Top Items:
Burgess Everett / Politico:
Senate GOP moderates fume as McConnell prepares to block Jan. 6 commission — During Thursday's Senate Republican lunch, Sen. Susan Collins made one last plea to her colleagues to advance a proposed independent commission to probe the Capitol riot, with changes she fought for.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Washington Post, The Moderate Voice, The Atlantic, Breitbart, Page Array, POLITICUSUSA, ABC News, IJR, HotAir, Mock Paper Scissors and Alaska Public Media
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Tim Miller / The Bulwark:
Mitch McConnell Saw the Insurrection Clearly and Then Decided He Liked It — McConnell now considers protecting the insurrectionists a personal favor. — In February, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell described the events of January 6 and laid out the case against former President Trump in stark, unequivocal terms.
Discussion:
Mediaite, One America News Network, Bulwark+, Occupy Democrats and National Memo
CNN:
McConnell doubles down to pressure Republicans, asking for ‘a personal favor’ to block January 6 commission — Why GOP is standing in the way of Capitol riot investigation — One of those Republicans told CNN that McConnell has even made the unusual move of asking wavering senators …
Discussion:
Insider, Los Angeles Times, HuffPost, The Intellectualist, Talking Points Memo, Fox News, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Raw Story, KEYT-TV, HotAir and The Hill
Natasha Bertrand / CNN:
First on CNN: Former DHS secretaries tell Senate to ‘put politics aside’ and support January 6 commission — A group of former Homeland Security secretaries who served in both Republican and Democratic administrations is calling on the Senate “to put politics aside” and create a 9/11-style commission …
Discussion:
Insider, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story and Daily Kos
New York Times:
Prosecutors Investigating Whether Ukrainians Meddled in 2020 Election — The Brooklyn federal inquiry has examined whether former and current Ukrainian officials tried to interfere in the election, including funneling misleading information through Rudolph W. Giuliani.
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Guardian, HuffPost, CNN, Insider, POLITICUSUSA, The Intellectualist and Washington Examiner
New York Times:
U.S. Is Said to Have Unexamined Intelligence to Pore Over on Virus Origins — Intelligence officials have told the White House that computer analysis may shed light on the mystery. — WASHINGTON — President Biden's call for a 90-day sprint to understand the origins of the coronavirus pandemic came …
Discussion:
CNN, Insider, The Daily Caller, Mercury News and The Guardian
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Josh Rogin / Washington Post:
Biden's announcement is the beginning, not the end, of a real covid origin investigation — President Biden took an important but limited step Wednesday toward a genuine investigation into the origins of covid-19. He issued an order directing his intelligence agencies to “redouble their efforts” …
Discussion:
Breitbart, New York Times, Associated Press, NBC News, Forbes, National Review and New York Post
David Frum / The Atlantic:
Trump's Supporters Are Getting the Lab-Leak Story Backwards
Trump's Supporters Are Getting the Lab-Leak Story Backwards
Discussion:
Washington Post and HotAir
Olivia Troye / The Bulwark:
How the Trump Administration Twisted Coronavirus Intelligence
How the Trump Administration Twisted Coronavirus Intelligence
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Daily Signal, Breitbart, KEYT-TV and Washington Post
Allahpundit / HotAir:
Paul Ryan: Conservatism isn't going anywhere if it depends on the appeal of one man — Asked for reaction to news of what Ryan will say in his speech tonight, Jason Miller replied to the NYT: “Who is Paul Ryan?” — Which is the second-funniest thing to come out of this.
