memeorandum: Eric Trump is ‘sure’ Ivanka encouraged their father to strike Syria: 'I think that's a great thing' (Elizabeth Preza/Raw Story)

9:40 AM ET, April 11, 2017

Top Items:

Simon Johnson / Telegraph:

Ivanka Trump encouraged my father to launch air strikes against Assad in Syria after chemical weapons attack, says Eric Trump — Eric Trump has said he is “sure” his sister Ivanka used her influence over their father to encourage the US president to launch military action against Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Discussion: Washington Post, RT and Sputnik International

Simon Johnson / Telegraph:

Donald Trump's action in Syria proves he is not in league with Putin, says his son Eric — Donald Trump's decision to launch a cruise missile attack on Syria proved he is not in league with Russia and will not be “pushed around” by Vladimir Putin, the US President's son has told The Daily Telegraph.

Discussion: Salon, Political Wire, Infowars, NBC News, CNBC, The Gateway Pundit and Axios

New York Times:

On Trump's Syria Strategy, One Voice Is Missing: Trump's — WASHINGTON — In the days since President Trump ordered a cruise missile strike against Syria in retaliation for a chemical attack on civilians, his administration has spoken with multiple voices as it seeks to explain its evolving policy.

Discussion: Washington Post, Infowars, Vox, New York Magazine, Politicus USA and CBS News

Elizabeth Preza / Raw Story:

Eric Trump is ‘sure’ Ivanka encouraged their father to strike Syria: 'I think that's a great thing' — DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY! — Donald Trump's son Eric Trump told the Telegraph he's “sure” his sister, Ivanka Trump, played a role in the president of the United States deciding to attack a Syrian air base.

Discussion: Telegraph

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:
May, Merkel express support after U.S. airstrike in Syria

Discussion: Politico

Reuters:
Kremlin, angry at Syria missile strike, says Putin won't meet Tillerson

Discussion: CNN, Just Security, Washington Monthly, MSNBC, RedState, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and FOX6Now.com

ABC News:
Top issues on the table as Tillerson heads to Moscow

Discussion: Politico and Newsweek

Nahal Toosi / Politico:
Tillerson readies for tough talk with Russia

Discussion: Foreign Policy, CNN, CBS News and Hot Air

Associated Press:
Official: Russia knew in advance of Syrian chemical attack

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, IJR, Reuters and Hot Air

Justin Bachman / Bloomberg:

United Airlines Tumbles After Social-Media Storm Goes Global — Passenger's removal becomes trending item on Chinese platform — Carrier's CEO says man was ‘disruptive’ and ‘belligerent’ — United Continental Holdings Inc. tumbled early Tuesday as outrage on social media over the removal …

New York Times:

Video of United Airlines Passenger Creates Furor in China, Too — BEIJING — A day after the forced removal of a passenger from a United Airlines flight provoked a social media furor in the United States, a similar outcry followed in China, after state-run news outlets here described the man as being of Chinese descent.

Discussion: Hit & Run, The Guardian, en.people.cn, CBS Boston, Mashable, View from the Wing, The Ring of Fire Network, Mediaite, CBS Pittsburgh, twitchy.com, The Daily Caller and CBS Chicago

Yaron Steinbuch / New York Post:

Officer who dragged bloodied passenger off flight placed on leave — One of the officers who dragged a passenger off a United Airlines flight did not follow standard operating procedures and has been placed on leave, according to the Chicago Aviation Department. — SEE ALSO

Discussion: twitchy.com

Eric Levitz / New York Magazine:
The Airline Industry Is a Starving Giant That's Gnawing At Our Economy

Discussion: Mediaite

New York Times:
United Airlines Passenger Is Dragged From an Overbooked Flight

Olivia Beavers / The Hill:
Dem wants hearing after United passenger dragged off flight

Discussion: Big Think, Mashable, CBS Chicago, The Atlantic, The Daily Caller, BGR, Raw Story, View from the Wing, twitchy.com and Fox News Insider

NBC News:
United Airlines CEO Apologizes After Video Shows Man Dragged Off Flight

Discussion: NBC News, USA Today, CBS Baltimore and IJR

Bryan Lowry / Kansas City Star:

Republicans sweat surprisingly close Kansas congressional race — Kansas has been reliably Republican in federal elections, but GOP operatives head into Tuesday uncertain of an easy victory when the deep-red state holds the first congressional election since President Donald Trump's inauguration.

