memeorandum: As Ukraine's LGBTQ soldiers fight on the front line, acceptance grows in the conservative country (NBC News)

9:30 AM ET, April 16, 2023

Top Items:

Madison Darbyshire / Financial Times:

Top Republican donor sours on Florida governor's stance on social issues — Thomas Peterffy highlights actions of Ron DeSantis on abortion and book banning and warns against courting far-right — Top Republican donor Thomas Peterffy is halting plans to help finance the US presidential bid …

Discussion: Bloomberg, Mediaite and Political Wire

Natalie Allison / Politico:

Trump turns from past to future at RNC donor retreat — The former president traded his election grievance rhetoric for a forward-looking vision for party and country, according to a copy of his Nashville remarks obtained by POLITICO. — NASHVILLE — Donald Trump stood …

Discussion: Wide World of News, New York Times, Political Wire, Washington Post and The Hill

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Why Liberals Should Hope DeSantis Beats Trump … I am not, to say the least, a fan of Ron DeSantis. I was one of the first writers to notice his emerging authoritarian ambitions and unnerving success in discovering illiberal uses of state power to intimidate his enemies.

Discussion: Raw Story

Sara Fischer / Axios:

NYT editor says paper won't “lead the boycott of Twitter” — The New York Times does not plan to stop using Twitter, its top editor said Saturday, despite the fact that Elon Musk, the company's owner, has taken seemingly targeted actions against the Times, and has called the outlet's work “propaganda.”

more at Mediagazer »

Washington Post:
A year ago, Musk asked, ‘Is Twitter dying?’ He may have his answer.

Discussion: Mercury News, more at Techmeme »

Marshall Cohen / CNN:

Fox News apologizes to judge for ‘misunderstanding’ over Rupert Murdoch's role that sparked investigation — New York CNN — Fox News formally apologized to the judge in the Dominion defamation case, taking responsibility for the “misunderstanding” regarding Rupert Murdoch's role …

Discussion: Raw Story and Political Wire

Washington Post:

Clarence Thomas has for years claimed income from a defunct real estate firm — The misstatements, which began when a family business transferred its holdings to another company, are part of a pattern that has raised questions about how the Supreme Court justice views his obligation …

Hurubie Meko / New York Times:

Thousands of NYC Shoplifting Cases Committed by Just 327 People — Nearly a third of all shoplifting arrests in the city last year involved just 327 people, the police said. Businesses say they have little defense. — New York City's storefront businesses, already weathering inflation …

Discussion: Marginal REVOLUTION

Aria Jones / Dallas Morning News:

Complaint alleges North Texas lawmaker had sex with a Capitol intern, report says — The Texas Tribune reported that state Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, is accused of having “sexual relations” with an intern. — A Texas Capitol staffer has alleged that state Rep. Bryan Slaton had …

Discussion: Political Wire and Off the Kuff

Renzo Downey / The Texas Tribune:
Staffer alleged in complaint that state Rep. Bryan Slaton had sex with Capitol intern

Discussion: Off the Kuff, UPI and Raw Story

Victoria Bisset / Washington Post:

What to know about Arcturus, a new coronavirus subvariant the WHO is tracking — A new coronavirus subvariant, XBB. 1.16, has been designated as a “variant under monitoring” by the World Health Organization. The latest omicron offshoot is particularly prevalent in India …

Marc Fisher / Washington Post:

A new kind of leaker: Spilling state secrets to impress online buddies — A decade after Edward Snowden leaked classified documents to change U.S. policy, the Discord leaks show how top-secret military intelligence can spread in internet backyards where users think ‘secrets are for losers’ and just want to make friends

Discussion: New York Times, more at Techmeme »

Luis Martinez / ABC News:
Why document leak suspect Jack Teixeira had a high-level top secret security clearance

Discussion: Boston Herald, NewsNation and Washington Post

Washington Post:
Allies troubled by document leak, but need U.S. spying capabilities

