memeorandum: How a former NBA player and activist became a far-right media darling (David Gardner/Washington Post)

3:05 PM ET, April 28, 2022

Top Items:

Biden seeks $33 billion for Ukraine, powers to liquidate Russian assets — The White House will call on Congress to authorize such a move as it continues to seek new ways to punish Russia and support Ukraine — The White House on Thursday announced a proposal to allow U.S. authorities …

Simon Shuster / TIME:

Inside Zelensky's World — The nights are the hardest, when he lies there on his cot, the whine of the air-raid sirens in his ears and his phone still buzzing beside him. Its screen makes his face look like a ghost in the dark, his eyes scanning messages he didn't have a chance to read during the day.

Yaroslav Trofimov / Wall Street Journal:

Russia's Long Disdain for Ukrainian Nationhood — Even Russian liberals and dissidents have traditionally shared Putin's view that Ukraine has no distinct cultural identity. — 1x — As a young poet in the Soviet Union, Joseph Brodsky was persecuted by the authorities before escaping …

Discussion: Washington Post, BBC, Common Dreams, The Guardian and Striking thoughts

Abigail Hauslohner / Washington Post:
Biden welcomes Ukrainian refugees, neglects Afghans, critics say

Discussion: United States Mission …, Insider, Raw Story and Associated Press

David Rothkopf / The Daily Beast:
Putin Must Be Stopped Once and for All

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Sydney Morning Herald, USA Today, New Republic, Boston.com, The Dispatch, nationalinterest.org, HuffPost, The American Spectator, Foreign Policy, New York Times, Rixstep NSA, John's Newsletter, The Guardian, HotAir and The Economist

Edward Luce / Financial Times:
The return of the 20th century's nuclear shadow

Discussion: CNBC and Dispatches from the Other Side

Reuters:

Trump allies breach U.S. voting systems in search of 2020 fraud ‘evidence’ — Chasing proof of vote-rigging conspiracy theories, Republican officials and activists in eight U.S. locales have plotted to gain illegal access to balloting systems, undermining the security of elections they claim to protect.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Raw Story and The Newsletter

Sarah Chaney Cambon / Wall Street Journal:

U.S. GDP Drops 1.4% as Economy Shrinks for First Time Since Early in Pandemic — Supply disruptions weighed on the economy, but consumers and businesses continue to spend — U.S. gross domestic product shrank at a 1.4% annual rate in the first quarter as supply disruptions weighed on the economy …

Ben Casselman / New York Times:

G.D.P. Report Shows the U.S. Economy Shrank, Masking a Broader Recovery — Here's what you need to know: — The economy contracted in the first quarter, but underlying measures were solid. — The U.S. economy contracted in the first three months of the year, but strong consumer spending …

The White House:
Statement by President Joe Biden on Gross Domestic Product

Discussion: Bloomberg and The Daily Caller

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis:
Gross Domestic Product, First Quarter 2022 (Advance Estimate)

Discussion: CoinDesk, Kevin Drum, Funding Democracy …, TheBlaze, HotAir, CBS News, The Gateway Pundit and The Daily Caller

David Catanese / McClatchy Washington Bureau:

McConnell miscalculated Republican impeachment count against Trump, book says — Mitch McConnell thought the Jan. 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol would finally vanquish Donald Trump, initially predicting that at least 17 Republican senators would vote to convict him in his impeachment trial …

Discussion: Raw Story, The Atlantic and Political Wire

Burgess Everett / Politico:

It's Trump vs. Cruz in Ohio and Pa. Senate races — As Republican primary voters get closer to the polls, it's beginning to feel like mid-2016 again: Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are on opposing sides. — The former president's late backing of J.D. Vance in Ohio and Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania …

Discussion: Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Monmouth University … and Fox News

Amanda Carpenter / The Bulwark:
Trump's Garbage Men

Discussion: Albany Times Union, The Atlantic, Raw Story, The Daily Beast, Rolling Stone, Thursday Night Bulwark and CNN

David M. Drucker / Washington Examiner:
Midterm Memo: Power of Trump endorsement on display in Ohio

Discussion: Politico and New York Times

Tim Stelloh / NBC News:

Reputed federal informant, whistleblower found dead in L.A. after he's reported missing — A reputed federal informant and whistleblower who went missing after he was reported to have turned over a trove of secret files about Deutsche Bank was found dead at a Los Angeles school this week, a police official said Wednesday.

Discussion: KGTV-TV, Political Wire and Raw Story

Nathan Solis / Los Angeles Times:
A year after disappearing, federal informant in Trump probe found dead at L.A. high school

Discussion: The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, Insider and Washington Examiner

David Wildstein / New Jersey Globe:

Princeton University investigating Sam Wang for research misconduct, toxic workplace issues — Head of Princeton Gerrymandering Project faces probe over data manipulation, retaliating against staff — Princeton University has launched an internal investigation of Sam Wang …

Discussion: HotAir and New York Times

David Gardner / Washington Post:

How a former NBA player and activist became a far-right media darling — On the last Saturday in March, Royce White stepped into a Capitol Hill townhouse and descended the steps into a basement studio. He shook hands with his host and settled into his chair in front of a microphone.

Virginia Aabram / Washington Examiner:

DHS head Mayorkas spars with House GOP and blames Trump for border troubles — Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas sparred with Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee over the crisis at the southern border, while he and the Democratic lawmakers blamed the Trump administration for his department's troubles.

