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1:35 PM ET, May 20, 2021

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Republicans offer a vile new excuse for opposing a Jan. 6 commission  —  With Republicans gearing up to kill a commission to examine the Jan. 6 insurrection, they have offered a barrage of comically weak excuses.  They say the commission is “slanted,” that its work will overlap with other investigations …
Discussion: Axios, HotAir and New York Times
RELATED:
Politico:
GOP defections over Jan. 6 commission deliver rebuke to McCarthy
Eli Lake / Bloomberg:
A Cease-Fire Is Not Enough When It Comes to Hamas  —  Since war broke out in Israel last week, President Joe Biden has walked a fine line.  His administration has touted its high-level diplomacy in hopes of reaching a cease-fire, while also defending Israel's right to defend itself.
RELATED:
Jacqueline Alemany / Washington Post:
Sen. Bernie Sanders to introduce resolution of disapproval on $735 million U.S. arms sale to Israel  —  The action comes as Biden calls for a ‘significant de-escalation of hostilities’ between Israel and Hamas  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is preparing to introduce a resolution …
CNN:
NY attorney general has been looking into the taxes of Trump Organization CFO for months, sources say  —  (CNN)The New York attorney general's office has opened a criminal tax investigation into top Trump Organization officer Allen Weisselberg, increasing the legal pressure on the long-time aide …
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Inspired by Arizona recount, Trump loyalists push to revisit election results in communities around the country  —  At a public meeting last week in Cheboygan County, Mich., a lawyer from Detroit told county commissioners that the voting machines they used in 2020 could “flip” votes and throw an election.
RELATED:
Ian Richardson / Des Moines Register:
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signs law banning mask mandates in schools, cities and counties  —  Leaders of Iowa school districts cannot require students or staff to wear masks and Iowa cities and counties cannot impose mask mandates under a law Gov. Kim Reynolds signed early Thursday.
RELATED:
Katie Akin / Iowa Capital Dispatch:
Reynolds signs law to forbid Iowa schools, counties and cities from requiring face masks
Discussion: Bleeding Heartland
Washington Post:
Chris Cuomo took part in strategy calls advising his brother, the New York governor, on how to respond to sexual harassment allegations  —  CNN anchor Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, and senior members of the governor's staff on how to respond …
Discussion: RedState, Fox News and The Federalist
Brent Hamachek / Human Events:
Thought Leader Jack Posobiec Joins Human Events Team as Senior Editor  —  Human Events is thrilled to announce the hiring of the extremely talented and influential Jack Posobiec as Senior Editor.  Most recently, Posobiec served as a correspondent and host for One America News Network.
Peter Stevenson / Washington Post:
Chief Justice John Roberts: From key swing vote to potential bystander?  —  Almost seven months after Justice Amy Coney Barrett's swearing-in, the Supreme Court is set to take on a case that could redefine abortion law in the United States.  The court announced Monday that it will review …
RELATED:
Kyle Kondik / Sabato's Crystal Ball:
The House: Democrats Would Have a Tough Slog Even Without Redistricting  —  Our hypothetical ratings of House 2022 if no district lines changed  —  KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE  — The reapportionment of House seats and pending redistricting has prevented us from releasing U.S. House ratings so far this cycle.
Eric Levitz / New York Magazine:
Why Is This Geopolitical Fight Different From All Other Fights?  —  Violence in Israel and Palestine has a way of commanding attention in the United States.  On Wednesday morning, Joe Biden's call for a “significant de-escalation” in the conflict adorned the front pages of the Washington Post and New York Times.
Discussion: The Nation and Slow Boring
RELATED:
New York Times:
Gaza Conflict Stokes ‘Identity Crisis’ for Young American Jews
Discussion: Washington Examiner
Joanna Weiss / Politico:
J.D. Vance Is Making Everyone Mad on Twitter.  Can It Win Him a Senate Seat?  —  J.D. Vance, the writer and venture capitalist who might run for U.S. Senate in Ohio, became a media darling by building a bridge between two worlds.  Now, he's using Twitter to set that bridge on fire.
Discussion: Althouse, HuffPost and The Wrap
Marina Pitofsky / The Hill:
First vaccine boosters could be needed as soon as September, executives say  —  The first Americans who received their COVID-19 vaccines could need a “booster” shot of as soon as September, the CEOS of Pfizer and Moderna told Axios.  —  “The data that I see coming, they are supporting …
Discussion: Axios and HotAir
Barak Ravid / Axios:
Scoop: Biden leaning toward Thomas Nides as ambassador to Israel  —  President Biden is closing in on his pick for ambassador to Israel, with Thomas Nides, a former deputy secretary of state, most likely to be the pick, a source familiar with the process told Axios.
Payne Lubbers / Bloomberg:
Initial Jobless Claims in U.S. Decline to Fresh Pandemic Low  — First-time applications drop to 444,000 in week ended May 15  — Georgia, Kentucky and Texas among states with biggest declines  —  Applications for U.S. state unemployment insurance fell last week to a fresh pandemic low …
RELATED:
Taylor Telford / Washington Post:
Jobless claims set new pandemic low as GOP-led states move to slash unemployment benefits
Discussion: New York Post and CBS News
David Leonhardt / New York Times:
The Myth of Labor Shortages  —  Is the U.S. suffering from a labor shortage?  If so, capitalism has an answer.  —  The chief executive of Domino's Pizza has complained that the company can't hire enough drivers.  Lyft and Uber claim to have a similar problem.
John Ganz / Unpopular Front:
Are Republicans still democrats?  —  The Right's Long War on Majority Rule  —  This week FiveThirtyEight published a piece entitled “How The Republican Push To Restrict Voting Could Affect Our Elections.”  Included in the article is a graph that purports to chart “The GOP's eroding commitment to Democracy” …
Kyle Mantyla / Right Wing Watch:
Lauren Boebert Falsely Claims Texas Hasn't Had a Single COVID-19 Death Since Lifting All Restrictions Two Months Ago  —  Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and other Republican lawmakers are rebelling against the requirement that members of Congress wear a mask while on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Discussion: The Colorado Sun
Daniel Lippman / Politico:
Inside Trump's push to oust his own FBI chief  —  Then-President Donald Trump sought to oust FBI Director Christopher Wray last spring and replace him with counterintelligence head William Evanina, according to three former Trump officials familiar with the episode.
Discussion: Raw Story
Ed Yong / The Atlantic:
What Happens When Americans Can Finally Exhale  —  This time last year, the United States seemed stuck on a COVID-19 plateau.  Although 1,300 Americans were dying from the disease every day, states had begun to reopen in a patchwork fashion, and an anxious nation was looking ahead to an uncertain summer.
Kaiser Health News:
Stark Racial Disparities Persist in Vaccinations, State-Level CDC Data Shows  —  Black Americans' covid-19 vaccination rates are still lagging months into the nation's campaign, while Hispanics are closing the gap and Native Americans show the highest rates overall, according to federal data obtained by KHN.
Jonah Goldberg / The Dispatch:
Structural Antisemitism  —  When AOC says it's simplistic to say that Israel has a right to defend itself, she's right.  It is simple: Israel has a right to defend itself.  —  14 hr ago  —  Hi all,  —  Structural racism means different things to different people.
Discussion: Gatestone Institute
Perry Bacon / Washington Post:
American democracy is in even worse shape than you think  —  Joe Biden so far has been an effective president, particularly in terms of managing the coronavirus vaccine rollout and making hard but necessary policy decisions such as moving to withdraw U.S. troops out of Afghanistan.
Michael Lee / Washington Examiner:
Bongino and Rivera have heated exchange before Rivera throws paper, turns back to camera  —  Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera and conservative commentator Dan Bongino got into another heated exchange during an appearance on Hannity, this time over the conflict in Gaza.
Discussion: Insider and Crooks and Liars
The Times of Israel:
Unnamed Likud officials: Netanyahu drawing out Gaza conflict to stop Lapid forming gov't  —  Sources in the Likud party tell the Ma'ariv newspaper there are concerns Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is extending the fighting in Gaza because Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid currently holds the mandate to form the next government.
Veronica Stracqualursi / CNN:
Justin Amash warns of painting Liz Cheney as a ‘hero’ and questions why she spoke out about Trump  —  (CNN)Justin Amash, former Republican-turned independent congressman, argued that propping up GOP Rep. Liz Cheney as “some sort of hero” for breaking with her party about former President Donald Trump …
Discussion: Washington Examiner
Larry Behrens / RealClearEnergy:
President Biden Must End the Radical Green Agenda  —  If we allow President Joe Biden to continue promoting the radical green agenda unchecked, long gasoline lines won't be the only problem families will face.  —  Americans in the eastern part of the country are just now learning the hard …
U.S. Department of Justice:
U.S. Government Seizes 68 Protected Big Cats and a Jaguar from Jeffrey and Lauren Lowe  —  The United States has seized 68 protected lions, tigers, lion-tiger hybrids, and a jaguar from Jeffrey and Lauren Lowe's Tiger King Park in Thackerville, Oklahoma, pursuant to a judicially-authorized search …
Discussion: Law & Crime
 
