memeorandum: David Perdue mocks Kamala Harris' name in Trump rally warm up (Matthew Choi/Politico)

1:21 AM ET, October 17, 2020

Top Items:

David Ignatius / Washington Post:

The truth behind the Hunter Biden non-scandal — The story of Hunter Biden's involvement with the Ukrainian gas company Burisma isn't a scandal about his father, as the Trump campaign claims, but part of a personal tragedy for the vice president's son, compounded by this week's dissemination …

Discussion: Fox News, Breitbart, IJR, Townhall, The Daily Caller and TheBlaze

The Daily Beast:

Bolton Warned His Staff To Stay Away From Russia-Aligned Rudy Giuliani — NYET … As early as the spring of 2019, the former New York mayor was seen as a conduit for Russia's evolving efforts to manipulate the forthcoming election. — Former National Security Adviser John Bolton repeatedly told …

Discussion: Political Wire, CBS News, Daily Kos, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, The Root, Vanity Fair, POLITICUSUSA and emptywheel

Fox News:

Source on alleged Hunter Biden email chain verifies message about Chinese investment firm — Sources have told Fox News that ‘the big guy’ is a reference to the former vice president. — Flipboard — New Hunter Biden emails detail alleged dealings with China

Discussion: The Federalist, Breitbart, New York Post, The Gateway Pundit and Twitchy

Breitbart:
Exclusive — ‘This is China, Inc.’: Emails Reveal Hunter Biden's Associates Helped Communist-Aligned Chinese Elites Secure White House Meetings

Discussion: Liberty Unyielding, Townhall, Power Line, The Gateway Pundit and Redstate

Eric Tucker / Associated Press:
AP source: FBI probing if emails part of influence operation

Discussion: WHDH-TV, The Daily Caller and Forbes

The Daily Caller:
EXCLUSIVE: 1-On-1 With Rudy Giuliani — What Haven't We Seen From The Hunter Biden Hard Drive, And Why Won't He Release It In Full?

Discussion: TheBlaze

Brian Stelter / CNN:

More people watched Biden on ABC than Trump on NBC, MSNBC and CNBC — New York (CNN Business)Joe Biden's town hall on ABC averaged 13.9 million viewers on Thursday night, easily surpassing the Nielsen ratings for President Trump's town hall on NBC. That alone was a result virtually no one in the TV business expected.

Will Thorne / Variety:
TV Ratings: Biden Leads Town Hall Duel With Trump in Early Numbers

Nick Niedzwiadek / Politico:
Trump miffed by Guthrie's questioning at town hall

Discussion: Slate, Wall Street Journal and Reuters

Tyler Olson / Fox News:
Biden's ABC town hall questioners include former Obama speechwriter, wife of former Pennsylvania Dem candidate

Discussion: Townhall, NBC News, Redstate, Breitbart, OutKick, The Guardian, Mediaite, Twitchy, Vox, The Daily Caller, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, New York Post, Associated Press and Washington Free Beacon

Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:
The Presidential Town Halls Were Mister Rogers Versus Nasty Uncle Trump

Discussion: pjmedia.com, USA Today, Talking Points Memo, ABC News, American Herald, Vox, Redstate, Raw Story, The American Independent, CNN, Washington Post, Associated Press, Bulwark+, Poynter, New York Times and The Week

David Bauder / Associated Press:
For grateful NBC, Savannah Guthrie changes the subject

Discussion: Newsbusters, KRQE-TV, Variety, The Hill, Damian J. Penny, Reuters, The Gateway Pundit and New Republic, more at Mediagazer »

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Scoop: Trump's advisers brace for loss, point fingers — Three senior Trump advisers who recently talked to campaign manager Bill Stepien walked away believing he thinks they will lose. — The big picture: The Trump campaign is filled with internal blaming and pre-spinning of a potential loss …

Discussion: Politico, Progress Pond, Breitbart, The Hill, Washington Post, Slate, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Alternet.org, Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA, Fox News and Mediaite

Business Insider:

Let the blame game begin. Republicans point the finger at Parscale, Kushner, Stepien, and Trump himself as the president's team braces for a potential 2020 blowout. … - President Donald Trump's advisors, campaign staff, and other Republicans are starting to assign blame for what could be a big loss …

Jonathan Swan / Axios:
Kushner and McDaniel bring back Katie Walsh Shields to offer strategic advice

Discussion: Raw Story

Jake Tapper / CNN:

Former White House chief of staff tells friends that Trump ‘is the most flawed person’ he's ever met — (CNN)Former White House chief of staff, retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, has told friends that President Donald Trump “is the most flawed person” he's ever known. — “The depths of his dishonesty is just astounding to me.

