memeorandum: Clarence Thomas' Latest Pay-to-Play Scandal Finally Connects All the Dots (Slate)

3:25 PM ET, September 23, 2023

Top Items:

The Wrecking-Ball Caucus: How the Far Right Brought Washington to Its Knees — Right-wing Republicans who represent a minority in their party and in Congress have succeeded in sowing mass dysfunction, spoiling for a shutdown, an impeachment and a House coup.

Discussion: Politico

Politico:

McCarthy stares into the shutdown abyss — The speaker has only one clear exit route away from a government closure: working with Democrats. It's a path he still refuses to take. — Speaker Kevin McCarthy has only one way out of next week's impending government shutdown: working with Democrats.

Discussion: The Hill, Raw Story, CNN, Political Wire, The Guardian and Semafor

Paul Kane / Washington Post:

Was McCarthy distracted from governing by impeachment inquiry? — House Republicans pledge a slow, methodical pace on the Biden impeachment inquiry, but some rank-and-file believe that their leaders have missed the target on priorities — Congressional bureau chief

Washington Post:

Misinformation research is buckling under GOP legal attacks — An escalating campaign, led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and other Republicans, has cast a pall over programs that study political disinformation and the quality of medical information online — Academics, universities …

Discussion: Raw Story and Political Wire, more at Mediagazer »

Slate:

Clarence Thomas' Latest Pay-to-Play Scandal Finally Connects All the Dots — ProPublica released a new report on Friday detailing Justice Clarence Thomas' close relationship with the Koch brothers with previously undisclosed and extraordinarily damning new details.

Discussion: Fox News, CNN, USA Today, Washington Post, Washington Times, Breitbart, NPR, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, The Mercury News, Wall Street Journal, Insider and New Republic, more at Mediagazer »

Carter Sherman / The Guardian:

US mother sentenced to two years in prison for giving daughter abortion pills — Jessica Burgess pleaded guilty in July to providing an abortion after 20 weeks and tampering with human remains — Jessica Burgess, a Nebraska mother accused of helping her teenage daughter use pills to end her pregnancy …

Discussion: The Norfolk Daily News, Raw Story, Eschaton, Newsbusters and The Messenger

Margery A. Beck / HuffPost:
Nebraska Mother Gets Prison For Giving Abortion Pills To Pregnant Daughter

Discussion: Washington Examiner, CNN, NBC News, New York Daily News and Political Wire

Robert Draper / New York Times:

Cassidy Hutchinson Reappears. She Has More Trump Stories to Tell. — “I would like not to be a hermit,” the former White House aide says upon the publication of a memoir about her journey down a political rabbit hole. — Cassidy Hutchinson dropped out of sight last year after she testified …

Discussion: Insider and Political Wire

CBS News:
Former White House staffer Cassidy Hutchinson says Trump is “dangerous for the country”

Discussion: The Hill

Matt Friedman / Politico:

‘This is horrifying’: Top New Jersey Democrats call on Bob Menendez to resign after his second indictment — Democrats figured there would be new developments in the Bob Menendez investigation, but the charges are far more serious than any of them anticipated.

Governor Phil Murphy / State of New Jersey:

Statement by Governor Murphy on Today's Indictment Against U.S. Senator Robert Menendez — “The allegations in the indictment against Senator Menendez and four other defendants are deeply disturbing. These are serious charges that implicate national security and the integrity of our criminal justice system.

CBS News:

Eye Opener: New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez indicted — New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez has been indicted on bribery charges. Meanwhile, Ukraine's latest missile attack on Russian-occupied Crimea has struck a blow against Russian power. All that and all that matters in today's Eye Opener.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, CNN, USA Today, Washington Examiner and Crooks and Liars

Zach Montellaro / Politico:

Burgum makes late break for GOP's second debate — No candidate's participation is official until confirmed by the RNC. — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is making a last-minute charge to the primary debate stage next week. — Burgum appears to have qualified for the second GOP debate …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Associated Press, CBS News, The Hill, Washington Times, ABC News and CNN

Nicholas Nehamas / New York Times:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Flirts With the Libertarian Party — Mr. Kennedy sat down with the party's chair in July, a previously undisclosed meeting, as Democrats fret about a third party bid. — For months, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he plans to continue his long-shot challenge …

Discussion: Washington Examiner and Political Wire

Landon Mion / Fox News:

Newsom vetoes bill that would require parents to affirm child's gender identity in custody battles — Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, who introduced the bill, said she is ‘extremely disappointed’ in Newsom's veto — California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, vetoed a bill late Friday night …

Jay P. Greene, Ph.D. / Heritage Foundation:

The Dangerous DEI Bloat at Virginia's Public Universities — Authors: — KEY TAKEAWAYS — Virginia leads the nation as the state with the largest diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) bureaucracies in its public universities. — DEI staff and departments urge students …

Discussion: The Daily Signal and Washington Examiner