Discussion:
CNN, New York Post and Page Array
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Annie Karni / New York Times:
Paul Ryan Critiques Trump's Grip on the Republican Party
Paul Ryan Critiques Trump's Grip on the Republican Party
Discussion:
Forbes, Washington Examiner and UPI
Jonathan V. Last / The Triad:
The Worst Bush — Picking sides in the Lone Star State's Iran-Iraq war. — 1. The Iran-Iraq War of Texas
The Worst Bush — Picking sides in the Lone Star State's Iran-Iraq war. — 1. The Iran-Iraq War of Texas
Discussion:
New York Times, HotAir and TheBlaze
Janet Hook / Los Angeles Times:
Former House Speaker Paul Ryan urges GOP to return to Reaganism, end Trump fixation
Former House Speaker Paul Ryan urges GOP to return to Reaganism, end Trump fixation
Discussion:
Associated Press and Bloomberg
Marc Caputo / Politico:
‘The only Bush who got it right,’ as far as Trump is concerned
‘The only Bush who got it right,’ as far as Trump is concerned
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Raw Story, Hackwhackers and Insider
Daniella Diaz / CNN:
Paul Ryan enters GOP's civil war by criticizing Trump's hold on party
Paul Ryan enters GOP's civil war by criticizing Trump's hold on party
Discussion:
CBS News, The Gateway Pundit, Fox News, The Daily Caller, Washington Post, Washington Examiner, Mediaite, KEYT-TV, Politico and Vanity Fair
New York Times:
Russia Appears to Carry Out Hack Through System Used by U.S. Aid Agency — Microsoft reported that it had detected the intrusion and that the same hackers behind the earlier SolarWinds attack were responsible. — Hackers linked to Russia's main intelligence agency surreptitiously seized …
RELATED:
Tom Burt / Microsoft On the Issues:
Another Nobelium Cyberattack — Tom Burt - Corporate Vice President, Customer Security & Trust — This week we observed cyberattacks by the threat actor Nobelium targeting government agencies, think tanks, consultants, and non-governmental organizations.
Discussion:
Microsoft Security, Associated Press, Radio Free Europe/Radio … and Raw Story
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Can Democrats avoid the pitfalls of 2020? A new analysis offers striking answers. — As Democrats face a 2022 midterm landscape that could cost them the House, they are grappling with hard strategic challenges. Democrats in tough districts with many Republican voters in them feel twin pressures …
Discussion:
The Mahablog
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Ronald Brownstein / The Atlantic:
Democrats Are Running Out of Time — Anxiety is growing among a broad range of civil-rights, democracy-reform, and liberal groups over whether Democrats are responding with enough urgency to the accelerating Republican efforts to both suppress voting and potentially overturn future Democratic election victories.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Mediaite, Washington Post, Insider, NBC News, National Review, The Editorial Board, HotAir, CNBC, Snopes.com, Bloomberg, OpenSecrets.org, New York Post, The Week and Vox
Associated Press:
BLM's Patrisse Cullors to step down from movement foundation — A co-founder of Black Lives Matter announced Thursday that she is stepping down as executive director of the movement's foundation following what she has called a smear campaign from a far-right group and recent criticism from other Black organizers.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, HotAir, Fox News, TheGrio, Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and TheBlaze
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Natalie O'Neill / New York Post:
Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors resigns amid controversy — The embattled co-founder of Black Lives Matter announced on Thursday that she's resigning as executive director amid criticism over her lavish lifestyle. — Patrisse Cullors, 37 — who has been at the helm …
Discussion:
Breitbart, The National Pulse, Washington Examiner, NOQ Report, The Gateway Pundit and Twitchy
Greg Price / The Daily Caller:
Rutgers University-New Brunswick Chancellor, Provost Apologize After Condemning Uptick In Anti-Semitic Attacks — The chancellor of Rutgers University-New Brunswick apologized Thursday after sending a university-wide announcement condemning the recent spike in anti-Semitic attacks around the country.
