memeorandum: Air Force suspends 2 commanding officers linked to accused leaker Jack Teixeira (Jessica Schladebeck/Stars & Stripes)

10:40 AM ET, April 28, 2023

Top Items:

Alex Thompson / Axios:

Biden's age trap: Risks of running at 80 — Polls show that most voters of most ages wonder the same thing: Can President Biden really win the White House again at nearly 82 — and run it competently into age 86? … But there are so many unknowns to rolling into your mid-80s with more power than anyone on Earth.

Discussion: HotAir, Fox News, RedState, Washington Post, Political Wire, Insider, IJR and NBC News, more at Mediagazer »

Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:
Biden vs. Trump in 2024? Don't Be So Sure

Discussion: NBC News, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart, HuffPost, CBS News, The Daily Caller, Trending Politics Conservative and Bloomberg

Allan Smith / NBC News:
Top Republican convinced Trump can help take back the Senate: ‘He wants to win’

Discussion: USA Today, New York Times and Washington Examiner

Matthew Kassel / Jewish Insider:
Establishment Republican donors reckoning with Trump's staying power

Discussion: Semafor

Wall Street Journal:

DeSantis's Miscalculation: ‘Disney Is Playing the Long Game’ — The conflict between Florida's governor and Iger's entertainment giant has turned into a drawn-out legal battle. Some Republicans question the strategy. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested it would be a short fight …

Discussion: them., Forbes, Bloomberg and Fox 8 Cleveland WJW

Niall Stanage / The Hill:

The Memo: Republicans worry DeSantis has erred in Disney feud — Whispers are growing louder among Republicans that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has miscalculated in his battle with Disney — a struggle that has already gone on for more than a year and has no end in sight.

Discussion: RedState, Wired, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, NBC News, American Greatness, CNN and Fox News

CNN: The DeSantis-Trump Division — “Hold off on the [Ron] DeSantis thing.”

Steve Contorno / CNN:
DeSantis and Florida GOP look to upend public record laws as they attempt to shield his travel and other records ahead of likely White House bid

Discussion: Political Wire and NBC News

Alex Roarty / Miami Herald: DeSantis a Midwestener? Governor, allies tout ‘Rust Belt’ ties before possible 2024 run

Isaac Arnsdorf / Washington Post:

In N.H. stop, Trump embraces woman convicted in Jan. 6 case — The former president has steadily escalated his advocacy for people charged in the Capitol riot. — MANCHESTER, N.H. — Former president Donald Trump on Thursday praised and embraced a woman convicted of defying police orders on the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021.

Discussion: Joe.My.God., NBC4 Washington, Political Wire and Raw Story

Josh Dawsey / Washington Post:

A second firm hired by Trump campaign found no evidence of election fraud — The founder of the company has been interviewed by federal prosecutors investigating the former president's efforts to overturn the 2020 results — Former president Trump's campaign quietly commissioned a second firm …

Discussion: The Independent, PoliticusUSA, Raw Story and Joe.My.God.

CNN:
Former Vice President Pence testifies to federal grand jury investigating Donald Trump and January 6

Maggie Haberman / New York Times:
Pence Appears Before Grand Jury on Trump's Efforts to Retain Power

Discussion: Morning Shots, NBC News, Raw Story, National Review, Politico, Rolling Stone, ABC News, Law & Crime, The Daily Caller, Joe.My.God., KTVX-TV, Bloomberg, The Guardian, Forbes, Associated Press, CBS News and Wall Street Journal

Eugene Robinson / Washington Post:
Kamala Harris must keep walking a tightrope for Biden's reelection bid

Discussion: RedState, The Hill, Fox News, The Root, Just The News, Political Wire, The Daily Caller, Associated Press and Washington Examiner

Stephanie Kirchgaessner / The Guardian:

Revealed: Senate investigation into Brett Kavanaugh assault claims contained serious omissions — The 2018 investigation into the then supreme court nominee claimed there was ‘no evidence’ behind claims of sexual assault — A 2018 Senate investigation that found there was “no evidence” …

Discussion: Raw Story, Alternet.org and Forbes

Washington Post:

Florida's book-ban frenzy targets Nora Roberts, and she's not happy — Tiffany Justice, co-founder of the right-wing book-purging organization Moms for Liberty, offered a righteous-sounding answer when asked this past weekend on “CBS Sunday Morning” what sort of book she wants to see remain in schools.

