memeorandum: Figure skating-Russian media say teen star tested positive for banned drug (Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber/Reuters)

4:30 PM ET, February 9, 2022

Top Items:

Charles C. W. Cooke / National Review:

In the Post, Leana Wen Insists That She's the Last Reasonable Woman in the World — In the Washington Post, Leana Wen attempts to explain away her sudden change of heart on COVID restrictions by positioning herself as the reasonable third way between “two extremes.” Her argument is Obama-esque:

Discussion: Townhall, Washington Post and The Times of Israel

Yascha Mounk / The Atlantic:

Open Everything — In March 2020, I wrote that America should “cancel everything” in response to the acute threat posed by COVID-19: Mass events should be postponed, companies should send employees home from the office, and schools should move classes online. — I remain convinced that this was the right thing to do.

Discussion: HotAir, The New Neo, KRON4, Outside the Beltway, New York Times, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, The Hill, ABC17NEWS and Washington Examiner

Politico:

CDC weighs updating messaging around transmission and masking — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering updating its guidelines on the metrics states should use when considering lifting public health measures such as mask mandates, according to four people familiar with the matter.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Forbes, Reuters and Florida Phoenix

New York Times:
Dropping Indoor Mask Mandate, New York Joins Blue States Easing Covid Rules

Cassidy Morrison / Washington Examiner:
The seven blue states announcing ends to mask mandates

Discussion: The Western Journal, Wall Street Journal and Fox News

Washington Post:

National Archives asks Justice Dept. to investigate Trump's handling of White House records — The request came amid revelations that officials recovered 15 boxes of materials from the former president's Mar-a-Lago residence that weren't handed back to the government as they should have been

Discussion: Insider, The Hill, USA Today, Mediaite, Common Dreams, Political Wire, The Atlantic, Bipartisan Report, PIX11 and HuffPost

ABC News:

Former White House press aide appears before Jan. 6 committee — Sarah Matthews appeared Tuesday for an interview with the committee. — Sarah Matthews, a Trump White House press aide who resigned over the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, appeared Tuesday for an interview …

Discussion: Washington Examiner

Washington Post:

Giuliani asked Michigan prosecutor to give voting machines to Trump team — President's legal advisers helped twist clerical error by rural county into key tenet of false election-fraud claim — In the weeks after the 2020 election, Rudolph W. Giuliani and other legal advisers …

Discussion: CNBC, Bipartisan Report, Alternet.org, Raw Story, Rolling Stone, Talking Points Memo, Political Wire and Washington Examiner

Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber / Reuters:

Figure skating-Russian media say teen star tested positive for banned drug … Russian media reported on Wednesday that 15-year-old figure skater Kamila Valieva had tested positive for a banned drug, after the ceremony to present her and her team mates with their Olympic gold medals was postponed for unexplained legal reasons.

Discussion: Newsweek, insidethegames.biz, National Review and One America News Network

Jill Lawrence / USA Today:

Is this the beginning of the end for Trumpism or the Republican Party? — Watch Video: Cheney has to beat Trump's hold on the GOP to keep her seat in Wyoming — It was a Republican National Committee meeting that will live in infamy, and perhaps in history.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Boston Globe, Morning Shots, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Post, National Review and Snopes.com

Reid J. Epstein / New York Times:
Where's Liz Cheney? The Wyoming Republican's Exile From Wyoming Republicans

Discussion: Daily Kos, The Daily Beast, The Hill, Raw Story, Rolling Stone, Bipartisan Report, The Federalist and The Future, Now and Then

Eileen McClory / dayton-daily-news:

VIDEO: Yellow Springs votes no on housing plan after Chappelle, others speak up — Development can still move forward, but without affordable housing component — Oberer Homes can move forward with a new development in Yellow Springs, but without an affordable housing component initially promised …

Discussion: Consequence

Dan MacGuill / Snopes.com:

Did Biden Admin ‘Fund Crack Pipes’ To ‘Advance Racial Equity’? … Origin — In February 2022, right-leaning outlets reported breathlessly that the Biden administration had plans to fund the distribution of crack pipes in order to advance the cause of racial equity.

