memeorandum: Squad Rep's YouTube Page Is a Conspiracy Theorist's Dream (William Bredderman/The Daily Beast)

6:35 PM ET, May 8, 2024

Top Items:

Susanne Craig / New York Times:

R.F.K. Jr. Says Doctors Found a Dead Worm in His Brain — The presidential candidate has faced previously undisclosed health issues, including a parasite that he said ate part of his brain. — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has emphasized his vitality and relative youth compared with the leading Democratic …

Justin Rohrlich / The Daily Beast:

You May Have a Brain Worm Like RFK JR. and Not Even Know it — THE WORM TURNS — Experts say that even if you do have a parasite in your head, you shouldn't necessarily freak out. — Unapologetic conspiracy theorist and out-and-proud anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long been accused by clearer heads of having “brain worms.”

Discussion: Business Insider, AOL News, Rolling Stone, Gizmodo, STAT, One America News Network, acecomments.mu.nu, Washington Times, Power Line and AllSides Balanced

Liz Dye / Above the Law:

Judge Cannon Postpones Trump Case Citing Backlog Of Motions She Failed To Rule On — Not. Subtle. — Judge Aileen Cannon has done her duty by not doing her job. — It was clear for months that the Trump-appointee was going to hold this trial after the 2024 election, or never — and preferably the second.

emptywheel:

How We Got to a Place Where Right Wingers Cheer Stealing Nuclear Documents — When Aileen Cannon issued her order delaying Trump's stolen documents trial indefinitely, I posted this on Xitter. — The post was factual. Trump nominated Judge Cannon on May 21, 2020.

Discussion: American Greatness, Digby's Hullabaloo, PJ Media, Raw Story, RedState and acecomments.mu.nu

Washington Post:

House Speaker Mike Johnson survives challenge from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) officially filed her motion Monday to oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) as leader of the House, starting a two-day clock for lawmakers to decide his fate.

Discussion: HuffPost, Semafor, Daily Kos, CBS News and Balloon Juice

ABC News:
Marjorie Taylor Greene triggers vote on motion to oust Speaker Johnson

Discussion: NBC News, CNN, RedState, New York Post, The Gateway Pundit, 6abc, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Fox News and Vanity Fair

Luke Mullins / Politico:

FreedomWorks Is Closing — And Blaming Trump — The libertarian organization couldn't survive the populist shift in the Republican Party. — FreedomWorks, the once-swaggering conservative organization that helped turn tea party protesters into a national political force, is shutting down …

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Examiner, NBC News, Semafor, Raw Story, Right Wing Watch and Washington Times

Marc Elias / Democracy Docket:

When Trump Attacks Our Elections, We Will Have No Excuse — Donald Trump and his Republican allies have no intention of accepting the outcome of a free and fair election. They are boasting about building a voter suppression war machine. They have told us their plans to intimidate election officials and voters.

Discussion: HuffPost and New York Times

Lawrence Andrea / Journal Sentinel:
‘Character is too important’: Paul Ryan says he'll write in a candidate, won't vote for Trump

Discussion: Washington Post, Yahoo Finance, Breitbart, HotAir and Mock Paper Scissors

Maggie Harrison Dupré / Futurism:

Meet AdVon, the AI-Powered Content Monster Infecting the Media Industry — A few years back, a writer in a developing country started doing contract work for a company called AdVon Commerce, getting a few pennies per word to write online product reviews. — But the writer …

more at Mediagazer »

Erin Doherty / Axios:

Georgia appeals court will review decision that kept Fani Willis on Trump case — A Georgia appeals court agreed Wednesday to review a lower court ruling in former President Trump's 2020 state-level election case allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue overseeing it, per a filing.

NBC News:

RFK Jr.'s new hire who downplayed Jan. 6 appears to have been at the Capitol during the attack — Photos and videos from outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, uncovered by online sleuths and NBC News appear to show Zach Henry, a right-wing influencer now working for Kennedy's campaign.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

NBC News:

U.S. pauses Israel arms shipment over Rafah assault fears as Biden pushes for a cease-fire deal — An Israeli official told NBC News there is deep frustration in the country's government over the decision, which comes as the Biden admin presses for a cease-fire deal that would head off …

Olivia Beavers / Politico:

McCarthy vs. Gaetz: The GOP's never-ending feud — Seven months after the Florida firebrand led the ouster of the former speaker, tempers are running hotter than ever — with McCarthy lauding Gaetz's new primary challenger. — Kevin McCarthy is escalating his revenge campaign against Rep. Matt Gaetz.

Discussion: Axios, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite and IJR

Politico:

Biden on Trump: He 'didn't build a damn thing' — The president's speech on Wednesday was designed to claim credit for positive economic news — but also shake voters' views that his predecessor got stuff done. — President Joe Biden on Wednesday cast a major new investment in battleground Wisconsin …

Discussion: WHDH-TV and WGN-TV

Hans Nichols / Axios:
Biden hits Trump with major Microsoft announcement in Wisconsin

Zachary Leeman / Mediaite:

Kristi Noem Calls Off Disastrous Book Tour, Canceling Hits on Fox News and CNN at Last Minute — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) appears to have ended her media tour to promote her new book as both Greg Gutfeld and Dana Bash announced last minute cancellations from the governor.

