memeorandum: Le Cinq, Four Seasons Hôtel George V, 31 avenue George V, 75008 Paris (00 331 49 52 71 54). (Jay Rayner/The Guardian)

10:40 PM ET, April 9, 2017

Top Items:

Trump officials tell Russia to drop its support for Syria's Assad — Officials in the Trump administration on Sunday demanded Russia stop supporting the Syrian government or face a further deterioration in its relations with the United States. — Signaling the focus of talks Secretary …

Discussion: New York Times and Fox News

Glenn Kessler / Washington Post: Ryan and McConnell flip-flop on the use of force in Syria to deter chemical weapons

Michael Edison Hayden / ABC News:
Schiff says Russia is absolutely ‘complicit’ in Syrian chemical attack

Discussion: Politico

Doyle McManus / Los Angeles Times:
Column An untraditional president's very traditional military strike

Discussion: Mother Jones

Colin Wilhelm / Politico:
McMaster: U.S. eager for regime change in Syria

Discussion: RealClearPolitics, The Daily Caller, Business Insider and Axios

Joy Lin / ABC News:
Rubio says US can't defeat ISIS until Syria's Assad is removed

Discussion: Associated Press, Politico, The Hill and CNN

ABC News:
‘This Week’ Transcript 4-9-17: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Sen. Marco Rubio, and Rep. Adam Schiff

Discussion: CBS News, Politico, Washington Post and Politicus USA

Nicki Rossoll / ABC News:
Despite Trump campaign promise, Tillerson had ‘no conversation’ with Mexico paying for border wall

Discussion: ThinkProgress and The Daily Caller

Abby Phillip / Washington Post:
Tillerson, Haley issue differing statements on future of Assad in Syria

Discussion: Daily Wire and Hot Air

The Guardian:
No peace in Syria until Assad is ousted, says Nikki Haley

Discussion: Observer and Associated Press

Alex Seitz-Wald / NBC News:

Trump's Shadow Is Looming Over This Special Election — SANDY SPRINGS, Georgia — Amy King, an accountant in this Atlanta suburb, said she's always been a Republican. — But when a Republican, Judson Hill — the first candidate to enter the first competitive congressional race …

Discussion: Reuters, IJR and CNN

Jonathan Martin / New York Times:

As Georgia Vote Nears, G.O.P. Asks if Ideological Purity Matters Anymore — ATLANTA — When Michael Fitzgerald, a local Republican leader, took a break from packing up the signs after a candidate forum here last week, he appeared momentarily flummoxed about the state of his party under President Trump.

Kristina Peterson / Wall Street Journal:

Trump Administration's House Veterans Struggle to Rally Support in Chamber — Former congressmen Mike Pence, Mick Mulvaney and Tom Price finding it difficult to persuade on GOP health bill — WASHINGTON—They had 30 years of combined service in the House of Representatives …

Discussion: Political Wire and Axios

Jennifer Jacobs / Bloomberg:

McFarland to Exit White House as McMaster Consolidates Power — Former Fox News commentator will become envoy to Singapore — Trump's second national security advisor making his mark — K. T. McFarland has been asked to step down as deputy National Security Advisor to President Donald …

Discussion: Medium, New York Times, Washington Post, The Gateway Pundit, Politico, The Slot, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Axios and Political Wire

Paulina Firozi / The Hill:
Deputy National Security Adviser KT McFarland ousted from role: report

Discussion: Hullabaloo, RedState and Talking Points Memo

Dan Merica / CNN:
K.T. McFarland to leave NSC for Singapore ambassadorship

Discussion: Daily Kos and IJR

USA Today:
K.T. McFarland to leave White House amid NSC shakeup

Discussion: Politico

David B. Larter / Navy Times:

Korea crisis deepens as the US dispatches the Carl Vinson strike group to the region — The head of all U.S. forces in the Pacific canceled a planned carrier exercises and port visits in Australia and redirected the Carl Vinson carrier strike group to the waters off the Korean Peninsula …

Discussion: RedState

CNBC:
North Korea says Syria airstrikes prove its nukes justified

Discussion: The Hill, The Daily Caller, ThinkProgress and The Gateway Pundit

Idrees Ali / Reuters:
U.S. Navy strike group to move toward Korean peninsula: U.S. official

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News and The Daily Caller

Jay Rayner / The Guardian:

Le Cinq, Four Seasons Hôtel George V, 31 avenue George V, 75008 Paris (00 331 49 52 71 54). Meal for two, including service and modest wine: €600 (£520) — There is only one thing worse than being served a terrible meal: being served a terrible meal by earnest waiters …

New York Daily News:

Man-spreading dispute over seats on J train leads to hammer attack and large brawl — An argument over man-spreading on a Lower East Side subway train ended in an all-out brawl with one man attacking another with a hammer, officials said Saturday. — The 30-year-old hammer victim …

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Josh Feldman / Mediaite:

Jeremy Scahill Slams Fareed Zakaria on CNN: If He Could Have Sex With That Missile Strike, He Would — On CNN's Reliable Sources this morning, The Intercept's Jeremy Scahill went off on the “atrocious” media coverage of the Syria missile strikes, even calling out CNN's Fareed Zakaria in particular.

Discussion: Common Dreams and IJR

Patrick McGreevy / Los Angeles Times:

Nearly $1 billion in side deals by Gov. Brown and Democratic leaders cemented the legislative vote to raise the gas tax — Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount), left, Gov. Jerry Brown and Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) were the forces pushing for a new transportation funding bill.

Discussion: Breitbart and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Shawn Boburg / Washington Post:

How Bannon's multimedia machine drove a movement and paid him millions — Stephen K. Bannon could barely finish his sentences as he implored the listeners of his Breitbart News radio show to see the new movie “Clinton Cash.” — It was July 20, the homestretch of the 2016 presidential campaign …

Valerie Strauss / Washington Post:

Walker wants Wisconsin to be first state to stop dictating how much time kids should go to school — If Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has his way, the Badger State will become the first to stop requiring students in public schools to spend a minimum number of hours in class.

Discussion: Booman Tribune

Rafael Romo / CNN:

Violent clashes in Venezuela as thousands protest socialist government — Supporters of opposition leader fight police — (CNN)Thousands of protesters clashed Saturday for a fifth consecutive day with security forces in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. — Officers in riot gear blocked …

Discussion: Daily Wire

Breitbart:

‘Far-Left Militia’ Attacks Le Pen Rally in Corsica — Skirmishes broke out on Saturday ahead of a campaign rally by French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, prompting the removal of more than a dozen protesters and the evacuation of the hall in Ajaccio, Corsica.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit