memeorandum: Navy will begin randomly testing SEALs and special warfare troops for steroids (CBS News)

2:45 PM ET, September 29, 2023

Top Items:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a trailblazer in U.S. politics and the longest-serving woman in the Senate, dies at age 90 — Feinstein, elected in 1992, was a vocal gun control advocate who often sought common ground with Republicans, sometimes frustrating her more liberal colleagues.

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Post, RedState, Fox News, FOX40, HotAir, Associated Press, KWES, Hackwhackers, The Forward, PennLive, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Semafor, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, CBS News, New York Daily News, WHTM-TV and Mercury News

New York Times:

Feinstein's Death Intensifies Fight for a Coveted California Senate Seat — Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged to pick a Black woman to fill the seat, but has also said he would not choose any of the current Democrats running for Senate. — The death of Senator Dianne Feinstein …

Charlie Sykes / Morning Shots:

Comer's Fiasco — “Republicans are the party that says that government doesn't work, and then they get elected and prove it.” — P.J. O'Rourke — As we roll into the weekend: — Dysfunction squared: Hardliners plot to replace McCarthy as government shutdown looms - The Washington Post

Discussion: Media Matters for America, The Federalist, Atlanta Black Star, Raw Story, BizPac Review, Adventus, The Guardian, The Daily Beast, The Bulwark and PoliticusUSA

Philip Bump / Washington Post:

On Fox News, GOP impeachment leaders spread false claims with impunity — The Republican push to impeach President Biden formally began on Thursday with a hearing held by the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill. By most objective accounts, it was not a huge success for the GOP …

Discussion: Media Matters for America, PJ Media, Raw Story, CNN, The Daily Caller and New York Magazine

Emily Langer / Washington Post:

Dianne Feinstein, centrist stalwart of the Senate, dies at 90 — A trailblazer for women in politics, she led the Intelligence Committee and helped mold the federal bench. Amid health setbacks, she faced calls to resign. — It was the morning of Nov. 27, 1978, and Dianne Feinstein …

Discussion: San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian, Bloomberg, The Hill, Slate, Forbes, The Cut, Politico, Insider, Talking Points Memo, The 19th, CBS News, The Forward, Why Evolution Is True, emptywheel and Pharyngula

Kevin Breuninger / CNBC:

Dianne Feinstein, California's longest-serving senator, dies at 90 — Dianne Feinstein, the oldest member of the U.S. Senate and the longest-serving senator from California, has died at age 90. — Feinstein's death leaves vacant her powerful Senate seat, requiring Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint a temporary successor.

Discussion: Associated Press, Washington Post, CBS News, Washington Examiner, Fox News, New York Times, ABC News, Politico, RedState, NewsNation, CNN, NBC 7 San Diego, Roll Call, Variety, ZeroHedge News, Los Angeles Times, Raw Story and Mercury News

Politico:

Feinstein's death throws Senate judicial confirmations into new limbo — Filling the open seat on the Judiciary Committee requires at least 60 votes in the Senate, meaning it would require GOP support.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Daily Caller, Raw Story and Wisconsin Examiner

Megan Lebowitz / NBC News:
Biden honors outgoing Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley

Discussion: Fox News, The Hill, Washington Examiner, Washington Times, Raw Story, MSNBC, New York Times, The Bulwark and Rolling Stone

Annie Karni / New York Times:
Senator Dianne Feinstein Dies at 90

Brian Karem / Salon:
Donald Trump's thrill ride is nearly over — but the media refuses to let go

Discussion: Washington Post, Axios, Reuters and Raw Story

The White House:
Statement from President Joe Biden on the Passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein

Discussion: Rolling Stone, Washington Times, Washington Examiner, ABC News, CNN, The Messenger, BizPac Review, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Clinton Foundation, Breitbart, Sacramento Bee and Semafor

KGO / ABC7:
Senator Dianne Feinstein, an ‘icon for women in politics,’ dies at 90

Robert D. McFadden / New York Times:
Dianne Feinstein, 90, Dies; Oldest Sitting Senator and Fixture of California Politics

Discussion: CBS News, The Messenger, Grist, Los Angeles Times, HuffPost, Orange County Register, The Information, New York Magazine and TMZ.com

Politico:

Playbook: Inside the grudge that paralyzed the House — Presented by With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross — DRIVING THE DAY — THE FRIDAY READ — “Nikki Haley Doesn't Want to Choose a Side,” by Michael Kruse: “The conventional wisdom is that this is a time for choosing, for all Republicans, and for her, too.

