memeorandum: Fact check: GOP Rep. Chip Roy twice promotes false online rumor about Canadian PM fleeing to the US (Daniel Dale/CNN)

2:40 PM ET, February 2, 2022

Top Items:

Zachary Basu / Axios:

Exclusive: Hawley calls on Biden to drop support for Ukraine membership in NATO — Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is calling on the Biden administration to drop longstanding U.S. support for Ukraine's eventual membership in NATO, arguing that a binding commitment to defend the country would undermine efforts to counter China.

Discussion: Insider, Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, Forbes, National Zero and Politico

NBC News:

Biden to deploy troops to Eastern Europe amid Ukraine standoff — Biden approves sending troops to Eastern Europe — WASHINGTON — The U.S. is deploying about 3,000 troops to help defend European allies amid the standoff over Russia's military buildup on Ukraine's borders, the Biden administration announced Wednesday.

Discussion: HotAir, MSNBC, TheBlaze, Roll Call, Common Dreams, KXAN-TV, Townhall, WTOP News, UPI and NBC 6 South Florida

Brett Samuels / The Hill: Psaki accuses Hawley of ‘parroting Russian talking points’

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:
White House says Sen. Josh Hawley is ‘parroting Russian talking points’ by arguing against Ukraine's admission to NATO

Discussion: Washington Examiner and Washington Times

Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Orders 3,000 Troops to Bolster European Allies in Russia-Ukraine Crisis

Discussion: CNN, New York Times, CBS News, Breitbart, The Drive, CNBC, Human Events, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Forbes, Insider, The Hill, New York Post, The Daily Beast, Associated Press, Тел …, Raw Story, Reason, BlackBear, The Diplomat, TASS, Just The News and National Zero

Caroline Vakil / The Hill:
Hawley calling on Biden admin to drop support for Ukraine's eventual membership in NATO: report

Discussion: Fox News, Washington Examiner and Raw Story

Politico:
U.S. deploys troops to Eastern Europe; thousands more on standby

Discussion: Fox News, Reuters, Associated Press, TheJournal.ie, New York Times, Defense One, Al Jazeera, Jacobin, Metro.co.uk, Task & Purpose and Anti-bellum

Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:

Jeff Zucker Exits CNN After Relationship With Senior Executive — The relationship came up during the network's investigation into the former anchor Chris Cuomo. “I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn't,” Mr. Zucker wrote in a memo to colleagues.

Discussion: Mediaite, Insider, The Right Scoop, Washington Post, TheBlaze, POLITICUSUSA, Louder With Crowder, The Verge, Newsbusters, Raw Story, BizPac Review, TVNewser, Political Wire and Eschaton, more at Mediagazer »

CNN:

Jeff Zucker resigns from CNN — New York (CNN Business)CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker, the influential news executive who reshaped the iconic network, abruptly announced Wednesday morning that he has resigned from his position effective immediately. — “As part of the investigation …

Allahpundit / HotAir:

Whoa: Jeff Zucker resigns from CNN over relationship with “my closest colleague”; Update: Trump celebrates — How many misbehaving men does this make at CNN? — And how is it that Jeffrey Toobin, the one among them who got caught punching the clown on a Zoom call, is also the only one left standing at the network?

Discussion: Twitchy, Politico, New York Post, Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

CNBC:
CNN boss Jeff Zucker resigns, says he failed to disclose office relationship with former Andrew Cuomo aide

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, The Wrap, The Daily Caller, RedState, NOQ Report, Associated Press, TVNewser, New York Post, Boing Boing and CBS New York

Tara Palmeri / Politico:

Trump considered blanket pardons for Jan. 6 rioters before he left office — In the final days of his presidency, Donald Trump seriously considered issuing a blanket pardon for all participants in the Jan. 6 riot, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.

Discussion: National Zero

Quint Forgey / Politico:
Jan. 6 committee member: Trump ‘absolutely’ tampering with witnesses

Discussion: Insider, CNN, The Hill, National Review, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, Mediaite, Washington Post and CBS News

Shane Goldmacher / New York Times:
Trump's Words, and Deeds, Reveal Depths of His Drive to Retain Power

Discussion: claytoonz, Salon, Raw Story, The Moderate Voice, Insider, New York Times, Mediaite, Today's Edition Newsletter, Political Flare, BizPac Review, Washington Post, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Washington Examiner and Associated Press

Caroline Vakil / The Hill:
Trump: ‘RINO’ Graham ‘wrong’ on pardoning Jan. 6 rioters

Discussion: Mother Jones, BizPac Review, Page Array, Mediaite, New York Post, National Review, POLITICUSUSA, Rolling Stone, People.com, Insider, Washington Examiner, IJR and Raw Story

Mona Charen / The Bulwark:
The Trump Coup Is Still Happening

Discussion: Dispatches From A …, Raw Story, Morning Shots and Up Close with Peter Sage

Alexander Vindman / USA Today:

Why I'm seeking accountability against Trump allies in court — Public servants who do their duty, tell the truth and uphold their oaths of office shouldn't be subjected to intimidation and retaliation. — In July 2019, my life took a dramatic and unexpected turn when I listened …

Discussion: NPR, POLITICUSUSA and WFXRtv

Allison Quinn / The Daily Beast:

Key Impeachment Witness Sues Trump, Don Jr. Over ‘Conspiracy’ to Silence Him — Retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman alleges there was a coordinated conspiracy to scare him into silence ahead of Trump's first impeachment trial. — Retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman has sued Donald Trump …

Discussion: CNN

Amy B Wang / Washington Post:
Alexander Vindman sues Trump Jr. and Giuliani, alleging retaliation over first Trump impeachment proceedings

