memeorandum: Smoking marijuana causes fertility problems because it makes men's sperm ‘lazily swim in circles’ say experts (Scott Campbell/Daily Mail)

6:50 PM ET, September 3, 2017

Top Items:

CNN:

Exclusive: Read the Inauguration Day letter Obama left for Trump — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — (CNN)During his final moments in the Oval Office, President Barack Obama folded into thirds a handwritten letter to Donald Trump, slid it into an envelope, and in neat capital letters addressed it to “Mr. President.”

Discussion: ROMPER, New York Times, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mashable, The Guardian, Business Insider, Fox News Insider, Politicus USA, Mediaite, TheBlaze, FOX6Now.com, RedState, Mother Jones, The Daily Caller, IJR, The Root and Axios

New York Times:

After North Korea Nuclear Test, Trump Saves Harshest Words for South Korea — WASHINGTON — President Trump on Sunday called North Korea's biggest nuclear test to date “very hostile and dangerous,” but his most significant rhetorical escalation was against South Korea, a close United States ally …

Choe Sang-Hun / New York Times:

North Korea Says It Tested a Hydrogen Bomb Meant for Missiles — SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sunday, saying it had detonated a hydrogen bomb that could be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Discussion: The Atlantic, Washington Post, ROMPER, Shareblue, TheBlaze, The National Interest, New York Magazine, JustOneMinute, Booman Tribune, Washington Monthly and Political Wire

Julia Manchester / The Hill:

Mattis warns North Korea of ‘massive military response’ if it threatens US, allies … on Sunday issued a stark warning to North Korea, saying the country would be met with a “massive military response” if it threatened the U.S. or its allies. — “Any threat to the United States …

Discussion: Axios, ABC News, The Guardian, CNBC, Washington Post, fox13now.com, IJR, The Gateway Pundit and Business Insider

Daily Mail:
Kim's young 'un: Spies reveal North Korean dictator has a secret son waiting in the wings …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

BBC:
North Korea nuclear test: Hydrogen bomb ‘missile-ready’

Discussion: The Atlantic, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Daily Kos

mid.ru:
Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Discussion: RT

New York Times:
Amid Nuclear Tensions, Trump Mulls Exit From South Korea Trade Deal

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, The Daily Caller, Associated Press and Washington Post

Choe Sang-Hun / New York Times:
North Korea Claims to Have Developed a Missile-Ready Hydrogen Bomb

Discussion: ITV, The Atlantic, Outside the Beltway and New York Magazine

US EPA:

EPA Response To The AP's Misleading Story — Good afternoon - — Yesterday, the Associated Press' Michael Biesecker wrote an incredibly misleading story about toxic land sites that are under water. — Despite reporting from the comfort of Washington, Biesecker had the audacity to imply …

Discussion: Politico, ThinkProgress, Business Insider, New York Magazine, The Verge and TheBlaze

Julia Manchester / The Hill:

EPA finds 13 Superfund sites possibly damaged after Harvey — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Saturday that 13 Superfund sites have been flooded or could be facing damage as a result of Hurricane Harvey. — The agency said that two of the sites, which are areas that are polluted …

Discussion: Hullabaloo and Gizmodo

Associated Press:
AP EXCLUSIVE: Toxic waste sites flooded in Houston area

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Raw Story

Neil Irwin / New York Times:

To Understand Rising Inequality, Consider the Janitors at Two Top Companies, Then and Now — ROCHESTER — Gail Evans and Marta Ramos have one thing in common: They have each cleaned offices for one of the most innovative, profitable and all-around successful companies in the United States.

Discussion: Mashable

Natasha Bertrand / Business Insider:

‘Are you on drugs?’: Top Trump lawyer Ty Cobb slams ‘rabid’ press in lengthy response to questions on Comey letter — White House special counsel Ty Cobb, who was appointed to represent President Donald Trump in the Russia investigation, on Saturday issued his lengthiest statement yet …

Discussion: Raw Story, The Daily Caller, IJR and Washington Post

Michael Starr Hopkins / The Hill:

Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand will lead Democrats to 2020 victory — As Democrats survey the political landscape and focus on rebuilding the party after the disastrous 2016 election, there's no denying that a change in leadership is desperately needed.

Heather Caygle / Politico:

The next Kennedy weighs his next move — Democrats are in search of new leaders to take on Donald Trump, and Rep. Joe Kennedy could fit the bill. But it's not clear he wants the job. — In short order, Kennedy has garnered a loyal grass-roots following with a series of viral speeches challenging …

Amanda Wicks / Pitchfork:

Steely Dan's Walter Becker Dead at 67 — He and Donald Fagen co-founded the group in 1972 — Steely Dan's guitarist Walter Becker has died, as confirmed by a post on his official website. He was 67 years old. Becker had recently undergone an operation that left him unable to tour …

Discussion: The Guardian, The Ringer - All, CBS San Francisco, Gothamist and myfox8.com

New York Times:
Walter Becker, Co-Founder of Steely Dan, Dies at 67

Discussion: Scripting News

Emily Smith / Page Six:

Don't expect Georgina Bloomberg to run for office — Georgina Bloomberg has no plans to follow her former mayor father Mike into politics. — “Who wants to be a politician? No one ever asked me to go into politics because they knew I'd be terrible at it,” she said at a party to celebrate her Resident magazine cover.

Kaylee Remington / Plain Dealer:

Cleveland police union will not hold flag during Browns' opener, citing players kneeling during National Anthem — Members of the Cleveland Browns kneel during the national anthem before an NFL preseason football game between the New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns, Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, in Cleveland.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, The Root, ThinkProgress, ProFootballTalk and Deadspin

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:

Abbott: Harvey recovery may reach $180 billion … Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Sunday said it may cost as much as $180 billion to rebuild the state in the aftermath of Harvey. — “The geographic area and the population affected by this horrific hurricane and flooding …

Discussion: Mediaite and The Daily Caller

Patrick Svitek / The Texas Tribune:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: No special session needed for Harvey aid

Discussion: The Guardian, Shareblue and Off the Kuff

Julia Manchester / The Hill:

Trump praises Coast Guard, swipes at media in Texas — President Trump praised the Coast Guard and took a swipe at the media Saturday during a stop on his trip to Texas to visit victims and local responders in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. — “I hear the Coast Guard saved 11,000 people …

Discussion: Raw Story, HuffPost, New York Times and Talking Points Memo