memeorandum: Prosecutor Asks State to Take Over Duke Case (Duff Wilson/New York Times)

10:35 AM ET, January 13, 2007

Top Items:

Expert Admits "Big Error" In Duke Case — (CBS) The forensic expert hired by the prosecutor in the Duke rape case says he made a "big error" in judgment by not stating in his report that the only DNA he found on the accuser was from several men who were not on the Duke lacrosse team.

Discussion: Fox News, The Volokh Conspiracy, Scared Monkeys, JustOneMinute, A Blog For All and Durham-in-Wonderland

Duff Wilson / New York Times:

Prosecutor Asks State to Take Over Duke Case — The district attorney has asked the state attorney general to take over prosecution of the sexual offense and kidnapping case against three Duke University lacrosse players, an official involved in the case said today.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Durham-in-Wonderland and Patterico's Pontifications

Raleigh News & Observer:

Nifong asks to be removed from case — THE LATEST: Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong has asked to be removed from the Duke University lacrosse case. — Nifong made the request in a letter delivered to the office of N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper. — The attorney general's office could take over the case.

Discussion: Durham-in-Wonderland

Lara Setrakian / ABCNEWS:

EXCLUSIVE: DA in Duke Rape Case Asks to Be Taken off Case — After Weeks of Criticism, District Attorney Mike Nifong Asked to Be Recused — ABC News Law & Justice Unit — District Attorney Mike Nifong has requested that he have himself removed from prosecuting the Duke Lacrosse rape investigation, ABC News has learned.

Discussion: Abovethelaw.com, Ace of Spades HQ, Sigmund, Carl and Alfred, Outside The Beltway, LieStoppers, Blue Crab Boulevard and Don Surber

New York Times:

Prosecutor Asks to Exit Duke Case — The district attorney in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case asked the state attorney general on Friday to take over the troubled prosecution, saying he faced a conflict of interest because of ethics charges filed against him by the state bar, officials involved in the case said.

Associated Press:
Duke prof. quits committees in protest

Discussion: Gateway Pundit and Done With Mirrors

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Duke prof resigns committee posts over defendants' return to campus …

Discussion: thephink.com, protein wisdom and QandO

New York Times:

Bush Authorized Iranians' Arrest in Iraq, Rice Says — A recent series of American raids against Iranians in Iraq was authorized under an order that President Bush decided to issue several months ago to undertake a broad military offensive against Iranian operatives in the country, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday.

Discussion: Larisa Alexandrovna's …, The Reaction, Prairie Weather, BAGnewsNotes, FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog, jules crittenden, The Agonist, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Unfogged and Washington Post

Juan Cole / Salon:
Did the U.S. just provoke Iran?

Discussion: The Huffington Post and Prairie Weather

BBC:

Last Somali Islamist base 'falls' — Somali government troops backed by Ethiopian soldiers have captured the last stronghold of the Union of Islamic Courts, the defence minister says. — Col Barre Aden Shire said the town of Ras Kamboni, in south-eastern Somalia, fell after several days of fighting.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters and ThreatsWatch

Andrew England / Financial Times:
Somalia strike 'missed al-Qaeda targets'

Discussion: Classical Values

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

Boneless Wonders — Meet the spineless members of Congress. … Today, Boneless Wonders sit on the benches of both parties in Congress. More are to be found on the Democratic side of the aisle than the Republican. But the herd of Boneless Wonders these days is a bipartisan one.

Discussion: Booman Tribune, Angry Bear, Townhall.com Blog's … and Blogs for Bush

Robert B. Reich / American Prospect:

Bad-Faith Negotiation — What's missing from the Democrats' new bill on bargaining prescription drug prices. — House Democrats are pushing a bill to require Medicare to negotiate drug prices. So far, so good. But in what appears to be a bow to the political clout of Big Pharma …

Greg Mankiw / Greg Mankiw's Blog:
Dingell vs CBO

Discussion: Angry Bear and Redstate

Reuters:

Scientists prepare to move Doomsday Clock forward — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The keepers of the "Doomsday Clock" plan to move its hands forward next Wednesday to reflect what they call worsening nuclear and climate threats to the world. — The symbolic clock, maintained by the Bulletin …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Blue Crab Boulevard and Brilliant at Breakfast

Dan / Riehl World View:

Controversial Dem Manufactured White House Quotes — A newly-elected Democrat Congressman who first drew heat for insulting First Lady Laura Bush is now battling with the White House over allegedly insulting confrontations with Karl Rove, Vice President Dick Cheney, and President and Mrs. Bush.

Discussion: Lakeshore Laments, Kung Fu Quip and The Oshkosh Northwestern …

WKMG-TV:

African Lion Kisses, Hugs Woman Who Saved It — People Shocked To See Affection Between Pair — People in Cali, Colombia, are shocked to see the bond between a large African lion and a woman who saved it from abuse, involving long, affectionate kisses and hugs between the pair.

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, Kesher Talk and Tennessee Guerilla Women

Murray Waas / National Journal:

CIA Leak Probe: Inside The Grand Jury — Late in the morning of July 12, 2003, Vice President Dick Cheney stood atop a pier at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia awaiting the commissioning of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, a ship 20 stories high that took eight years to construct.

Discussion: Booman Tribune, Macsmind, The American Street, The Next Hurrah, JustOneMinute, Crooks and Liars, Needlenose and TalkLeft

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Video: Paula Abdul, hammered — I was thinking of writing about the Democrats' earmark debacle in the Senate and the irresistible, gloating headline on Jim DeMint's press release about it. But it's Friday night. Time to unwind. Time to dispense with the serious stuff for awhile and crack open a beer.

Discussion: Suitably Flip and Reuters

KABC-TV:

Cold, Snow in Parts of Southern California — A cold snap hit the Southland amid forecasts of record or near-record low temperatures Friday and Saturday night in metropolitan, coastal and valley areas of Los Angeles County. — Also on abc7.com: — Post-midnight lows early Friday included 16 …

Discussion: GINA COBB