memeorandum: Airlines are ditching face mask rules for the first time in two years. Here's what travelers need to know. (Dawn Gilbertson/USA Today)

1:15 AM ET, April 19, 2022

Top Items:

Ukraine Live Updates: Russian Offensive in East Has Started, Ukraine Says — Ukraine says Russia has started its assault in the east, after raining missiles nationwide. — LVIV, Ukraine — Ukraine said Monday that Russian forces had launched a ground assault along a nearly 300-mile front …

Discussion: Defense One, The Guardian, CNN, Just The News, NPR, Vanity Fair and CNBC

Yaroslav Trofimov / Wall Street Journal:

In Ukraine's South, Russian Occupiers Tighten the Screws — The Russians are installing pro-Moscow politicians and hunting for dissenters — DNIPRO, Ukraine—Russia is tightening its hold over occupied areas of southern Ukraine, installing pro-Moscow leaders, hunting for dissenters and dismantling Ukrainian state institutions.

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post, The National, NPR, HotAir, The Guardian and Al Jazeera

Washington Post:

Sinking of Russian warship raises tense questions about fate of crew — Some families report sailors dead or missing in Moskva sinking despite defense ministry claim that all were evacuated — RIGA, Latvia — The sinking of the Russian warship Moskva is causing tension back home …

Discussion: The Debrief, CNN, Al Jazeera, The Daily Beast, Metro.co.uk, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner and The Guardian

Jeanne Whalen / Washington Post:

Russian Orthodox leader backs war in Ukraine, divides faith — Patriarch Kirill has angered many priests by echoing the language Vladimir Putin uses to justify the Ukraine invasion — He leads his flock from a soaring, gilded cathedral built to celebrate Russia's victory over Napoleon …

Discussion: New York Times

Alex Horton / Washington Post:
Lethal darts were fired into a Ukrainian neighborhood by the thousands

Discussion: The Hill and New York Times

Tierney Sneed / CNN:

CDC mask mandate for travelers no longer in effect following judge's ruling, official says — (CNN)A federal judge in Florida struck down on Monday the Biden administration's mask mandate for airplanes and other public transport methods, and a Biden administration official says the order …

Discussion: Power Line, Washington Examiner, Insider, Axios, Bloomberg, news.aa.com, The Hill, Delta News Hub, CBS News, Fox News, CNN, Reuters, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Southwest Airlines Newsroom, Media Releases, Alexander COVID News …, WTOP News, Politico, Breitbart, NPR, Breitbart, Reason, The Daily Beast, The Hill, Bloomberg, New Jersey Monitor, The Guardian, The Colorado Sun, KTLA, WCMH-TV, Law & Crime, CBS Boston, Big League Politics, OutKick, Twitchy, Washington Post, FEN, Forbes, Steve Kirsch's newsletter, CBS News, Mediaite, Breaking911, Gizmodo, The Verge, NPR, The Hill, Rolling Stone, Breitbart, NBC News, Al Jazeera, American Greatness, Mother Jones, Twitchy, Townhall, IJR, The Federalist, New York Times, New York Magazine, Substack, Mediaite, CNBC, Washington Free Beacon, Washington Examiner, CBS Miami, Twitchy, Insider, OutKick, The Hill, BuzzFeed News, OutKick, Washington Free Beacon, Just The News, HotAir and CBS San Francisco

Dawn Gilbertson / USA Today:
Airlines are ditching face mask rules for the first time in two years. Here's what travelers need to know.

Discussion: CNN, Alaska Airlines News, Reason, Insider and The Last Refuge

Ken Klippenstein / The Intercept:

Jared Kushner Flaunted His Influence With Saudi Arabia, Russia in Pitch to Investors … Jared Kushner's new investment fund, Affinity Partners, nakedly touts the former Trump adviser's work with Saudi Arabia and his links to several Trump-era deals in hoping to raise money from Wall Street …

Discussion: Raw Story and Diane Francis

New York Times:

Trump Allies Are Still Feeding the False 2020 Election Narrative — Fifteen months after they tried and failed to overturn the 2020 election, the same group of lawyers and associates is continuing efforts to decertify the vote, feeding a false narrative. — Give this article- - - Read in app

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Raw Story and The Atlantic

CNN:

Kimberly Guilfoyle meets with January 6 committee — (CNN)Kimberly Guilfoyle, the fiancée of Donald Trump Jr. and a former member of the Trump presidential campaign, is meeting Monday with the House select committee investigating the Capitol Hill insurrection.

Discussion: CBS News, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Washington Times, Raw Story and The Hill

Kyle Cheney / Politico: Former Army colonel sues to block Jan. 6 committee subpoena for phone records

Richard Cowan / Reuters:
Trump attempt at a coup to be a focus of U.S. House hearings, lawmaker Raskin says

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Hill and Raw Story

David Cruz / Gothamist:

Mayor moving ahead on metal detectors in subway system — Mayor Eric Adams on Monday said he is considering three types of metal detectors to be used in the subway system in the wake of last week's mass shooting on board a Manhattan-bound N train in Sunset Park.

