Top Items:
Washington Post:
Obama's Budget Knife Yields Modest Trims — Plan Likely to Face Tough Fight on the Hill — President Obama has said for weeks that his staff is scouring the federal budget, “line by line,” for savings. Today, they will release the results: a plan to trim 121 programs by $17 billion …
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Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System:
The Treasury Capital Assistance Program and the Supervisory Capital Assessment Program — During this period of extraordinary economic uncertainty, the U.S. federal banking supervisors believe it to be important for the largest U.S. bank holding companies (BHCs) to have a capital buffer sufficient …
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Rebecca Christie / Bloomberg:
Bank of America, Citigroup, GMAC Need More Capital (Correct)
Bank of America, Citigroup, GMAC Need More Capital (Correct)
Discussion:
MoJo Blog Posts
Wall Street Journal:
Stress Tests Separate Strong From Weak
Stress Tests Separate Strong From Weak
Discussion:
Washington Post, The New Republic, Calculated Risk, MoJo Blog Posts, naked capitalism, Clusterstock and Zero Hedge
Andy McCarthy / The Corner:
The Torture Follies — Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Worse ... As K-Lo notes, I have an article (posted on the homepage this afternoon) which recounts how the Obama administration is urging the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to adopt the same interpretation of federal torture law …
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Wall Street Journal:
Should the GOP Forget Reagan? — The Republican Party's unending tale of woe sounds like a friend's account of sitting through the New York Yankees' 22-4 loss to the Cleveland Indians at the new Yankee Stadium April 18. — In the 14-run second inning, three Indians hit home runs into the right-field seats, including a grand-slam.
David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:
After Party Switch, a Senator's Confused Alliances — WASHINGTON — Senator Arlen Specter, Republican-turned-Democrat of Pennsylvania, has rapidly discovered that switching parties is not as simple as checking a new box on a voter-registration card. — After a week and a day as a Democrat …
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CNN:
Limbaugh to Powell: ‘Become a Democrat’ — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Rush Limbaugh fired back at Colin Powell for his critical comments earlier this week, saying Wednesday that the former secretary of state should join the Democratic Party. — “What Colin Powell needs to do is close the loop …
Andrew Clark / Guardian:
Free web news era over, says Rupert Murdoch — Current days of free internet will soon be over, says media mogul — Rupert Murdoch expects to start charging for access to News Corporation's newspaper websites within a year as he strives to fix a "malfunctioning" business model.
New York Times:
Stress Tests Said to Show Banks Need More Money — The results of the bank stress tests have been trickling out for days, from Washington and from Wall Street, and the leaks seem to confirm what many bankers feel in their bones: despite all those bailouts, some of the nation's largest banks still need more money.
Thomas F. Cooley / Forbes:
Are There Any Rules In The Bailout Game? — For the Obama administration, the answer is “no.” — We are entering a precarious phase of the economic and financial crisis. On the one hand, there are encouraging, if weak, signs of an economic recovery. There is evidence of a revival in lending.
Julia Duin / Washington Times:
Obama to be prayer day no-show — President to sign proclamation, observe privately — President Obama is distancing himself from the National Day of Prayer by nixing a formal early morning service and not attending a large Catholic prayer breakfast the next morning.
Jerry Seper / Washington Times:
EXCLUSIVE: Records violations ensnare housing nominee — Office handed largest fine in U.S. history — President Obama's choice for the government's No. 2 housing job is embroiled in the largest fine in U.S. history for “blatant violations” of open records laws after the Washington State …
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
UPDATED: Steele Condemns Maine Decision, Revealing Split With Snowe and Collins — After the RNC said he wouldn't be issuing a statement on Maine's decision to legalize gay marriage today, RNC Chairman Michael Steele is in fact condemning the decision, a position that puts him at odds …
Discussion:
Bark Bark Woof Woof, Firedoglake, AMERICAblog News, TPMDC, Pam's House Blend, Think Progress, Bangor Daily News and MSNBC
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Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Elevating Newt — Obama meets today with Al Sharpton, Mike Bloomberg, and Newt Gingrich to talk about education, and the latter three will then speak to press on the White House lawn. — It's a way for the administration to signal openness to a range of voices on the topic, but it's also an interesting choice of conservative.
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …
Phil Kerpen / Fox News:
Hawaii Lawmakers Pass Bill to Create ‘Islam Day’ — Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday to celebrate “Islam Day” — over the objections of a few lawmakers who said they didn't want to honor a religion connected to Sept. 11, 2001. — HONOLULU — Hawaii's state …
Discussion:
Atlas Shrugs
National Enquirer:
JOHN EDWARDS' MISTRESS DEMANDS DNA TEST FOR BABY! — John Edwards' furious mistress is demanding he submit to a DNA test, The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively! — Rielle Hunter - the longtime secret lover of the disgraced 2-time presidential candidate - wants definitive proof that Edwards …
Thomas Joscelyn / Weekly Standard:
Congressman: AG Holder Stonewalling on Terrorists' Release — The Obama administration is reportedly set to announce the release onto U.S. soil of at least some of the 17 Uighur detainees currently being held at Gitmo. All 17 are members or associates of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party …
Discussion:
The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:
National Security Adviser Jones Says He's ‘Outsider’ in Frenetic White House — President Obama's national security adviser, James L. Jones, looks for rare opportunities to ride his bike from his McLean home to work at the White House. On occasion, he has pedaled back across the Potomac River for lunch.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
As Gay Issues Arise, Obama Is Pressed to Engage — WASHINGTON — President Obama was noticeably silent last month when the Iowa Supreme Court overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage. — But now Mr. Obama — who has said he opposes same-sex marriage as a Christian but describes himself as a …
Discussion:
The Note, Advocate, Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, The Huffington Post, Althouse and NY Daily News
BBC:
Launch protocols for US missile system among sensitive data found on second hand computers — Sensitive information for shooting down intercontinental missiles as well as bank details and NHS records was found on old computers, researchers say. — Of 300 hard disks bought randomly …
Discussion:
Report on Arrakis