memeorandum: SDF commander says Kurds ready for dialogue if Ankara is sincere (Amberin Zaman/Al-Monitor)

5:15 PM ET, January 23, 2020

Top Items:

From Judy Woodruff: Longtime PBS NewsHour Anchor and Co-Founder Jim Lehrer Has Passed Away — Washington, DC (January 23, 2020) — It is with great sadness that I share the news that co-founder and longtime anchor of the PBS NewsHour Jim Lehrer died today, Thursday, January 23, 2020, peacefully in his sleep at home.

Discussion: NPR, Political Wire, TVNewser, The Wrap, The Hill, Mediaite, HuffPost, The Week and WTKR-TV

PBS NewsHour:

Remembering Jim Lehrer — PBS NewsHour co-founder Jim Lehrer, a giant in journalism known for his tenacity and dedication to simply delivering the news, died Thursday at the age of 85. — For Jim, being a journalist was never a self-centered endeavor. He always told those who worked with him: “It's not about us.”

Discussion: UPI and The New Daily, more at Mediagazer »

Robert D. McFadden / New York Times:

Jim Lehrer, Longtime PBS News Anchor, Is Dead at 85 — For 36 years, mostly teaming with Robert MacNeil, he offered an alternative to network evening news programs with in-depth reporting, interviews and news analysis. — Jim Lehrer, the retired PBS anchorman who for 36 years gave public television viewers …

Discussion: TVNewser

Charlie Nash / Mediaite:

Fox & Friends Airs Brutal Bloomberg Ad Highlighting Trump's ‘Erratic and Out of Control’ Attacks on the Military — Fox News' Fox & Friends, often reported to be one of President Donald Trump's favorite shows, aired an attack ad on the president from 2020 Democratic presidential candidate …

Discussion: Fox News, IJR and Contemptor

Axios:

Mike Bloomberg copies Trump to beat Trump — To beat President Trump, Mike Bloomberg wants to be candidate Trump. — The state of play: Axios visited Bloomberg's new campaign HQ in Times Square yesterday, and we were struck by how much his 1,000+-person team is learning from …

Discussion: Raw Story

Joe Garofoli / San Francisco Chronicle:

San Francisco Mayor London Breed endorses Mike Bloomberg for president — San Francisco Mayor London Breed endorsed Mike Bloomberg for the Democratic presidential nomination, boosting the billionaire's chances in a delegate-rich state where he got off to a late start but is now spending millions to try to win.

Discussion: The Week and The Hill

Zachary Petrizzo / Mediaite:
Trump Goes Off on ‘Mini Mike Bloomberg’ After Fox & Friends Airs Attack Ad

Discussion: The Daily Caller, The Hill, New York Times and Politico

Sam Meredith / CNBC:

Mnuchin says Thunberg can tell us what to do ‘after she goes and studies economics in college’ — Speaking at a press briefing at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mnuchin was asked whether the world's largest economy needed to completely and immediately divest from fossil fuels.

Discussion: The Guardian, PJ Media Home, Vanity Fair, One America News Network, Common Dreams, VICE, The American Independent and The Daily Beast

Maria Cramer / New York Times:

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Takes Jab at Greta Thunberg at Davos — At a Swiss economic forum, Mr. Mnuchin dismissed criticisms by Ms. Thunberg, the teenage environmental activist. — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin dismissed criticisms by the climate activist Greta Thunberg on Thursday …

Discussion: CNBC, Bloomberg, IJR, Earther, Reason, One America News Network, The Gateway Pundit, Axios and National Observer

CNBC: George Soros rips Trump and Xi, says the ‘fate of the world’ is at stake in 2020

Emma Loop / BuzzFeed News:

A Law Required The US's Top Intelligence Official To Turn Over A Report On Jamal Khashoggi's Killing. He Blew The Deadline. — WASHINGTON — The country's top intelligence official has failed to turn over to Congress a report on the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, sources said, flouting a law passed last month.

Discussion: The Hill, Raw Story and Responsible Statecraft, more at Mediagazer »

Dan Primack / Axios:
MBS' alleged Bezos phone hack touches the highest levels of American power

Discussion: Columbia Journalism Review, The Verge and VICE, more at Techmeme »

Anthony Brooks / WBUR:

Sanders Widens Lead In N.H. In New WBUR Poll — With the New Hampshire presidential primary less than three weeks away, a new WBUR poll suggests Bernie Sanders might be peaking at just the right time. The survey of more than 426 likely Democratic primary voters finds Sanders in the lead …

Discussion: Fox News, Washington Post, Washington Free Beacon, National Review, CNN, CNBC, Common Dreams, The Hill, The Week, Reason, Politico, Mediaite, Washington Times, TheBlaze, Sean Hannity and FiveThirtyEight

Laura Barrón-López / Politico:

Why Biden's rivals can't break his lock on black voters — GREENVILLE, S.C. — Julius Stephens is 74, black, and calls himself a liberal. — Standing outside Big Rod's Barber Shop in North Augusta after watching Joe Biden surrogates rally on behalf of the vice president last week …

Discussion: Washington Post and New York Times

Greg Sargent / Associated Press:

Schiff asked GOP senators a tough question. The answer is awful. — As Rep. Adam Schiff continued building his case against President Trump late into Wednesday evening, Trump fired off one angry Twitter missive after another, until he finally crossed the 140 mark, perhaps his most prolific day of tweeting and retweeting ever.

