memeorandum: Russia's former President Dmitry Medvedev 'has promised Wagner $15million if it assassinates Italy's defence minister' (Will Stewart/Daily Mail)

6:00 AM ET, March 17, 2023

Top Items:

CNN:

EXCLUSIVE: Dozens of Mar-a-Lago staff, from servers to aides, are subpoenaed in classified documents probe — At least two dozen people - from Mar-a-Lago resort staff to members of Donald Trump's inner circle at the Florida estate - have been subpoenaed to testify to a federal grand jury that's investigating …

Discussion: Raw Story, Rolling Stone, Letters from an American, National Review, Washington Examiner, New York Post, The Daily, The Gateway Pundit, Insider, The Mahablog, Raw Story and Alternet.org

ABC News:

Investigators seek to question attorney about phone call with Trump in classified docs probe: Sources — Special counsel Jack Smith wants to force Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran to testify. — Special counsel Jack Smith is pushing to question an attorney for former President Donald Trump …

Discussion: PoliticusUSA, CBS News, Washington Press and Raw Story

Jason Leopold / Bloomberg:
Trump's Self-Proclaimed ‘Standing Order’ Remains a Mystery as US Stays Silent

Discussion: Raw Story and Fox News

Katherine J. Wu / The Atlantic:

The Strongest Evidence Yet That an Animal Started the Pandemic — A new analysis of genetic samples from China appears to link the pandemic's origin to raccoon dogs. — For three years now, the debate over the origins of the coronavirus pandemic has ping-ponged between two big ideas …

Discussion: Forbes and Twitchy

Benjamin Mueller / New York Times: New Data Links Pandemic's Origins to Raccoon Dogs at Wuhan Market

Jesse Pound / NBC News:

Wall Street rides to the rescue as 11 banks pledge $30 billion to First Republic Bank — A group of financial institutions has agreed to deposit $30 billion in First Republic Bank in what's meant to be a sign of confidence in the banking system, the banks announced Thursday afternoon.

Elizabeth Spiers / New York Times:
I Was an S.V.B. Client. I Blame the Venture Capitalists.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Reuters, Bloomberg, Noahpinion, Financial Times and Puck

Bloomberg:
SVB Collapse Turns Bankers' Island Retreat Into Lobbying Blitz

Discussion: CounterPunch, CBS News, BIG by Matt Stoller and New York Times

Sahil Kapur / NBC News:
Josh Hawley labels Silicon Valley Bank ‘too woke to fail’

Discussion: Vanity Fair, Raw Story, Common Dreams, USA Today and Newsbusters

Jonathan Nicholson / HuffPost:
Janet Yellen Leaves The Door Open On Reviving Depression-Era Bank Law

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Times, WKRG-TV and Wall Street Journal

Wall Street Journal:
First Republic Bank Executives Sold $12 Million in Stock in Months Before Crash

Discussion: New York Times, The Hill, Washington Examiner, The Daily Beast, The Gateway Pundit, The Guardian and Bloomberg

CNN:

Poland becomes first to pledge fighter jets to Ukraine — Poland on Thursday pledged it would send four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, the first NATO member to do so, in a significant move in Kyiv's battle to resist Russia's onslaught. — President Andrzej Duda said the planes …

Bloomberg:
US Says Video of Drone Encounter Shows Russia ‘Flat-Out Lying’

Discussion: Washington Post, Euractiv, BBC, New York Times, Reuters, The Guardian, WKRG-TV, KTLA, CNN, Financial Times, Semafor, Metro.co.uk, Al Jazeera, ABC News, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion and NPR

Washington Post:
Ukraine demoted commander who gave interview about ill-trained troops

Discussion: RedState

Reuters:
Wagner's convicts tell of horrors of Ukraine war and loyalty to their leader

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Insider, The Daily Beast and CNN

CNN:
Exclusive: Chinese-made drone, retrofitted and weaponized, downed in eastern Ukraine

Discussion: Axios, Wall Street Journal and Sputnik News

Reuters:
Explainer: Can China broker peace between Russia and Ukraine?

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, New York Magazine and nationalinterest.org

Politico:
‘Hunting rifles’ — really? China ships assault weapons and body armor to Russia

Discussion: Making Waves, The Hill, National Review, Fox News and Washington Examiner

Maggie Haberman / New York Times:

As a Possible Indictment Looms, Trump's Team Plans to Attack — If the former president faces criminal charges, his campaign plans to begin a broad offensive against Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney and a Democrat, accusing him of political bias.