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Insider, UPI and Raw Story

Charles C. W. Cooke / National Review:

Whoopi Goldberg's Suspension from The View Is Illiberal and Irrational — Whoopi Goldberg is being suspended from ABC's The View: … This isn't just illiberal, it's irrational. What Goldberg said was factually incorrect, yes. But so what? Figures on political TV shows say stupid …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Mediaite and Althouse

Yaron Steinbuch / New York Post:

Whoopi Goldberg's co-hosts reportedly furious over suspension from ‘The View’ — Whoopi Goldberg's co-hosts on “The View” are furious at ABC for suspending the embattled personality over her claim that the Holocaust was “not about race,” according to a report.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, OutKick, Twitchy, Townhall, Instapundit and ET Canada

New York Times:
ABC Suspends Whoopi Goldberg Over Holocaust Comments

Ellen Nakashima / Washington Post:

FBI acknowledges it tested NSO Group's spyware — The agency says it never used the spyware in an investigation — The FBI tested Pegasus spyware made by the Israeli company NSO Group for possible use in criminal investigations, even as the FBI and Justice Department were investigating whether …

Discussion: The Guardian, The Times of Israel, Responsible Statecraft and Political Wire

Emily Glazer / Wall Street Journal:

Melinda French Gates No Longer Pledges Bulk of Her Wealth to Gates Foundation — Billionaire still promises to give away fortune, cites Pivotal Ventures and Gates Foundation in new Giving Pledge letter — Melinda French Gates is no longer pledging to give the bulk of her wealth …

Discussion: New York Post, The Daily Caller, Forbes and Al Jazeera

Alexander Sammon / American Prospect:

Michelle Childs's Punitive Criminal Justice Rulings Were Repeatedly Overturned — The candidate for the Supreme Court vacancy has a history of tough-on-crime sentences and opinions that higher courts subsequently tossed out. — Judge J. Michelle Childs, who was nominated by President Barack Obama …

Discussion: Washington Post, Common Dreams and Occidental Dissent

Pete Williams / NBC News:

Conspiracy charges possible for filing bogus Trump election slates, experts say — The Justice Department could pursue criminal charges related to the filing of Electoral College votes for Donald Trump from states that actually voted for Joe Biden in 2020, according to several experts on election law.

Josh Rogin / Washington Post:

Olympic athletes are getting ready to boycott the opening ceremony in Beijing — When the Winter Olympics officially begins Friday in Beijing, U.S. diplomats and international fans won't be the only ones missing from the festivities. Olympic athletes from multiple countries who want to show solidarity …

Discussion: National Review, Mediaite, New York Times, The Guardian and CNN

Rachel Maddow / MSNBC:

Nazi gatherings in broad daylight in Florida spark alarm — Florida State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith talks with Rachel Maddow about the horror his constituents feel at learning about gatherings of Nazis in their area, and where they came from.

Axios:

Scoop: Leaked document reveals Biden's Afghan failures — Leaked notes from a White House Situation Room meeting the day before Kabul fell shed new light on just how unprepared the Biden administration was to evacuate Afghan nationals who'd helped the United States in its 20-year war against the Taliban.

Discussion: Power Line, The Western Journal, IJR, HotAir, Fox News, Washington Examiner, Breitbart, Insider, The Daily Caller, America First Report, New York Post, The Gateway Pundit and The Hill

CNN:

How Schumer explains his Senate dilemma — (CNN)Last July, trying to get Sen. Joe Manchin to let Democrats move forward on their agenda, Chuck Schumer came up with a plan. He had the West Virginia Democrat lay out what he could accept and how much he'd be willing to spend. Manchin signed his name.

Discussion: UPI

New York Times:

U.S. Has Far Higher Covid Death Rate Than Other Wealthy Countries — Two years into the pandemic, the coronavirus is killing Americans at far higher rates than people in other wealthy nations, a sobering distinction to bear as the country charts a course through the next stages of the pandemic.

Discussion: Washington Post, Direct Left, Common Dreams, Balloon Juice, Eight by Seven, No More Mister Nice Blog, Eschaton, HotAir, Washington Post, Axios and TheBlaze

John Wagner / Washington Post:

Neither Roy Moore nor his accuser prevail in dueling defamation suits in Alabama — An Alabama jury found Wednesday that neither former Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore nor a woman who accused him before the 2017 election of initiating a sexual encounter when she was 14 had defamed one another, ending an emotionally charged trial.

Discussion: WTOP News and Political Wire

David Wasserman / Cook Political Report:

Democrats Move to Purge Half of New York's House Republicans — The biggest redistricting weapon of 2022 has always been the Empire State, and Democrats are poised to finally use it. On Sunday, New York Democrats unveiled a gerrymander that could expand their lead in the delegation from 19D-8R to 22D-4R …

Discussion: It's the democracy, stupid

Sergio Olmos / The Guardian:

Republicans to field more than 100 far-right candidates this year — Anti-Defamation League list includes at least a dozen with links to white supremacists, anti-government extremists and Proud Boys — More than 100 far-right candidates are running for political office across the country …

Jeff Cox / CNBC:

Companies unexpectedly cut 301,000 jobs in January as omicron slams labor market, ADP says — Private payrolls fell by 301,000 for January versus the estimate for a 200,000 gain, according to payrolls processing firm ADP. — This was the first reported net job less since December 2020 …

Discussion: HotAir, TheBlaze, Breitbart, The Daily Caller and The Gateway Pundit

Polly Cleveland / The Editorial Board:

What if we replaced all federal levies, including the income tax, with a tax on land? — In Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore, redistribution of land, land taxes and land leasing pay for universal health care, education and more. — In 1873, Mark Twain published his satirical novel …