memeorandum: How Russian Trolls Helped Keep the Women's March Out of Lock Step (Ellen Barry/New York Times)

2:20 PM ET, September 18, 2022

Top Items:

Republicans in key battleground races refuse to say they will accept results — Of the 19 GOP candidates questioned by The Washington Post, a dozen declined to answer or refused to commit. Democrats overwhelmingly said they would respect the results. — A dozen Republican candidates …

Reid J. Epstein / New York Times:

Echoing Trump, These Republicans Won't Promise to Accept 2022 Results — Six Republican nominees for governor and the Senate in key midterm states, all backed by Donald Trump, would not commit to accepting the November outcome. Five others did not answer the question.

Discussion: The Guardian, USA Today and Washington Times

Heidi Przybyla / Politico:

‘The threat is real’: Dems press big donors to target state races — Increasingly worried that big donors are failing to recognize the scale of the threat to democratic norms, Democratic strategists and party officials are rallying behind an effort to persuade them to redirect their cash to key state and local elections.

Discussion: Associated Press

New York Times:

Majority of Latino Voters Out of G.O.P.'s Reach, New Poll Shows — A New York Times/Siena College poll found Democrats faring far worse than they have in the past with Hispanic voters. But overall, the party has maintained a hold on the Latino electorate. — Signs of Weakness for the Democratic Party Among Hispanic Voters

Ellen Barry / New York Times:

How Russian Trolls Helped Keep the Women's March Out of Lock Step — As American feminists came together in 2017 to protest Donald Trump, Russia's disinformation machine set about deepening the divides among them. — Linda Sarsour awoke on Jan. 23, 2017, logged onto the internet, and felt sick.

Discussion: Althouse, Raw Story and MarginalCall

Graeme Massie / The Independent:

Ted Cruz forced to admit trafficking migrants to Martha's Vineyard is illegal in Sean Hannity interview — Ron DeSantis widely criticised for flying two planeloads of Venezuelans to upscale Massachusetts island — Ted Cruz admits trafficking migrants to Martha's Vineyard is illegal in Sean Hannity interview

Discussion: BizPac Review, The Wrap and HuffPost

Washington Post: Martha's Vineyard flights leave migrant advocates scrambling

Valerie Crowder / NPR:
Flying migrants to Massachusetts was political, critics say. But was it legal?

Discussion: The Hill, Insider and The Colorado Sun

Jill Lawrence / USA Today:

If you care about your country and your rights, don't vote for any Republicans in 2022 — Do reality-based Republicans deserve to win? Maybe. But could America survive a GOP House unscathed? Also maybe, and that's not good enough. — Now that primary season is over there is a simple test for voters …

Mark Murray / NBC News:

Poll: Abortion, Trump boost midterm prospects for Democrats — NBC News Poll: Biden gets a pre-midterm bump, thanks to Trump — Democrats have pulled even with Republicans ahead of November's midterm elections, fueled by six-in-10 voters who disapprove of the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade …

Discussion: Bloomberg, The Hill, Fox News, PoliticusUSA, New York Post, The Daily Wire and Washington Times

Will Bunch / The Philadelphia Inquirer:

This QAnon-flavored soundtrack to Trump, GOP's fascist right turn should terrify you — If you are a political fanatic, you've surely heard the old saying that when fascism comes to America, it will come wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross. That's been proven true in this fraught year …

Discussion: Insider and The Halfway Cafe

Esther Wang / Hell Gate:

Saturday Morning With the Park Slope Panthers — If you try to organize a community watch group in Park Slope in 2022, things may get weird. — 3Comments — On a recent, balmy Saturday morning, Kristian Nammack was sitting on a patch of grass outside of Prospect Park's Picnic House …

Zachary Petrizzo / The Daily Beast:

Roger Stone's Fans Turn on Him Over Posting Portrait of Him and Pizza — PEPPERONI PICKLE — Veteran Republican operative Roger Stone had his fans turn against him after posting a portrait of himself with a pizza while wearing a matching pepperoni necktie.

Marshall Cohen / CNN:

‘Welcome to fascism’: Top Arizona Republican blasts Trump-backed candidates who might try to overturn future elections — The outgoing Republican speaker of the Arizona House says Trump-backed GOP candidates might send the country “back into the dark ages” if they win key midterm races …

Washington Post:

‘Look, these are our boys’: Ukrainian troops drive Russian tanks on new front line — KUPIANSK, Ukraine — The front line is now a river, the Oskil, that runs through the middle of the eastern Ukrainian town of Kupiansk. On one side are the charging Ukrainian forces who have pushed …

Discussion: CBS News, The Guardian and Telegraph

Marc Santora / New York Times:

Iranian attack drones have reached the battlefield, Ukraine's military says. … Ukraine reports more strikes in Kherson as gun battles break out in the city. — KYIV, Ukraine — The pressure on Russian forces in southern Ukraine deepened over the weekend as Ukrainian forces conducted strikes …

Discussion: Radio Free Europe/Radio …, The Moderate Voice, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Al Jazeera and 19FortyFive

Wall Street Journal:
Russia's Use of Iranian Kamikaze Drones Creates New Dangers for Ukrainian Troops

Discussion: Kyiv Post

Gian Volpicelli / Politico:

Calls for war-crimes tribunal grow over Russia's actions in Izyum — The foreign minister of the Czech Republic, current holder of the presidency of the Council of the EU, called for a “special international tribunal” after evidence of torture on civilians emerged from a mass burial site in Izyum in northeastern Ukraine.

Discussion: Reuters and Telegram

David Cohen / Politico:
Ukraine's ambassador describes ‘war crimes of massive proportions’

Discussion: The Hill, ABC News and eeas.europa.eu

Patrick Whittle / Associated Press:

Maine rematch could be a bellwether for control of Congress — Donald Trump isn't on the ballot in Maine's 2nd Congressional District this year, but his brand of politics is. In a race that will help decide control of the U.S. House of Representatives, Democratic Rep. Jared Golden will defend …