Discussion: HuffPost, NBC News, Raw Story, Insider, YouGov and USA Today

Lisa Kashinsky / Politico:
Pence on whether Trump should bow out if indicted: It's up to him

Discussion: New York Post, WKRG-TV and CBS News

Michael Luciano / Mediaite:
Asked If Trump ‘Incited an Insurrection,’ Pence Says ‘There Were Many Causes’

Discussion: Washington Examiner and CounterPunch

Mary Kekatos / ABC News:

Utah governor signs bill banning abortion clinics across the state — The clinics have to close by the end of the year or when their license expires. — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has signed a bill into law banning abortion clinics in the state, making it the latest to restrict the procedure since the

Discussion: Abortion, Every Day, Salt Lake Tribune, Breitbart, The Hill, Rolling Stone, CBS News, Jezebel, Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press, The Daily Caller and UPI

New York Times:

N. Dakota Supreme Court Blocks Abortion Ban; Says Constitution Protects Procedure — The court's opinion is not the final word on the case, but it upheld a lower court's decision to suspend the state's abortion ban. — North Dakota's Supreme Court upheld a lower court's decision to block …

Discussion: UPI, Alternet.org, Raw Story, Associated Press, CBS News and New Republic

Simon Rosenberg / Hopium Chronicles:

The Republicans Have A DeSantis Problem — Been A Very Rough Couple of Weeks for the GOP's Bumbling Golden Boy — Perhaps the central insight of my 2022 election analysis was that I believed the Republicans had made a huge strategic blunder by running towards a politics - MAGA …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Resolute Square, The Daily Beast, Washington Press, Washington Post, New York Magazine, Alternet.org, Tangle, Sputnik News, Puck, New York Times and The Bulwark

David Brooks / New York Times:
Trump and DeSantis Could Both Lose

Discussion: Raw Story

Marisa Sarnoff / Law & Crime:

Federal appeals court blocks enforcement of Florida ‘Stop W.O.K.E. Act’ — Public university professors in Florida may continue to share their opinions about racism, sexism, and discrimination in the classroom — at least for now — after three federal judges upheld a ban on enforcement …

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Just The News

Andrew Atterbury / Politico:
DeSantis' anti-woke law remains blocked in Florida colleges

Discussion: Common Dreams, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Florida Politics, Washington Examiner, Rolling Stone and The Capitolist

Kyle Morris / Fox News:

House oversight chair Comer says ‘6 or 7 Biden family members’ potentially involved in business schemes … House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer is releasing information that he says reveals a Biden family associate used his business to transfer money from foreign businesses to various members of President Biden's family.

Discussion: New York Post, CNN, Breitbart, Newsbusters, New York Post, The Last Refuge, National Review, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Free Beacon, New York Times and BizPac Review

Bart Jansen / USA Today:
House GOP: Hunter Biden, others got $1.3M from business associate linked to China

Discussion: Daily Mail, United States House Committee …, Fox News, New York Post, NBC News, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, Washington Times, RedState, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, The Post Millennial, The Gateway Pundit, IJR and Washington Examiner

Will Stewart / Daily Mail:

Russia's former President Dmitry Medvedev 'has promised Wagner $15million if it assassinates Italy's defence minister' — Il Foglio paper said Italy's intelligence service intercepted Medvedev's order — Medvedev was president between 2008 and 2012 and a former prime minister

Discussion: Euractiv

Alanna Vagianos / HuffPost:

Florida Republican's Bill Would Ban Young Girls From Discussing Their Periods In School — Rep. Stan McClain's (R) admitted that his bill would limit girls from talking about their periods, although he clarified that was not the intent. — A Florida Republican seeking to restrict sex education …

Discussion: New Republic and Alternet.org

C Mandler / CBS News:

Whoopi Goldberg apologizes for using a slur on “The View”: “I should've thought about it a little longer” — Whoopi Goldberg has apologized for using a word considered an ethnic slur on Wednesday's episode of ABC's “The View.” — During a conversation on the broadcast discussing former …

Discussion: The Guardian, USA Today, Mediaite, The Root, BizPac Review, Twitchy, The Western Journal, The Hollywood Reporter, New York Post, The Wrap, IJR, Deadline and The Daily Caller

Anita Wadhwani / Tennessee Lookout:

A Black family fights to get their kids back from Tennessee Department of Children's Services — One month after the Tennessee Highway Patrol pulled the couple over, their five young children remain in state custody — A Black family from Georgia is fighting for the return …

Discussion: Reason

Margaret Hartmann / New York Magazine:

Ron DeSantis Eating Pudding With His Fingers Will End His 2024 Bid — Politicians are human beings who need to consume food and water in order to live, just like the rest of us. But they should really consider only taking in sustenance alone in a darkened room, just to be safe.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Raw Story, Slate, Fox News, PoliticusUSA, Metro.co.uk, Newsbusters, Twitchy, Louder With Crowder, RedState, Vanity Fair and Mediaite

Clara Hendrickson / Detroit Free Press:

Michigan Senate OKs proposals to expand gun safety measures in step forward for Democrats — Michigan Democrats moved one step closer Thursday to putting in place new gun safety measures after Senate lawmakers advanced a trio of proposals to expand background checks as well as establish gun …

Discussion: Bridge Michigan and MLive.com

Evan Osnos / New Yorker:

What Secrets Does the “Donald Trump of Beijing” Know? — The case against Guo Wengui could expose more about America's politics than China's. — The American adventure of Guo Wengui started eight years ago at a penthouse on Fifth Avenue, and it has ended there—for now, at least.

Discussion: Raw Story, New York Post, PoliticusUSA and Financial Times

Rolling Stone:

A Pro-Trump Social Network Wants to Corner the Anti-Vax ‘Jizz Market’ — Gettr, a struggling right-wing social media company, is looking to create a marketplace for men who won't take the Covid vaccines to sell their sperm … But it's not just any sperm.

Discussion: PoliticusUSA and Alternet.org