Discussion: Raw Story and Florida Politics

Christina Wilkie / CNBC:
Republican spending plan fails House vote, fueling federal government shutdown fears

Jonathan Swan / New York Times:
Republican Group Running Anti-Trump Ads Finds Little Is Working

Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Examiner, Semafor, NBC News, Washington Times, BizPac Review, Adventus and Raw Story

Public Notice:

How Trump's fraudulent business practices finally came back to bite him — The New York ruling that's big trouble for the Trump Organization, unpacked. … While we all wait for Trump's criminal trials to start, let us enjoy the absolute hammering Trump and his sons just received …

Discussion: NPR

Washington Post:

Court ruling puts Trump's New York empire at stake — Judge's sweeping order days before trial could force Trump to offload properties at the core of his wealth and family. — A New York judge's sweeping ruling on Tuesday punishing Donald Trump for years of alleged business fraud could force …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, TIMCAST, Associated Press, New York Times, CBS News, Politico, Political Wire and Fox News

Associated Press:

Man tied to suspected shooter in Tupac Shakur's 1996 killing arrested in Las Vegas, AP sources say — One of the last living witnesses to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur has been arrested in the Las Vegas-area, a long-awaited breakthrough in a case that has frustrated investigators …

Washington Post:

Supreme Court to decide landmark Texas, Fla. social media cases and more — The Supreme Court on Friday said it would wade into the future of free speech online and decide whether laws passed in Texas and Florida can restrict social media companies from removing certain political posts or accounts.

Discussion: CNN, Financial Times, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, The Texas Tribune, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, SCOTUSblog and FOX8 WGHP, more at Mediagazer »

The Hill:
Supreme Court to hear cases on Florida, Texas social media laws

Discussion: Politico, New York Times, Slate, Orlando Sentinel, Roll Call, CBS News, Washington Examiner, NBC News, Washington Times, Bloomberg and The Nation

Ian Mohr / Page Six:

Melania Trump ‘quietly’ renegotiated prenup with Donald ahead of potential second presidential term, legal woes: sources — Sources tell Page Six that Melania Trump has “quietly” renegotiated her prenuptial agreement with Donald Trump in advance of his potentially serving a second term in the White House.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, Jezebel, Mercury News, BizPac Review, Insider, Althouse and Political Wire

NBC News:

A federal government shutdown could upend Virginia's elections — The Legislature is up for grabs and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is aiming to capture a trifecta. Early voting is underway in an election that is being watched for clues to 2024. — WASHINGTON — When Republicans forced …

Discussion: Washington Examiner

Jeff Stein / Washington Post:
Amid GOP confusion, U.S. braces for ‘first-ever shutdown about nothing’

Discussion: NBC News, Mountain State Spotlight, WWLP-TV, Raw Story and New Jersey Online

Reuters:

Trump's campaign machine is bleeding cash for legal expenses — Donald Trump's political operation has helped pay the legal expenses of more than a dozen people contacted by prosecutors investigating the former president, tying up millions of dollars that otherwise could be used for his 2024 White House bid.

Discussion: Raw Story

NBC News:

Republicans brace for Nikki Haley-Ron DeSantis showdown after debates — Haley and DeSantis' teams will go head-to-head for support at an upcoming donor conference, following their clash at Wednesday's debate and Haley's rising polling. — For months, Nikki Haley campaigned in relative obscurity.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, New York Times, The Hill, The Messenger, Breitbart, Fox News, Axios and Wall Street Journal

Washington Post:

Hard-liners plot to replace McCarthy with a deputy as shutdown looms — A contingent of far-right House Republicans are plotting an attempt to remove Kevin McCarthy as House speaker as early as next week, a move that would throw the chamber into further disarray in the middle …

Discussion: Punchbowl News, Semafor, The Messenger, FIRST DRAFT, Orlando Sentinel, The Daily Caller, Politico, NPR, Bloomberg, Sputnik News, HuffPost, The Hill and CNN

Annie Karni / New York Times:
With a Shutdown in View, McCarthy Plays a Weak Hand

Discussion: Associated Press and Politico

Menachem Kaiser / New York Times:

The Market for Nazi Memorabilia Is Huge, Lucrative and Very Disturbing — At the Ohio Valley Military Society's annual Show of Shows, there is plenty for sale that isn't Nazi memorabilia. All sorts of mementos from all sorts of wars: Civil War caps, antique pistols, Purple Hearts, samurai swords, World War I trench kits.

Politico:

Dems pressure White House to change economic message — Democrats are loving the Biden economy. They're less certain about his economic message. — President Joe Biden placed a big bet that he could sell an improving economy under the banner of “Bidenomics.”

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, STEPHANIE MILLER SHOW and RedState

Katie Bo Lillis / CNN:

Milley says the military doesn't swear oath to a ‘wannabe dictator’ in apparent swipe at Trump — In an impassioned and at time furious speech, departing Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley defiantly proclaimed that the US military does not swear an oath to a “wannabe dictator.”