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Examiner, National Review, The Daily Caller, Louder With Crowder, HHS News releases, Daily Kos, RedState, Twitchy, Althouse, The Daily Wire, The Wrap, Mikey's moments … and The Daily Beast

Matt Gertz / Media Matters for America:

Fox News goes all-in promoting anti-vaccine-mandate Canadian truckers — The network has devoted roughly 8 hours to the “freedom fighters” — Fox News' effort to discourage its viewers from vaccinating themselves against COVID-19 has gone international. The network's stars …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Daily Beast, Daily Camera and Salon

Daniel Dale / CNN:
Fact check: Debunking false claims about the Canadian convoy protests

Discussion: Washington Post, Raw Story, ABC17NEWS, Common Dreams, First Draft and Grid News

James Hibberd / Hollywood Reporter:

Joe Rogan Returns to Stand-Up Stage, Mocks His Controversies — Rogan addressed his recent headlines with a self-deprecating set: “If you want my advice, don't take my advice.” — Joe Rogan returned to the stand-up stage Tuesday night with a self-deprecating set that mocked and discussed his recent headlines.

Discussion: globalnews.ca, Variety, The Daily Caller, Louder With Crowder, Mediaite and Rolling Stone

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

Ron DeSantis, 'Don't say gay,' and the new GOP ‘snitch culture’ — The GOP proposals sweeping the country that restrict the teaching of race have an obvious purpose: to make teachers feel perpetually on thin ice, so they shy away from difficult discussions about our national past rather …

Discussion: NBC News, CNN, Alternet.org, Daily Kos and Vanity Fair

Eric Garcia / The Independent:

Repeat STOCK Act violator Sen Tommy Tuberville calls trading ban for Congress ‘ridiculous’ — Exclusive: ‘They might as well start sending robots up here,’ senator tells The Independent — Congress Moves Closer to Barring Lawmakers From Trading on Stock Market

Discussion: Insider, Raw Story, NRCC and HotAir

CNN:

Pence rebuked Trump — and received an outpouring of GOP support in response — (CNN)Mike Pence did not initially intend to admonish former President Donald Trump during a long-planned speech last week. But a pair of statements from Trump criticizing Pence's actions on January 6, 2021 …

Discussion: Raw Story and New Republic

Wall Street Journal:

White House Approves Plan to Help Americans Leaving Ukraine if Russia Attacks — U.S. troops will set up checkpoints and tent camps inside Poland's border to help Americans who leave Ukraine — WASHINGTON—The White House has approved a Pentagon plan for U.S. troops in Poland to help thousands …

Discussion: NBC News, Washington Post, CNN, Insider, Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, Washington Post, New York Post, Рад …, The National Interest, BBC, Common Dreams and The Guardian

CNN:

A giant donut-shaped machine just proved a near-limitless clean power source is possible — (CNN)There's no silver bullet to the climate crisis, but nuclear fusion may be the closest thing to it. In the quest for a near-limitless, zero-carbon source of reliable power …

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Annie Gowen / Washington Post:

‘Blue’ suburban moms are mobilizing to counter conservatives in fights over masks, book bans and diversity education — Dozens of suburban moms from around the country dialed into an Ohio-based Zoom training session last month with the same goal — to learn how to combat the increasingly vitriolic rhetoric …

Sophia Cai / Axios:

Scoop: Warren and Daines team up on bipartisan stock ban — Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) are teaming up to file a stock-ban bill, a bipartisan pairing that's part of a building movement to act on a potential conflict of interest.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Insider, Washington Post, New York Post, Breitbart, The Western Journal, Raw Story, Bloomberg and Common Dreams

Caitlin Byrd / The State:

Trump planning trip to SC to boost congressional hopefuls — Former President Donald Trump is planning to hold a rally in South Carolina as early as this month or this spring, where he can champion two Republican congressional candidates while also making a visit to an early presidential …

Discussion: Washington Post

Gabrielle Bluestone / New York Magazine:

‘I More So Consider Myself a Con Artist Than Anything’ — What Danielle Miller learned at Horace Mann and Rikers. — Danielle Miller walked into Rikers Island at 3 a.m. in the dead of winter, shivering in a flimsy Missoni cover-up, Hervé Léger bathing suit, and Valentino Rockstud heels …

