memeorandum: Leading Republicans reveal allegations on why Biden envoy to Iran was suspended (Brady Knox/Washington Examiner)

8:50 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, One America News Network, STAT, acecomments.mu.nu, Washington Times, AllSides Balanced and Power Line

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, PJ Media, Digby's Hullabaloo, Raw Story and RedState

Kevin Liptak / CNN:

Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah — Programming note: CNN's Erin Burnett's full interview with President Joe Biden airs at 7 p.m. ET on “Erin Burnett OutFront” — President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday …

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 …

Discussion: Washington Post, Axios, Politico, The Times of Israel, Reuters, Associated Press, Forbes, Al-Monitor, The Guardian, Defense One, Twitchy, CBS News, Fox News, Al Jazeera, New York Times, AllSides Balanced, New Republic, SWAMY WORLD, Bloomberg, Jacobin and USA Today

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: Axios, HuffPost, Raw Story, Washington Times, The Gateway Pundit, Daily Kos, CBS News, PBS NewsHour and Balloon Juice

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

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

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 »

Dallin Grimm / Tom's Hardware:

Stack Overflow bans users en masse for rebelling against OpenAI partnership — users banned for deleting answers to prevent them being used to train ChatGPT — Stack Overflow is overflowing with salt. — Stack Overflow, a legendary internet forum for programmers and developers …

Discussion: The Verge, more at Techmeme »

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

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 Bulwark, The Hill, Washington Examiner, NBC News, Semafor, Raw Story, Washington Times, Right Wing Watch and Mock Paper Scissors

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: The Daily Beast, Washington Examiner, Axios, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite and IJR

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: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, USA Today and Raw Story

Associated Press:
With 2024 presidential contest looming, Georgia governor signs new election changes into law

Discussion: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Examiner, CNN, Florida Daily, Breitbart and USA Today

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: Raw Story, The Daily Beast and PJ Media

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

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.

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, KCLO-TV, HuffPost, Deadline, The Daily Beast, Washington Examiner, PoliticusUSA and Daily Kos

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

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

Brian Schwartz / CNBC:

Corporate leaders, wealthy donors want a say in Trump's vice presidential pick … Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event in Freeland, Michigan, U.S. May 1, 2024. — Former President Donald Trump and people close …

Discussion: New York Times

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, Instapundit and AllSides Balanced

Annie Grayer / CNN:

GOP lawmaker claims KKK is ‘the military wing of the Democratic Party’ in closed door meeting ahead of antisemitism hearing — GOP Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania said in a closed door briefing with lawmakers on Tuesday that the Ku Klux Klan is the “the military wing of the Democratic party” …

Discussion: New Republic

Asher Notheis / Washington Examiner:

Mother of student suspended for saying ‘illegal alien’ had ‘no other choice’ but to sue school board — The mother of a North Carolina high school student stated she had “no other choice” but to sue her son's school board, which suspended him for asking about the term “illegal alien.”

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, The Gateway Pundit, The Post Millennial, Fox News, NewsNation and Carolina Journal

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

Brady Knox / Washington Examiner:

Leading Republicans reveal allegations on why Biden envoy to Iran was suspended — . — Top congressional Republicans revealed the reason they believe the Biden administration's special envoy to Iran may have been suspended from his position in a letter to State Secretary Antony Blinken requesting confirmation.

Discussion: National Review, Fox News, New York Post, The Daily Caller and Washington Post

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 …

Discussion: KXAN-TV