memeorandum: FBI resisted opening probe into Trump's role in Jan. 6 for more than a year (Washington Post)

3:20 PM ET, June 19, 2023

Top Items:

FBI resisted opening probe into Trump's role in Jan. 6 for more than a year — In the DOJ's investigation of Jan. 6, key Justice officials also quashed an early plan for a task force focused on people in Trump's orbit — Hours after he was sworn in as attorney general …

Discussion: New Republic, Vanity Fair, Washington Press, PoliticusUSA, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo and Raw Story

emptywheel:

The WaPo Shows There Should Be More Scrutiny of Steve D'Antuono — The WaPo has a story that many Merrick Garland attackers claim confirms their fears about the DOJ investigation. Except the story has really important gaps, most importantly in its portrayal of the fake electors investigation …

Charlie Sykes / Morning Shots:

The Call is Coming from Inside the House — The new anti-Trumpers … — William Barr, Donald Trump's Attorney General — Happy Monday. — As I've warned you before, the new anti-Trump coalition will require a healthy gag reflex because it could include many of Trump's worst enablers.

Discussion: Notes from the Middleground, Raw Story, IJR and Politico

William P. Barr / The Free Press:

Bill Barr: The Truth About the Trump Indictment — This time the president is not a victim of a witch hunt. The situation is entirely of his own making. — He's the victim. Since President Trump was indicted in Florida last week, those of us who read and listen to conservative media have heard that singular message.

Discussion: The Messenger, ABC News, New York Post, Breitbart, Washington Examiner and RedState

Chris Cameron / New York Times:
Barr Says Documents Case Against Trump Is ‘Entirely of His Own Making’

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Newsbusters, Rolling Stone, 19FortyFive, MSNBC, HuffPost, Mediaite, CBS News, CNN, Occupy Democrats, Politico, The Hill, Political Wire and Breitbart

Politico:
The GOP field discovers there are only side acts in the Trump show

Discussion: 19FortyFive, Raw Story and New York Post

Joe DePaolo / Mediaite:
Bill Barr Ramps Up His Showdown With ‘Troubled Man’ Trump in Stunning CBS Interview: He's Like ‘A Defiant 9-Year-Old’

Discussion: Vanity Fair, National Review, BizPac Review, Washington Times, New Republic, Washington Examiner, Rolling Stone, Washington Post, Bloomberg, RedState, The Hill, WFLA-TV, The Daily Caller, CBS News, Insider, USA Today and Political Wire

Gareth Evans / BBC:

Titanic tourist submersible goes missing with search under way — A submersible used to take people to view the wreck of the Titanic has gone missing in the Atlantic Ocean. — The Boston Coastguard told BBC News that a search and rescue operation was under way off the coast of Newfoundland.

Tierney Sneed / CNN:

Judge issues order that Trump keep quiet about disclosure of discovery material issued in classified documents case — A magistrate judge has signed off on special counsel Jack Smith's request that former President Donald Trump and his co-defendant Walt Nauta be prohibited from disclosing information …

Discussion: NBC News, Insider, New York Post, Raw Story and The National Pulse+

Aaron Katersky / ABC News:

Judge orders Trump not to disclose evidence in classified documents case — Special counsel Jack Smith sought the protective order last week. — A federal judge on Monday approved a protective order sought by special counsel Jack Smith to keep former President Donald Trump …

Discussion: Fox News, Reuters, National Review, New Republic, The Gateway Pundit, Conservative Brief and RedState

Rebecca Beitsch / The Hill:
Judge orders Trump not to disclose evidence in documents case

Discussion: Washington Times, Al Jazeera, Mediaite and Law & Crime

Andrew McMillan / WSOC-TV:

Lawsuit alleges NC House Speaker had affair, sex with people seeking political favor — RALEIGH — A detailed lawsuit filed by a former Apex City Councilman claims that North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland County) started an affair with his wife and engaged in group sex with other people seeking political favor.