Nate Jones / Washington Post:

Newly released White House photos capture the day bin Laden was killed — A cache of newly released government photographs reveals key moments inside the White House during the 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden's compound, including images of top officials shaking hands after learning that bin Laden …

Discussion: Political Wire

Axios:

Scoop: DeSantis dines with Miriam Adelson, other major GOP donors in Israel — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dined with Miriam Adelson — former President Trump's top financial backer in 2020 — and other major GOP donors in Jerusalem on Wednesday, according to two sources who attended the dinner.

Discussion: Semafor, The Forward, Haaretz, New York Times, USA Today, Fox News and Washington Post

Politico:
The one big advantage Ron De$antis has: Tons and tons of cash

Discussion: Washington Examiner

Washington Post:

Conservative dissenters block abortion limits in Nebraska, South Carolina — Strict new abortion restrictions failed to advance in two conservative-dominated legislatures on Thursday, signaling a mounting fear among some Republicans that abortion bans could lead to political backlash.

Discussion: The Hill, Digby's Hullabaloo, Fox News, Associated Press and LifeNews.com

New York Times:

Abortion Bans Fail in South Carolina and Nebraska — South Carolina and Nebraska, two conservative states that have been pushing to ban abortion, on Thursday both failed to pass new bills prohibiting the procedure, preserving wide access to abortion in those states and handing surprise victories to abortion rights advocates.

Discussion: CBS News, Associated Press, CNN, Axios, Fox News, National Review, The Daily Caller, Nebraska Examiner, Montana Free Press, Forbes and LifeNews.com

Ben Casselman / New York Times:

Wages Continue to Grow, Good for Workers but a Worry for the Fed — Compensation for workers rose 5.1 percent from a year earlier, good news for employees but a troubling sign for the Federal Reserve. — Wage growth remained strong in early 2023 — good news for workers trying to keep …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Associated Press and The Hill

CNN:

Accused Pentagon leaker's violent rhetoric raises fresh questions about top secret vetting process — New details about the 21-year-old Air National Guardsman accused of leaking a trove of classified documents online reveal how multiple red flags went unheeded and weren't enough to prevent …

Discussion: USA Today, CBS News, The Hill, SpyTalk, PBS NewsHour, Bloomberg, New Republic, Raw Story and NPR

Jamelle Bouie / New York Times:

The Polite Disdain of John Roberts Finds a Target — Although the three branches of the American government were designed to be coequal, the structure of the Constitution tells us something about the relative power of each branch, as envisioned by the framers. — Article I establishes the Legislature.

Discussion: The Guardian, The Nation and One America News Network

Brandon Gage / Alternet.org:
‘The stink of corruption’: AOC ignites a firestorm after criticizing the Supreme Court's lack of ethics

Discussion: ABC News, Accountable US and HuffPost

Victoria Balara / Fox News:

Fox News Poll: Voters favor gun limits over arming citizens to reduce gun violence — Half worry about being a victim of gun violence, including many in gun-owning households — After a series of mass shootings this spring, including the killing of several students at a private Christian school …

Discussion: The Hill and Political Wire

US Department of Justice:

Rensselaer County Officials Indicted for Civil Rights Conspiracy — For Immediate Release — U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of New York — Alleged to Have Conspired to Cast False and Illegal Ballots in Elections Held in 2021, in Violation of Rensselaer County Voters' Rights

Ian Millhiser / Vox:

A new Senate bill would curb Trump's worst judges — There is a solution to America's Matthew Kacsmaryk problem. — The United States has a Matthew Kacsmaryk problem. — A longtime activist for the Christian right, Kacsmaryk is the Trump-appointed judge who tried earlier this month to ban mifepristone …

Discussion: The Hill, Raw Story, Reuters and The Nation

New York Times:

Montana Governor's Nonbinary Son Calls on Him to Reject Transgender Bills — The governor's son, David Gianforte, told The Montana Free Press that he had asked his father to not sign “immoral” bills pertaining to the L.G.B.T.Q. community. — As debates over transgender issues embroil Montana's legislature …

Discussion: HuffPost, The Hill, Twitchy and The Guardian

Marina Pitofsky / USA Today:

Marjorie Taylor Greene faces criticism after saying a stepmother is ‘not a mother’ — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is facing criticism from her Democratic colleagues after telling a stepmother she's “not a mother”. — The conversation unfolded as Randi Weingarten …

Discussion: American Experiment, Yahoo News, Mediaite, Alternet.org, PinkNews, Daily Kos, Twitchy, Political Wire, The American Independent, Joe.My.God., ABC News, Raw Story and Rolling Stone

Polly Politico / Politico:

The Award for Thirstiest Member of Congress — Goes to ... Presenting the first-ever Thirsties, for those who excel in Washington's signature art form: trying to get on your TV screen tonight. — Hollywood has the Oscars. Broadway has the Tonys. Washington hasn't had its own awards — until now.

