Top Items:
Pjotr Sauer / The Guardian:
‘They were furious’: the Russian soldiers refusing to fight in Ukraine — Troops are saying ‘no’ to officers, knowing that punishment is light while Russia is not technically at war — When the soldiers of an elite Russian army brigade were told in early April to prepare for a second deployment …
Discussion:
Foreign Policy, 19FortyFive and BBC
RELATED:
Michael Weiss / New Lines Magazine:
Is Putin Sick - Or Are We Meant to Think He Is? — Is Vladimir Putin sick or even dying? — The tabloid press, bolstered by a sudden efflorescence of Twitter diagnosticians, certainly seems to think so. Since his Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine got underway, the 69-year-old Russian president's …
Mike Brest / Washington Examiner:
UN Human Rights Council votes to investigate war crimes in Ukraine
UN Human Rights Council votes to investigate war crimes in Ukraine
Discussion:
Washington Post, NPR, The Times of Israel, Fox News and United Nations Geneva …
Ben Collins / NBC News:
Four House committee chairs ask Big Tech to archive evidence of war crimes in Ukraine
Four House committee chairs ask Big Tech to archive evidence of war crimes in Ukraine
Discussion:
CNBC, more at Techmeme »
New York Times:
Prosecutors Pursue Inquiry Into Trump's Handling of Classified Material — A federal grand jury has issued at least one subpoena, and investigators are seeking interviews in the case of sensitive documents that ended up at the former president's Florida home. — Give this article- - - Read in app
CNN:
Surging GOP candidate Kathy Barnette has long history of bigoted statements against gays and Muslims — (CNN)Surging Pennsylvania GOP Senate candidate Kathy Barnette has a history of anti-Muslim and anti-gay statements. In many tweets, Barnette also spread the false conspiracy theory that former President Barack Obama is a Muslim.
Discussion:
HuffPost, DV Journal, The Daily Caller, New York Magazine, Mediaite, WHTM-TV, New York Times, CBS News and Insider
RELATED:
Matt Gertz / Media Matters for America:
Right-wing media figures join the GOP panic about Kathy Barnette
Right-wing media figures join the GOP panic about Kathy Barnette
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, CNN, Politico, Media Matters for America, Mediaite, Fox News, Bloomberg and Twitchy
Washington Post:
Alito reluctant to discuss state of Supreme Court after Roe leak — In his first public address since the explosive leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion he wrote that would overturn Roe v. Wade, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. breezed through a detailed examination of statutory textualism …
Discussion:
Insider and New York Times
Washington Post:
As Roe v. Wade repeal looms, video game industry stays mostly silent — In the wake of a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion essentially confirmed that Roe v. Wade's days are numbered, most of the video game industry's biggest companies have remained conspicuously quiet — though not all.
Discussion:
TheBlaze, RedState, Twitchy, Townhall, The Daily Wire and National Review
RELATED:
Jason Schreier / Bloomberg:
Sony PlayStation Staff Fume Over CEO's Abortion Comments
Monmouth University Polling Institute:
Abortion, Economy Top Midterm Issues — Difficulty paying for groceries, other bills inches up — West Long Branch, NJ - The American public is divided as to which party they want in control of Congress, and the issue picture has shifted since the last midterm - with the economy …
Discussion:
Digby's Hullabaloo, RedState and The Hill
Rich Lowry / New York Times:
Why Ron DeSantis Is the New Republican Party — Two weeks ago, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida appeared with the Fox News host Laura Ingraham for a town hall that lasted the full hour of her prime-time show. That kind of airtime tends to be reserved only for Donald Trump, but Mr. DeSantis has had a meteoric rise.
The White House:
FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Additional Steps to Address Infant Formula Shortage — President Biden has directed his administration to work urgently to ensure that during the Abbott Nutrition voluntary recall, infant formula is safe and available for families across the country.
