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2:30 PM ET, July 16, 2025

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
New York Times:
Trump Has Drafted Letter to Fire Fed Chair and Asked Republicans if He Should  —  The president waved a copy of a draft letter firing Jerome H. Powell at a meeting in the Oval Office with House Republicans.  It remains to be seen whether he follows through with his threat.
RELATED:
Josh Wingrove / Bloomberg:
Trump Likely to Fire Powell Soon, White House Official Says  —  President Donald Trump is likely to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell soon, a White House official said, and discussed the possible move in a meeting with congressional Republicans on Tuesday night.
Jeff Cox / CNBC:
Trump ‘likely’ will fire Fed Chair Powell ‘soon,’ White House official says  —  President Donald Trump told a room full of Republican lawmakers that he will fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, after receiving approval from them to make the move, a senior White House official told CNBC.
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Denies He Is Planning to Attempt to Fire Powell
Marita Vlachou / HuffPost:
Trump Goes Off On His Own MAGA Base: 'I Don't Want Their Support Anymore!'  —  Trump seems furious at the members of his own base criticizing his administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, accusing them of falling prey to a “hoax” and declaring that he doesn't “want their support.”
RELATED:
MSNBC:
Trump told MAGA to be quiet about Jeffrey Epstein.  Fox News obeyed.  —  The president's media allies have mostly followed his marching orders.  —  President Donald Trump's allies at Fox News — and other major MAGA media figures — are obeying his marching orders to stop talking about Jeffrey Epstein …
Ankush Khardori / Politico:
3 Scenarios That Explain the Epstein Debacle  —  All reflect poorly on the Department of Justice.  —  The Justice Department's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case appears to constitute the rare controversy in which there are no innocuous explanations for what has unfolded.
Discussion: The Hill, Fox News and KARE-TV
Kevin Liptak / CNN:
Trump calls Epstein controversy ‘bullsh*t,’ says supporters who care about it are ‘weaklings’
J.D. Wolf / MeidasTouch News:
“Um ... What?”— Elon Musk Criticizes Trump's Epstein Files Hoax Claim
Politico:
Loomer delivers searing warning: Epstein could ‘consume’ Trump presidency
Discussion: Mother Jones and The Independent
Julia Ornedo / The Daily Beast:
Trump Tries to Put Down Epstein Revolt by Calling MAGA Rebels ‘Bad People’
Politico:
Trump puts out another fire for Johnson  —  IN TODAY'S EDITION:  — House tries again on crypto bills  — Senate vote-a-rama kicks off at 1:30 p.m.  — Johnson breaks with Trump on Epstein  —  THE GOP'S MAINE CONCERN — Senate Republicans need Susan Collins to seek a sixth term next year to hold the majority.
RELATED:
Adrian Carrasquillo / The Bulwark:
‘Alligator Alcatraz’ and Why Mass Deportation Is Doomed  —  LET ME TAKE YOU BACK TO MAY 2011.  Then President Barack Obama, frustrated with what he took to be increasingly unreasonable demands from Republicans on immigration reform, joked that next they would demand a moat at the border—one stocked with alligators.
Discussion: New York Sun and The Independent
RELATED:
Hunter Walker / Talking Points Memo:   Contracts Show Millions of Dollars and Diverted Disaster Resources Were Used to Build DeSantis' ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
David Uberti / Wall Street Journal:
Trump Effect Starts to Show Up in Economy  —  New data reflect that president's tariff and immigration policies are boosting inflation and weighing on jobs  —  A chaotic rollout of tariffs is starting to filter through to price tags on store shelves.  An immigration crackdown is beginning …
RELATED:
New York Times:
Rising Inflation Underscores Risks in Trump's New Tariff Threats
Eric Levitz / Vox:   The lie at the heart of Trump's entire economic agenda
Washington Post:
DOJ hits states with broad requests for voter rolls, election data  —  Election clerks in both parties, already facing harassment and lawsuits over Trump's false 2020 election claims, worry about efforts to examine voting machines.  —  The Trump administration and its allies have launched …
Rebecca Crosby / Popular Information:
The secret to Baltimore's extraordinary year  —  This April, Baltimore saw five homicides.  That is the fewest of any month since 1970, when the city began tracking monthly homicide numbers.  In the first six months of the year, homicides were down 22% compared to 2024, and non-fatal shootings were down 19%.
Adam Cancryn / CNN:
RFK Jr. fires top aides in HHS shakeup  —  US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired two of his top aides in an abrupt shakeup of the leadership at the nation's sprawling health department, two people familiar with the matter told CNN.
RELATED:
Christina Jewett / New York Times:   Kennedy Fires Two Top Aides in Health Department Shake-Up
Dell Cameron / Wired:
DHS Faces New Pressure Over DNA Taken From Immigrant Children  —  The US government has added the DNA of approximately 133,000 migrant children and teens to a criminal database, which critics say could mean police treat them like suspects “indefinitely.”  —  United States Senator Ron Wyden …
Discussion: Townhall and Breitbart
Matt Novak / Gizmodo:
Billionaires Convince Themselves AI Chatbots Are Close to Making New Scientific Discoveries  —  “I'm doing the equivalent of vibe coding, except it's vibe physics.” … Generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok have exploded in popularity as AI becomes mainstream.
Adam Liptak / New York Times:
Supreme Court Keeps Ruling in Trump's Favor, but Doesn't Say Why  —  In a series of terse, unsigned orders, the court has often been giving the green light to President Trump's agenda without a murmur of explanation.  —  In clearing the way for President Trump's efforts to transform American government …
RELATED:
Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:
July 15, 2025  —  Without any explanation, the right-wing majority on the Supreme Court yesterday granted …
Discussion: The Hill and New Republic
New York Times:
Mamdani Says He Will ‘Discourage’ the Term ‘Globalize the Intifada’  —  Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee in the race for mayor of New York City, moved to distance himself from comments that sparked outrage during the primary.  —  For weeks, Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee …
Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing / Politico:
Trump launches next round of third country deportations with new flight to Eswatini … The five deportees all have a criminal history, according to McLaughlin's post.  —  The Trump administration has made the practice of third country deportations a cornerstone of its immigration policy …
RELATED:
Laura Strickler / NBC News:
Trump administration restarts third-country deportations with flight to Eswatini
Christopher Rufo / Manhattan Institute:
The Manhattan Statement on Higher Education  —  America's colleges and universities have long been the bright lights of our civilization.  For nearly four centuries, they have pioneered new fields of knowledge, brought the arts and sciences to new heights, and educated the men who built our republic.
Discussion: Washington Post and Blue Virginia
New York Times:
Ex-Commissioner Sues, Saying Adams Ran N.Y.P.D. as a Criminal Enterprise  —  Thomas G. Donlon, who served only weeks, said in a lawsuit that New York's mayor and top department officials had manipulated the system for personal and political gain.  —  A former police commissioner on Wednesday filed …
Liz Dye / Public Notice:
Pam Bondi is breaking the DOJ  —  🗣️ Paid subscribers make Public Notice possible.  If you appreciate our fiercely independent coverage of American politics, please sign up and support us.  👇  —  “If confirmed, I will work to restore confidence and integrity …
Holly Baxter / The Independent:
Trump just delivered a word salad speech that would've got Biden impeached  —  In a few short remarks, the president revealed he has very little knowledge of the U.S. economy; is incapable of remembering where his own representatives or aides are and cannot stay awake during an early afternoon public appearance, Holly Baxter writes.
Nicole Markus / Politico:
Americans were following Trump's big legislative win closely — and they say they don't support it … The high initial disapproval of the law could be a warning sign for Republicans in the midterms, as the GOP faces a fierce fight to maintain their narrow majorities in Congress.
Joe Kottke / NBC News:
Trans girl housed in male unit has jaw broken at D.C. juvenile detention center  —  Officials said they've launched a “full review” after the Youth Services Center resident was transported to the hospital following the incident.  —  A transgender girl housed in a male unit of a Washington …
Nick Turse / The Intercept:
The Military Occupied LA for 40 Days and All They Did Was Detain One Guy  —  Thousands of federal troops have been deployed to Los Angeles since June 7 on the orders of President Donald Trump.  —  In the first 40 days of this military operation on U.S. soil, they have done vanishingly close to nothing.
Jonathan Greenblatt / Fox News:
Will Zohran Mamdani protect all New Yorkers?  He owes the Jewish community an answer  —  Democratic candidate founded Students for Justice in Palestine chapter and sponsored controversial anti-Israel legislation  —  As New York City faces an unprecedented surge in antisemitism …
Keith Gessen / New Yorker:
What Will Become of the C.I.A.?  —  The covert agency has long believed in the power of knowing one's enemy.  But these days the threats are coming from above.  —  In December, 1988, as the Soviet Union was beginning to come apart, Senator Bill Bradley, a member of the Senate Select Committee …
Alan Dershowitz / Wall Street Journal:
The Inside Scoop on Jeffrey Epstein  —  I was his lawyer.  I know things that court orders won't allow me to disclose.  —  I was Jeffrey Epstein's lawyer.  I know the facts, some of which I can't disclose because it is privileged or subject to court-imposed sealing orders.
Discussion: Breitbart and Mediaite
 
