memeorandum: The End of Christian America (Jon Meacham/Newsweek)

2:05 PM ET, April 5, 2009

Top Items:

Defying World, North Koreans Launch Rocket — SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea defied the United States, China and a series of United Nations resolutions by launching a rocket on Sunday that the country said was designed to propel a satellite into space, but that much of the world viewed …

Discussion: Think Progress, BBC, ABCNEWS, Political Byline, Time, Commentary, Associated Press, Outside The Beltway, Gawker, Washington Monthly, UPI and TalkLeft

The Politico:

Obama calls for ‘world without’ nukes — PRAGUE - Hours after North Korea launched a long-range rocket, President Barack Obama called for “a world without nuclear weapons” and said the United States had a “moral responsibility ” to lead the way, as the only nation ever to have use them.

Discussion: American Power, Scared Monkeys and Gateway Pundit

Washington Post:

Obama Calls for World Without Nuclear Weapons — In a speech grimly punctuated by current events, President Obama Sunday called for a world without nuclear weapons shortly after North Korea defied global warnings to fire a long-range rocket. — Speaking in front of the Prague Castle …

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Pam's House Blend and Hot Air

New York Times:

Obama Calls on Security Council to Punish North — PRAGUE — President Obama said that North Korea violated international rules when it tested a rocket that could be used for long range missiles, and called on the Security Council to take action. — “This provocation underscores the need for action …

Discussion: Associated Press, D-Day and Democrats.com

New York Times:

North Koreans Launch Rocket Over the Pacific — SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea defied the United States, China and a series of United Nations resolutions by launching a rocket on Sunday that the country said was designed to propel a satellite into space, but that much of the world viewed …

Discussion: The Atlanticist, The Moderate Voice, Taylor Marsh, PoliGazette, Cup O' Joe, The Mahablog, JammieWearingFool and D-Day

Jennifer Loven / Associated Press:
Obama In Prague: Launches Effort To Rid World Of Nuclear Weapons

Discussion: Washington Monthly

New York Times:
Obama's Statement on North Korea Rocket Launching

Discussion: The Note, Townhall.com, The Politico, Reuters, The Swamp, No Sheeples Here!, Israel Matzav, Jules Crittenden, Michelle Malkin and Chicago Breaking News

Blaine Harden / Washington Post:
North Korea Defies Warnings, Launches Powerful Rocket

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

Evan Ramstad / Wall Street Journal: North Korea Launches Rocket

BBC:
Defiant N Korea launches rocket

Discussion: Washington Post, Pajamas Media, Reuters, Don Surber, ScrappleFace and Neptunus Lex

Alexander Mooney / CNN:

Axelrod hits back at Cheney: Not behaving like a ‘statesman’ — (CNN) — Top Obama adviser David Axelrod sharply criticized Dick Cheney's recent contention that the president's national security policies have made the country less safe, suggesting the former vice president is not behaving like a “statesman.”

Discussion: Think Progress, The Politico and Washington Monthly

Jon Meacham / Newsweek:

The End of Christian America — The percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 points in the past two decades. How that statistic explains who we are now—and what, as a nation, we are about to become. — From the magazine issue dated Apr 13, 2009

Discussion: The Agonist, NewsBusters.org, PoliGazette, Political Byline, Macsmind, Riehl World View, American Power, Hot Air and Cup O' Joe

Kathleen Parker / Washington Post:
Is a New Generation of Christians Finished with Politics?

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Other McCain, Hullabaloo, Liberal Values and Pam's House Blend

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:

Flashback: NYT scolded Clinton for almost bowing to royalty — So far, the media has remained entirely silent on Barack Obama's deep-waist bow to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. They used to defend American protocol a lot more closely, as The Anchoress discovered in doing research on the subject.

Discussion: Power Line, The Moderate Voice, five feet of fury, Scared Monkeys and Whiskey Fire

Carla Marinucci / San Francisco Chronicle:

California Dems target 8 GOP districts — California GOP voter registration is “dropping like a rock,” a new study shows, declining so fast that Democratic Party officials see an unprecedented opportunity to gain voters and House seats in the 2010 election.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, D-Day, Washington Post and Daily Kos

KDKA-TV:

Gunmen Kills Three Pittsburgh Police Officers — PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) ― A man opened fire on officers during a domestic disturbance call Saturday morning, killing three of them, a police official said. — Friends said 23 year-old Richard Poplawski feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns.

Discussion: The Daily Dish, NewsBusters.org, TPMCafe and Clayton Cramer's BLOG

David Neiwert / Crooks and Liars:
Pittsburgh shooter Poplawski “didn't like our [gun] rights being infringed upon”

Discussion: TBogg, Right Wing Nut House, The Moderate Voice, D-Day, The Impolitic, Left in the West, THE TROLL REPORT, Think Progress and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Mike Allen / The Politico:

GM planning for bankruptcy — Fritz Henderson, GM's new president and CEO, said for the first time Sunday that the automaker is planning for the possibility of restructuring within bankruptcy, although he said he still hoped to avoid that public-relations nightmare.

Discussion: The Note

Scott Glover / Los Angeles Times:

FBI database links long-haul truckers, serial killings — The growing database includes more than 500 female victims, most of whom were killed and their bodies dumped at truck stops, motels and other spots along popular trucking routes crisscrossing the U.S.

Discussion: Daily Pundit