memeorandum: John Thompson, coach who built Georgetown basketball into national power, dies at 78 (Liz Clarke/Washington Post)

10:55 AM ET, August 31, 2020

Top Items:

Maxine Bernstein / Oregonian:

Man under investigation in fatal shooting after pro-Trump rally allegedly took loaded gun to earlier Portland protest — A 48-year-old man who was accused of carrying a loaded gun at an earlier downtown Portland protest is under investigation in the fatal shooting Saturday night of a right-wing demonstrator after a pro-Trump rally.

Discussion: New York Post, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, The US Sun, New York Times, The Post Millennial and Redstate

Lee Brown / New York Post:

Man suspected in deadly Portland shooting calls himself ‘100% ANTIFA’ — An ex-military man who calls himself “100% ANTIFA” and ready for “war” is being investigated over the death of Aaron “Jay” Danielson, a “supporter” of the right-wing Patriot Prayer group who was part of a caravan …

Discussion: Reason

Andy Ngo / The Post Millennial:

‘I am 100% Antifa’: Alleged Portland shooter was previously arrested—and released—for bringing illegal loaded gun to a riot — The man being investigated by police in the fatal shooting of a Trump supporter in Portland identifies as Antifa and is an ardent Black Lives Matter supporter.

Discussion: Big League Politics, Twitchy and The Federalist

Miranda Devine / New York Post:
BLM ‘activists’ celebrated as Trump supporter was killed

Discussion: The US Sun, Washington Times, Raw Story, WCCO | CBS Minnesota and TheBlaze

Washington Post:

New Trump pandemic adviser pushes controversial ‘herd immunity’ strategy, worrying public health officials — One of President Trump's top medical advisers is urging the White House to embrace a controversial “herd immunity” strategy to combat the pandemic, which would entail allowing …

Discussion: Media Matters for America, Talking Points Memo, Political Wire and Raw Story

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

Swift Boat mastermind to launch massive super PAC to boost Trump — Senior Republicans are launching a massive super PAC this week to bolster Donald Trump's reelection in the final stretch of the campaign — a move that comes as the president has been pummeled by Joe Biden on TV.

Discussion: Associated Press, Raw Story and Political Wire

NBC News:

Poll: Third party voters from 2016 are backing Biden 2-to-1 — WASHINGTON — One of the major differences between 2016 and 2020 is that this year's presidential contest features a smaller third-party vote than four years ago, and Gary Johnson/Jill Stein voters from 2016 are breaking more toward Joe Biden than they are Donald Trump.

Discussion: Raw Story, Axios, Slate and The Hill

Jonathan Swan / Axios:
Inside Biden's edge

Discussion: Raw Story and The Daily Beast

Ben Smith / New York Times:

I'm Still Reading Andrew Sullivan. But I Can't Defend Him. — He's one of the most influential journalists of the last three decades, but he's shadowed by a 1994 magazine cover story that claimed to show a link between race and I.Q. — PROVINCETOWN, Mass. — The only restaurant open late …

Discussion: Columbia Journalism Review, more at Mediagazer »

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Trump offered FBI director job to John Kelly, asked for loyalty — The day after President Trump fired FBI boss James Comey, the president phoned John Kelly, who was then secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, and offered him Comey's job, the New York Times' Pulitzer Prize-winning …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, The Hill, Raw Story and CANNONFIRE

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Leaked McGahn memo reveals alarms about Kushner's top-secret security clearance — Trump ultimately intervened to ensure Kushner got his top-secret security clearance.

Discussion: Raw Story and The Hill

Mike Allen / Axios:
Trump mulled “settling” with Mueller amid Russia investigation

Discussion: Political Wire

Ed Mazza / HuffPost:

‘Zombie’ Herman Cain Tweets That Coronavirus ‘Not As Deadly’ As Media Said — The former presidential candidate died of the virus in July, but his family continues to tweet conspiracy theories from his account. — The Twitter account formerly used by the late Herman Cain fired off …

Discussion: Mediaite and Political Wire

CNN:
Twitter removes QAnon supporter's false claim about coronavirus death statistics that Trump had retweeted

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Outside the Beltway, The Gateway Pundit, KOIN-TV, Reason, Twitchy and DrElizabeth Hesse DC

Jack Davis / The Western Journal:
CDC Now Says 94% of COVID Deaths Had an Underlying Condition

Discussion: Informed Comment, Axios, KCLO-TV, OutKick and Townhall

Leo Shane III / Military Times:

As Trump's popularity slips in latest Military Times poll, more troops say they'll vote for Biden — The latest Military Times poll shows a continued decline in active-duty service members' views of President Donald Trump and a slight but significant preference for former Vice President Joe Biden …

Discussion: The Guardian, Political Wire, Washington Times, POLITICUSUSA and Bloomberg

Associated Press:

In Pittsburgh, Biden to blame Trump for violence nationwide — PIITSBURGH, Pa. (AP) — Joe Biden is mounting a more aggressive offense against President Donald Trump with a rare public appearance in Pittsburgh on Monday, where he's expected to say Trump is contributing to the violence in the streets nationwide.

Discussion: Bloomberg, The Hill, NBC News, Breitbart, DCReport.org, The US Sun and Forbes

Tim Miller / The Bulwark:
The Pathetic Both-Sidesism of Republican Inc.

