memeorandum: Jim Jordan Takes His Clown Show on the Road (Dennis Aftergut/The Bulwark)

1:45 PM ET, April 12, 2023

Top Items:

David Folkenflik / NPR:

NPR quits Twitter after being falsely labeled as ‘state-affiliated media’ — NPR will no longer post fresh content to its 52 official Twitter feeds, becoming the first major news organization to go silent on the social media platform. In explaining its decision, NPR cited Twitter's decision …

James Clayton / BBC:

Elon Musk tells BBC that owning Twitter has been quite painful — Running Twitter has been “quite painful” and “a rollercoaster”, Elon Musk has said, in a hastily arranged live interview with the BBC. — The multi-billionaire entrepreneur also said he would sell the company if the right person came along.

Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:

Inside Rupert Murdoch's Succession Drama — With the $1.6 billion Dominion lawsuit threatening to hobble Fox News, the ink on his divorce to Jerry Hall still wet, and his broken engagement to Ann Lesley Smith even fresher, it's been a chaotic 12 months for the 92-year-old conservative media baron.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, No More Mister Nice Blog and Jezebel, more at Mediagazer »

Meredith Newman / USA Today:

Judge in Dominion lawsuit considers sanctioning Fox News, questions its truthfulness on Murdoch role — Judge Eric Davis said he felt Fox misrepresented Murdoch's role with the cable network. ‘An omission is a lie,’ the judge said. — Meredith NewmanUSA TODAY

Discussion: Reuters, Deadline, Washington Post, Politico, NPR, Talking Points Memo, New York Times, Joe.My.God., Alternet.org, Political Wire, Raw Story, UPI and The Wrap, more at Mediagazer »

Reuters:
Fox shareholder sues Rupert Murdoch, other directors over 2020 election coverage

Discussion: Political Wire

Jane C. Timm / NBC News:
Rupert Murdoch and Fox Corp. board members sued by investor over ‘stolen election claims’

Discussion: Associated Press, Reuters, Vanity Fair, Washington Post, Joe.My.God., Media Matters for America, Breitbart and Deadline, more at Mediagazer »

Arthur Delaney / HuffPost:

GOP Seeks To Shield Trump From All Future State Prosecutions — New legislation from House Republicans would allow former presidents to move state prosecutions to federal courts. — WASHINGTON — New legislation from House Republicans aims to prevent local district attorneys from pursuing charges against former presidents.

Discussion: FOX8 WGHP, Law & Crime, Raw Story and Breitbart

Dennis Aftergut / The Bulwark:

Jim Jordan Takes His Clown Show on the Road — He wants to smear the Manhattan district attorney who is prosecuting Donald Trump. But there are some silver linings. — There goes Jim Jordan, the MAGA chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and its “weaponization of government” subcommittee, driving his clown car to a new town.

Discussion: The Status Kuo, Civil Discourse …, New York Daily News, CNN, The Daily Beast, PoliticusUSA and The Root

S.V. Date / HuffPost:
Has Trump Boxed His Rivals Into Defending Him On More Serious Charges, Too?

Discussion: Raw Story, National Review and East Bay Times

New York Times:
Bragg Sues Jim Jordan in Move to Block Interference in Trump Case

Benjamin Hart / New York Magazine:

What Can Democrats Do About Clarence Thomas's Ethics Fiasco? — For years, Democratic senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island has been warning about the effects of dark money on American law and politics, particularly at the Supreme Court — a “captured court,” as he calls it, walled off from accountability.

Discussion: MSNBC

Graeme Wood / The Atlantic:

Clarence Thomas's Billionaire Friend Is No Nazi — He has a signed copy of Mein Kampf. That doesn't mean he admires Hitler. — I have never met Harlan Crow, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's billionaire best friend, but I have peered through the fence surrounding his estate late at night …

Discussion: Althouse and The Forward

Adam Carrington / Washington Examiner: Justice Clarence Thomas deserves our praise and thanks, not Michael Tomasky's unhinged attacks

Thomas B. Edsall / New York Times:

The Republican Strategists Who Have Carefully Planned All of This — Republican leaders are now adopting increasingly autocratic measures, using the police powers of government to impose moralized regulations, turning private citizens into enforcement officers and expelling defiant elected Democrats …

Discussion: National Review, Digby's Hullabaloo and Election Law Blog

Sam Levine / The Guardian:

How Ron DeSantis waged a targeted assault on Black voters: 'I fear for what's to come' — In gerrymandering voting maps and gutting one of the biggest expansions of voting rights, the Florida governor seeks to dilute Black political power — Al Lawson felt the weight of his victory the night he was elected to Congress in 2016.

