memeorandum: ‘Quad-State Tornado’ crossed four states in four hours, a rare December tornado (NBC News)

2:05 PM ET, December 11, 2021

Top Items:

At least 50 dead as tornadoes devastate Kentucky; Amazon warehouse collapses in Illinois — One tornado was on the ground for over 200 miles. — A devastating tornado outbreak in western Kentucky has claimed the lives of at least 50 people, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.

Discussion: The Daily Wire, Twitchy and The US Sun

New York Times:

Live Updates: Tornadoes Hit Several States, With at Least 70 Dead in Kentucky — Here's what you need to know: — Residents begin assessing the damage in at least five states. — Dozens of people were feared dead, and communities across the Midwest and South were digging through rubble …

Discussion: Washington Post, Associated Press, BBC, Forbes, The Daily Wire, WGN-TV and Slate

NBC News:

‘Quad-State Tornado’ crossed four states in four hours, a rare December tornado — The National Weather Service will confirm if a single tornado tracked over 200 miles from Arkansas to Kentucky, which could set the record for longest tornado in U.S. history — Kentucky Gov. Beshear: Tornado death toll is north of 70, may exceed 100

Discussion: Mother Jones and New York Times

CNN:
At least 50 likely dead in Kentucky alone, governor says, after tornadoes hit central and southern US

Discussion: The Hill, New York Times, Insider, The Daily Wire, The Western Journal, Forbes, CITIZEN STRINGER, The US Sun, Daily Kos and Mediaite

Associated Press:
Dozens feared dead as tornadoes, storms strike US states

Discussion: WHTM-TV, The Daily Wire, Reuters and National Review

NBC News:
At least 50 feared dead in Kentucky as tornadoes strike swaths of U.S.

Discussion: UPI, The Full Belmonte, Insider, New York Times, New York Post, CBS News, The Oakland Press and NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

KAIT-TV:
Tornado Warning: Two dead, five injured at Monette Manor

Discussion: RedState, New York Post, KSNT-TV, The Daily Beast, localmemphis.com, The Gateway Pundit, Insider, The US Sun, Twitchy and Raw Story

Washington Post:

Election denier who circulated Jan. 6 PowerPoint says he met with Meadows at White House — A retired U.S. Army colonel who circulated a proposal to challenge the 2020 election, including by declaring a national security emergency and seizing paper ballots, said that he visited the White House …

Discussion: Zandar Versus The Stupid

Hugo Lowell / The Guardian:

Capitol attack panel obtains PowerPoint that set out plan for Trump to stage coup — Presentation turned over by Mark Meadows made several recommendations for Trump to pursue to retain presidency — Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows turned over to the House select committee investigating …

Discussion: The Atlantic and Raw Story

New York Times:

Jan. 6 Committee Examines PowerPoint Document Sent to Meadows — Mark Meadows's lawyer said the former White House chief of staff did not act on the document, which recommended that President Donald J. Trump declare a national emergency to keep himself in power.

Discussion: Election Law Blog, Vanity Fair, Digby's Hullabaloo, Insider and HuffPost

Rudy Takala / Mediaite:

CNN Staffer Charged with Enticing Women and Their Underage Daughters to Engage in Sexual Activity — A CNN employee was charged Friday on three counts that he used a facility of interstate commerce to abuse underage girls. — Officials said a grand jury in Vermont indicted 44-year-old Stamford …

Discussion: U.S. Department of Justice, RedState, TheBlaze, Louder With Crowder and The Gateway Pundit

CT Insider:

Stamford man, a CNN staffer, allegedly coerced women to sexually ‘train’ daughters at his Vt. home — A Connecticut resident and CNN employee is facing federal charges after enticing women and their underage daughters to engage in illegal sexual activity at his home in Vermont, federal prosecutors said Friday.

