memeorandum: Blinken: Afghan women are benefiting from the stability and peace of Taliban rule (Ed Morrissey/HotAir)

3:35 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 …

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

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.

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

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 …

Discussion: RedState

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

Discussion: Bloomberg 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: The Hill, Raw Story and Political Wire

Reid Wilson / The Hill: ‘Ask me nicely’: Trump demanded loyalty from governors for help, says book

Amanda Carpenter / The Bulwark:
Trump's Garbage Men

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

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: Breitbart, 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: Fox News, The Hill, Associated Press, Alen's Newsletter, Washington Times 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 Western Journal, The Daily Caller and Uniic Media

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

CNN:

Georgia Gov. Kemp signs bill into law that limits discussions about race in classrooms — (CNN)Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia on Thursday signed several education bills into law, including one banning the instruction of “divisive concepts” pertaining to race in classrooms.

Discussion: The Root

Greg Bluestein / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Kemp's education policy designed to rev up GOP voters

Discussion: Washington Post and WTOP News

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

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

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

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 …

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.

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

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

Alanna Vagianos / HuffPost:

Pregnancy From Rape Is ‘An Opportunity’ For Women, Says Republican Trying To Ban Abortion — Ohio state Rep. Jean Schmidt (R) defended her abortion ban recently, arguing that “just because you have emotional scars doesn't give you the right to take a life.”

Discussion: Mediaite and Daily Kos

Chicago Tribune:

The Price Kids Pay: Schools and police punish students with costly tickets for minor misbehavior — and Jodi S. Cohen — PROPUBLICA — Illustrations by Laila Milevski — PROPUBLICA — The courthouse lobby echoed like a crowded school cafeteria. Teenagers in sweatshirts …

Discussion: ProPublica

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.

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

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

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

Ed Morrissey / HotAir:

Blinken: Afghan women are benefiting from the stability and peace of Taliban rule — Jazz commented to me behind the scenes that this sounds like a story from the Onion. Unfortunately, Secretary of State Antony Blinken really made this argument yesterday in his Senate testimony.

Discussion: Fox News

Sportico:

Military Mulls Massive Recruiting Plan to Enlist College Athletes … Over the last seven months, the proposal, which would not include football and basketball players, has reached military and civilian leaders throughout the Department of Defense and key members of Congress.

Discussion: Rolling Stone