 
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 More Items: 
Kstewart / NABJ:
A Statement from the NABJ Board on Mayor Lightfoot's Message to the Media
Josh Boswell / Daily Mail:
EXCLUSIVE: Former FBI director Louis Freeh gave $100,000 to a private trust for Joe Biden's grandchildren and spoke with the then vice president in 2016 …
Discussion: The Gateway Pundit
Ben Makuch / VICE:
Neo-Nazi Group The Base Is Recruiting Again, Despite FBI Takedown
Ian Millhiser / Vox:
Firing squads are making a comeback in 21st-century America
The Markup:
Facebook Said It Would Stop Recommending Anti-Vaccine Groups. It Didn't
 Earlier Items: 
Farley Elliott / Eater:
Scuffle at LA Sushi Restaurant Could Be Labeled Anti-Semitic Hate Crime
Amy Walter / The Cook Political Report:
Fighting the Last War, Losing the Current One?
Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Political Wire and KFF
Christian Toto / Hollywood in Toto:
Too Many Celebrities Actively Condone or Support Violence
Alana Wise / NPR:
Democrats And Republicans Square Off Over House Mask Mandate
Discussion: Breitbart, The Hill and KTAR.com
Jessica Tarlov / The Hill:
Are cranky Democrats an electoral risk?
Stephanie Ruhle / MSNBC:
Ice cream parlor raises minimum wage to $15/hr, flooded with job applications
 

 
From Mediagazer:

Jessica Toonkel / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Paramount Global's board is considering replacing CEO Bob Bakish with an “Office of the CEO” made up of division heads on an interim basis

Andrew Marchand / The Athletic:
Sources: Amazon Prime Video has a framework deal for NBA broadcast rights for at least a decade, starting in 2025-26; ESPN/ABC is expected to keep the finals

Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Memo: CNN's Poppy Harlow is leaving the network; she joined in 2008 and most recently co-hosted CNN This Morning, which was effectively canceled earlier in 2024

 
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