memeorandum: Former federal judge warns of danger to American democracy (Adrian Florido/NPR)

9:50 AM ET, June 19, 2022

Top Items:

Brian Chasnoff / San Antonio Express-News:

Source: Police never tried to open door to classrooms where Uvalde gunman had kids trapped — Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate — Surveillance footage shows that police never tried to open a door to two classrooms at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde in the 77 minutes between …

Discussion: BizPac Review, The Sun, Insider, New York Post, Raw Story, TheBlaze and New York Times

Teresa Velasco / kens5.com:

Uvalde police never tried to open doors to classrooms where shooter was inside, Express-News reports — A source told the San Antonio Express-News that police may have assumed the doors were locked, according to a new report. — SAN ANTONIO — According to a new report by the San Antonio Express-News …

New York Times:

Despite Growing Evidence, a Prosecution of Trump Would Face Challenges — As House hearings highlighted testimony that could create more pressure to pursue a criminal case, the former president tried out a defense that strained credulity. — As new questions swirled this past week …

Discussion: The Guardian, Plain Dealer, Raw Story and The Hill

New York Times:

Apple Workers at Maryland Store Vote to Unionize, a First in the U.S. — Roughly two-thirds of employees at the store in Towson, Md., voted to join the union. — Give this article- - - Read in app — Apple employees at a Baltimore-area store have voted to unionize …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Axios, Associated Press, TechCrunch, Fox Business, The Daily Wire, Wired, The Verge, Bloomberg and Al Jazeera, more at Techmeme »

Washington Post:
Apple store approves union, the first in the U.S.

Discussion: CNBC, Zander's Weekend Facts, Associated Press, The Hill and Raw Story

The Texas Tribune:

Texas Republican Convention calls Biden win illegitimate and rebukes Cornyn over gun talks — Some 5,100 delegates and alternates voted on a party platform that also calls for ending the federal income tax, requiring education about fetal gestation and limiting the Legislature's right to regulate guns.

Discussion: The Western Journal, Raw Story, Breitbart, Political Wire, BizPac Review, PoliticusUSA, The Gateway Pundit and NBC News

Caleb Howe / Mediaite:

UPDATES: Dan Crenshaw & Staff Assaulted by Right Wingers Shouting ‘Eyepatch McCain’ and Saying He Should be ‘Hung for Treason’ — Rep. Dan Crenshaw and his staff were violently confronted at the Republican Party of Texas convention a short time ago, when far-right social media activist Alex Stein …

Discussion: Insider, BizPac Review, The Gateway Pundit, New York Post, TMZ.com, Raw Story, RedState and Balloon Juice

Sarah Ellison / Washington Post:

Fox News paid $15 million to former host who filed pay disparity claim — Melissa Francis alleged her male colleagues made far more than women. She won an unusually large settlement, according to documents viewed by The Post. — Fox News agreed to a roughly $15 million settlement …

Karen Tumulty / Washington Post:

Texas AG Paxton's shameful Uvalde cop-out: ‘God always has a plan’ — When thoughts and prayers seem inadequate in the wake of a tragedy, you can always blame God. — That would seem to be how Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) sees it after a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde …

Glen Owen / Daily Mail:

WHO chief ‘believes Covid DID leak from Wuhan lab’ after a ‘catastrophic accident’ in 2019 despite publicly maintaining ‘all hypotheses remain on the table’ — Director-general Tedros Adhanom confided to a senior European official: source — The Mail on Sunday first revealed concerns about Wuhan's Institute of Virology

Discussion: Metro.co.uk and The Sun

Gideon Levy / Haaretz:

Between Jamal Khashoggi and Shireen Abu Akleh — Jamal Kashoggi and Shireen Abu Akleh were well-known journalists who were killed in the line of duty. There are many differences between the horrific, premeditated murder of the Saudi journalist and the killing of the Palestinian one …

Manu Raju / CNN:

Arizona House speaker, who resisted Trump pressure campaign, testifying at January 6 hearing Tuesday — (CNN)Rusty Bowers, a Republican and Arizona state House speaker, will testify at a Tuesday hearing focusing on former President Donald Trump's pressure on state officials to overturn Joe Biden's victory …

Discussion: PoliticusUSA, Raw Story and Mercury News

Nina Heller / Durango Herald:

Boebert seeks funding for Glenwood Springs bridge after voting against bill that would fund it — U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert is seeking funding from an infrastructure bill that she voted against in March. — Boebert wants $33.1 million for the South Bridge in Glenwood Springs, according to a newsletter from her office.

Jeremy Beaman / Washington Examiner:

Defense Production Act: How Biden is using emergency powers for green energy — President Joe Biden has leaned heavily on the Defense Production Act since taking office to increase supplies of everything from COVID-19 tests to baby formula and insulation. — He's also tapping …

Matt Dixon / Politico:

DeSantis draws huge cash haul from Trump donors — TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — As Ron DeSantis gears up for a likely 2024 White House bid — with or without Donald Trump in the race — the Florida governor is winning over some of the former president's biggest benefactors.

Politico:

Social conservative crowd cheers Herschel Walker after revelations of undiscussed kids — NASHVILLE — Herschel Walker received resounding applause from evangelical Christian activists on Saturday, following revelations he had fathered three children he had not previously discussed publicly.

Jill Colvin / Associated Press: Herschel Walker says he ‘never denied’ having 4 children

Clyde Haberman / New York Times:

Mark Shields, TV Pundit Known for His Sharp Wit, Dies at 85 — A former campaign strategist, he became a fixture in American political journalism and punditry and was seen on “PBS NewsHour” for 33 years. — Give this article- - - Read in app — Mark Shields, a piercing analyst …

Discussion: NBC News

Juliana Kim / NPR:
PBS NewsHour commentator Mark Shields dies at age 85

Discussion: Associated Press, CNN, Washington Post and New York Post

Nikki Schwab / Daily Mail:

After about 10 seconds on the ground, Biden was able to hoist himself up, telling the crowd that his ‘foot got caught’ — Moments before the crash: Biden rode with his wife and several Secret Service agents before taking the widely seen tumble — As for federal legislation Biden ‘happy’ with the progress.

Discussion: Instapundit, The Gateway Pundit and Twitchy