memeorandum: More women become truckers as the industry tries to overcome a shortage of drivers (Noah Sheidlower/CNBC)

8:55 PM ET, March 25, 2023

Top Items:

As Trump Rallies in Waco, His Followers Shore Up His 2024 Bid — Despite a pattern of dangerous, erratic behavior, the former president remains a strong front-runner for his party's nomination. His durability stems from his most loyal supporters. — WACO, Texas — In the last 28 months …

Discussion: Raw Story, USA Today, Insider, New York Post, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, CNN, NewsNation, BizPac Review, Alternet.org, The Daily Caller, The Last Refuge and CBS News

Tom Boggioni / Raw Story:

‘The emperor has no clothes’: N.Y. Post sticks a knife in Trump's re-election hopes — Reflecting on Donald Trump's last seven days which have been filled with rage and threats of coming “death and destruction,” the editorial board of the normally Trump-friendly New York Post stated …

Discussion: Insider, Washington Examiner and Vanity Fair

Lee Moran / HuffPost:

‘Unhinged’: Trump Ripped In Withering Editorial From Rupert Murdoch's New York Post — The previously pro-Trump tabloid offered some harsh truths for Trump supporters. — The New York Post, the previously pro-Donald Trump tabloid owned by conservative billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch …

Discussion: New York Post

New York Post:

Trump won't change, and that shows he can't win — This guy. — As some of his allies are trying to rewrite January 6 as an afternoon stroll, Donald Trump is having none of it. — In the face of a possible criminal case in New York, he screamed that “death and destruction” would follow any indictment.

Discussion: Digby's Hullabaloo, The Wrap, Alternet.org, PJ Media, Mediaite and Raw Story

Zachary Petrizzo / The Daily Beast:

Trump Lawyer Says Ron DeSantis Will Emerge a ‘Bloodied Pulp’ Against Trump — “I would not want to enter the octagon with Donald Trump. Nobody comes out of that and looks pretty,” Christina Bobb said at a MAGA rally in Waco, Texas, Saturday afternoon. — Donald Trump lawyer …

Discussion: Raw Story, New York Magazine, The Post Millennial, Alternet.org, Florida Politics, CNN, Washington Press and Resolute Square

Dean Obeidallah / MSNBC:
Trump's rhetoric is already dangerous. Taking it to Waco is an escalation.

Discussion: NBC News, RedState, USA Today, Associated Press, CNN, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Examiner and Los Angeles Times

The Texas Tribune:
Trump rallying in Waco on Saturday as anticipation mounts over potential indictment

Discussion: USA Today, Alternet.org, Associated Press, New York Daily News, PIX11, KAMR, The Hill, UPI and Raw Story

Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:
March 24, 2023 — A follow-up to last night's examination of the confusion among the Republicans …

Discussion: Political Wire

Mike Copeland / Waco Tribune-Herald:
Preparations for Trump rally in Waco a shared effort

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, ABC News and Outside the Beltway

Associated Press:

McConnell leaves rehab facility after therapy for concussion — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday he has been released from the rehabilitation facility where he had physical therapy for a concussion caused by a fall earlier this month. The 81-year-old Kentucky Republican …

Discussion: CNN, Fox News, Politico, The Hill, NBC News, Breitbart, USA Today, UPI, The Daily Caller and Washington Times

Laura Litvan / Bloomberg:

McConnell Finishes Treatment for Fall and Is Working From Home — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was discharged from a rehabilitation center on Saturday after treatment for injuries suffered in a fall and said he'll still work from home for “the next few days.”

Discussion: Washington Post and New York Times

ABC News:

McConnell released from inpatient therapy after concussion, fractured rib — McConnell said he looks forward to returning to the Senate “soon.” — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has completed inpatient physical therapy and will continue recovering at home for the next few days, according to a statement from his office.