Discussion: The Hill, Fox News, Associated Press, Alen's Newsletter and CBS News

Anders Hagstrom / Fox News:
Rep. Issa accuses DHS chief Mayorkas of secretly ending Title 42 early

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Townhall and New York Post

Chris Cillizza / CNN:

Today is a disastrous day for Democrats' 2022 chances — The news that the US economy unexpectedly shrank over the first quarter of the year is an absolute body blow to Democrats already reeling amid growing economic concerns ahead of the 2022 midterm election.

Discussion: Politico, The Daily Caller and Uniic Media

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

Opinion Are Democrats ‘sleepwalking’ into long-term catastrophe? — The frenzied midterm second-guessing among Democrats appears to be intensifying. — The stories are everywhere: Democrats fear that they've failed to counter GOP cultural attacks. That they've fumbled the politics of immigration.

Discussion: The Hill, ABC News, The Federalist, New York Times and Wall Street Journal

James D. Walsh / New York Magazine:

'You Can't Pin Him Down' — Kara Swisher knows Elon Musk and says judging him by tweets alone is a mistake. — Elon Musk, the richest human on earth, purchased Twitter for $44 billion this week, promising to refine the product while loosening its guidelines in the name of “free speech.”

Discussion: New York Times, Bloomberg, Against the Grain, Insider, The Federalist, nationalinterest.org and Fortune

Marlow Stern / The Daily Beast:
This Holocaust Survivor Has a Message for Elon Musk

Discussion: Raw Story

Rachel Pannett / Washington Post:

Russia is using dolphins to protect Black Sea naval base, satellite photos suggest — Satellite photos show Russia has placed trained dolphins at the entrance to a key Black Sea port, in a move that may be designed to help protect a significant Kremlin naval base there, according to a naval analyst.

Discussion: The Hill and Washington Examiner

H I Sutton / USNI News:
Trained Russian Navy Dolphins are Protecting Black Sea Naval Base, Satellite Photos Show

Discussion: The Hill, The Guardian, Metro.co.uk, New York Post, Washington Examiner and The Daily Beast

Washington Post:

Ruby Cramer named Washington Post national political enterprise reporter — Announcement from National Editor Matea Gold, Deputy National Editor Philip Rucker and Deputy National Politics Editor Dan Eggen: — We are thrilled to announce that Ruby Cramer, whose penetrating …

Mike Allen / Axios:

Scoop: Former Manhattan prosecutor blasts Trump and Barr in new book — Geoffrey Berman, who was fired by President Trump as the top Manhattan federal prosecutor, will be out Sept. 13 with a memoir, “Holding the Line,” that charges Trump with trying to undermine the office's integrity.

Discussion: The Hill and Raw Story

Isaac Chotiner / New Yorker:

A Clash Over Housing Pits U.C. Berkeley Against Its Neighbors — Dense cities are better for the environment. Should residents have a say over what parts get dense? — Earlier this year, the California State Supreme Court issued a ruling that would have forced the University of California, Berkeley, to freeze its admissions.

Kevin D. Williamson / National Review:

Lou Dobbs: ‘Who Reads NR?’ — In response to my recent piece on howling moonbat Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lou Dobbs sneers: “Who reads NR?” — Well, Lou, since you raised the question, I'll answer it: You do. — We both know this. — We know this because we used to discuss it, often …

Discussion: American Greatness

Jennifer Maloney / Wall Street Journal:

Biden Administration to Advance Ban on Menthol Cigarettes — FDA expected to publish proposed rules on Thursday, though ban wouldn't take effect until at least 2024; ‘Day of reckoning’ — The Biden administration on Thursday is expected to take a significant step toward a national ban …

Discussion: The Hill and American Experiment

Kira Lerner / The States:

Florida gave voting rights to people with felony convictions. Now some face charges for voting. — Florida authorities arrested a Black man while he was staying in a homeless shelter and charged him with voting illegally in a case tied to Republicans' drive to root out election fraud.

George F. Will / Washington Post:

Opinion Amend the Constitution to bar senators from the presidency — To conserve the reverence it needs and deserves, the Constitution should be amended rarely and reluctantly. There is, however, an amendment that would instantly improve the legislative and executive branches.

Discussion: The Hill, National Review, Raw Story, HuffPost and Cafe Hayek

Paul Blest / VICE:

Look at All These Companies Bankrolling Republican Jan. 6 Apologists — Exclusive: A slew of Fortune 500 companies have donated millions to Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election results. — PB — It's not just Toyota. — A slew of Fortune 500 companies …

Discussion: The Hill and Raw Story

Zack Beauchamp / Vox:

Ron DeSantis is following a trail blazed by a Hungarian authoritarian — The Florida governor isn't doing “competent Trumpism.” He's inventing American Orbánism. — In June of last year, Hungary's far-right government passed a law cracking down on LGBTQ rights …

Discussion: Raw Story

Scientific American:

It's Time to Open the Black Box of Social Media — Social media companies need to give their data to independent researchers to better understand how to keep users safe — Social media platforms are where billions of people around the world go to connect with others, get information and make sense of the world.

Matthew Kassel / Jewish Insider:

Blake Masters' provocations reach back to his college days — In an essay published in an obscure libertarian publication and unearthed by JI, the Arizona Republican Senate hopeful quotes Goering and a noted conspiracy theorist who espouses antisemitic views

Vanity Fair:

Bernie Sanders Wants Democrats to Make Unions Their Biggest Message — The moment is finally meeting the man, as national unionization efforts grow. “To turn your back on the working class, in general, is political suicide,” the senator tells Vanity Fair.