Top Items:
New York Times:
As Confrontation Deepens, Iran's Leader to Speak — TEHRAN — As another day of defiance and uncertainty loomed in Iran's capital on Friday, it was increasingly apparent that there was no clear path out of a deepening confrontation that has posed the most serious challenge to the Islamic republic in its 30-year history.
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News: News blog:
Iran protests: live — A week after the disputed poll, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will lead Friday prayers today in an attempt to quell continuing anger at the re-election of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Follow live updates — 3.05pm:
Discussion:
Guardian, The Daily Dish, NPR Blogs, Right Wing Nut House, Taylor Marsh and Harry's Place
BBC:
Ayatollah demands end to protests — Iran's supreme leader has issued a stern warning that protests against the country's disputed presidential election results must end. — In his first public remarks after days of protests, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the outcome had to be decided at the ballot box, not on the street.
Ella Flaye / Times of London:
Khamenei tells Mousavi to toe the line over election or be cast out
Khamenei tells Mousavi to toe the line over election or be cast out
Discussion:
Hot Air, Guardian, Time, QandO, YID With LID, RealClearWorld, Los Angeles Times and New York Times
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Khamenei's Threat: “Who would be responsible if something happened?”
Khamenei's Threat: “Who would be responsible if something happened?”
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
The Washington Post fires its best columnist. Why? — (updated below - Update II - Update III - Update IV) — One of the rarest commodities in the establishment media is someone who was a vehement critic of George Bush and who now, applying their principles consistently …
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Patrick Gavin / Michael Calderone's Blog:
Froomkin out at Washington Post (UPDATED) — POLITICO learned today that the Washington Post has terminated its relationship with liberal columnist/blogger Dan Froomkin. Froomkin authored the “White House Watch” blog and was told today that the blog had essentially run its course.
Discussion:
Salon, Crooks and Liars, Latest Open Salon Blog, The Daily Dish, James Fallows, Washington Monthly, Gawker, Hot Air, Wonkette, Hullabaloo, TalkLeft, The Moderate Voice, Daily Kos, Majikthise, The Raw Story, The Washington Note, Riehl World View, Comments from Left Field, Booman Tribune, Lawyers, Guns and Money and Taylor Marsh
The Politico:
Obama health plan imperiled — President Obama's campaign for health care reform by this fall, once considered highly likely to succeed, suddenly appears in real jeopardy. — Top White House advisers, especially Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, are still privately predicting massive changes to the health care system in 2009.
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Shailagh Murray / Washington Post:
New Bipartisan Group to Tackle Health-Care Reform
New Bipartisan Group to Tackle Health-Care Reform
Discussion:
Wonk Room
Ceci Connolly / Washington Post:
Price Tag of Health Reform Bill Prompts Sparring and a Delay in Congress
Price Tag of Health Reform Bill Prompts Sparring and a Delay in Congress
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Obama Misses the Point With Iran Response — Millions of Iranians take to the streets to defy a theocratic dictatorship that, among its other finer qualities, is a self-declared enemy of America and the tolerance and liberties it represents. The demonstrators are fighting on their own …
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Paul Wolfowitz / Washington Post:
Obama Needs to Change Stance on Iran — President Obama's first response to the protests in Iran was silence, followed by a cautious, almost neutral stance designed to avoid “meddling” in Iranian affairs. I am reminded of Ronald Reagan's initially neutral response to the crisis following …
Elianne Friend / CNN:
Mom fined to tune of $1.9M for 24 illegal songs — (CNN) — A federal jury Thursday found a 32-year-old Minnesota woman guilty of illegally downloading music from the Internet and fined her $80,000 each — a total of $1.9 million — for 24 songs. — Jammie Thomas-Rasset's case …
Discussion:
Comments from Left Field
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Ezra Klein:
EXCLUSIVE: The Finance Committee's Health Reform Outline — A Senate source just passed me the latest outline of the Senate Finance Committee's health reform proposal. This is the post-CBO revision. Apparently, after the committee staff received the scores, they dug deep and quickly developed …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Think Progress, The Confluence, MoJo Blog Posts, Wonk Room, Hullabaloo, Donklephant, DownWithTyranny! and The Treatment
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Alison Leigh Cowan / New York Times:
Pick for Protocol Post Corrects Failure to File Taxes in 2 Years — President Obama's choice as chief of protocol for the State Department, a position that carries the status of an ambassadorship, did not file tax returns for 2005 and 2006, errors she corrected last November.
Discussion:
Townhall.com, Hot Air, A Blog For All, New York Times, Right Wing News, JammieWearingFool and AmSpecBlog
Sam Youngman / The Hill:
At fundraiser, Obama laughs at critics — As he looks to expand Democratic majorities in Congress, President Obama on Thursday night also used a fundraiser for his congressional allies to target his critics. — The president, speaking at a joint fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee …
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Stephen F. Hayes / Weekly Standard:
Mousavi Spokesman Smacks Obama — In an interview with the Washington Post's Foreign Policy blog, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, described as Mir Hussein Mousavi's “external spokesman,” had some sharp words for President Barack Obama's recent comments about the demonstrations in Tehran.
Discussion:
Gateway Pundit, American Thinker, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, The Washington Note and The Washington Independent
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Chicago Sun Times:
Legendary CBS journalist Walter Cronkite reportedly gravely ill — FROM STAFF REPORTS — Legendary CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite, 92, long known as the “Most Trusted Man in America,” is gravely ill, according to multiple CBS News sources and published reports.
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Daily Mail:
Japan warns that North Korea may fire missile at U.S. on Independence Day — North Korea may launch a long-range ballistic missile towards Hawaii on American Independence Day, according to Japanese intelligence officials. — The missile, believed to be a Taepodong-2 with a range of up to 4,000 miles …
Discussion:
Fox News, Wizbang, Gawker, Fausta's Blog, The Gun Toting Liberal, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and digg.com
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Las Vegas Sun:
Text of Doug Hampton's letter to Fox News — Editor's note: Doug Hampton, the husband of Cynthia Hampton, who had an affair with Sen. John Ensign, explains in a letter to a Fox News Channel anchorwoman, Megyn Kelly, how the senator's affair with his wife has"completely ruined" the couple's lives.
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Chris Stanford / Capitol Briefing:
Ensign Defends Payments to Woman He Had Affair With
Ensign Defends Payments to Woman He Had Affair With
Discussion:
DownWithTyranny!
Franz Och / The Official Google Blog:
Google translates Persian — Today, we added Persian (Farsi) to Google Translate. This means you can now translate any text from Persian into English and from English into Persian — whether it's a news story, a website, a blog, an email, a tweet or a Facebook message.
Wall Street Journal:
CEOs of Bailed-Out Banks Flew to Resorts on Firms' Jets — Some executives at banks propped up by government aid have retained a coveted perk: personal use of the company jet. — Flight records show numerous occasions when banks receiving federal money have flown their planes …