Andrew Feinberg / The Independent:

GOP weighs protecting Trump with law shielding ex-presidents from prosecution — Manhattan District Attorney's probe could result Mr Trump facing criminal charges over hush money payments he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016 — Trump supporter sells ‘Biden Sucks’ flag at Waco rally

Discussion: Bloomberg, Washington Examiner, Breitbart, New York Post, BizPac Review, Mediaite, Vanity Fair, CNBC, Politico, Financial Times and Raw Story

Associated Press:

'There's nothing left': Deep South tornadoes kill 26 — Rescuers raced Saturday to search for survivors and help hundreds of people left homeless after a powerful tornado cut a devastating path through Mississippi, killing at least 25 people, injuring dozens, flattening entire blocks …

Troy Johnson / WAPT:
At least 23 killed, 4 missing after devastating tornado hits Mississippi

Discussion: New York Times, WREG-TV, CNN, NBC News, Associated Press, Vicksburg Daily News, al.com, National Review, The Daily Caller, Washington Post, NewsNation, New York Post and NPR

NBC News:
Live updates: Mississippi and Alabama tornadoes kill at least 24 people

Discussion: al.com, MEMA, UPI, RedState, Associated Press, The White House, Al Jazeera, Washington Times, Fox News, Deadline and Not the Bee

Rosalind Mathieson / Bloomberg:

Putin Says Russia Will Station Tactical Nuclear Arms in Belarus — President Vladimir Putin said Russia is preparing to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, escalating a confrontation with the US and its allies over the war in Ukraine. — Moscow isn't handing control …

James Kynge / Financial Times:
China is tightening its embrace with Russia as it builds bulwarks against the west

Discussion: Big League Politics

Douglas London / Wall Street Journal:
Putin Wouldn't Win a War of Attrition in Ukraine

Discussion: Jacobin, TASS, Politico, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, nationalinterest.org, Radio Free Europe/Radio … and Atlantic Council

Nancy Cook / Bloomberg:

DeSantis's Bad Week Shows Beating Trump Will Be a Difficult Task — Ron DeSantis isn't officially running for president yet, but he just suffered through the kind of week a candidate for the highest office in the US would love to forget. — The Florida governor has been seen …

Discussion: New York Post, Fox News, The Guardian, NBC News, New York Times and Forbes

Steven Shepard / Politico:
Trump doesn't drink. But he has a beer track advantage over Ron DeSantis.

Discussion: Breitbart, Althouse, Florida Politics, Raw Story, Washington Post, Insider, Human Events, BorderReport and Washington Examiner

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:
Brian Kemp, Georgia's Affable Culture Warrior

Discussion: Insider and Political Wire

ProPublica:

How Cigna Saves Millions by Having Its Doctors Reject Claims Without Reading Them — Co-published with The Capitol Forum — How the Insurance Industry Denies Coverage to Patients — When a stubborn pain in Nick van Terheyden's bones would not subside, his doctor had a hunch what was wrong.

Haaretz:

Netanyahu's Defense Minister Publicly Calls on Him to Halt Judicial Overhaul Legislation — Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, a senior member of Netanyahu's Likud party, called on Saturday to freeze Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan.

Discussion: The Times of Israel

Patrick Kingsley / New York Times:
Israel's Defense Minister Says Government Should Halt Contentious Judicial Plan

Discussion: Reuters, Associated Press, Digby's Hullabaloo, The Times of Israel, Financial Times, Bloomberg and Axios

Selena Simmons-Duffin / NPR:

‘Live free and die’? The sad state of U.S. life expectancy — Loading... Just before Christmas, federal health officials confirmed life expectancy in America had dropped for a nearly unprecedented second year in a row - down to 76 years. While countries all over the world saw life …

Jon Levine / New York Post:

DA Alvin Bragg's staffer hangs up on ‘bulls-t’ congressional phone call — Rude reps for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told a House Judiciary staffer to “stop calling us with this bulls-t” after he made multiple attempts to get in touch by phone. — The Judiciary Committee staffer …

Discussion: RedState, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, Washington Press, Raw Story, BizPac Review and MSNBC

Joyce Vance / Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance:

Why Waco? — Why is Donald Trump holding the first rally of his 2024 campaign in Waco, Texas, on Saturday? — There's a little history there that you may recall. — The Branch Davidians were led by David Koresh and were headquartered at Mount Carmel Center ranch in the community of Axtell, Texas, northeast of Waco.