Aaron Gordon / VICE: NYC Mayor Considering a Subway Security System That Can't Differentiate Between a Laptop and a Handgun

Neil Vigdor / New York Times:

Effort to Remove Marjorie Taylor Greene From Ballot Can Proceed, Judge Says — The case that Ms. Greene unsuccessfully sought to have dismissed mirrors efforts against other Republicans centered on the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. — Give this article- - - Read in app

Discussion: HuffPost, CNN, Washington Examiner, Free Speech For People and Political Wire

Patricia Murphy / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
The Jolt: Marjorie Taylor Greene outraised by Democratic challenger in 2022

Discussion: HotAir, The Hill, New York Times, Political Wire and Politico

Axios:

Biden to hold first road fundraisers of presidency — Joe Biden is about to start raising money on the road for the first time in his presidency, headlining fundraisers on Thursday in Portland, Ore., and Seattle for the Democratic National Committee, sources tell Axios.

Politico:
Biden's been consumed by Ukraine. His team wants to bring the focus back home.

Discussion: Breitbart and NewsTalkSTL

Cory Vaillancourt / Smoky Mountain News:

Complaint filed against Cawthorn by fired staffer — Saying in a leaked recording that “we all want the ultimate goal of him never serving again,” Lisa Wiggins, a former caseworker and campaign aide to Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-Henderson) has filed an employment-related campaign against the embattled congressman.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, New York Post, POLITICUSUSA, Mediaite and Raw Story

Margaret Hartmann / New York Magazine:

In Defense of Tucker Carlson Touting ‘Testicle Tanning’ — Here's a sentence I did not expect I would ever type: I'm excited about “testicle tanning.” Or, more specifically, I'm excited about Tucker Carlson getting excited about “testicle tanning.” — For the past few days …

Discussion: Washington Post, Rolling Stone, Morning Shots, Mediaite, Mediaite, Snopes.com, Twitchy, Vanity Fair, Talking Points Memo and Althouse

Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Given endless resources, Tucker Carlson zeroes in on UFOs and testicles

Discussion: indy100, Lifehacker, HotAir, Culture & Curiosities, The Wrap, Mediaite and Twitchy

Kaylee McGhee White / Washington Examiner:

Even the Left is beginning to admit it has pushed transgenderism too far — Transgender orthodoxy has moved so far past the bounds of sanity that any attempt to question its effects is quickly discouraged and punished. We are expected to shut up and accept that public schools are passing policies …

Discussion: GC News and Joanne Jacobs

Brian Schwartz / CNBC:

Billionaire Peltz draws GOP megadonors to $5,000-a-plate fundraiser for Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin — Billionaire and Wall Street veteran Nelson Peltz hosted a fundraiser for conservative Democrat Joe Manchin at his massive Florida estate last month. — Peltz hosted Manchin along …

Discussion: HotAir, Rolling Stone, Breitbart, Insider and Raw Story

Cameron Joseph / VICE:

Trump-Endorsed Candidate JD Vance Once Said Trump Might Be 'America's Hitler' — In a private Facebook message from 2016, Ohio Senate candidate JD Vance said Trump is either a “cynical asshole” or “America's Hitler.” — Former President Donald Trump's newest Senate endorsee was even less of a Trump fan than he publicly let on.

Discussion: HuffPost, The Hill, New York Times, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Digby's Hullabaloo and Washington Times

Dana Goldstein / New York Times:

Florida Rejects Math Textbooks, Citing ‘Prohibited Topics’ — Officials said they objected to the inclusion of social-emotional learning and critical race theory in the books but did not share information on the specific content. — Florida has rejected 42 of 132 math textbooks proposed …

Discussion: Rolling Stone

David Wasserman / Cook Political Report:

Redistricting Scorecard: A Partisan Wash, With Far Fewer Competitive Districts — In February, Democrats were on pace to come out modestly ahead in redistricting, defying initial expectations. But in the final stretch, the plot has twisted once again: Ohio's GOP ran out the clock …

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

Florida's vile ‘groomer’ law may soon blow up in DeSantis's face — One of the more repulsive features of Florida's new law restricting classroom discussion of sex and gender is its vagueness. This may be a feature, not a bug: It could encourage conservative parents to sniff …

Discussion: Raw Story

Charles Couger / Fox News:

Convicted murderer vows to get LA DA Gascon's name tattooed on his face in audio obtained by Fox News — Gang member praises progressive DA for ‘making historic changes’ in ‘Tucker Carlson Originals’ documentary ‘Suicide of Los Angeles’ on Fox Nation — Convicted murderer says LA DA Gascon is a 'champ …

Discussion: New York Post, Washington Examiner, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, RedState and HotAir

Jordan Zakarin / More Perfect Union:

Poll: Americans Strongly Support Unionizing Amazon Workers — 75 percent of respondents agreed with Amazon workers who say that they “need union representation in order to have job security, better pay, and safer working conditions.” — A supermajority of Americans have a favorable opinion …

Alexandra Steigrad / New York Post:

Jon Stewart's new show on AppleTV+ is reportedly a flop — Jon Stewart is struggling to gain traction on his new talk show, according to a report. — “The Problem with Jon Stewart,” which launched on AppleTV+ in September, appears to be a flop, as it trails far behind its competitors …

Discussion: BloombergQuint, OutKick, Big League Politics and Mediaite

Spencer Brown / Townhall:

Psaki Tells Travelers to Continue Masking but Defends Ending Title 42 — While it's nothing new for the Biden White House, Monday's briefing by Jen Psaki put a somewhat-chaotic exclamation point on how disjointed the administration's guidance and mandates have been regarding COVID-19.

Discussion: Fox News, RedState, Twitchy, IJR, Washington Examiner and Crooks and Liars