Discussion:
Des Moines Register, Insider, Virginia Mercury, Bloomberg, Iowa Capital Dispatch, Associated Press, Fox News, NBC News and Heartland Signal
RELATED:
Dylan Scott / Vox:
Why baby formula is in short supply — and who is most at risk
Why baby formula is in short supply — and who is most at risk
Discussion:
CNN, The Atlantic, What to Expect, Raw Story and Florida Politics
Lisa Respers France / CNN:
Naomi Judd died of self-inflicted firearm wound, Ashley Judd reveals — If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 to connect with a trained counselor or visit the NSPL site.
Discussion:
Deseret News, New York Times, The Hill, BizPac Review, The Wrap, Raw Story, New York Post, WTOP News and TheBlaze
Ed Pilkington / The Guardian:
US secretly issued subpoena to access Guardian reporter's phone records — Newspaper decries ‘egregious’ move by DoJ to obtain details of Stephanie Kirchgaessner as part of investigation into media leaks — The US justice department secretly issued a subpoena to gain access to details …
Discussion:
Raw Story and Politico, more at Mediagazer »
The Times of Israel:
Palestinians refuse joint Israeli probe into reporter's death; won't transfer bullet — PA official claims ‘all evidence and witnesses’ confirm Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in Jenin by IDF troops; Israeli official: Those with nothing to hide do not refuse to cooperate
James Hibberd / Hollywood Reporter:
Norm Macdonald Shot Secret Final Netflix Stand-Up Special Before Passing — In a comedy first, the late actor-comedian self-shot a final hour of new stand-up to be released in the event of his death: “The material's fantastic. ... I hope people appreciate that he did this.”
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, al.com, The Daily Wire, TVLine and The Daily Beast
New York Times:
Cryptocurrencies Melt Down in a ‘Perfect Storm’ of Fear and Panic — A steep sell-off that gained momentum this week starkly illustrated the risks of the experimental and unregulated digital currencies. — Give this article- - - Read in app — SAN FRANCISCO — The price of Bitcoin plunged to its lowest point since 2020.
Discussion:
Fortune
Taylor Telford / Washington Post:
Meatpackers hyped ‘baseless’ shortage to keep plants open despite covid risks: report — A House panel alleges that Tyson and other meat processors heavily influenced Trump's executive order that compelled plants to stay open. — The biggest players in the U.S. meat industry pressed …
Discussion:
CNN and Common Dreams
RELATED:
Nina Lakhani / The Guardian:
Trump officials and meat industry blocked life-saving Covid controls, investigation finds
Trump officials and meat industry blocked life-saving Covid controls, investigation finds
Discussion:
Bloomberg
Dareh Gregorian / NBC News:
Jan. 6 committee subpoenas five GOP House members, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy — The committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol took the unprecedented step Thursday of issuing subpoenas to five Republican congressmen, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Axios, NPR, CNN, Bloomberg, Letters from an American, The Guardian, CNBC, Talking Points Memo, Rolling Stone, Common Dreams, Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Raw Story, Fox News, Washington Post, New York Times, The Hill, Mother Jones, Townhall, Politico, The Daily Caller, Raw Story, CBS News, Heartland Signal, Mediaite, Law & Crime, One America News Network, Talking Points Memo, Forbes, NBC4 Washington, CBS News, Insider, WKBN-TV, POLITICUSUSA, Bloomberg, ABC News, National Review, Roll Call, Select Committee … and Daily Kos
AJ McDougall / The Daily Beast:
Missouri Looks to Ban Pharmacists From Disputing Efficacy of Ivermectin — BEATING A DEAD HORSE — When the Missouri state legislature on Wednesday passed a standard-issue licensure bill for physical therapists, few noticed a clandestine provision on its 32nd page banning pharmacists …
MSNBC:
Katie Porter goes after Trump, uncovering potential bribery scheme — For the first time in history, the House Natural Resources Committee made a criminal referral with the Justice Department. That's after a three-year investigation by Democrats revealing evidence of possible donations …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Conversations with Bill Kristol:
Michael Luttig: Lessons of January 6 & the Ongoing Threat — On advising Vice President Pence in January 2020, the vulnerabilities in our constitutional system, and what we must do to ensure election integrity.