Discussion: Raw Story and The Hill

Matthew Choi / Politico:

David Perdue mocks Kamala Harris' name in Trump rally warm up — “Kamala? Kamala? Kamala-mala-mala? I don't know. Whatever,” Perdue (R-Ga.) said at a rally in Macon. — Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) speaks during a Kiwanis Club of Atlanta luncheon. Andrea Smith, File/AP Photo — October 16, 2020

Discussion: Reuters, Washington Post, The Hill and New York Post

Catie Edmondson / New York Times:
Fearing a ‘Blood Bath,’ Republican Senators Begin to Edge Away From Trump

Discussion: Roll Call, New Republic, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Slate, Fox News, Vanity Fair and Breitbart

Lisa Lerer / New York Times:
2020 Election Live Updates: Fearing Losses in November, Republican Senators Begin to Edge Away From Trump

Discussion: Washington Post, Fox News and Bulwark+

Dan Alexander / Forbes:

Donald Trump Has At Least $1 Billion In Debt, More Than Twice The Amount He Suggested — The president's liabilities are spelled out in dozens of documents, published here. — No aspect of Donald Trump's business has been the subject of more speculation than his debt load.

Discussion: Raw Story, Mother Jones and CNN

New York Times: $421 Million in Debt: Trump Calls It ‘a Peanut,’ but Challenges Lie Ahead

Justin Wingerter / Denver Post:

With Gardner trailing Hickenlooper, national GOP groups scale back spending in Colorado — “It's over,” Republican pollster says of Colorado's U.S. Senate race — Faced with a consistent stream of polls showing U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner headed for a loss next month, national Republican groups …

Associated Press:
Major Democratic group pulls out of Colorado Senate race

Discussion: Politico, The Colorado Sun, The Hill and CBS Denver

Luke Mullins / Washingtonian:

He's 32. He's Joe Biden's Press Secretary. And He Has Stage 4 Cancer. — TJ Ducklo found out what it's like to work a presidential campaign while you're battling a devastating personal health crisis. — Everybody on the Biden campaign remembers the day that TJ Ducklo got back on the trail.

Rebecca Hennes / Houston Chronicle:

Trump billboard in Houston goes viral after being vandalized — A Donald Trump billboard located off Houston's Telephone Road has been vandalized, sparking a viral response on social media. — Personal injury lawyer Rogelio Garcia, 61, said he first spotted the billboard located …

Tim Miller / Rolling Stone:

Even in Defeat, Trumpism Isn't Going Anywhere — Republicans pining for days gone by have some tough truths to face — As the mad king raged at Savannah Guthrie for having the gall to question him about his conspiracy mongering, mask trutherism, and failure to even pretend to manage …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money and Fox News

Donna Provencher / The American Independent:

Self-proclaimed soybean farmer Joni Ernst doesn't know price of soybeans — And Sen. Ernst's reelection prospects look more bleak than ever. — In her third and last debate with the Democratic challenger for her Senate seat, Theresa Greenfield, on Thursday night, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) …

Discussion: Daily Kos, Alternet.org and Mediaite

New York Times:

White House Opposes Expanded Virus Testing, Complicating Stimulus Talks — Some administration officials say testing Americans with no symptoms of the coronavirus would hurt the economy and restrict civil liberties. Democrats and some prominent experts say it would slow the virus and bolster economic growth.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal

Reid J. Epstein / New York Times:

In Ohio, a Printing Company Is Overwhelmed and Mail Ballots Are Delayed — The company was until recently flying a “Trump 2020” flag over its Cleveland headquarters. The problems it has had underscore the stress that mail voting has put on the nation's election process amid the pandemic.

Discussion: Political Wire

Katie Benner / New York Times:

Third Justice Dept. Prosecutor Publicly Denounces Barr — The prosecutor also said he retired after staying on to protect a public corruption case against a Republican congressman. — WASHINGTON — A 36-year veteran of the Justice Department this week accused Attorney General William P. Barr …

James McAuley / Washington Post:

Teacher in Paris suburb decapitated, allegedly after showing cartoons of prophet Muhammad in class — PARIS — A high school teacher in a Paris suburb was decapitated Friday afternoon, French authorities said, in an attack that occurred after the teacher had allegedly shown caricatures of the prophet Muhammad to his students.

