memeorandum: How cryptocurrency became a powerful force in Washington (Washington Post)

11:15 AM ET, August 8, 2021

Top Items:

Democratic leaders are increasingly at odds with their own voters — Even as Democratic moderates cheer Shontel Brown's upset victory in Ohio, they're still being held hostage to the Squad's demands. — Democrats are a Shontel Brown party stuck in a Cori Bush world.

Discussion: New Republic

Harper Neidig / The Hill:

Biden speeds ahead on installing judges — President Biden and Senate Democrats are off to a fast start in pushing through judicial nominees, outpacing former President Trump's early record in confirming judges to the federal bench. — While many Democrats had been hoping …

John Kruzel / The Hill:

Supreme Court decision could set off gerrymandering ‘arms race’ — Federal judges will no longer play the role of referee when the intensely partisan, once-per-decade fight over congressional mapmaking gets underway this year. — As a result of decisions by the Roberts Court …

Discussion: Political Wire

Jonathan Turley / The Hill:

Canceling the Constitution: Biden hailed for violating rule of law to extend eviction moratorium — During the 2020 presidential campaign, then-candidate Joe Biden told voters that the choice between him and Donald Trump was between the lawful and the lawless.

Discussion: Breitbart

New York Times:
As Democrats Seethed, White House Struggled to Contain Eviction Fallout

Discussion: Reason, Politico and The Boston Globe

Megan McArdle / Washington Post:
What the left doesn't want to face about the eviction moratorium

Discussion: Althouse

Katie Benner / New York Times:

Former Acting Attorney General Testifies About Trump's Efforts to Subvert Election — The testimony highlights the former president's desire to batter the Justice Department into advancing his personal agenda. — WASHINGTON — Jeffrey A. Rosen, who was acting attorney general during …

Discussion: Insider, Crooks and Liars, Raw Story, CNN, HuffPost, The Hill and claytoonz

Marilyn Parker / WJXT-TV:

In 10 days, 6 members of Jacksonville church die from COVID-19, pastor says — Pastor: Four members who died were under the age of 35, all of them healthy — JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Jacksonville church pastor said in the last 10 days, six of his church members have died from COVID-19 …

Discussion: Bloomberg

New York Times:

The Taliban seize Kunduz, a major city in northern Afghanistan. — KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban seized the city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, officials said. It is the first major city to be overtaken by the insurgents since they began their sweeping military offensive in May.

Discussion: CNN, HotAir, Washington Post, Insider, Wall Street Journal, One America News Network and Political Wire

Jesse O'Neill / New York Post:

DJ posts stealth pics of Obama's ‘epic’ birthday party — before being forced to delete them — A performer at former President Barack Obama's birthday party managed to take stealth pictures of the opulent Martha's Vineyard event and share them with Instagram followers.

Discussion: Power Line, Fox News, Daily Mail and BizPac Review

Alyssa Lukpat / New York Times:

New data shows a mass exodus from U.S. public schools, especially kindergarten. — As the pandemic upended life in the United States, more than one million children who had been expected to enroll in public schools did not show up, either in person or online.

CNN:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' order on masks in schools faces first legal challenges over constitutionality

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Hill and Mediaite

Peter Wade / Rolling Stone:
Governor of State Leading Nation in Kids Hospitalized with Covid Fights to Ban School Mask Mandates

Discussion: RedState and Miami Herald

Jonathan Capehart / Washington Post:

The deplorable treatment of Michael Fanone and the heroes of Jan. 6 — The violent scene on the west front of the Capitol captured in a photo taken on Jan. 6 by Shannon Stapleton of Reuters is haunting. In it you see the anguished face of D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone …

Discussion: USA Today

Meryl Kornfield / Washington Post:
Husband-wife Seattle police officers fired for being at Capitol riot

Discussion: SPD Blotter, The Hill and Insider

Jose Pagliery / The Daily Beast:

‘Like a Mob’: Prosecutors Look at Trump's Ice Rink Man — Investigators say they have proof that Barry Weisselberg did the same thing that got his dad indicted: receiving rent-free luxury apartments without paying taxes. — Ever since New York prosecutors hit the Trump Organization …

Discussion: Raw Story

CNN:

Jim Acosta: People shouldn't have to die so some politicians can ‘own the libs’ - CNN Video — CNN's Jim Acosta calls out GOP members' reluctance to push their supporters to get vaccinated as vaccination rates stall and the Delta variant continues to cause coronavirus cases to surge.

Discussion: Insider and The Hill

Daniel Bates / Daily Mail:

Now Virginia Roberts is set to sue Prince Andrew in a New York court over her claims that Jeffrey Epstein forced her to have sex with the Duke aged 17 — Ms Roberts could file a multi-million-pound civil action in New York next week — Lawyer said bombshell lawsuit ‘based on her being lent out to Prince Andrew’

Discussion: The Daily Beast

CNN:

Vindman: Tucker Carlson is ‘hating the US’ with rhetoric — Retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a key witness to President Donald Trump's impeachment inquiry, tells CNN's Jim Acosta about his bond with Capitol police officers who responded during the January 6 insurrection.

Bob Brigham / Raw Story: Jim Acosta returns from vacation to blast Fox News host: ‘Sounds like Tucker hates America’

Washington Post:

Masks, comfortable clothes likely to linger after pandemic, Post-Schar School polling finds — Two-thirds of Americans say that once the coronavirus pandemic ends, they plan to put on masks when sick and wear comfortable clothes more often than before, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll …

Washington Post:

How cryptocurrency became a powerful force in Washington — The infrastructure bill is in part stalled as negotiations proceed on how closely to regulate the crypto industry — At 2:36 p.m. Wednesday, the message went out on Twitter: “Crypto Red Alert!” — The message, from a left …

Discussion: CNN

Washington Post:

In public, Cuomo cast himself as an advocate of women. In private, women say, he was harassing them at the same time. — On Aug. 12, 2019, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed a law that made it easier for women in his state to win claims of sexual harassment at work, a problem he described as an …

Discussion: The Western Journal

Ed Pilkington / The Guardian:
How Cuomo went from #MeToo ally to a one-man battle to discredit women

Discussion: New York Times

Jordain Carney / The Hill:

GOP senator vows to slow-walk $1T infrastructure bill, sparking standoff — A standoff over the roughly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill is poised to drag out the Senate's debate for days, with GOP Sen. Bill Hagerty (Tenn.) vowing he will block attempts to speed up passage of the legislation.

Discussion: The Guardian, Roll Call and Joe.My.God.