Top Items:
Steve Benen / MSNBC:
GOP makes weak pitch as Senate rejects Mayorkas impeachment articles — Republicans are pretending that Democrats set a dangerous precedent by discarding Alejandro Mayorkas' impeachment without a trial. They have it backwards. — More than a month after House Republicans impeached …
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Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senate dismisses Mayorkas impeachment without trial — The Senate voted Wednesday to dismiss two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, shutting down the possibility of a lengthy Senate trial, which Republicans had demanded to bring attention …
Discussion:
CNN, New York Times, CBS News, BizPac Review, IJR, Washington Post, RedState, New York Daily News, Washington Times, Nevada Globe, BorderReport, PBS NewsHour, PJ Media, American Greatness, The Spectator World, Breitbart, Raw Story, New York Post, Vox, Alternet.org, Plain Dealer, Business Insider, Must Read Alaska, Associated Press, One America News Network, Mediaite, Washington Examiner, Townhall, UPI, HuffPost, USA Today, Fox News, The Gateway Pundit, The Guardian, NPR, The Daily Beast, NewsNation, Wall Street Journal and ABC News
Washington Post:
Johnson's Chamberlain-or-Churchill moment — Good morning, Early Birds. A redacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election was released publicly five years ago today. Tips: earlytips@washpost.com. Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here.
Punchbowl News:
4/18/24 ☀️ Punchbowl News AM … This comes as Johnson faces another uprising from his right. — Right now, any member can file a motion to vacate the chair, which triggers a potential snap referendum on the speaker. This was how hardliners ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in October.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Progress Pond and Talking Points Memo
Washington Post:
Speaker Johnson moves on foreign aid, possibly triggering vote to oust him
Speaker Johnson moves on foreign aid, possibly triggering vote to oust him
Discussion:
The Bulwark, Plain Dealer, IJR, The Hill, NewsNation, Associated Press, HuffPost, NPR, New York Post, Jewish World Review, Fox News, Politico, Axios, Responsible Statecraft and CNN
Arizona Republic:
Senate kick-starts Arizona abortion ban repeal after House Republicans block similar bill
Senate kick-starts Arizona abortion ban repeal after House Republicans block similar bill
Discussion:
The Hill, TODAY.com, Talking Points Memo, The Guardian, Pluribus News, American Greatness, Breitbart, Associated Press, IJR, Axios, Reuters, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Daily Signal, Vanity Fair, Alternet.org, 6abc, The Daily Beast, MeidasTouch, CBS News, Arizona Mirror, LifeNews.com, Politico, Washington Post, NBC News, Business Insider, ABC News, UPI, USA Today, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Sabato's Crystal Ball
Politico:
Playbook: Why Biden world has gone quiet on the Trump trial — With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine — DRIVING THE DAY — THE BUZZ OF THE LEGAL WORLD — “2 of Trump's jurors are lawyers. Would they acquit on a technicality?” by Betsy Woodruff Swan …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Washington Monthly and Washington Examiner
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Axios:
Kennedy family to endorse Biden in show of force against RFK Jr. … - With a substantial number of voters telling pollsters they are dissatisfied with both Biden and Trump, Democrats are increasingly petrified that a Kennedy name on the ballot will throw the election to Trump.
Discussion:
New York Times, ABC News, Associated Press, The Daily Beast, Bloomberg, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, NPR, Mediaite, WINK News and USA Today
Politico:
Biden camp decides not to take the bait on Trump's stormy trial — The president and his team plan a judicious approach to the courtroom drama engulfing their opponent. — The Biden campaign has a straightforward strategy for navigating former President Donald Trump's time in the courthouse.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Digby's Hullabaloo, Fox News, Raw Story, New York Times, The Hill, The Daily Beast and CBS News
Roger Sollenberger / The Daily Beast:
Complaint Asks the FBI to Probe Trump Claims on a $50 Million Loan — GIMME SHELTER — A government watchdog group is filing a complaint about a $50 million loan that Trump claimed for years on government disclosure forms but which may have never existed.
Discussion:
Raw Story
USA Today:
Trump is funneling campaign money into cash-strapped businesses. Experts say it looks bad. — Donald Trump's main 2024 White House campaign fundraising operation sharply increased spending at the former president's properties in recent months, funneling money into his businesses …
Discussion:
Rick Wilson's Substack, Raw Story, Alternet.org, Missouri Independent and The Daily Beast
Cleve R. Wootson Jr / Washington Post:
Kennedy family members will endorse Biden at Philadelphia event — The move is a rebuke of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is pursing the White House as an independent — Several Kennedy family members plan to endorse President Biden for reelection at a campaign event in Philadelphia on Thursday …
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Brett Samuels / The Hill:
Kennedy family to endorse Biden in Philadelphia in latest rebuke to RFK Jr.
Kennedy family to endorse Biden in Philadelphia in latest rebuke to RFK Jr.
