memeorandum: New Political Maps Will Kill Swing Districts From Coast to Coast (Wall Street Journal)

8:45 AM ET, December 12, 2021

Top Items:

The Supreme Court's Texas abortion ruling reveals the conservative majority's radicalism — Do not let yourself be bamboozled. Do not take any comfort in the Supreme Court's Friday ruling on the Texas abortion law, and the fact that the court allowed some challenges to the state's abortion ban to proceed.

Discussion: The Atlantic

Liam Dillon / Los Angeles Times:

In response to Texas abortion ban, Newsom calls for similar restrictions on assault weapons — After the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block a Texas state law that bans most abortions there, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he'll push for a new California law that deters the manufacture and sale of assault rifles in the state.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, California Governor, Associated Press, JONATHAN TURLEY, New York Times, Bloomberg, POLITICUSUSA, CBS Los Angeles and Fox News

Lauren Hepler / San Francisco Chronicle:

Newsom to use Texas abortion law tactics to go after assault rifle, ghost gun makers — In a new approach to gun control inspired by Texas's controversial approach to banning most abortions, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday announced that his administration will make it easier …

Discussion: Sacramento Bee

Dan Diamond / Washington Post:

Navarro defies House subpoena in coronavirus probe — The former trade adviser, who urged Trump in February 2020 to prepare for virus, has emerged as a focus of Democrats' probe — A senior Trump administration official told the House panel probing the government's coronavirus response …

Discussion: Reuters, Raw Story and Politico

Billy House / Bloomberg: Former Trump Trade Aide Navarro Gets Subpoena Warning From Panel

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
A former aide says Trump has ordered him to ignore House Democrats' subpoena over the U.S. pandemic response.

Discussion: CNN and The Hill

Dana Kennedy / New York Post:

Chris Cuomo's CNN producer charged with luring girls for ‘sexual’ training — A veteran CNN producer who worked “shoulder to shoulder” with now disgraced ex-anchor Chris Cuomo has been indicted on charges of luring young girls to his Vermont ski house for “sexual subservience” training.

Discussion: Power Line, The Western Journal, HotAir, Breitbart, RedState and Instapundit

James Gordon / Daily Mail: Chris Cuomo's CNN producer is accused of luring mom and nine-year-old daughter to his Vermont ski home to ‘train’ …

CT Insider: Stamford man, a CNN staffer, allegedly coerced women to sexually ‘train’ daughters at his Vt. home

U.S. Department of Justice:
Connecticut Man Indicted for Attempting to Induce Minors to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity at Ludlow Residence

Discussion: Insider, NBC New York, The US Sun, The Daily Wire, The Hill, Breitbart, Page Array, The Western Journal, Townhall, RedState, Louder With Crowder and Mediaite

Pippa Crerar / Mirror.co.uk:

Boris Johnson pictured hosting Number 10 Christmas quiz ‘in breach of Covid laws’ — Boris Johnson faces more questions over a Downing Street quiz he hosted while London was under Tier 2 “no mixing” restrictions — Boris Johnson was tonight accused of personally breaking Covid laws by hosting a Christmas quiz in No10 last year.

Discussion: Politico, The Guardian, Bloomberg and Metro.co.uk

Toby Helm / The Guardian:
Labour races to nine-point lead in polls in wake of sleaze controversies at No 10

Discussion: Bloomberg

Ray Hartmann / Raw Story:

Rand Paul begs Biden for federal aid to Kentucky tornado victims — after a career of voting ‘no’ when others needed the same — Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky dashed off a letter to President Joe Biden today pleading for expeditious federal relief aid to victims of a deadly 200-mile tornado that struck his state Friday.

Jerusalem Post:

‘Time is running out,’ new German FM warns as Iran talks deadlocked — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday that Tehran was serious in its nuclear talks, as indicated by the very proposals that European negotiators said were unrealistic. — Negotiations between world powers …

Washington Post: Gulf Arab states that opposed the Iran nuclear deal are now courting Tehran

New York Times:
Iran's Nuclear Program Ignites New Tension Between U.S. and Israel

Discussion: Responsible Statecraft and The Times of Israel

Sarah Oliver / Daily Mail:

Julian Assange has a stroke in Belmarsh prison: Fiancée blames extreme stress caused by US extradition battle — Julian Assange had a stroke in Belmarsh Prison, his fiancee Stella Moris revealed — WikiLeaks publisher, 50, is being held on remand in the maximum-security jail

Discussion: Caitlin’s Newsletter and The US Sun, more at Mediagazer »

Brittany Shepherd / ABC News:

President Biden's job approval sinking on inflation, crime and COVID: POLL — Biden's approval on many issues has hit new lows, an ABC/Ipsos poll finds. — President Joe Biden is facing significant skepticism from the American public, with his job approval rating lagging across a range of major issues …

Discussion: RedState and HuffPost

Brittany Wallman / Sun-Sentinel:

Donald Trump entertains crowd in Sunrise by ripping Joe Biden, but also says he ‘liked’ a recent Democratic president — Former President Trump delivered a dose of history — from his vantage point — Saturday to an army of supporters in Sunrise. — That meant deriding the current president …

Discussion: Insider, New York Post, HuffPost and Raw Story

Lindsey Bever / Washington Post:

Hundreds of people are fired, online learning set to return amid vaccine resistance at nation's second-largest school district — The second-largest school district in the United States is facing mounting woes over its coronavirus vaccine mandate, recently terminating hundreds of employees …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Washington Post:

Election denier who circulated Jan. 6 PowerPoint says he met with Meadows at White House — A retired U.S. Army colonel who circulated a proposal to challenge the 2020 election, including by declaring a national security emergency and seizing paper ballots, said that he visited the White House …

Discussion: HuffPost, Mother Jones, Raw Story, Slate, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Rolling Stone

New York Times:

We Can Live Better Lives While Being Smart About Covid — The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values. It is separate from the newsroom. — Nearly two years into the pandemic …

The White House:

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Kentucky Emergency Declaration — Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting …

Discussion: FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, RedState, The Daily Caller, New York Times and Fox News

New York Times:
Live Updates: Tornadoes Leave Trail of Devastation Across Six States, With Scores Dead

Discussion: The Hill, CNBC, Washington Post, The Daily Wire, Reuters, BBC, Breitbart, UPI, Mother Jones, NBC News, Slate and Associated Press, more at Techmeme »

Wall Street Journal:

New Political Maps Will Kill Swing Districts From Coast to Coast — More races for the U.S. House will start with one party holding a significant advantage — More races for the U.S. House next year will start with one party holding a significant advantage because the process …

Landon Mion / Townhall:

Brian Williams in MSNBC Farewell Message: 'I'm Not a Liberal or a Conservative' — In his final sign-off as an MSNBC anchor, Brian Williams said that his loyalty does not lay with either of the major political ideologies, noting that he is “not a liberal or a conservative.”

Discussion: The Hill