Discussion: Vox, New York Times, Washington Post and Raw Story

Mollie Hemingway / The Federalist: 6 Democratic Senators To Watch In Impeachment Trial

Tresa Baldas / Detroit Free Press:

Detroit man settles race discrimination lawsuit, then bank won't cash his check — Sauntore Thomas is reeling from a one-two punch. — First, the Detroiter sued his employer alleging racial discrimination in a lawsuit that settled confidentially. Then he went to the bank this week to cash …

Discussion: New York Times, New York Post, VICE, TheBlaze and Raw Story

Zolan Kanno-Youngs / New York Times:

Trump Moves to Block Visas for Pregnant Women on ‘Birth Tourism’ — The Trump administration grants visa officers more power to block pregnant women from visiting the United States if applicants are believed to be traveling to give birth. — WASHINGTON — The State Department on Thursday moved …

Nihar Kabinittal / ABC News:
Trump administration to restrict visas for pregnant women traveling to give birth

Discussion: The Daily Beast

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Mick Mulvaney becomes top Democratic impeachment target — Democrats are zeroing in on Mick Mulvaney as their top demand for witness testimony during President Donald Trump's impeachment trial. — That doesn't mean the party doesn't also want to hear from former national security adviser John Bolton …

Discussion: Raw Story and NBC News

Dareh Gregorian / NBC News:
Executive privilege can't stop John Bolton from testifying, House manager says

Discussion: Breitbart and MSNBC

HuffPost:

Trump's Doral Resort Spikes Its Room Rates Ahead Of His RNC Visit — The near doubling of rates may have increased taxpayer costs for housing Secret Service and other staff who traveled there ahead of the president's trip. — DORAL, Fla. ― The president's Miami golf resort that puts money …

Discussion: Politico and Daily Kos

Byron Tau / Wall Street Journal:

Justice Department Believes It Should Have Ended Surveillance Earlier of Trump Adviser Page — Government tells court it lacked probable cause in last two of four eavesdropping applications — WASHINGTON—The Justice Department now believes it should have discontinued its secret surveillance …

Sean Davis / The Federalist:
BREAKING: Spy Court Admits FISA Warrants Against Carter Page Were ‘Not Valid’

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

Coral Davenport / New York Times:

Trump Removes Pollution Controls on Streams and Wetlands — WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Thursday will finalize a rule to strip away environmental protections for streams, wetlands and other water bodies, handing a victory to farmers, fossil fuel producers and real estate developers …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, FOX2now.com, courthousenews.com, HuffPost, Associated Press, Tangle, The Week, Lawyers, Guns & Money, CNN, Axios, Raw Story, Progress Pond and The Guardian

Ronn Blitzer / Fox News:
Trump administration rolls back water regulations

Discussion: The Hill

Ruby Cramer / BuzzFeed News:

Top Cory Booker Supporters Are Accusing Pete Buttigieg Of “Chasing Ambulances” — Iowa officials expect a personal touch and a “grieving period.” Buttigieg's quick calls struck some as “a gut punch.” — Reporting From — DES MOINES — The phone calls to Amy Nielsen came around two hours apart.

Associated Press:
Can Klobuchar build a late surge from a long distance?

Discussion: The Hill

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Jerry Nadler ‘stunned’ Susan Collins into writing a note to John Roberts — Sen. Susan Collins was “stunned” by Rep. Jerry Nadler's late-night diatribe this week against what he deemed a “cover-up” by Senate Republicans for President Donald Trump — so much so that she wrote a note to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

Discussion: Washington Post and CNN

Tim Hains / RealClearPolitics:

Trump Campaign Trolls Adam Schiff With “Road Runner” Cartoon Showing Schiff As Wile E. Coyote — Dan Scavino, the Social Media Director at the White House, tweeted this “Looney Tunes” parody video Wednesday mocking House impeachment manager Adam Schiff. — The video, created by memesmith Politizoid …

David Harsanyi / National Review:
The Media Loves — And, I Mean, Really Loves — Adam Schiff

Discussion: Redstate, PJ Media Home and The Daily Caller

Scott Bixby / The Daily Beast:

Bernie Sanders Once Compared Vermont Workers to Black ‘Slaves’ — As the leading member of a self-described “radical political party” in the 1970s, Bernie Sanders repeatedly compared Vermont workers to enslaved black people. — In recent weeks, Sen. Bernie Sanders has criticized his rivals …

Discussion: HuffPost, The Root, TheBlaze and Sara A. Carter

NBC News:

Trump impeachment defense lawyers Ken Starr and Alan Dershowitz share disturbing problem — While the president still stands accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 women, two of his lawyers are embroiled in their own sexual misconduct and assault scandals.