Discussion: Raw Story, CNN and Forbes

Joe Biden for President:
Statement by Vice President Joe Biden on the Deadly Violence in Portland

Discussion: The Atlantic, Washington Examiner, New York Times, Washington Post, Louder With Crowder, Slate, Townhall, Reuters, Althouse, KOIN-TV and Axios

Jonathan Martin / New York Times:

2020 Election Live Updates: Biden, Denouncing Violence, Will Challenge Trump's Leadership in Speech — As President Trump unleashed tweets that seemed to support confrontation, Joe Biden said Mr. Trump was recklessly causing it. — RIGHT NOW A group of anti-Trump Republicans are aiming …

Discussion: National Review, New York Post, Breitbart, The American Independent, Louder With Crowder, The US Sun, Washington Times, Associated Press and The Guardian

Jonathan Martin / New York Times:
In Massachusetts, Markey Outflanks Kennedy by Running as Bold Insurgent

Discussion: Fox News and Financial Times

Liz Clarke / Washington Post:

John Thompson, coach who built Georgetown basketball into national power, dies at 78 — John Thompson, the Washington native who elevated Georgetown University basketball to national prominence, earned Hall of Fame honors and carved a place in history as the first African American coach …

Discussion: New York Post, The US Sun, KTLA, Associated Press and OutKick

Paige Austin / Los Angeles, CA Patch:

Shooting At Pro-Trump Rally Leads To Standoff On Ventura Blvd. — A Los Angeles Police Department SWAT Team has surrounded three suspects in a shooting at a pro-Trump caravan in Woodland Hills. … WOODLAND HILLS, CA — The Los Angeles Police Department SWAT Team has surrounded three suspects holed …

Discussion: Axios, NBC Los Angeles, NPR, Santa Maria Times, CANNONFIRE and Breitbart

Los Angeles Times:
Confusion after LAPD responds to reports of gunfire at pro-Trump car caravan

Discussion: KTLA, The US Sun, CBS Los Angeles, The Gateway Pundit and Twitchy

Margot Cleveland / The Federalist:

Why Kenosha Police Officers' Use Of Force On Jacob Blake Was Justified — Most people have no understanding of what constitutes ‘reasonable force’ for police. Yes, it sometimes includes shooting a man, in broad daylight, in the back seven times. — A week ago Sunday …

Discussion: NBC Chicago, The Nation and Fox News

Paul LeBlanc / CNN:
White House says Trump still planning to visit Kenosha after governor urges him to reconsider

Discussion: National Review, The Hill, jsonline, New York Post, The Daily Caller, IJR, NPR, UPI, Washington Post, Fox News, Slate, KTLA, Raw Story, Axios, WISC-TV and CNBC

USA Today:

Don't get too excited about Biden's lead in the polls: a close election is dangerous — Imagine how you will feel on January 20, 2021 watching Donald Trump getting sworn in for a second term. Many of those arrayed around him on the dais on the West Front of the Capitol are familiar faces …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal

Jane Calderwood / Portsmouth Herald:

OPINION/GUEST VIEW: I can no longer support Sen. Susan Collins — I was raised to believe I should cast my vote for the person with the best ideas, regardless of their party. My father took me down to Bangor City Hall when I turned 18 to get me registered to vote.

Discussion: The Hill and Raw Story

Globes Online:

Sheldon Adelson set to buy US Ambassador's Herzliya home — The US billionaire is in advanced talks to buy the residence for NIS 300 million, which would make it Israel's most expensive home. — Exclusive: US billionaire Sheldon Adelson is in advanced talks to buy the US Ambassador …

David Folkenflik / NPR:

Voice of America Journalists: New CEO Endangers Reporters, Harms U.S. Aims — A group of veteran journalists for the Voice of America delivered a letter of protest Monday denouncing their parent agency's new CEO, Michael Pack, and alleging Pack's remarks in a recent interview prove …

more at Mediagazer »

Wall Street Journal:

New York Trump Investigations Appear to Be at Critical Junctures — Criminal, civil probes push forward with evidentiary disputes; Trump and his company claim investigations are political — New York prosecutors and lawyers for President Trump are set to argue before a federal appeals court Tuesday …

Paul Caron / TaxProf Blog:

Washburn Law School Removes Statues Of Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson — U.S. News & World Report, Statues Of Jefferson, Franklin Removed From Washburn Campus: — Statues of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin have been removed from the Washburn University campus after protests …

Ben White / Politico:

Trump tries to dance around a devastating backdrop — In the nine weeks left in the 2020 campaign, President Donald Trump has an especially daunting task: Convince a skeptical American public that the coronavirus-ravaged U.S. economy is actually roaring back and will soon return to the status …

Discussion: CounterPunch

Mike Levine / ABC News:

Melania's ex-friend: Trump family tainted by ‘deceit, deception’ — “It was amateur hour then, and it's amateur hour now.” — A former adviser and close friend of first lady Melania Trump's is now blasting the entire Trump family as a callous clan tainted by “deceit” and “deception,” …

Discussion: Raw Story

Jonathan V. Last / The Bulwark:

The Chaos President Has America in Chaos — Before he fancied himself the LAW & ORDER president, Donald Trump was the chaos candidate. The guy who didn't care about norms. The guy who was going to break a bunch of stuff on purpose and even more stuff on accident.

Discussion: CNN, Raw Story, NBC News and Washington Post

Ken Paxton / Washington Examiner:

How mail-in ballots threaten democracy — Democrats across the nation are pushing to send mail-in ballots to every voter in November. Not wanting to let the crisis caused by COVID-19 go to waste, they've disguised their plot to manipulate the integrity of our election system by arguing …