memeorandum: Exclusive: Supreme Court leak investigation heats up as clerks are asked for phone records in unprecedented move (CNN)

3:00 PM ET, May 31, 2022

Top Items:

Devlin Barrett / Washington Post:

Sussmann, who worked for Clinton, acquitted of lying to FBI in 2016 — The verdict is a defeat for Special Counsel John Durham, appointed three years ago by then-Attorney General William Barr. — A federal jury found Michael Sussmann, a lawyer for Democrats including the Hillary Clinton …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, CBS News, Forbes, New York Post, Big League Politics, Bloomberg, POLITICUSUSA, Balloon Juice, The Gateway Pundit, America First Report, Mediaite and The American Conservative

Carrie Johnson / NPR:

Special Counsel Durham fails first courtroom test in his three-year probe — A jury in Washington DC has acquitted lawyer Michael Sussmann on a single charge of lying to the FBI, dealing a blow to the three-year investigation by special counsel John Durham.

Margot Cleveland / The Federalist:

Even Without The Jury Convicting Michael Sussmann, The Special Counsel Has Won — Measuring Special Counsel John Durham's performance by the outcome in United States v. Sussmann would be a mistake. — The jury in the Michael Sussmann criminal case resumes deliberations today after the long Memorial Day weekend.

Discussion: ABC News, Washington Free Beacon and National Review

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

What Durham proved — WHAT DURHAM PROVED. The trial of Michael Sussmann is before a jury in Washington, D.C. Sussmann is the Democratic lawyer who, according to special counsel John Durham, lied to the FBI in 2016 when, working on behalf of the Hillary Clinton campaign, he tried to plant a derogatory story about Donald Trump.

Discussion: Breitbart, Fox News, Washington Times, RedState, Raw Story, Townhall and The Gateway Pundit

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

Sussmann acquitted on charge brought by special counsel Durham — The first courtroom test for Special Counsel John Durham ended in defeat Tuesday as a federal jury found a Democratic attorney not guilty of making a false statement to the FBI related to allegations of computer links between Donald Trump and Russia.

Discussion: The Reactionary, Raw Story and Power Line

Fox News:

Michael Sussmann found not guilty of charges brought by Special Prosecutor John Durham — Sussmann had been accused of lying to the FBI — Gregg Jarret on Michael Sussmann trial: This is the worst jury for a prosecutor — WASHINGTON, D.C. - The jury on Tuesday found Michael Sussmann …

Discussion: Insider, RedState and Mediaite

Eric Tucker / Associated Press:

Clinton campaign lawyer acquitted of lying to the FBI — WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign was acquitted Tuesday of lying to the FBI when he pushed information meant to cast suspicions on Donald Trump and Russia in the run-up to the 2016 election.

Discussion: New York Post, Washington Examiner, Reuters, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, Bloomberg, CBS News, Rolling Stone, The Daily Wire, The Gateway Pundit, NewsNation, Mediaite and The Guardian

Josh Kovensky / Talking Points Memo:

Sussmann Acquitted In Quick Defeat For Durham Investigation — A federal jury fully acquitted Democratic party-linked attorney Michael Sussmann on Tuesday of charges brought by the Durham investigation in a stunning loss for the Bill Barr-era prosecution. — Jurors deliberated for six hours before returning the verdict.

Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Michael Sussmann Is Acquitted in Case Brought by Trump-Era Prosecutor

Discussion: HotAir and Daily Kos

Philip Bump / Washington Post: What if — and bear with me here — John Durham doesn't have the goods?

Steve Benen / MSNBC:
In a major setback for Durham, jury acquits former Clinton lawyer

Discussion: NBC News and Raw Story

Marshall Cohen / CNN:
Michael Sussmann found not guilty of lying to FBI in Durham investigation

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Raw Story

NBC News:

Inside a Biden White House adrift — Biden facing sinking approval ratings ahead of midterm elections — WASHINGTON — Faced with a worsening political predicament, President Joe Biden is pressing aides for a more compelling message and a sharper strategy while bristling at how they've tried …

Daniel Lippman / Politico:

Biden sees exodus of Black staffers and some frustration among those who remain — At least 21 Black staffers have left the White House since late last year or are planning to leave soon. Some of those who remain say it's no wonder why: They describe a work environment with little support …

Discussion: Breitbart, Townhall, The Daily Caller, HotAir, CNSNews, New York Post, RedState and Mediaite

Mattie Kahn / Harper's BAZAAR:

A First Lady Undeterred — A pandemic. A war. A country at its breaking point. Dr. Jill Biden has faced it all with the grace and conviction that has guided her all her life—showing up for her students, her friends and family, the American people, her husband, and herself. — STORY BY

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Washington Post, Insider, IJR, USA Today, CNN, The Hill, RedState, Mediaite, Townhall, Althouse and New York Post

Darlene Superville / Associated Press:
Jill Biden says she, president settle arguments by ‘fexting’

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Townhall, BizPac Review and Insider