Discussion: The Atlantic

Cameron Knight / Cincinnati.com:

Hamilton County Judge Robert Ruehlman: ‘I call ICE’ — An arrest inside a Cincinnati courthouse last week prompted a political fight over whether federal immigration police should be allowed to arrest undocumented immigrants who show up for court appearances.

Sarah Ellison / Washington Post:

Trumpworld has converted the nation's regional talk radio hosts into a loyal army — RICHMOND — With breakfast from McDonald's in his left hand and his softsided briefcase rolling behind him, John Fredericks strolled into his radio studio, housed in a small, isolated building on the south side of this city.

Erik Wemple / Washington Post:

Impeachment proceedings have something in common with Fox News — Steve Doocy isn't famous for self-awareness. He's the blond fellow on the couch of “Fox & Friends.” It's his job to say things that ridicule Democrats and bolster Republicans. As long as that happens, illogic, self-contradiction, factless babble — it's all fine.

George Packer / The Atlantic:

The Enemies of Writing — Editor's Note: The Hitchens Prize is awarded annually by the Dennis & Victoria Ross Foundation to an author or a journalist whose work, in the spirit of the late Christopher Hitchens, “reflects a commitment to free expression and inquiry, a range and depth of intellect …

Peter Nicholas / The Atlantic:

Donald Trump Has One Problem — Donald Trump faces the diciest moment of his presidency, a Senate impeachment trial, with a pair of distinct handicaps: shattered credibility and a West Wing that is broken into fiefdoms and often clueless about his intentions. Both were years in the making; neither seems easily fixed.

Tobias Hoonhout / National Review:

Stacey Abrams Urges Fellow Dems to ‘Stop Re-Litigating Past Elections’ — Stacey Abrams said it was time “to stop re-litigating past elections” during a speech at the University of New England in Portland, Maine on Wednesday, despite failing to officially concede her 2018 loss to Georgia governor Brian Kemp.

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon and Associated Press

Andrew Napolitano / Fox News:

Judge Andrew Napolitano: Trump's Senate impeachment trial — What does it take to remove a president? — I don't blame President Trump for his angst and bitterness over his impeachment by the House of Representatives. In his mind, he has done “nothing wrong” and not acted outside …

Discussion: Raw Story and HuffPost

CNN:

Snakes could be the source of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak — (CNN)Snakes — the Chinese krait and the Chinese cobra — may be the original source of the newly discovered coronavirus that has triggered an outbreak of a deadly infectious respiratory illness in China this winter.

Discussion: Fox News, The New Daily, Popular Science, The Daily Wire, The Gateway Pundit, Bustle and FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV

Harriet Sherwood / The Guardian:

Sex is for married heterosexual couples only, says Church of England — Pastoral guidance also calls for Christians in gay or straight civil unions to be abstinent — The Church of England has stated that sex belongs only within heterosexual marriage, and that Christians in gay …

Discussion: PinkNews

Kate Sullivan / CNN:

CNN cancels Democratic presidential town halls because of impeachment trial — Washington (CNN)CNN has canceled the Democratic presidential town halls scheduled to take place next week ahead of the Iowa caucuses because of the ongoing impeachment trial, a CNN spokesperson said Thursday.

Discussion: The Hill

Josh Blackman / New York Times:

Trump Acts Like a Politician. That's Not an Impeachable Offense. — Receiving a “political benefit” does not transform an otherwise legal action (like requesting an investigation) into an abuse of power. — Mr. Blackman is a constitutional law professor at the South Texas College of Law Houston.

Discussion: Reason, Mother Jones, Law & Crime and Balkinization

Stephanie Mencimer / Mother Jones:

Evangelicals Love Donald Trump for Many Reasons, But One of Them Is Especially Terrifying — The enemies of Israel have unleashed a massive air attack on the Promised Land. Hundreds of fighter jets streak across the sky. But before Israel can be destroyed, fire rains from the heavens …

Discussion: Raw Story

Vanessa Gera / Associated Press:

Islamic leaders make ‘groundbreaking’ visit to Auschwitz — WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Muslim religious leaders joined members of a U.S. Jewish group at Auschwitz on Thursday for what organizers described as “the most senior Islamic leadership delegation” to visit the site of a Nazi German death camp.