Discussion: Associated Press, NBC News, One America News Network, The Daily Beast and UPI

Victoria McGrane Globe / The Boston Globe:

Joe Kennedy III campaign says it improperly spent $1.5 million in Senate primary — The campaign of Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III said Friday that it improperly spent $1.5 million of donations intended for the general election during the final weeks of his bitter and ultimately …

Discussion: Washington Times

New York Times:

Who Was ‘El Padrino,’ Godfather to Drug Cartel? Mexico's Defense Chief, U.S. Says — Drug enforcement agents had long tried to solve the mystery of “El Padrino,” a shadowy, powerful force. They've now identified him as Salvador Cienfuegos, Mexico's defense chief from 2012 to 2018.

Discussion: One America News Network, Al Jazeera, Washington Free Beacon, WTOP and The Daily Caller

Dan Diamond / Politico:

HHS lawyer: Trump's drug cards could violate election law — The health department's top lawyer is warning in an internal memo that President Donald Trump's plan to give seniors $200 discount cards to buy prescription drugs could violate election law, according to three officials with knowledge of those legal concerns.

Discussion: Political Wire and Raw Story

Washington Post:

Ex-Washington cheerleaders shaken by lewd videos: 'I don't think they viewed us as people' — The contracts for the Washington Football Team's cheerleaders held them to a strict moral code. “Inappropriate” conduct or online content, including nude or seminude appearances in “tasteless” …

Discussion: Fox News, Breitbart and OutKick

Betsy McKay / Wall Street Journal:

More Than 1,000 Current and Former CDC Officers Condemn U.S. Covid-19 Response — An open letter calls for the federal agency to play a more central role in addressing the pandemic — More than 1,000 current and former officers of an elite disease-fighting program at the U.S. Centers …

Discussion: Axios

Wall Street Journal:

String of Firms That Imploded Have Something in Common: Ernst & Young Audited Them — Big Four accounting concern reviewed the books of several companies where investors lost billions when scandals emerged. The firm says it uncovered some of the problems at its clients. — TEXT — 140 RESPONSES

ABC News:

Neo-Nazi and Proud Boys groups push Trump campaign poll watching operation online: Reports — “Some of these groups will be listening to his false claims of fraud.” — Oregon governor says Trump ‘is stoking the fires of hatred and division’ — Kate Brown on her state's political unrest, mail-in voting system and wildfire aid.

Business Insider:

How the GOP learned to love QAnon … - The far-right QAnon conspiracy theory — which holds that a cabal of Satan-worshiping, child-trafficking Democrats is plotting to oust President Donald Trump — has grown increasingly mainstream in the GOP base. — At an NBC News town hall on Thursday night …

Discussion: Associated Press, Raw Story, Al Jazeera, Mother Jones, The Atlantic and Politico

A.G. Gancarski / Florida Politics:

Lincoln Project enlists whistleblower Alex Vindman for anti-Trump DC ad buy — The best way to ensure President Donald Trump sees an ad is by buying time in the District of Columbia, and some of his staunchest critics have a bracing message for POTUS this weekend.

Tiffany Hsu / New York Times:

Former Fox News Host Spreads Virus Misinformation on His Sinclair Show — Sinclair will edit Eric Bolling's online program before televising it, the host said. He walked back his statements on masks but reaffirmed a false theory on the pandemic's origins.

Discussion: Media Matters for America

Washington Post:

Trump administration rejects, then approves, emergency aid for California fires, including biggest blaze in state history — SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Fueled by extreme heat and dry, windy conditions, wildfires ravaged California in September, blazing through almost 1.9 million acres …

Discussion: ABC News, UPI, NBC News, WHDH-TV, Politico, NPR, Al Jazeera, One America News Network, Axios and Forbes

Mainer:

Susan Collins Backs QAnon Believers for Maine Legislature — Candidates advocate “God-declared executions” for “traitorous” Jews, Catholics, Black Lives Matter and environmental activists — Sen. Susan Collins is financially supporting the state legislative campaigns of two fellow Maine Republicans …

Discussion: Bangor Daily News and Balloon Juice

Katie Jane Fernelius / The Appeal:

New Orleans Public Defenders Are Mobilizing to “Flip the Bench” — These candidates are highlighting the power of judges to challenge mass incarceration. — In July, during a three-day period when candidates for elected office in Orleans Parish had to file their paperwork …

Brian Schwartz / CNBC:

Wall Street donors line up behind Biden in massive third-quarter fundraising haul — Joe Biden's joint fundraising committees benefited from a wave of big money contributions from finance leaders on Wall Street and across the country during the third quarter.

Discussion: Breitbart

New York Times:

In Reversal, Twitter Is No Longer Blocking New York Post Article — The latest change underlined how rapidly social media platforms are shifting their positions in the days leading up to the election. — SAN FRANCISCO — It is the 11th hour before the presidential election.