memeorandum: Iran's President Raisi dead in helicopter crash, former foreign minister blames US sanctions (ABC News)

7:35 AM ET, May 20, 2024

Top Items:

Farnaz Fassihi / New York Times:

Helicopter Carrying Iran's President Has Crashed, State Media Reports — Rescuers are trying to locate the helicopter on which President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian were traveling, state media reported. Their status is unknown.

Reuters:

Iranian President Raisi feared dead as helicopter wreckage found — Hopes are fading that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister have survived a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain and icy weather, an Iranian official said on Monday after search teams located the wreckage.

Discussion: Mehr News Agency, Al-Monitor, Associated Press, Interesting Engineering, The Kyiv Independent, Al Jazeera, Reuters and The Sun

Jon Gambrell / Associated Press:

Iran's president, foreign minister and others found dead at helicopter crash site, state media says — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister and others have been found dead at the site of a helicopter crash Monday after an hourslong search through a foggy …

Discussion: CNBC, The Sun, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Associated Press, The Times of Israel, UPI, Twitchy, New York Times, Al-Monitor, Human Events, The Daily Beast and Fox News

ABC News:

Iran's President Raisi dead in helicopter crash, former foreign minister blames US sanctions — The helicopter crashed in rough weather on Sunday in northern Iran. — Rescue vehicles are seen following a crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, in Varzaqan, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, May 19, 2024.

Arsalan Shahla / Bloomberg:

Iran State TV Says ‘No Sign of Life’ at Helicopter Crash Site — Raisi was in Iran's East Azerbaijan province to inaugurate dam — President's entourage includes foreign minister, also missing — Iranian President Raisi Missing After Helicopter Crash

Discussion: New York Times, Associated Press, Semafor, Fox News, Tasnim News Agency, NBC News, The Sun, Middle East Monitor, Al-Monitor, Al Jazeera, Washington Post, prima donna …, Breitbart and Fortune

U.S. Department of Defense:

Joint Statement From the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of National Defense of the Republic of Niger — Representatives of the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of National Defense of the Republic of Niger met from May 15 to 19, 2024, in Niamey, Republic of Niger …

Discussion: UPI, Washington Post, Task & Purpose, New York Times and CBS News

Axios:

Senate Democrats don't believe Biden's bad polls, either … - “No, I do not think that they are accurate,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) told Axios. … - “The polls showed that I was down when I entered my race. … - Now, Democrats say the polls are missing key voter dynamics on their side.

Discussion: Conservative Brief

New York Post:

RFK Jr. lists voting address at Westchester home — that's in foreclosure and neighbors have never seen him — Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lists his residence to vote as a tony Westchester County address — which is in foreclosure proceedings for non-payment, court records show.

Discussion: Democrats

Chris Geidner / Law Dork:

Exclusive: Justice Alito sold Bud Light stock amidst anti-trans boycott effort — At 4:37 p.m. on Sunday, August 13, 2023, far-right, anti-LGBTQ influencer Chaya Raichik of Libs of TikTok posted a pre-transition photograph of transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, calling her “a dude,” on Twitter, now known as X.1

Kaia Hubbard / CBS News:

Hungary's far-right PM Viktor Orbán has made “some smart decisions,” Sen. J.D. Vance says — Washington — Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, rumored to be one of former President Donald Trump's vice-presidential contenders, said Sunday that the U.S “could learn from” …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, New York Post and Mediaite

Andrew Solender / Axios:

Democrats tee up showdown with GOP over non-citizen voting … - This dynamic has played out repeatedly in the 118th Congress - with House Republicans using their majority to try to overturn progressive D.C. laws and squeeze Democrats in the process. — Republicans' campaign apparatus …

Discussion: The Hill, The Guardian and Associated Press

Victoria Bekiempis / The Guardian:

Trump floats idea of three-term presidency at NRA convention — During a bombastic speech in Dallas, GOP frontrunner asks: ‘Are we going to be considered three-term? Or two-term?’ — Donald Trump flirted with the idea of being president for three terms - a clear violation of the US constitution …

Discussion: Washington Examiner

Myah Ward / Politico:
Trump at NRA convention floats a 3-term presidency

Victoria Bekiempis / The Guardian:

Biden vows to fight ‘poison of white supremacy’ at Morehouse speech — Speech warmly received at historically Black college despite backlash from students in weeks leading to address over war — Joe Biden told graduating students of Morehouse College that American democracy has failed the Black community …

Discussion: NPR, Fox News, Axios, Louisiana Illuminator, Associated Press, RedState, Mediaite, The Daily Beast, New York Times, Reuters, Business Insider, USA Today, UPI, New York Post, NBC News, WFLA-TV, Al Jazeera and Politico

Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
At Atlanta fundraiser, President Biden tells supporters that Georgia shows the “power of the vote”

Discussion: The White House, Hartford Courant, New York Post, Washington Examiner, RedState, New York Times, The Gateway Pundit and Twitchy

Isabel Kershner / New York Times:

In Israel, Stefanik denounces Biden and praises Trump. — Two key members of the wartime government have demanded that Israel's leader come up with a decisive strategy for Gaza, with one issuing an ultimatum. — Here's what we're covering: — Netanyahu may face little risk from a rival's political ultimatum, analysts say.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Digby's Hullabaloo, The Times of Israel, ABC News and Forbes

Barak Ravid / Axios:
Bibi blocks Israeli intel chiefs' meetings with U.S. officials

Discussion: The Times of Israel, SpyTalk and Washington Examiner

CBS News:

CBS News poll: Abortion access finds wide support, but inflation and immigration concerns boost Trump in Arizona and Florida — When Arizona and Florida attracted the national spotlight over their abortion battles, this question arose: Would the issue upend the presidential contests in those states …

Discussion: New York Post, Washington Examiner and The Hill

Michael Podhorzer / Weekend Reading:

Supreme Gaslighting — Once again, Alito says the quiet part out loud. Is anyone listening? — Once again, a sensational disclosure is rocking SCOTUS, after photos surfaced showing an insurrectionist symbol in front of Justice Alito's home on January 17, 2021.

Discussion: The Bulwark