Discussion:
Election Law Blog
Christie Zizo / WKMG:
Florida's secretary of state to resign ahead of upcoming elections — Laurel Lee has been secretary of state since 2019 — ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida's secretary of state is resigning, seven months before the November elections. — Laurel Lee submitted her resignation to Gov. Ron DeSantis Thursday …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Tampa Bay Times and Political Wire
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Netflix Updates Corporate Culture Memo, Adding Anti-Censorship Section and a Vow to ‘Spend Our Members’ Money Wisely' (EXCLUSIVE) … Netflix loves to tout its culture of avoiding rules and minimizing corporate red tape. But of course, the company does have operating guidelines …
Discussion:
The Daily Wire, more at Mediagazer »
Washington Post:
How Twitter lost the celebs — Elon Musk was right that Twitter's most popular accounts have gone quieter over the years. Hollywood insiders explain what happened — and why Musk's ownership might only make it worse. — In April 2009, Ashton Kutcher publicly challenged CNN to a race …
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Opinion An openly pro-coup Trumpist could become Pennsylvania's next governor — How should the media cover a candidate who is running for a position of control over our election machinery — and has also displayed an open eagerness to steal elections? — This question arises …
Associated Press:
Rand Paul blocks quick passage of $40 billion Ukraine aid package — WASHINGTON — Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul defied leaders of both parties Thursday and single-handedly delayed until next week Senate approval of an additional $40 billion to help Ukraine and its allies withstand Russia's three-month old invasion.
Discussion:
Insider, New York Times, The Hill, Wall Street Journal, HotAir, RedState, Reuters, Politico, WCDC-TV, Washington Examiner, Twitchy, The Gateway Pundit, Bloomberg, The Daily Caller, RedState, Roll Call, American Greatness, Washington Times, Common Dreams, Todd Starnes, POLITICUSUSA, SARAH PALIN and The Last Refuge
Washington Free Beacon:
House Dems Insert Poison Pill Into Bipartisan Bill To Protect Supreme Court Justices — House Democrats are undercutting bipartisan legislation to bolster security for Supreme Court justices as heated protests erupt outside their homes. — The Senate passed an emergency …
David Wasserman / Cook Political Report:
May Massacre? Primary Alarm Bells for Multiple House Incumbents — Across the spectrum, voters are restless. On the right, moderate GOP House incumbents are contending with an angry former president who wants to purify the party of people who have crossed him.
Discussion:
HuffPost
David Weigel / Washington Post:
The Trailer: ‘The Empire Strikes Back’: A wave of PAC money buries left-wing Democrats — In this edition: The PACs that want to suppress left-wing Democrats, three takeaways from this Tuesday's primaries, and a talk with a Democrat who thinks this is the year when her party can win Nebraska again.
Discussion:
Raleigh News & Observer
Quint Forgey / Politico:
Psaki: Threats to family were ‘most personally difficult’ part of press secretary job — Outgoing White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday described in personal terms her 16-month tenure as President Joe Biden's top spokesperson and the strains of the job, telling a group of reporters …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, RedState, Fox News and Townhall
Eric Cortellessa / TIME:
Why the Bipartisan Push to Prevent Another Jan. 6 Is Running Out of Time — For five months, a bipartisan group in Congress has been working to overhaul the Electoral Count Act, the 1887 law that Donald Trump and his allies tried to exploit on January 6, 2021, to overturn the presidential election.
Zeke Miller / Associated Press:
The AP Interview: US ‘vulnerable’ to COVID without new shots — WASHINGTON (AP) — White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha issued a dire warning Thursday that the U.S. will be increasingly vulnerable to the coronavirus this fall and winter if Congress doesn't swiftly approve new funding for more vaccines and treatments.
Discussion:
Political Wire