memeorandum: What we actually know about aliens, according to science (Joel Achenbach/Washington Post)

2:35 PM ET, November 26, 2023

Top Items:

Jazmine Ulloa / New York Times:

To Beat Trump, Nikki Haley Is Trying to Speak to All Sides of a Fractured G.O.P. — Her campaign will test what political strategists and observers of her rise in politics have said is among her greatest political skills: an ability to massage her message to the moment.

Discussion: The Hill, Associated Press, The Messenger, Wall Street Journal, Breitbart and USA Today

Nicholas Kerr / ABC News:

Chris Christie plays down risk to Republicans if Trump loses primary but won't leave the race — He argued “the public en masse will begin to ignore” the former president — Republican presidential candidate and former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie speaks at the Hudson Institute, on Nov. 15, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

Discussion: CNN, The Messenger, Washington Examiner, USA Today, The Hill, Axios, Politico, Washington Times, Financial Times, Raw Story and The Daily Beast

Jorge Ramos Avalos / Jorgeramos.com:

THE DANGER OF NOT CONFRONTING TRUMP — I believe we must question and confront Trump for democracy, for the rights of immigrants and, simply, for good journalism. — Due to the strong criticisms after Univision aired an interview with Donald Trump on Nov. 9 -that put in doubt the independence …

Discussion: Washington Post, Fox News, The Hill, Political Wire and Daily Kos

Mary Papenfuss / The Messenger:

Trump Shows Off at Palmetto Bowl Football Faceoff on Nikki Haley's Home Turf to Mixed Reception — 'You lost. You're guilty. Welcome to Columbia, Donald,' flashed two billboards that greeted him, sponsored by ‘vermin’ — Former President Donald Trump came out to watch …

Discussion: The State, The Daily Caller, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Examiner, ABC News, Associated Press and Crooks and Liars

New York Times:
Who Would Donald Trump — CHOOSE AS HIS RUNNING MATE? — Donald J. Trump hasn't won …

Discussion: The Messenger and Washington Post

Nick Robertson / The Hill:

Romney says any Democrat would be ‘an upgrade’ over Trump in 2024 — Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) signaled that nearly any candidate in the 2024 field, of either party, would be an “upgrade” over another term for former President Trump. — “I'd be happy to support virtually any one of the Republicans …

Discussion: USA Today, Business Insider, Axios, Associated Press, Raw Story, Newsbusters, HuffPost, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, New York Post, The National Pulse+, The Messenger, Twitchy and Fox News

Zachary Leeman / The Messenger:

Biden Asked If He's Too Old to Run in 2024: 'That's Stupid!' — He didn't respond to a question about his standing in polls against Trump — President Joe Biden dismissed concerns about his age as “stupid” while shopping in Nantucket, Massachusetts over the weekend.

Discussion: Political Wire and Fox News

Steven Shepard / Politico:
The polls keep getting worse for Biden

Discussion: Twitchy, New York Magazine, The American Spectator, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Digby's Hullabaloo, The Daily Beast, No More Mister Nice Blog, RedState, Breitbart, The Atlantic and WFLA-TV

Theresa Vargas / Washington Post:

A doctor tried to renew his passport. Now he's no longer a citizen. — The Northern Virginia doctor was born in D.C. and given a U.S. birth certificate. At 61, he learned his citizenship was granted by mistake. — Siavash Sobhani is stateless. — The Northern Virginia doctor knows at least that much about his situation.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Eschaton

New York Times:

A Troubling Trump Pardon and a Link to the Kushners — A commutation for a drug smuggler named Jonathan Braun had broader implications than previously known. It puts new focus on how Donald Trump would use his clemency powers in a second term. — Even amid the uproar …

Discussion: Rolling Stone, Raw Story and New York Times

Joel Achenbach / Washington Post:

What we actually know about aliens, according to science — GREEN BANK, W.Va. — It came from space, hurtling at tremendous speed: a mystery object, reddish, rocky, shaped like a cigar. Its velocity was so extreme it had to have come from somewhere far away, in the interstellar realm.

Discussion: Why Evolution Is True and HotAir

Andrew Solender / Axios:

Santos lashes out at colleagues as he stares down expulsion — Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) said Friday he won't resign from Congress but acknowledged he will likely be expelled as he lobbed salacious accusations at colleagues and called the chair of the Ethics Committee a “p***y”.

Discussion: CBS News, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, HuffPost, Mother Jones, Associated Press, Digby's Hullabaloo, Vanity Fair, Washington Times, USA Today, Raw Story, Political Wire and ABC News

Thomas Phippen / Fox News:
Santos accuses colleagues of voting hungover, sleeping around in profanity-laden tirade against ethics report

Discussion: RedState, Raw Story, Politico, UPI, New York Post, The Daily Beast, Associated Press, Business Insider, Daily Kos, Washington Examiner and The Messenger

Natasha Singer / New York Times:

At Meta, Millions of Underage Users Were an ‘Open Secret,’ States Say — Meta “routinely documented” children under 13 on Instagram and “unlawfully” collected their data, according to a newly unsealed complaint. — Meta has received more than 1.1 million reports of users under the age …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, more at Techmeme »

Kayla Guo / New York Times:

Members of Congress Head for the Exits, Many Citing Dysfunction — More than three dozen incumbents have announced they will not seek re-election next year. Some are running for other offices, while others intend to leave Congress altogether. — Eleven are running for the Senate.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Lauren Leatherby / New York Times:

Gaza Civilians, Under Israeli Barrage, Are Being Killed at Historic Pace — In less than two months, more than twice as many women and children have been reported killed in Gaza than in Ukraine after two years of war. — Israel has cast the deaths of civilians in the Gaza Strip as a regrettable …

Discussion: Politico, Lawyers, Guns & Money, stillindigo, nationalinterest.org and Eschaton

New York Post:

Pro-Israel teacher hides in Queens high school as ‘radicalized’ students riot: ‘They want her fired’ — Hundreds of “radicalized” kids rampaged through the halls of a Queens high school this week for nearly two hours after they discovered a teacher had attended a pro-Israel rally …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Why Evolution Is True, acecomments.mu.nu, Washington Examiner, Fox News, Louder With Crowder, JONATHAN TURLEY, Breitbart, RedState, The Hill, Twitchy, The Gateway Pundit, The Messenger, Power Line and The Angrybell

The Times of Israel:

Irish PM panned for saying freed hostage child Emily Hand ‘found’ after she was ‘lost’ — FM Eli Cohen summons ambassador and accuses Leo Varadkar of ‘losing his moral compass’; Minister Gantz: ‘Emily was never “lost” - she was brutally kidnapped and held hostage’

Discussion: Politico, Fox News, Breitbart, RedState and The Messenger

Star Tribune:

Derek Chauvin stabbed, seriously injured in prison — The former Minneapolis police officer has been serving time in a medium-security prison in Arizona. — Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was stabbed and seriously injured Friday by a fellow inmate at an Arizona federal prison …