Discussion: Raw Story, HuffPost, Deadline, The Daily Beast, Washington Examiner, PoliticusUSA and Daily Kos

CNN:

Trump asks NY appeals court to expedite the appeal of the gag order in hush money case — Lawyers for Donald Trump asked a New York appeals court to rule on their challenge to the gag order limiting what the former president can say about witnesses in the criminal hush money trial, according to people familiar with the matter.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Raw Story and PJ Media

Camilo Montoya-Galvez / CBS News:

U.S. to empower asylum officials to reject more migrants earlier in process — The Biden administration is planning to announce a new regulation as early as Thursday that is designed to allow immigration officials to deport migrants who are ineligible for U.S. asylum earlier in the process …

Discussion: Axios, Politico, Bloomberg, NPR, WSVN-TV, WGN-TV and WPR

Damian Carrington / The Guardian:

World's top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5C target — Exclusive: Planet is headed for at least 2.5C of heating with disastrous results for humanity, poll of hundreds of scientists finds — Hundreds of the world's leading climate scientists expect global temperatures …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Examiner, Raw Story and Reuters

Elizabeth Elkind / Fox News:

College anti-Israel agitators could be sent to Gaza under new House GOP bill — 'I am going to bet that these pro-Hamas supporters wouldn't last a day, but let's give them the opportunity,' says Rep Randy Weber — FIRST ON FOX: A new House Republican bill would send any person charged …

Discussion: The Daily Beast and New Republic

Henry Rodgers / The Daily Caller:
EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans Introduce Legislation To Send Hamas-Sympathizing Student Visa Holders Home

Discussion: Washington Examiner and RedState

Brandi Buchman / Law & Crime:

Georgia just made it a lot easier to challenge elections — and a lot harder to vote in them — With the 2024 presidential election just six months away, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on has signed legislation that makes critical changes to the state's election laws, including expanding the options …

Discussion: USA Today, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, CNN, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story and Associated Press

Adam Andrzejewski / OpenTheBooks Substack:

$10 Million To Harvard, Brown And Others Flowed From The “State Of Palestine” — Troubling grants and contracts classified in the federal database funded anti-Israel curriculums, professorships, and tuition. — In February 2020, Brown University, an Ivy League school with a tax advantaged …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Daily Caller News Foundation, Washington Times and AllSides Balanced

Noah Berlatsky / Public Notice:

Stormy Daniels details Trump's sleazy contempt for women — PN is a reader-supported publication made possible by paid subscribers. Appreciate our independent journalism? Then please sign up to support us. — 📈 Subscribe to Public Notice 📈

Discussion: HuffPost, Slate, The Mahablog, Reason, CNN, NBC News, Chicago Sun Times, Advocate, Politico, Washington Examiner and USA Today

Emily Shugerman / The Daily Beast:

New Hampshire Pol Who Called Teens ‘Ripe’ Won't Apologize to His ‘Haters’ — WORDS MATTER — New Hampshire Rep. Jess Edwards stirred outrage with his explanation for why he opposes raising the marriage age to 18. — The New Hampshire lawmaker who called teenagers “ripe” and “fertile” …

Discussion: Granite Post News, Raw Story and LGBTQ Nation

William Bredderman / The Daily Beast:

Squad Rep's YouTube Page Is a Conspiracy Theorist's Dream — RUBE TUBE — Jamaal Bowman has insisted his days of engaging with fringe content are behind him. His active YouTube account shows otherwise. … Old (internet) habits die hard. — When The Daily Beast revealed in January …

Discussion: HotAir, New York Post and Instapundit

Julia Doubleday / The Gauntlet:

Does the public understand that “variant” means “vaccine resistant”? — Getting boosted is critical because the virus is changing. Other forms of mitigation are critical to slow the rate of change. — Last week, the WHO announced that it will recommend creation of a new booster for the JN.1 variant of COVID-19.

Discussion: Global News

Jessica Parker / BBC:

Going to the extreme: Inside Germany's far right — It is a spring evening in Germany's eastern city of Cottbus, and dozens of people have crowded into a small venue to hear a man who once dubbed himself the “friendly face” of National Socialism (Nazism). — Two other men with prior links …

Discussion: Semafor and Bloomberg

Erik Wasson / Bloomberg:

Trump Individual, Estate Tax Cut Renewal to Cost $4.6 Trillion — US deficit in 2024 seen rising closer to $2 trillion, CBO says — CBO Director Swagel sees ‘daunting’ US fiscal outlook — The cost of extending the 2017 tax cuts for households, small businesses and the estates …