Discussion: Vox, CNN, Shareblue, The Nation, Politicus USA and Balloon Juice

Jonathan Martin / New York Times: As a House Race Tightens in Kansas, Republicans See a Possible Warning Sign

David Weigel / Washington Post:
Republicans undertake unexpected rescue mission in deep red Kansas

Discussion: The Atlantic and The Huffington Post

David Wasserman / The Cook Political Report:
KS-04 Moves to Lean Republican, GA-06 to Toss Up

Discussion: Political Insider blog, Hullabaloo and Political Wire

Robert Pear / New York Times:

Trump Administration to Pay Health Law Subsidies Disputed by House — WASHINGTON — The Trump administration says it is willing to continue paying subsidies to health insurance companies under the Affordable Care Act even though House Republicans say the payments are illegal because Congress never authorized them.

Discussion: Mother Jones

Lauren Gibbons / MLive.com:
50-80 Republicans would have voted no on health care proposal, Justin Amash says

Discussion: Political Wire and Axios

Tom LoBianco / CNN:
House Freedom Caucus member Justin Amash suggests time for Ryan ouster, blasts Trump

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Ashe Schow / Watchdog.org:

Texas student commits suicide after Title IX kangaroo court — If every other egregious example of a male student denied due process after being accused of sexual misconduct gets ignored - this one should not be. — A male student who was accused of sexual harassment committed suicide …

Discussion: The Other McCain, Hot Air and Instapundit

Dan Merica / CNN:

Trump on pace to surpass 8 years of Obama's travel spending in 1 year — Washington (CNN)Donald Trump's travel to his private club in Florida has cost over an estimated $20 million in his first 80 days as president, putting the president on pace in his first year of office …

Discussion: The Hill, RedState, The Daily Beast and Politicus USA

Julie Hirschfeld Davis / New York Times:

The Latest Test for the White House? Pulling Off Its Easter Egg Roll — WASHINGTON — President Trump received an urgent warning in February, informing him of a crucial date he was about to miss. — “FYI manufacturing deadlines for the Easter eggs are near,” said a Twitter post directed at Mr. Trump …

Brendan Cole / International Business Times:

Migrants are being sold at open slave markets in Libya — Vulnerable refugees from West Africa often arrive in the country with no money and no papers. — Migrants from West Africa are being openly traded in “public slave markets” across Libya. — As a departure point for refugees trying …

Discussion: Shot in the Dark

Jim Malewitz / The Texas Tribune:

Texas intentionally discriminated with 2011 voter ID law, judge rules (again) — A federal judge has ruled — for the second time — that Texas lawmakers intentionally discriminated against Latino and black voters in passing a strict voter identification law in 2011.

Discussion: Off the Kuff, electionlawblog.org and Political Wire

Manny Fernandez / New York Times: Federal Judge Says Texas Voter ID Law Intentionally Discriminates

Vindu Goel / New York Times:

That Fingerprint Sensor on Your Phone Is Not as Safe as You Think — SAN FRANCISCO — Fingerprint sensors have turned modern smartphones into miracles of convenience. A touch of a finger unlocks the phone — no password required. With services like Apple Pay or Android Pay …

Discussion: Daily Mail

Lauren Gardner / Politico:

Why Trump's $1 trillion infrastructure plan could wind up in a ditch — President Donald Trump is counting on his $1 trillion infrastructure proposal to produce the kind of bipartisan legislative victory that has eluded him on health care and pretty much everything else.

Ricochet:

Ep. 129: Making It — Fifty years ago, the New York Review of Books savaged Making It, the 1967 memoir by Norman Podhoretz-and now, amazingly, the New York Review's book imprint is bringing out a new edition. — In a 10-minute conversation with The Bookmonger, Podhoretz explains …

Discussion: National Review

New York Times:

Trump Tops Obama, Bush and Clinton in Golfing and Private Getaways So Far — After years of criticizing former President Barack Obama for playing golf and going on private getaways, President Trump has already done more of both in his first 81 days than Mr. Obama, as well as former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Discussion: Common Dreams, IJR, Daily Wire, The Independent and Shareblue

Andrew Restuccia / Politico:

Why the Trump administration has so many vacancies — Hundreds of key jobs across the federal government remain vacant as a result of an overworked White House personnel office that is frustrating Cabinet secretaries and hampering President Donald Trump's ability to carry out his ambitious legislative agenda.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog

Sarah Lyall / New York Times:

Will London Fall? — The metropolis that globalization created may well be the capital of the world. But after the “Brexit” referendum, its future as an international crossroad is far from certain. — Photographs by SERGEY PONOMAREV — LONDON — St. Pancras International rail station …

Discussion: Guido Fawkes

Michael Hiltzik / Los Angeles Times:

Column Trump's proposal to eliminate the Social Security payroll tax may be his worst idea yet — President Trump meets with his fiscal brain trust, budget director Mick Mulvaney, center, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Are they plotting to eviscerate Social Security? (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

Discussion: Daily Kos