Discussion: The Root

Jessica Huseman / Votebeat:
These state officials praised ERIC for years before suddenly pulling out of the program

Discussion: Florida Phoenix

Kalyeena Makortoff / The Guardian:

World Bank staff were told to give special treatment to son of Trump official — Exclusive: Leaked recording raises concerns over governance at development bank, at which David Malpass is now president — World Bank staff were apparently told to give preferential treatment to the son …

Discussion: Raw Story and Common Dreams

Corky Siemaszko / NBC News:

Texas county weighs closing local library after federal judge orders banned books returned to circulation — The Llano County commissioners scheduled a special meeting Thursday where they will discuss whether to “continue or cease operations” at the library.

Discussion: al.com

Kate Lý Johnston / Heartland Signal:
Missouri House Republicans vote to defund libraries

Discussion: Occupy Democrats, The Moderate Voice, Raw Story and Political Wire

Daniel Villarreal / LGBTQ Nation:
Missouri GOP votes to slash state library funding over LGBTQ+ books

Discussion: CNN and Moms for Liberty

Timothy Puko / Washington Post:

Biden to remake U.S. auto industry with toughest emissions limits ever — Proposed rules could lead to 67% of all car and truck sales to be EVs by 2032, EPA says, but some automakers are wary of the timeline. — As part of his fight against climate change, President Biden is attempting …

NBC News:
Biden administration proposes toughest auto emissions standards yet

Discussion: US EPA, The Gateway Pundit, Roll Call, UPI, Issues & Insights and The Western Journal

Michael Isikoff / Yahoo News:

Trump's tale of crying Manhattan court employees was ‘absolute BS,’ law enforcement source says — Former President Trump's claim to a Fox News anchor that New York court employees were “crying” and apologizing for his arraignment on felony charges is “absolute BS” and doesn't remotely resemble …

Discussion: Washington Post, Fox News, New Republic, PJ Media, The Wrap, Right Side Broadcasting …, Raw Story, Al Jazeera, The Western Journal, PoliticusUSA, American Greatness, HuffPost, New York Post, Rolling Stone, Forbes and The Hill

Benjy Sarlin / Semafor:

Don't assume this is Donald Trump's last run — Here's a fun Wednesday morning thought for everyone: Donald Trump will probably run again in 2028 if he loses.

Discussion: Raw Story

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

Trump seeks delay of defamation trial, citing ‘media frenzy’ caused by Manhattan indictment — Trump's lawyer contends that the surge in media coverage of the former president's indictment has tainted potential jurors in the civil case. — Donald Trump argued late Tuesday that his historic indictment …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Insider, NBC News, Washington Post, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, New York Daily News, Reuters, ABC News, CNN, Bloomberg, Law & Crime, Joe.My.God. and Raw Story

Adam Klasfeld / Law & Crime:
Donald Trump asks to delay E. Jean Carroll trial one month, wants ‘cooling off’ from indictment

Discussion: New York Times

Paul Steinhauser / Fox News:

Fox News will host first 2024 Republican presidential primary debate in Milwaukee — Republicans will hold their first presidential primary debate in Milwaukee, host city for the GOP's 2024 national nominating convention — EXCLUSIVE - The Republican National Committee (RNC) …

Discussion: Rumble, New York Times, RedState, Washington Examiner, Raw Story, The Hill, Forbes, Joe.My.God., Just The News and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

Annie Todd / Argus Leader:

Joel Koskan, who ran for SD Senate, pleads guilty to 2 counts of felony incest — PIERRE — Joel Koskan, who ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2022 and days before the election was arrested on charges relating to child abuse, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony incest Tuesday morning.

