memeorandum: Republicans Seem to Think Putting a Black Woman on the Supreme Court Is the Real Racism (Adam Serwer/The Atlantic)

5:25 PM ET, February 2, 2022

Top Items:

The Mystery Behind the Zucker Shocker … At first, it seemed like Jeff Zucker was just another piece of collateral damage from Andrew Cuomo's demise, caught in the same blast radius that knocked Chris Cuomo out of CNN months earlier. It all seemed so rich, considering Zucker …

Discussion: Insider

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 …

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, New Republic, Discourse Blog, Twitchy, Insider, The Right Scoop, Washington Post, Vanity Fair, TheBlaze, Louder With Crowder, Newsbusters, POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story, The Verge, BizPac Review, Political Wire and Eschaton, more at Mediagazer »

Joe Pompeo / Vanity Fair:
“It's Like the Ending of Reservoir Dogs”: Insiders See the Hand of Cuomo Behind Jeff Zucker's Abrupt Departure From CNN

Discussion: Mediaite, New York Post and Ace of Spades HQ

Allahpundit / HotAir:
Whoa: Jeff Zucker resigns from CNN over relationship with “my closest colleague”; Update: Trump celebrates

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

Politico:
CNN President Jeff Zucker resigns after relationship with colleague

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Wall Street Journal, Breitbart, One America News Network, IJR, Campaign Update, NOQ Report and Mediaite

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

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications, The Daily Caller, The Wrap, Associated Press, RedState, Denver Post, TVNewser, New York Post, Boing Boing and CBS New York

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: Wall Street Journal, Washington Examiner, The Hill, The Right Scoop, The Daily Caller, Breitbart, Raw Story, Mediaite, Media releases, IJR, Forbes, New York Post, The Economist, The Daily Beast, Insider and National Zero

Insider:
Adam Kinzinger calls Josh Hawley ‘one of the worst human beings’ and a ‘con artist’ after the senator urges Biden to block Ukraine from joining NATO

Discussion: The Hill, Bloomberg, HuffPost and Fox News

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

Discussion: Fox News and Associated Press

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

Discussion: Fox News, Insider, Washington Examiner, POLITICUSUSA, The Daily Caller and Washington Times

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: Washington Post, Insider, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Rolling Stone, CNN and National Zero

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

Discussion: HotAir, CBS News, ABC News, Raw Story, CNN, Insider, WTOP News, National Review, Talking Points Memo, The Hill, Breitbart, Mediaite, New York Times and Washington Post

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

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

Politico:

Jan. 6 select committee subpoenas phone records of Arizona GOP chair — The Jan. 6 select committee has subpoenaed the phone records of Arizona GOP Chair Kelli Ward and her husband, Michael Ward, who both signed documents falsely claiming to be among their state's presidential electors in 2020.

Discussion: Raw Story

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.

Discussion: The Bulwark

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
As Trump rages, a new plan to prevent a 2024 coup quietly advances

Discussion: Raw Story and The Status Kuo

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

Adam Serwer / The Atlantic:

Republicans Seem to Think Putting a Black Woman on the Supreme Court Is the Real Racism — Joe Biden hasn't yet picked a nominee to fill the seat of retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, but conservatives already know that the nominee is unqualified. After all, Biden has vowed to nominate a Black woman.

Discussion: Raw Story, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone and Newsbusters

Burgess Everett / Politico:
Why Lindsey Graham is going all-in on Biden SCOTUS pick

Discussion: Fox News, Insider, The Hill, Townhall, WTOP News and Slate

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: NBC News, NPR, WFXRtv and POLITICUSUSA

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

Allison Quinn / The Daily Beast:
Key Impeachment Witness Sues Trump, Don Jr. Over ‘Conspiracy’ to Silence Him

Discussion: Political Flare, The Daily Caller and CNN

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

Alexandra Steigrad / New York Post:

Whoopi Goldberg ‘livid,’ threatening to quit ‘The View’ over her suspension: source — Whoopi Goldberg is “livid” after she was suspended from “The View” over her claim that the Holocaust was “not about race” — and is telling coworkers she is going to quit the show, according to a source.

Discussion: HotAir, Townhall, The Daily Wire, Mediaite, RedState, Daily Mail, Louder With Crowder, The Right Scoop, The Wrap, Twitchy, The Gateway Pundit, OutKick, Fox News, The Daily Beast, New York Times and The Hill, more at Mediagazer »

Yaron Steinbuch / New York Post:
Whoopi Goldberg's co-hosts reportedly furious over suspension from ‘The View’

Discussion: Jewish News, Ace of Spades HQ, Raw Story, Mediaite, The Western Journal, Outside the Beltway, Variety, Fox News, Townhall, Instapundit, The Times of Israel, BNO News, abc7NY, Associated Press and ET Canada

Politico:

Directed-energy could explain unsolved ‘Havana Syndrome’ cases, U.S. intelligence panel finds — A panel convened by the U.S. intelligence community has assessed that the core symptoms of some unsolved “Havana Syndrome” cases cannot be explained by mass hysteria or psychosomatic effects alone …

Discussion: CBS News, ABC News, CNN, New York Times, Washington Examiner and Voice of America

Shane Harris / Washington Post: External energy source may explain ‘Havana syndrome,’ panel finds, renewing questions about possible foreign attack

Washington Post:

Biden officials push to hold up $11.3 billion USPS truck contract, citing climate damage — The Environmental Protection Agency warns Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to halt his plan to replace the aging delivery fleet with thousands of gas-powered vehicles.

Discussion: One America News Network

NBC News:

FBI identifies 6 juveniles as persons of interest in bomb threats at Black colleges — FBI identifies six juvenile persons of interest in HBCU bomb threats — Six “tech savvy” juveniles have been identified as persons of interest by the FBI in threats to historically Black colleges …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Hill, The Daily Beast, The Root, Insider, WFXRtv and NBC4 Washington

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: Outsports, Washington Examiner, HotAir, Committee to Protect …, Wired, New York Times, CNN, National Review, Mediaite and The Guardian, more at Techmeme »

FIRE:

10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech: 2022 — There's no shortage of colleges and universities that will go to great lengths to stifle free speech. Some institutions are worse than others, which is why each year for over a decade, FIRE compiles a list of the worst-of-the-worst.

Discussion: UPI and Instapundit

Justice News:

Four Defendants Arrested In Connection With The Overdose Death Of Michael K. Williams — Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Keechant Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department ("NYPD"), announced that IRVIN CARTAGENA …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Hill, CBS News, Forbes, Fox News, Deadline, Rolling Stone, The Wrap and Law & Crime

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: Fox News, The Right Scoop and UPI

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

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

John Stoehr / The Editorial Board:

When it comes to Supreme Court picks, just remember that we are living in a period of white backlash against Black progress — Moral panics are an American tradition. — The president vowed to pick a Black woman for the Supreme Court. It was a campaign promise. So far, I don't see signs of him backing away.

Discussion: Bloomberg and HuffPost