Sarah Knapton / Telegraph:

Raccoon dogs in Wuhan ‘did not spread Covid to humans’ — New in-depth genetic analysis suggests there is barely any Covid-19 intermixed with raccoon dog DNA — Raccoon dogs blamed for the Covid pandemic were not responsible, new analysis suggests, after samples at a Wuhan market were found to contain virtually no virus.

Discussion: Persuasion and Mercury News

Joyce Vance / Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance:

Five Questions with Brandi Buchman on the Proud Boys Trial — It has been another one of those weeks that explodes with a year's worth of news in it. Tonight we're going to focus on the Proud Boys trial, because it's incredibly important and it hasn't gotten nearly the attention it deserves …

Discussion: American Greatness and emptywheel

Jill Lawrence / The Bulwark:

Lindsey Graham Wants a National Abortion Ban. Here's What He Overlooks. — A new lawsuit reveals harrowing cases of women living under Texas laws banning abortion. — Senator Lindsey Graham has been pushing since 2015 for a national ban on abortion. “It's a human rights issue.

Discussion: VICE

Jonathan Guyer / Vox:

The thorny ethical issues of the Pentagon partnering with the private sector — How it's legal to work as a corporate consultant and a Pentagon adviser at the same time. — An array of new federal intelligence and military offices have been launched in recent years with one overriding goal …

The Intercept:

Crypto Cash Is Powering Kyrsten Sinema's Reelection Campaign … After leaving the Democratic Party last year, Kyrsten Sinema will run for reelection to the U.S. Senate as an independent in 2024, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal earlier this month.

Discussion: Reuters

Bloomberg:

New York City Subway Ends Twitter Service Alerts After Musk Raises Price — New York City's mass-transit system is ending its real-time service alerts on Twitter for subway, train and bus riders as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority curbs its relationship with the platform owned by Elon Musk.

Discussion: New York Times, The Verge, Gizmodo, UPI, New York Post and New York Daily News, more at Techmeme »

Charlie Savage / New York Times:

Amnesty International Sat on a Report Critical of Its Ukraine Concerns — The rights group commissioned an independent review of its August accusation that Ukrainian forces illegally put civilians in harm's way. — WASHINGTON — Amnesty International's board has sat for months …

Discussion: The Guardian and USNI News

Margalit Fox / New York Times:

Carolyn Bryant Donham Dies at 88; Her Words Doomed Emmett Till — She accused Emmett, 14, of accosting her, and her testimony led to the acquittals of her husband and his half brother in a murder that helped galvanize the civil rights movement. — Only two people knew exactly what happened during …

Discussion: Washington Post, UPI and Althouse

Jessica Schladebeck / Stars & Stripes:

Air Force suspends 2 commanding officers linked to accused leaker Jack Teixeira — (Tribune News Service) — The Air Force has suspended two commanding officers linked with Jack Teixeira, a member of the same military unit who is accused of posting a trove of classified government documents online.

Discussion: CNN, Associated Press, WBUR, Talking Points Memo, RedState, The Hill, Forbes, Fox News, New York Post, NBC News, Washington Examiner and Washington Post

Politico:

Brutal Dem primary could pit ex-lawmaker against gov's sister — Mondaire Jones is gearing up to run for his old House seat, a must-win for Democrats in 2024. And his allies are unhappy that he'll likely have to run against the sister of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Matthew Boyle / Breitbart:

Exclusive — Disarray Consumes Fox News as Murdochs Attempt to Reassert Control with Carlson, Bongino Ousters — Fox News is trying to sideline former Tucker Carlson Tonight host Tucker Carlson through the 2024 election, multiple sources familiar with the matter told Breitbart News.

Discussion: Raw Story and Alternet.org