memeorandum: Union Intensifies Efforts to Organize Workers at Wal-Mart (Wall Street Journal)

Major Garrett / Fox News:

Obama, Chavez Shake Hands at Summit of the Americas — Venezuela quoted Chavez as saying, “I'd like to be your friend.” — FOXNews.com — PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago - President Obama made the first move to greet Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez, but it was the acerbic …

Discussion: Political Byline, Stop The ACLU, JustOneMinute and Political Punch

Michelle Malkin:

At least he didn't bow — I can't stand to look at our president's dumb grin as he warmly greets Venezuela's thug-in-chief: — Gag. — Did anyone smell sulfur during the photo op? — Now, the Evil Clown (as Allahpundit calls him) can add his friendly pic with Obama to his Chavista Fan Club photo album:

Discussion: PoliGazette and Hot Air

Adam Graham-Silverman / CQ Politics:

Will Congress Agree to Ease Conditions on Aid to Palestinians? — The administration is looking for a way to keep aid flowing if the Palestinians form a government that includes elements of Hamas, the militant anti-Israel group that controls Gaza. — Obama wants to alter language …

Discussion: Riehl World View, Mideast Peace Pulse, D-Day, Taylor Marsh and Associated Press

Scott Shane / New York Times:

Divisions Arose on Rough Tactics for Qaeda Figure — WASHINGTON — The first use of waterboarding and other rough treatment against a prisoner from Al Qaeda was ordered by senior Central Intelligence Agency officials despite the belief of interrogators that the prisoner had already told them all he knew …

Mark Mazzetti / New York Times:

C.I.A. Memos Could Bring More Disclosures — WASHINGTON — Even as President Obama urges the country to turn the page, his decision to reveal exhaustive details about interrogation methods used by the Central Intelligence Agency could lead to a flood of new disclosures about secret Bush …

Discussion: Prairie Weather, Blog of Rights, FP Passport, The Moderate Voice and On Deadline

Fox News:
Attorney: Justice Memos Prove U.S. Did Not Torture

Discussion: TalkLeft, Guardian, Firedoglake, Instapundit, BLACKFIVE and Macsmind

Chris / TVNewser:

Partied-Out CNN Reporter Takes a Break — Two days after Susan Roesgen's much talked-about Chicago Tea Party live shots, we are learning more about what happened off-camera. — Sources close to the situation tell TVNewser as Roesgen was reporting her 2pmET live shot for CNN …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, PoliGazette and Townhall.com

John Cook / Gawker:
Fox-Bashing CNN Reporter Applied for a Job at Fox

Discussion: Political Byline, NewsBusters.org, Don Surber, National Review and Hot Air

Carol E. Lee / The Politico:

Obama faces tough crowd at summit — PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called the last U.S. president “the devil.” But this U.S. president wanted to meet him. — So Barack Obama walked across a hotel ballroom here Friday and introduced himself to Chavez.

Discussion: Sister Toldjah

Associated Press:
Obama ‘seeks a new beginning’ with Cuba, talks

Discussion: Babalú Blog

City Room:

Child Obesity Is Linked to Chemicals in Plastics — Exposure to chemicals used in plastics may be linked with childhood obesity, according to results from a long-term health study on girls who live in East Harlem and surrounding communities that were presented to community leaders on Thursday …

Times of London:

Israel stands ready to bomb Iran's nuclear sites — The Israeli military is preparing itself to launch a massive aerial assault on Iran's nuclear facilities within days of being given the go-ahead by its new government. — Among the steps taken to ready Israeli forces …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and TPMCafe

Jonathan Martin / Ben Smith's Blog:

Why McCain-Lieberman wasn't an option (legally speaking) — Former McCain veep vetter and Washington power lawyer A.B. Culvahouse made clear in remarks before a Republican lawyers group today that the campaign had investigated the legal issues surrounding putting Democrat-turned-independent Joe Lieberman …

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, Top of the Ticket, PoliGazette, Salon, Wonkette, Conservatives4Palin.com and The Swamp

Jonathan Martin / Ben Smith's Blog:
Happening NOW — For those of who you who can't get enough Palin …

Discussion: The Note and The Washington Independent

Fox News:

