memeorandum: The death of truth: how we gave up on facts and ended up with Trump (Michiko Kakutani/The Guardian)

9:55 PM ET, July 14, 2018

Top Items:

Masha Gessen / New Yorker:

Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Triumph of Nothing Over Everyone — Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are about to hold a meeting that will reflect their shared understanding of power: the triumph of nothing over everyone. American journalists have been trying to guess …

New York Times:

Trump Opens His Arms to Russia. His Administration Closes Its Fist. — WASHINGTON — It was a jarring moment, even for an American leader whose curious attraction to Russia has often resulted in mixed messages from the United States. — Just a few hours after President Trump doused expectations …

Discussion: Jamie Dupree - AJC, The Last Tradition, TheBlaze, ThinkProgress, POLITICUSUSA and Vox

emptywheel:

As the Summit Arrives, Keep in Mind that Putin Manages Trump with Carrots and Sticks — As I laid out last week, I provided information to the FBI on issues related to the Mueller investigation, so I'm going to include disclosure statements on Mueller investigation posts from here on out.

Discussion: CNN

David Rothkopf / The Daily Beast:

The Way Trump and the GOP Deal with Russian Attacks is ‘Textbook Treason’ … The indictments of the 12 Russian military officers who engaged in a coordinated attack on the United States to try to make their preferred candidate our president are a vital reminder that the Mueller investigation cannot …

Jonathan Turley / The Hill:

Ignore the spin — still no evidence of Trump collusion — “They caught the witches.” Those were the celebratory words of John Podesta, chairman of Hillary Clinton — 's 2016 presidential campaign, in response to the indictment Friday of 12 Russian military intelligence officers for hacking efforts linked to the 2016 election.

Discussion: RedState

Veronica Stracqualursi / CNN:
US intelligence chief: ‘The warning lights are blinking red again’ on cyberattacks

Discussion: National Review, Washington Post, Conservative News Today, GoLocalProv.com, The Week and FOX40

The Daily Beast:

Elon Musk Unmasked as Top Donor to House Republican PAC — Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been revealed as a top donor to a Republican PAC aimed at keeping control of Congress. Filings published by ProPublica this weekend show Musk contributed $38,900 to the Protect the House PAC …

Discussion: Political Wire and Mediaite

Talia Lavin / Village Voice: Elon Musk and the Cult of the Celebrity Savior

Washington Post:

Mueller, pushing to wrap up parts of Russia probe, faces question of American involvement — In a 29-page indictment Friday, special counsel Robert S. Mueller III blamed specific officers in the Russian government for the 2016 hacking of Democrats, answering one of his investigation's central questions …

Discussion: Political Wire

Quint Forgey / Politico:
Ken Starr: Kavanaugh would rule ‘that no one is above the law’

Discussion: Breitbart and Axios

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
After being told of Russia indictments, Trump still aspired to be friends with Putin

Discussion: ABC News and Breitbart

Quint Forgey / Politico:
Trump blames Obama for Russian election meddling

Discussion: Axios, One America News Network, ThinkProgress and ABC News

Piers Morgan / Daily Mail:

PIERS MORGAN up close and VERY personal with Trump on Air Force One — PIERS MORGAN talks with President Donald Trump as the Republican concludes his tour of the UK, boarding Air Force One to foreign policy, the Royal family - and personalised snacks.

Discussion: The Guardian, RT, The Gateway Pundit and Mediaite

Guy Faulconbridge / Reuters:

President Trump says intends to run for president in 2020: Mail on Sunday — LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview that he intends to run for re-election in the 2020 election, the Mail on Sunday newspaper reported. — When asked by Piers Morgan in an interview given …

Discussion: Axios

CNN:

Judge blasts HHS official's warning of endangering children as ‘cover’ to Trump admin in key immigration case — You heard her cry for her mom. See their reunion — (CNN)A federal judge has blasted a declaration from a senior official at the Department of Health and Human Services …

Maria Sacchetti / Washington Post:
Government says it will reunite up to 200 migrant children a day with their parents

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Bustle and Politico

Katie Rogers / New York Times:

In Trump's U.K. Visit, Some See ‘Infomercial’ for Money-Losing Golf Resort — GLASGOW — On Monday, President Trump will have a closely watched meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, just days after the announcement that 12 Russian military intelligence officers had been indicted …