Discussion:
The Hill
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David Knowles / Yahoo News:
Rep. Matt Gaetz eyes presidential run in 2024
Rep. Matt Gaetz eyes presidential run in 2024
Discussion:
Occupy Democrats, HuffPost, The Daily Caller, POLITICUSUSA and Florida Politics
Matt Lewis / The Daily Beast:
The Gaetz-Greene Traveling Freak Show is the Future of the GOP
The Gaetz-Greene Traveling Freak Show is the Future of the GOP
Discussion:
Raw Story
Giovanni Russonello / New York Times:
QAnon Now as Popular in U.S. as Some Major Religions, Poll Suggests — Fifteen percent of Americans believe that “patriots may have to resort to violence” to restore the country's rightful order, the poll indicated. — As hopes fade for a bipartisan inquiry into the Capitol riot on Jan. 6 …
Discussion:
Washington Post and Florida Politics
RELATED:
CNN:
Trump appointee on West Point Board spreads conspiracy that Biden is replacing White people of European ancestry — (CNN)A Trump appointee serving on West Point's advisory board has repeatedly spread a conspiracy that the Biden administration is bringing in non-White immigrants as part of a …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Caroline Kelly / CNN:
Idaho lieutenant governor signs ban on mask mandates while governor is out of state — Busy memorial Day weekend could lead to more fights over mask policies — (CNN)Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin issued an executive order on Thursday banning mask mandates while Gov. Brad Little was unaware and out of town.
Discussion:
East Idaho News, Associated Press, HuffPost, TheBlaze and Washington Times
RELATED:
Timothy Bella / Washington Post:
‘No vaccine!’: Woman arrested for allegedly driving through vaccination site in protest, nearly hitting workers — As a coronavirus vaccination tent was set up in the hope of inoculating more residents in Maryville, Tenn., sheriff's deputies working at the site this week saw an SUV speeding their way …
Discussion:
Law & Crime, TheBlaze, The Hill, ABC News and New York Post
Jordain Carney / The Hill:
GOP snag complicates Schumer's China bill — again — A bill aimed at combating China's competitiveness is hitting another last-minute snag threatening to push the Senate late into the night. — Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the No. 2 Republican senator, told reporters as he returned to the Capitol that …
RELATED:
Anita Kumar / Politico:
Biden mocks Republicans for promoting recovery plan they voted against — CLEVELAND — President Joe Biden continues to negotiate with Republicans on his big-ticket spending plans. But on Thursday, when he left Washington, he mocked them for voting against the coronavirus recovery package …
Discussion:
KEYT-TV, Insider, HuffPost, Washington Examiner and Breitbart
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Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:
American Democracy Isn't Dead Yet, but It's Getting There — A country that cannot even agree to investigate an assault on its Capitol is in big trouble, indeed. — When Joe Biden was a Presidential candidate, he carried around a wonkish book of international comparative politics …
Discussion:
RedState, Washington Post, The Guardian, Breitbart, Associated Press and PIX11
BuzzFeed News:
Facebook Is Resuming Political Contributions — But Not To Lawmakers Who Voted Against Certifying The US Election — Facebook is resuming contributions through its political action committee but will not give money to any members of Congress who voted against certifying the 2020 US election, the company notified employees on Thursday.
Discussion:
Politico, more at Techmeme »
Ryan Mac / BuzzFeed News:
Amid Israeli-Palestinian Violence, Facebook Employees Are Accusing Their Company Of Bias Against Arabs And Muslims — Earlier this month, a Facebook software engineer from Egypt wrote an open note to his colleagues with a warning: “Facebook is losing trust among Arab users.”
Discussion:
Rest of World
Wall Street Journal:
Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates Explore Changes to Foundation — The philanthropists have discussed adding a board and outside directors in wake of divorce filing, people familiar with matter say — Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates are discussing changes to the structure …
Discussion:
New York Magazine and New York Times
David M. Drucker / Washington Examiner:
Top Republicans think GOP can win in Puerto Rico — Sen. Rick Scott believes Puerto Rico will achieve statehood — and the Florida Republican rejects arguments by some in his party that the Caribbean island territory would elect Democrats to Congress in perpetuity.
Discussion:
Fox News and Political Wire