Discussion: Raw Story

Lucille Sherman / Axios:

NC House Speaker accused of sexual relationship with state employee — A new lawsuit accuses North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, one of the state's most powerful lawmakers, of having a sexual relationship with a state government employee. … - Scott Lassiter claims Moore used his position …

Matthew Lee / Associated Press:

Blinken and Xi pledge to stabilize the deteriorating ties between the US and China — The United States and China have pledged to stabilize their badly deteriorated ties during a critical visit to Beijing by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met Monday with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

David Rothkopf / The Daily Beast:
Blinken, Xi Take a Step Back From U.S.-China Cold War

Discussion: BBC, Reuters and CBS News

Washington Post:
Blinken holds ‘candid’ talks with China's Xi amid effort to ease tensions

Discussion: The Hill, New York Times and Politico

New York Times:

G.O.P. Targets Researchers Who Study Disinformation Ahead of 2024 Election — A legal campaign against universities and think tanks seeks to undermine the fight against false claims about elections, vaccines and other hot political topics. — On Capitol Hill and in the courts …

Discussion: Washington Press, Election Law Blog and Raw Story

Reid J. Epstein / New York Times:

Why Robert Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 Bid Is a Headache for Biden — The unexpected polling strength of an anti-vaccine activist with a celebrated Democratic lineage points to the president's weaknesses, which his team is aiming to shore up. — Reporting from Washington

Discussion: HotAir, Breitbart, Washington Times, Althouse, No More Mister Nice Blog, Florida Politics, The Daily Caller, New York Post, Daily Mail, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Conservative Brief, CNN and The Hill

Gideon Rachman / Financial Times:

Europe has fallen behind America and the gap is growing — From technology to energy to capital markets and universities, the EU cannot compete with the US — The Ukraine war has revived the transatlantic alliance. But the relationship between the US and its European allies is increasingly lopsided.

Discussion: Radio Free Europe/Radio …

Yaron Steinbuch / New York Post:

Jewish teacher resigns after antisemitic harassment from 12-year-old student — A Jewish middle school teacher in Massachusetts has resigned after facing antisemitic harassment by a 12-year-old student - who allegedly made Nazi jokes and sent him a drawing of Adolf Hitler.

Discussion: Raw Story

Tim Nudd / Ad Age:

Bud Light's struggles have been a ‘wake-up call,’ says AB InBev CMO at Cannes — Marcel Marcondes says the brewer's goal is to ‘celebrate and appreciate every consumer that loves our brands’ — Anheuser-Busch InBev's top global marketer on Monday addressed the backlash to Bud Light's use …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Louder With Crowder and OutKick

Shira Kadari-Ovadia / Haaretz:

'I'll Blow It Up': Far-right MKs Threaten Summer Camp for Israeli and Palestinian Orphans — At a Knesset Education Committee meeting, coalition MKs slam a youth village for renting its complex to host a summer camp for bereaved Israeli and Palestinian children, warning that ‘this government will respond’

Discussion: The Times of Israel

Glen OwenDaily Mail / PerthNow:

Chinese military scientist Zhou Yusen ‘thrown to his death’ at Wuhan lab for leaking COVID lab information — A Chinese military scientist who was reportedly thrown to his death from the roof of a Wuhan institute is at the centre of mounting evidence that the COVID pandemic resulted from a lab leak.

Discussion: Washington Post and National Review

NBC News:

Rocked by 2 mass shootings in 2 days, this small country chose a different path — After last month's violence, Serbia launched an amnesty period allowing citizens to give up unregistered weapons. — Serbians turn outrage into action after recent gun violence

Discussion: Fox News and National Review

Michael Sheldrick / The Hill:

Countdown to Paris: Will leaders rise to the urgent climate challenge? — This week all eyes will be on Paris, as French President Emmanuel Macron hosts his pivotal Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, an urgent gathering for the world's nations to shake up the global financial system …

Fox News:

New York DA Alvin Bragg sued after refusing to release Trump prosecution records — The conservative think tank filing the lawsuits suspects Bragg ‘coordinated’ with the DOJ, the White House and a Democratic lawmaker — FIRST ON FOX — Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is facing …

Discussion: Washington Examiner

Charlie Savage / New York Times:

How Classified Evidence Could Complicate the Trump Documents Case — Prosecutors and defense lawyers appear to be preparing for a pretrial fight over showing sensitive evidence to the jury and the public. — Reporting from Washington — Lawyers for former President Donald J. Trump …

Discussion: UPI, Rolling Stone, The Hill and Washington Post

Politico:

2024's hidden prize: The upper hand in tax ‘Armageddon’ — If either party can claim a full sweep of next year's elections, it would claim the power to unilaterally shape the code for millions of Americans. — If either party can claim both the White House and Congress in next fall's elections …