McCain Strategist Warns GOP Risks Becoming ‘Religious Party’ — Steve Schmidt urges Republicans to begin voicing more support for civil unions and gay rights. — FOXNews.com — John McCain's top adviser from the presidential campaign urged fellow Republicans on Friday to warm …

Discussion: Vox Popoli

Andrew Bolt / NEWS.com.au:

Picture is kiss of death for George Bush prejudice — SEE this picture? That's odd, because the Sunday Age's editor can't. Unimaginable, she calls it. — Last weekend, her paper began yet another editorial praising new US President Barack Obama like this:

Discussion: Stop The ACLU

John Rogers / Associated Press:

How Barack Obama resurrected The Dead — LOS ANGELES - He's still got a little work to do on the economy, but already President Barack Obama has accomplished at least one task that had appeared all but impossible just a year ago: He's put The Dead back on the road.

Wall Street Journal:

Union Intensifies Efforts to Organize Workers at Wal-Mart — The United Food and Commercial Workers union is ramping up organizing at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. after a five-year lull, dovetailing with its efforts to win support in Congress for a bill to make union organizing easier.

Discussion: American Conservative Daily and Wonk Room

Matthew Balan / NewsBusters.org:

CNN: Palin Family Issues Like Soap Opera; Downplays Obama Relatives' Troubles — CNN has displayed a double standard in its coverage of the difficulties involving the extended family of Sarah Palin versus that of President Barack Obama. Two programs on the network on Thursday evening used …

Media Matters / Media Matters for America:

Rivera: “[T]he grand total of all of the tea party demonstrators" was less than the number “at that immigration rally in 2006 in the city of Chicago alone” — I've written this before, but will do so again. What kind of weird world are we living in that Rivera has become to voice of sanity on FoxNews?

Discussion: Newshoggers.com

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Obama Averages 63% Approval in His First Quarter — Highest first-quarter average since 1977 — PRINCETON, NJ — Barack Obama's first quarter in office concludes on Sunday, and during this early stage of his presidency he has averaged a solid 63% job approval, reaching as high as 69% …

Discussion: Commentary, Donklephant and The Fix

Jacob Sullum / Reason:

Drug Control Breeds Gun Control — Two weeks ago (as Radley Balko noted), a Fox News story by William La Jeunesse and Maxim Lott debunked the commonly heard factoid that 90 percent of the firearms used by Mexican drug traffickers come from American dealers.

Discussion: Sydney Morning Herald, NewsBusters.org, The Agitator and RedState

Gateway Pundit:

Change!... FARC Killers— Not Terrorists... US Veterans— Terrorists — A. M. Mora y Leon at The American Thinker reported that the Obama Administration has reclassified the FARC killers in Colombia as insurgents and not terrorists: … This is not really so surprising considering the news …

Arloc Sherman / cbpp.org:

Income Gaps Hit Record Levels In 2006, New Data Show — Rich-Poor Gap Tripled Between 1979 and 2006 — New data from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) show that in 2006, the top 1 percent of households had a larger share of the nation's after-tax income, and the middle and bottom fifths …

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, RADAMISTO and Forbes

David Rothkopf:

It's official: Obama creates more czars than the Romanovs — It has finally happened. With yesterday's naming of Border Czar Alan Bersin, the Obama administration has by any reasonable reckoning passed the Romanov Dynasty in the production of czars. The Romanovs ruled Russia from 1613 …

Discussion: The Volokh Conspiracy and Newsweek Blogs

C. J. Chivers / New York Times:

Turning Tables, U.S. Troops Ambush Taliban With Swift and Lethal Results — KORANGAL OUTPOST, Afghanistan — Only the lead insurgents were disciplined as they walked along the ridge. They moved carefully, with weapons ready and at least five yards between each man, the soldiers who surprised them said.

Discussion: Commentary, abu muqawama and JustOneMinute

The Huffington Post:

Tea Party Fallout: Independents Turned Off, Some GOPers Worried — It's been two days now since angry conservatives hosted a series of tea parties across the country, and the fallout has some Republicans nervous. — While the anti-tax sentiment of the protests may have been sincere …

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, Buck Naked Politics, PoliticalBase.com Blog, Wonkette and American Power