Jay Root / Houston Chronicle:

Texas GOP candidate Shelley Luther complains that students can't make fun of transgender children — BONHAM — Shelley Luther, the hair salon owner who was catapulted into political stardom after being jailed for defying a pandemic lockdown order, put transgender kids in the crosshairs …

Discussion: NBC News, Insider and Daily Kos

Kyle Smith / National Review:

Leana Wen's 180-Degree Reversal on Masks — Three weeks ago, she called for tightening mask policy. Now she says it should be up to individuals. — s of January 14, one of the Democratic/media complex's favorite spokespeople, Dr. Leana Wen, was saying we needed to tighten our mask policy.

Reid Wilson / The Hill:

States consider record wave of voting bills — State legislators who have begun or are preparing to start legislative sessions this year will consider more than 600 bills to expand or restrict the right to vote this year, a massive increase over recent years that were already noted for historic levels of action on elections procedures.

Discussion: Common Dreams and Election Law Blog

Brian Schwartz / CNBC:

Some Trump allies want him to pull his endorsement of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ahead of GOP primary — Donald Trump's team has heard from allies who are trying to encourage the former president to withdraw his support for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, according to people familiar with the matter.

Politico:

Left splits over Supreme Court pick pushed by top Biden ally — After Sherrod Brown caught wind of the progressive angst over judge Michelle Childs' possible ascension to the Supreme Court, the labor stalwart talked it through with her biggest Democratic backer — the House majority whip.

Discussion: Townhall, HotAir, The National, Althouse and CBS News

John Sexton / HotAir:

As Sarah Palin vs NY Times libel trial continues, central arguments come into focus — Former NY Times' editor James Bennet, the man who wrote the false claims about Sarah Palin's connection to the 2011 Tuscon shooting, has been testifying in the libel trial about his state of mind when writing the editorial.

Discussion: Politico, The Daily Beast and Nieman Lab, more at Mediagazer »

Matt Ford / New Republic:

The Supreme Court Is Even More Conservative Than You Think — How conservative is the Supreme Court? To some observers, it is unambiguously anchored on the right, eager to write its ideological vision of the Constitution into the fabric of American law. To others, there are glimmers of moderation …

Discussion: RedState

Kansas City Star:

Congressional map splitting KCK passes over Kelly veto — The Kansas House overrode Gov. Laura Kelly's veto on Wednesday to enact a congressional map splitting Wyandotte County for the first time in 40 years. — It is all but certain to face a court challenge amid allegations …

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Jazz Shaw / HotAir:

China completely ignored the trade deal they made with Trump — Back in January of 2020, shortly before the pandemic hit, Donald Trump concluded a series of negotiations with China and inked a deal in which the Chinese would purchase an extra $200 billion worth of United States exports over the coming two years.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, New York Times and Reason

Lacey Christ / Fox News:

Missouri's crowded US Senate race: Snapshot of the Republican candidates — Senate GOP primary in Missouri seen partly as a test of loyalty to Trump — Fox News Flash top headlines for February 9 — The 2022 Missouri Senate GOP primary is heating up with the state's attorney general …

Discussion: Washington Examiner and The Mess We've Made

Pippa Crerar / Mirror.co.uk:

New Partygate image shows Boris Johnson and open bottle of bubbly at No 10 Xmas quiz — The image shows the Prime Minister flanked by three members of staff, one wearing tinsel and another a Santa hat, at the event on December 15, 2020 — The Met Police faces fresh calls to investigate a No 10 …

Discussion: Insider, The Guardian, Bloomberg and РИА …

Nate Hochman / National Review:

Elise Stefanik Drops Support for Fairness for All Act — The House GOP chairwoman is the highest-ranking Republican to abandon the bill, which would write gender identity into U.S. civil-rights law. — ouse Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik has dropped her support for the Fairness for All Act …

Dan McLaughlin / National Review:

Nikole Hannah-Jones Responds to Our 1619 and Slavery Issue — Nikole Hannah-Jones went on Twitter Monday night to respond to our issue looking at American slavery and the 1619 Project. Those familiar with how she typically responds to engagement with her work — engagement that typically appears …

Discussion: Twitchy