kamala Harris, including her in nearly every aspect of his presidency and making her the point person on migration, a top issue. First lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff have hit it off.

Discussion: Insider, Fox News, National Review, The Guardian, New York Post, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, The Hill, The Week, Breitbart, Media Matters for America and The Root

Associated Press:

Israeli strikes kill 6 in Gaza; rockets fired from Lebanon — GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes killed at least six people across the Gaza Strip and destroyed the home of an extended family early Wednesday. The military said it widened its strikes in the Palestinian territory's south …

Discussion: Associated Press, Tangle, CNBC, Washington Post, Jacobin, The National Interest, Washington Examiner and The Federalist

Eli Yokley / Morning Consult:
Voters Are More Likely to Sympathize With Israel Than Palestine, Though Many Feel for Both Sides

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Times, Defense One and Forbes

CBS Los Angeles:

Police Investigate Possible Jewish Hate Crime Attack At Beverly Grove Restaurant — LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - Authorities are investigating whether an attack on diners that occurred outside a Beverly Grove restaurant late Tuesday night was a Jewish hate crime. — The brawl occurred a little …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Washington Free Beacon, KTLA, The Hill, Eater, TheBlaze, Breitbart, The Wrap, HotAir, CBS Chicago, NBC Los Angeles, Twitchy, Mediaite and CBS News

The Daily Beast:

Biden's CDC Chief Keeps Changing Her Story—And Confusing Everyone — Dr. Rochelle Walensky was supposed to be a breath of fresh air after Trump-era CDC messaging fiascos. Instead, she's confounding experts and the public alike. — The most remarkable moment of national frustration …

Discussion: cobbk12.org and IJR

Collin Eaton / Wall Street Journal:

Colonial Pipeline CEO Tells Why He Paid Hackers a $4.4 Million Ransom — Joseph Blount says he needed to quickly restore service after cyberattack threatened East Coast supply — The operator of the Colonial Pipeline learned it was in trouble at daybreak on May 7, when an employee found …

Discussion: CNN, Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, New York Post, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, The Verge and The Week, more at Techmeme »

Sheera Frenkel / New York Times:

Mob Violence Against Palestinians in Israel Is Fueled by Groups on WhatsApp — Israeli extremists have formed more than 100 new groups on the Facebook-owned encrypted messaging app in recent days to target attacks. — Last Wednesday, a message appeared in a new WhatsApp channel called “Death to the Arabs.”

Discussion: Deseret News, more at Techmeme »

Paul Kane / Washington Post:

House Democrats' 2020 election autopsy: Bad polling hurt and GOP attacks worked — For the second time in four years, Rep. Sean Maloney (D-N.Y.) drew one of the toughest assignments: investigating what went wrong in a disappointing election. — The 2017 after-action review followed …

Discussion: HotAir, The Hill, New York Times and Florida Politics

Bloomberg:

Capito Sees More Than 50% Chance of Biden Infrastructure Deal — Lead negotiator doubts bipartisan bill enacted by July 4 — Senator suggests re-purposing unemployment insurance funds — President Joe Biden and Senate Republicans have a greater than 50-50 chance of striking a deal …

Discussion: Insider

Douglas Perry / Oregonian:

More Oregon counties vote to move into Idaho, part of rural effort to ‘gain political refuge from blue states’ — Five eastern Oregon counties voted Tuesday in favor of considering becoming part of Idaho. Baker, Grant, Lake, Malheur and Sherman counties join Union and Jefferson …

Discussion: The Hill

Dana Stevens / The Atlantic:

Excuse Me If I'm Not Ready to Unmask — In Rob Reiner's 1987 cult comedy, The Princess Bride, Fezzik asks the mysterious man in black a question as they scuffle atop the Cliffs of Insanity: “Why do you wear a mask? Were you burned by acid or something like that?”

Discussion: CBS New York

Mike Allen / Axios:

Fauci says people are “misinterpreting” the new CDC mask guidance — Dr. Anthony Fauci told me for an Axios virtual event airing later today that many Americans are “misinterpreting” the CDC's new mask guidance, which lets vaccinated individuals forego masks indoors.

Discussion: Breitbart, Vanity Fair, WJBF-TV, The Guardian, Forbes, The Daily Caller and IJR

Michael Hendrix / City Journal:

New York's Mayoral Race: Where It Stands — Polling shows a tight contest between Eric Adams and Andrew Yang. — New York — Politics and law — New York City's mayoral contest is currently a tight race between Eric Adams and Andrew Yang, with Adams narrowly winning …

Ellen Barry / New York Times:

An ‘Army of 16-Year-Olds’ Takes On the Democrats — Young progressives are an unpredictable new factor in Massachusetts elections. They're ardent, and organized, and they don't take orders. — BOSTON — Dana Depelteau, a hotel manager, had just gone public with a long-shot candidacy …

Claire Atkinson / Insider:

2 years after being named CEO of Fox, Lachlan Murdoch is pulling all nighters to prove he is a worthy successor of his father — Lachlan Murdoch has been running Fox Corp during a tumultuous news cycle and business transition. — The CEO is showing he's running things, despite working from Australia since March.

Juana Summers / NPR:

Survivors Of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Share Eyewitness Accounts — The day that a white mob came to Greenwood Avenue in Tulsa, Okla., Viola Fletcher was just seven years old. — During emotional testimony on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Fletcher, who is now 107, recalled her memories …

Discussion: ABC News, Washington Post and Daily Kos

Gabe Kaminsky / The Federalist:

Biden Tells Unamused U.S. Coast Guard Graduates They Are ‘Really Dull’ — While speaking at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy commencement ceremony Wednesday, President Joe Biden scolded the class for not clapping. — “You are a really dull class,” Biden said. “Come on, man. Is the sun getting to you?

Discussion: Fox News, Washington Examiner, Breitbart, New York Post, IJR, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, spectator.us and Todd Starnes

Jason Samenow / Washington Post:

White House brings back climate scientist forced out by Trump administration — Michael Kuperberg has returned as the executive director of the U.S. Global Change Research Program — The Biden administration has reinstalled the director of the federal climate program that produces …

Discussion: Axios, NBC News, New York Times and The Hill

Cameron Joseph / VICE:

Pro-Trump Conspiracy Theorists Are Taking Over State Republican Parties — Want the best of VICE News straight to your inbox? Sign up here. — The Republican Party chairs of Texas and Wyoming have flirted with secession from the United States. Oklahoma's Republican chair has called Islam a “cancer.”