Discussion: Occupy Democrats, Joe.My.God., Washington Press, Raw Story and Political Wire

CNN:

Hakeem Jeffries' ‘vague recollection’ of controversy surrounding his uncle undermined by college editorial defending him — For years, Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has told a similar story: he was off at college and shielded from controversies surrounding his uncle …

Jonathan Martin / Politico:

How Tennessee Became the Poster State for Political Meltdown — The Volunteer State was long defined by its unique culture. Then came toxic redistricting, poisoned social media, parties polarized on race and other pathologies. — NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Standing in the sun outside Tennessee's …

Discussion: The Daily Beast

Joe Schoffstall / Fox News:

Biden DOJ recommends no jail time for trans vandal of Catholic church: ‘F— Catholics’ — Biden's administration previously came down hard on pro-life activists — President Biden's Justice Department offered what critics are calling a sweetheart plea deal to a vandal who admitted …

Discussion: National Review, RedState, Louder With Crowder, TheBlaze, Frontpage Mag, Newsbusters, Metro.co.uk and The Daily Caller

David Dayen / American Prospect:

Pharma Cash Built the Conservative Court Majority That Now Harms Pharma — Drug industry CEOs angrily dispute Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk's ruling on mifepristone. But they spent millions on the Senate Republicans who confirmed him. — Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has been one of the most …

Discussion: Digby's Hullabaloo, STAT, Financial Times and The Intercept

Punchbowl News:

NEWS: DNC cuts ties with Dem super lawyer Elias … The DNC and Elias had a number of strategic disagreements, according to sources familiar with the internal deliberations. — Elias has represented the DNC since 2009. His firm, the Elias Law Group, represents all of the major Democratic entities in Washington.

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite, HotAir, Washington Post, RedState, New York Times, National Review and CNN

New York Times:

Witnesses Asked About Trump's Handling of Map With Classified Information — The map is just one element of the Justice Department's inquiry into former President Donald Trump's possession of sensitive documents and whether he obstructed justice in seeking to hold onto them.

Discussion: Just The News and Washington Examiner

Andrew Malcolm / RedState:

Just Perfect: For 2024, Dems Pick a Dying Chicago to Showcase a Lost Joe Biden — I am grieving for my favorite American city, Chicago. — I should say it was my favorite American city. It's fallen on hard times now, very hard times. — Not really fallen either.

Discussion: AMLI, New York Times, New York Magazine, Washington Free Beacon, The Japan News, The Hill, Politico, Washington Examiner, NPR, Breitbart, NewsNation, Bloomberg, NBC New York and NBC News

Richard Rubin / Wall Street Journal:

Green Tax Credits Are Likely to Be More Popular—and Expensive—Than Expected — Trend could undermine a Biden administration claim that the climate law reduces deficits — WASHINGTON—Green tax credits from last year's climate law are likely to be far more popular than anticipated …

Discussion: National Review and Associated Press

Morgan Phillips / Daily Mail:

EXCLUSIVE: Dumping boiling potatoes on her husband's head, saying he's ‘too dumb’ to have a cell phone and calling him a f***ing slob: Allegations about Democrat Katie Porter's abusive marriage resurface as she launches Senate run and releases memoir — On March 20, 2013 …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and Twitchy

Gwynn Guilford / Wall Street Journal:

U.S. Inflation Eased to 5% in March — CPI increase cooled to lowest level in nearly two years — U.S. inflation eased to 5% in March from a year earlier, its lowest level in nearly two years, but underlying price pressures remained elevated despite the Federal Reserve's campaign to slow rapid price increases.

The Guardian:

Harvard to rename school after top Republican donor following $300m gift — Graduate school of arts and sciences to be named in honor of Ken Griffin, 54, hedge-fund billionaire and world's 35th richest person — Harvard University will rename its graduate school of arts and sciences …

Discussion: New Republic, Harvard University Gazette, Observer, National Review and The Daily Caller

Katherine Rosman / New York Times:

Should College Come With Trigger Warnings? At Cornell, It's a ‘Hard No.’ — When the student assembly voted to require faculty to alert students to upsetting educational materials, administrators pushed back. — Last month, a Cornell University sophomore, Claire Ting …

Discussion: Althouse

Tesnim Zekeria / Popular Information:

The truth about Budweiser — Trans activist Dylan Mulvaney recently partnered with Bud Light to promote the popular beer brand. With over 10 million followers, Mulvaney is best known for chronicling her gender transition in her TikTok series, Days of Girlhood.