CNN:

Exclusive: Supreme Court leak investigation heats up as clerks are asked for phone records in unprecedented move — (CNN)Supreme Court officials are escalating their search for the source of the leaked draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, taking steps to require law clerks …

New York Times:

We Clerked for Justices Scalia and Stevens. America Is Getting Heller Wrong. — Ms. Shaw is a professor of law at Cardozo Law School. Mr. Bash is an attorney in private practice in Austin, Texas. — In the summer of 2008, the Supreme Court decided District of Columbia v. Heller …

Discussion: National Review, Washington Monthly, Eschaton and Reason

Amber Phillips / Washington Post:
How the Second Amendment was reinterpreted to protect individual rights

Discussion: Twitchy

Chantal Da Silva / NBC News:

Memorial Day weekend marked by more than a dozen mass shootings in the U.S. — 12 killed, 15 wounded in Philadelphia weekend shootings — Amid calls for gun control after last week's massacre at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school, shots rang out across the country over the Memorial Day weekend …

Discussion: Al Jazeera, Reason, Letters From Luke, CNN, No More Mister Nice Blog, Mediaite, Raw Story, The Daily Wire, The Mahablog, Streams of Crunchiness and No News Letter

ABC News:
‘Full of victims’: Video appears to show Texas 911 dispatchers relaying information from children in classroom

Discussion: HotAir, New York Post, Alternet.org, KHOU-TV, Public Notice, Insider, Mediaite, The Daily Wire and New York Times

Axios:
Uvalde tragedy captures America's fleeting attention

Discussion: RedState, The Gateway Pundit and Daily Kos

CNN:

Georgia attorney general subpoenaed in Trump investigation — An Atlanta-area prosecutor investigating former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results has subpoenaed state Attorney General Chris Carr, according to a copy of the subpoena obtained by CNN.

Associated Press:
Some Democrats voting in GOP primaries to block Trump picks

Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Examiner, HotAir, New York Magazine, The Daily Caller, The National, Al Jazeera, Raw Story and American Greatness

Politico:
Former Trump aide Navarro says he has received a grand jury subpoena related to Jan. 6

Jim Geraghty / National Review:

What Might Actually Help Stop Mass Shootings — On the menu today: If the U.S. or various states want to change their gun laws because of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, logic dictates that they should focus on enacting a change that would have prevented the Uvalde shooter from obtaining his weapons.

Sophia Ankel / Insider:
Donald Trump Jr. says guns aren't to blame for the Uvalde massacre as the gunman could also have killed 19 kids with a bat

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, BizPac Review and Insider

David Ingram / NBC News:
NRA board re-elects CEO Wayne LaPierre, signaling no change in direction

Discussion: Human Events, New York Post and The Hill

Edward Luce / Financial Times:

Is America heading for civil war? — A clutch of books makes an alarmingly persuasive case that the warning lights are flashing redder than at any point since 1861 — In the summer of 2015, America caught a glimpse of how its future could unfold. The US military conducted a routine exercise …

Wall Street Journal:

Cracks Show in Western Front Against Russia's War in Ukraine — Allies are increasingly divided on further heavy-weapons shipments to Kyiv — Cracks are appearing in the Western front against Moscow, with America's European allies increasingly split over whether to keep shipping …

Discussion: HuffPost, The Guardian, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Associated Press, Washington Post, Next War Notes newsletter and Reuters

Tyler Cowen / Marginal REVOLUTION:
How did the IR community get Russia/Ukraine so wrong?

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and BBC

Brooke Baldwin / The Atlantic:

Don't Let the Cameras Turn Away — This week, for the first time in my career, I found out about a mass shooting in America just like most of you: not from a TV producer breaking into my earpiece on live TV, or a CNN internal email alert, or from someone shouting in the newsroom, but from a friend.

Discussion: The Hill and Mediaite

Gal Beckerman / The Atlantic:
Students Should Refuse to Go Back to School

Discussion: The Hill

Thomas Lecaque / The Bulwark:

Doug Mastriano, Christian Nationalism, and the Cult of the AR-15 — The Republican nominee for Pennsylvania governor has ties to a gun-worshiping sect. But the real scandal is just how common many of their beliefs have become on the right. — The horrific mass shootings at Buffalo …

Discussion: Alternet.org and Raw Story

Amanda Carpenter / The Bulwark:

Kevin McCarthy's Jan. 6th Coverup is Underway — The man who wants to be speaker of the House refuses to cooperate with the Jan. 6th investigation. — Conditioned to accept the idea that most Republican officials are zombified “ultra MAGA” automatons for former President Trump …

Discussion: Raw Story and The Hill

Laurie Fiorenza / West Cook News:

OPRF to implement race-based grading system in 2022-23 school year — Oak Park and River Forest High School administrators will require teachers next school year to adjust their classroom grading scales to account for the skin color or ethnicity of its students.

Discussion: Power Line, Louder With Crowder, RedState, Breitbart and Twitchy