Discussion:
NBC News, UPI, IJR and New York Times
Noah Berlatsky / Public Notice:
The two-party system isn't the problem — See: Netanyahu, Benjamin. — ∙ Paid … The US two-party system is a perennial punching bag. — “Can the US ever break the two-party binary?” Al Jazeera asked earlier this year. “How to fix democracy: Move beyond the two-party system …
NBC News:
Biden chokes up while talking about deceased son and Trump's disparaging remarks about service members — “That man doesn't deserve to have been the commander in chief for my son, my uncle,” he said, referring to Beau Biden and Ambrose Finnegan, who both served in the military.
Discussion:
Politico
RELATED:
Dan Mangan / CNBC:
Biden says Trump 'doesn't deserve to be the Commander in Chief for my son'
Biden says Trump 'doesn't deserve to be the Commander in Chief for my son'
Discussion:
Twitchy
U.S. Department of the Treasury:
Treasury Targets Iranian UAV Program, Steel Industry, and Automobile Companies in Response to Unprecedented Attack on Israel — New Industries Targeted Generate Billions of Dollars in Annual Revenue — WASHINGTON — Today, in response to Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel on April 13 …
Discussion:
The White House, CNBC, Washington Free Beacon, Politico and UPI
emptywheel:
WaPo Gives Bill Barr Platform to Attack Joe Biden without Mentioning Barr's Role in Framing Biden — WaPo wrote a story on Bill Barr's statement on Fox News that he would support Trump over Biden because Biden would represent a “continuation of the Biden administration is national suicide.”
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story, Washington Post and Mediaite
New York Times:
Miscalculation Led to Escalation in Clash Between Israel and Iran — Israeli officials say they didn't see a strike on a high-level Iranian target in Syria as a provocation, and did not give Washington a heads-up about it until right before it happened. — Israel was mere moments away …
Discussion:
Axios, Just Security, The Times of Israel, The Hill, nationalinterest.org and Bloomberg
Filip Timotija / The Hill:
Pelosi memoir ‘The Art of Power’ planned for August release — A new memoir penned by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will be available later this year, according to publisher Simon & Schuster. — In the book, titled “The Art of Power,” Pelosi details her years in public service …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and Associated Press
David Dayen / American Prospect:
Our Uniquely American Drug Shortages — More drugs are in short supply than ever before. We've known the reason why for a long time: monopolistic middlemen. — Last week, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) announced that the United States has the largest number …
Sarah Fortinsky / The Hill:
Raskin: Greene ‘recycling direct Russian propaganda’ — Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said on Wednesday that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is “recycling” Russian propaganda in falsely saying Ukraine is a Nazi state. — In an interview on MSNBC's “The Reid Out,” Raskin noted concerns …
Discussion:
HuffPost, Raw Story, Mediaite and Alternet.org
Judd Legum / Popular Information:
Senate nominee bankrolled by far-right activist trashing MLK and the Civil Rights Act — Judd Legum, Tesnim Zekeria, and Rebecca Crosby — Last month, Bernie Moreno won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Ohio. Moreno benefited from an early endorsement from Turning Point Action …
Discussion:
Spreaker
Allison Quinn / The Daily Beast:
Jawbone of Long Dead U.S. Marine Found in Kid's Rock Collection — ‘UNEXPECTED’ — He was laid to rest at a cemetery in Missouri back in 1951, and there had reportedly never been any inkling that the grave did not contain all of his remains. — Capt. Everett Leland Yager of the U.S. Marine Corps …
Discussion:
CBS News and College News & Media
Brett Murphy / ProPublica:
Blinken Is Sitting on Staff Recommendations to Sanction Israeli Military Units Linked to Killings or Rapes — A special State Department panel told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the U.S. should restrict arms sales to Israeli military units that have been credibly accused of human rights abuses.
Discussion:
USA Today and Responsible Statecraft
Brady Knox / Washington Examiner:
DOJ nearing settlement with sexual assault victims of Larry Nassar over FBI failures — The Department of Justice is close to reaching a settlement with the sexual abuse victims of former U.S. gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. — According to the Wall Street Journal …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, One America News Network, CBS News, Fox News, New York Times and New York Daily News
Sylvia Westall / Bloomberg:
Russia to Hire Contract Soldiers in Bid to Avoid Unpopular Draft — Kremlin anxious not to stir fears that triggered 2022 exodus — Ukraine has faced delays in Western aid and personnel shortage — Russia is preparing to enlist more contract soldiers as it presses its invasion of Ukraine …
Democracy Now:
Maine Joins National Popular Vote Compact — In voting news, Maine has become the latest state to join the National Popular Vote compact, which could transform the way presidents are elected in the United States. Sixteen states and Washington, D.C., have now pledged to award …
Discussion:
The Federalist
Washington Post:
Red states threaten librarians with prison — as blue states work to protect them — Sam Lee, a leader of the Connecticut Library Association, heads to work these days torn between hope and fear. — She's encouraged because legislators in her state proposed a bill this year making it harder for school boards to ban library books.
Discussion:
Digby's Hullabaloo, al.com, Michigan Advance and Los Angeles Times
Emily Matesic / KECI:
Rep. Mike Gallagher hints death threats may be behind his early resignation — GREEN BAY, Wisc. (WLUK) — With just days until he leaves his seat in Congress, Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc., could be shedding some light on the reasoning behind his early resignation
Discussion:
The Guardian, Raw Story, Breitbart and Washington Examiner