Discussion: The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Foreign Policy and CNN

Lauren Gambino / The Guardian:

‘They created this’: are Republicans willing to lose elections to retain their abortion stance? — The right has, for decades, relied on abortion to rally their conservative base, but now their unified policy is flagging — emocrats have taken multiple actions in response to what they say is a …

Discussion: Washington Examiner

Jared Gans / The Hill:
Baldwin says Texas judge was part of ‘extreme Republican’ effort to ban abortion

Discussion: Las Vegas Review-Journal

David Smith / The Guardian: Popularity is optional as Republicans find ways to impose minority rule

New York Times:

How a Campaign Against Transgender Rights Mobilized Conservatives — Defeated on same-sex marriage, the religious right went searching for an issue that would re-energize supporters and donors. The campaign that followed has stunned political leaders across the spectrum.

Washington Post:

The controversial article Matthew Kacsmaryk did not disclose to the Senate — The judge who delivered a high-stakes abortion pills ruling last week removed his name from a law review article during his judicial nomination process, emails show — As a lawyer for a conservative legal group …

Discussion: Joe.My.God., Forbes, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Mother Jones

Tom Boggioni / Raw Story: Trump judge behind abortion pill ban accused of hiding information from Senate investigators

Washington Post:

Nikki Haley's campaign vastly overstated her fundraising — Instead of the $11 million touted by her campaign, Haley brought in about $8.3 million, not all of which can be used for her presidential bid — Earlier this month, Nikki Haley's presidential campaign touted an impressive number …

Discussion: Politico, NBC News, Political Wire, Bloomberg and New York Times

Sean Illing / Vox:

Katie Porter thinks Democrats have a confidence problem — The populist Congress member from California talked with The Gray Area about some solutions to it. — I have a longstanding unofficial policy on my podcast The Gray Area: Don't interview politicians.

Washington Post:

A top Trump lawyer has recused himself from Mar-a-Lago documents case — Evan Corcoran is still representing Trump in other cases, including the probe into the former president's role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol — One of former president Donald Trump's top lawyers …

Discussion: CNN, Bloomberg, Alternet.org, Washington Examiner, Raw Story and The Hill

Zachary Petrizzo / The Daily Beast:

GOP Quietly Backs Off Attacking Bud Light—Its Own Major Donor — The NRCC put out and then swiftly deleted a direct attack on the beer company that donated nearly $500,000 to its candidates in the most recent campaign cycle. … The National Republican Congressional Committee quietly deleted …

Discussion: RedState, Alternet.org, Raw Story, Joe.My.God., Just The News and The Daily Caller

Elizabeth White / WRBL-TV:

More than 20 shot at Dadeville gathering, investigators on scene — DADEVILLE, Ala. (WRBL) - A celebration turned violent in downtown Dadeville Saturday night as a shooting left more than 20 people injured according to law enforcement on the scene. — According to witnesses …

Discussion: New York Post, al.com, Just The News and Fox News

Meryl Kornfield / Washington Post:

Some Democrats worry crackdown on TikTok could hurt party — As the White House toughens its stand toward the wildly popular app, party strategists urge caution — More than three dozen members of Congress have TikTok accounts, almost all of them Democrats.

Discussion: Political Wire and Iowa Capital Dispatch

Brad Reed / Raw Story:

‘Disgusting’ new robocall smears Tennessee Three as violent ‘Antifa’ radicals — A new robocall is falsely accusing the three Tennessee Democrats targeted by Republicans for expulsion from the state legislature of being violent “Antifa” radicals. — Audio of the call, which was obtained …

Discussion: USA Today

Dan Morse / Washington Post:

Md. judge quietly negotiated job with prosecutors while hearing cases — Defense lawyers challenge rulings by former Montgomery County Circuit Judge David Boynton — At least four cases handled by a Maryland judge are being challenged after he presided over a series of hearings …