Discussion: Trending Politics

Jana Winter / Yahoo News:

Operation Whistle Pig: Inside the secret CBP unit with no rules that investigates Americans — It was almost 10 p.m. on a Thursday night, and Ali Watkins was walking around the capital following instructions texted by a stranger. One message instructed her to walk through …

Julie Johnson / San Francisco Chronicle:

Omicron in Oakland: How a Wisconsin wedding with ‘super responsible’ vaccinated people led to outbreak — Most if not all of the guests wore masks when the Nov. 27 wedding ceremony started at a Wisconsin celebration that is now the suspected origin of an outbreak of COVID-19 …

Charles Homans / New York Times:

In Bid for Control of Elections, Trump Loyalists Face Few Obstacles — A movement animated by Donald J. Trump's 2020 election lies is turning its attention to 2022 and beyond. — ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. — When thousands of Trump supporters gathered in Washington on Jan. 6 for the Stop …

Discussion: Digby's Hullabaloo and Townhall

Politico:

I Left QAnon in 2019. But I'm Still Not Free. — Since it became clear that the QAnon conspiracy theory was a driving force in the siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Anastasiia Carrier has been interviewing former QAnon believers and hearing from them, in their own words, how they were drawn into that world and how they got out.

Discussion: Raw Story

Rachel Maddow / MSNBC:

A step-by-step breakdown of the Trump coup attempt (Yes, it was a coup) — Chris Hayes: “They attempted a coup—there's no better way to describe what happened. Trump and his allies did everything they possibly could, tried every possible avenue to overthrow a democratic election and install …

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

The role of violent threats in Trump's GOP reign, according to Republicans — Tim Alberta is out with his latest must-read this week — a profile of freshman Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.). Meijer joined Congress just days before the Capitol insurrection and almost immediately jeopardized …

Andy Greene / Rolling Stone:

Michael Nesmith, Monkees Singer-Songwriter, Dead at 78 — “With infinite love we announce that Michael Nesmith has passed away this morning in his home, surrounded by family, peacefully and of natural causes,” his family said in a statement — Monkees singer and guitarist Michael Nesmith …

Discussion: Variety, Washington Post, Power Line, Breitbart, Hollywood Reporter, The Western Journal, ABC7, Althouse, The Wrap, Stereogum and Fox 8 Cleveland WJW

Jennifer Medina / New York Times:

Republicans in Texas County, in Unusual Move, Upend Primary System — The G.O.P. in Potter County is planning to break away from a nonpartisan election board and hold its own primary next year, in a move criticized by election experts. — The Republican Party in the second-largest county …

Discussion: Raw Story

Jessica Huseman / Votebeat: Republicans in Texas county to administer their own 2022 primary, despite officials' warnings

YouTube:

President Biden on the Importance of Bipartisanship & Vaccines, Rejecting Extremism in Trump's GOP — President Biden makes his first late-night appearance as president to discuss his Build Back Better plan, the importance of his bipartisan friendship with th...

Discussion: Insider, Althouse, NBC4 Washington and Mediaite

Zolan Kanno-Youngs / New York Times:
Biden Talks Vaccines and Bob Dole in Interview With Jimmy Fallon

Discussion: Insider

Michael Levenson / New York Times:

Self-Proclaimed Proud Boys Member Gets 10 Years for Violence at Portland Protests — Prosecutors called Alan Swinney, 51, a “white nationalist vigilante cowboy” who shot a man in the eye with a paintball gun. — A self-professed member of the Proud Boys from Texas who traveled to Portland …

Discussion: UPI

Scott Stump / TODAY.com:

Hillary Clinton predicts Trump running again in 2024, calling it a ‘make-or-break point’ — Hillary Clinton says Donald Trump running for president again in 2024 could have a negative impact on the country. — The former Secretary of State and presidential candidate spoke frankly …

Discussion: Townhall, YouTube, Washington Examiner and IJR

Andrea Shalal / Reuters:

Meat packers' profit margins jumped 300% during pandemic - White House economics team — Four of the biggest meat-processing companies, using their market power in the highly consolidated U.S. market to drive up meat prices and underpay farmers, have tripled their own net profit margins since …