Discussion: BBC, Breitbart, CBS News, The Guardian, NPR, ThinkProgress, HeraldScotland, CNN, Refinery29, Splinter, The Week, Raw Story, Vox and Politico

Washington Post:
Trump holes up at his Scottish golf resort, tweeting about Russia before next week's Putin meeting

Discussion: Mother Jones, Hullabaloo and Raw Story

Avery Anapol / The Hill:
Trump falsely claims CNN did not cover him refusing question from Acosta at UK press conference

Discussion: Contemptor, Raw Story, The Right Scoop, twitchy.com, IJR and The New Civil Rights Movement, more at Mediagazer »

Matt Wilstein / The Daily Beast:

Ex-GOP Rep. Joe Walsh: Sacha Baron Cohen Tricked Me Into Saying We Should Arm Preschoolers … The promotional tour for Sacha Baron Cohen's new Showtime series Who Is America? continues. But it's not the British comedian out there shilling for his new show all over TV—it's the people who fell victim to his pranks.

Amy Joi O'Donoghue / Deseret News: ‘Puppy pistol?’ Utah gun rights activist says she was duped by Sacha Baron Cohen

R. Stickney / KNSD-TV:

Chainsaw Attack Suspect Was Removed from US 11 Times: ICE — The man arrested and accused of using a chainsaw to attack his wife had been removed from the U.S. 11 times since 2005, immigration officials confirmed Friday. — Alejandro Alvarez Villegas, 32, was arrested in Chula Vista …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Breitbart, Chicks On The Right, TheBlaze and Daily Wire

Brittny Mejia / Los Angeles Times:
Man suspected of attacking wife with chain saw was deported 11 times

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and NewsWars

New York Times:

Cleaning Toilets, Following Rules: A Migrant Child's Days in Detention — A portrait of life in the shelters for the children detained after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. — Do not misbehave. Do not sit on the floor. Do not share your food. Do not use nicknames. Also, it is best not to cry.

Alex Napoliello / New Jersey Online:

Vet says troopers asked to take his guns without a warrant. He didn't let them — Leonard Cottrell Jr. fought on the front lines in the Iraq War. Now, he feels he's fighting the frontlines at home in New Jersey for the right to bear arms. — Cottrell, 40, said he was working at Wawa …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and Daily Wire

Michiko Kakutani / The Guardian:

The death of truth: how we gave up on facts and ended up with Trump — From post-modernism to filter bubbles, ‘truth decay’ has been spreading for decades. How can we stop alternative facts from bringing down democracy, asks Michiko Kakutani — Two of the most monstrous regimes …

Discussion: Althouse

Alan Light / New York Times:

How a Director Uncovered Whitney Houston's Secret Pain — In one of the many troubling moments in the new documentary “Whitney,” a record label executive, Joey Arbagey, describes what it was like trying to make an album with Whitney Houston around the turn of the century.

Henry Brean / Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Suspect in Hoover Dam standoff writes Trump, cites conspiracy in letters — Matthew P. Wright, 30, of Henderson, was arrested Friday, June 15, 2018, after a 90-minute standoff on the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. Mohave County Jail — Matthew Wright of Henderson blocks the southbound lanes …

Daniel Dale / Toronto Star:

Trump has said 1,340,330 words as president. They're getting more dishonest, a Star study shows — WASHINGTON—U.S. President Donald Trump's words are getting more dishonest over time, the Star has found in the first detailed statistical analysis of his inaccurate statements in office.

Discussion: Splinter and Shareblue Media

Carl Hulse / New York Times:

Should Democrats Have Saved Their Filibuster for the New Court Fight? — WASHINGTON — In the days leading up to the vote on Judge Neil M. Gorsuch's confirmation to the Supreme Court in the spring of 2017, Senator Susan Collins approached Senator Michael Bennet on the Senate floor with an urgent plea.

Discussion: Daily Wire

Jennifer Hassan / Washington Post:

‘Did Donald Trump just WALK IN FRONT OF THE QUEEN?’ — LONDON — It's generally quite difficult to upstage the queen of England, but President Trump might have managed to do so. — Trump and Queen Elizabeth II met Friday as part of his working visit to the United Kingdom.