 
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 More Items: 
L. Douglas Wilder School of Government …:
Commonwealth Poll: In Virginia governor's race, Democratic candidate Spanberger leads GOP's Earle-Sears, 49% to 37%
J.D. Wolf / MeidasTouch News:
Exclusive: Artist Slams DHS for Using Painting Without Permission
Daniel Desrochers / Politico:
‘Just look at what happened last time’: US exporters fear Trump trade war fallout
Discussion: Mediaite
Filip Timotija / The Hill:
Noem teases liquid size changes for TSA at Hill Nation Summit
Peter Baker / New York Times:
For Trump, Domestic Adversaries Are Not Just Wrong, They Are ‘Evil’
Charles R. Davis / Salon:
Trump admin “disappeared” a gay stylist for propaganda. He hasn't been heard from since
Discussion: Raw Story
 Earlier Items: 
The Guardian:
America's famed ‘checks-and-balances’ governance system is failing
Jennifer Rubin / The Contrarian:
Democrats Must Lean into Defense of Immigrants
Discussion: Techdirt and CBS News
Steve Contorno / CNN:
Why Donald Trump is facing doubts in the ‘manosphere’
Paul Krugman:
Hawks, Doves and Lapdogs
Discussion: Bloomberg
Jack Healy / New York Times:
A Scion of Democratic Politics Defeats the Upstarts in an Arizona Primary
 

 
From Techmeme:

Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg:
Sources: Meta is considering deep budget cuts to its metaverse efforts in 2026, potentially as high as 30% and most likely including layoffs as early as January

Kif Leswing / CNBC:
Apple says general counsel Kate Adams and policy chief Lisa Jackson will retire, and Jennifer Newstead, Meta's former chief legal officer, will replace Adams

Will Oremus / Washington Post:
Two studies suggest AI chatbots can shift political views more effectively than TV campaign ads, especially by presenting many claims, regardless of accuracy

 
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