memeorandum: Earthquake in Japan — A massive 8.9-magnitude quake hit … (The Atlantic Online)

11:45 AM ET, March 11, 2011

Top Items:

BBC:

Tsunami hits north-eastern Japan after massive quake — A massive earthquake has hit the north-east of Japan, triggering a tsunami that has caused extensive damage. — Japanese television showed cars, ships and even buildings being swept away by a vast wall of water after the 8.9-magnitude earthquake.

Discussion: CNN, Shakesville, AOL News, The Blaze, The Jawa Report, Outside the Beltway, Truthdig and FrumForum

New York Times:

Huge Quake and Tsunami Hit Japan — TOKYO — A huge earthquake struck Japan on Friday, churning up a devastating tsunami that swept over cities and farmland along the northern part of the country and threatened coastal areas throughout the Pacific. — Walls of water whisked away houses …

Discussion: The Caucus, CNN, Michelle Malkin, The Politico, Right Wing News, Washington Monthly, New York Magazine and Mediaite

CNN:

Massive quake, tsunami hit Japan — Editor's Note: Read live blogging of the Japan tsunami and earthquake. Are you there? Send your video, pictures to iReport. For more news visit CNN affiliates KHON and KHNL. — Tokyo (CNN) — The most powerful earthquake to hit Japan …

Discussion: Mediaite, This Just In, In the Arena, Weasel Zippers, Scared Monkeys, Hit & Run, NO QUARTER, Firedoglake, Macleans.ca, Poynter and The Agonist, more at Mediagazer »

Associated Press:

Tsunami waves hit Hawaii, sweep across islands — Tsunami waves hit Hawaii in the early morning hours Friday and were sweeping through the island chain after an earthquake in Japan sparked evacuations throughout the Pacific and as far as the U.S. western coast.

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications, Hot Air and The Mahablog

The Atlantic Online:

Earthquake in Japan — A massive 8.9-magnitude quake hit northeast Japan on Friday, causing dozens of deaths, more than 80 fires, and a 10-meter (33-ft) tsunami along parts of the country's coastline. Homes were swept away and damage is extensive. As more images of this historic event become available, they will be added below.

Malcolm Foster / Associated Press:

Hundreds killed in tsunami after 8.9 Japan quake — A ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded slammed Japan's eastern coast Friday, killing hundreds of people as it swept away boats, cars and homes while widespread fires burned out of control.

Discussion: Politics Daily, Salon, Pam's House Blend, Pajamas Media and The Gateway Pundit

wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov:
The Tsunami Warning continues in effect for the coastal areas of California and Oregon …

Discussion: L.A. NOW, The Foundry, Guardian, BLACKFIVE, The Moderate Voice, This Just In and KCPQ

msnbc.com:
Hundreds dead after quake, tsunami slam Japan

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Examiner and The Moderate Voice

Shelby Grad / L.A. NOW:
Waves from Japan quake will hit California coast after 8 a.m.

Discussion: Guardian, DemConWatch, Patterico's Pontifications, The Daily Dish, BBC and protein wisdom

Los Angeles Times:
Hawaiians brace for 6-foot tsunami waves

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Moderate Voice, Gothamist, L.A. NOW and The Foundry

Michael Arnold / Wall Street Journal:
Strong Quake Shakes Japan

Discussion: Law Blog, Associated Press, The Daily Dish, naked capitalism and L.A. NOW

New York Times:

Obama Seeks a Course of Pragmatism in the Middle East — WASHINGTON — In the Middle East crisis, as on other issues, there are two Barack Obamas: the transformative historical figure and the pragmatic American president. Three months after a Tunisian fruit vendor set himself aflame …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Fox Nation, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit and BLACKFIVE

New York Times:

Video of the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan … Video of the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan — Television networks across the world carried dramatic footage, some of it live, of the tsunami that hit northern Japan. — March 10: Updates on Libya's Revolt and Middle East Protests

Discussion: The Daily Dish, The Confluence, nancynall.com and The Awl

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

President of China? — Obama's lament. — “Mr. Obama has told people that it would be so much easier to be the president of China. As one official put it, 'No one is scrutinizing Hu Jintao's words in Tahrir Square.'” — “Obama Seeks a Course of Pragmatism in the Middle East,” The New York Times, March 11, 2011.

Discussion: Pajamas Media

Aharding / CNN:

Bachmann increasingly serious about presidential bid — Washington (CNN) - Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann is increasingly serious about joining the wide-open race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. — And a growing number of conservative activists, legislators …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, Wonkette, GOP 12 and Booman Tribune

Alexander Burns / The Politico:

DGA slams Walker, taunts govs - Santorum plans New England swing - CNN: Bachmann's serious - Priebus convenes 2012 camps - Fla.'s Thrasher backs Romney - Giffords to shuttle launch — FIRST IN SCORE - DEMS PUNCH BACK - Wisconsin Democrats are still regrouping after their shock defeats …

Discussion: Riehl World View and Florida Times Union

Bob Cusack / Ballot Box:

GOP woos ‘Morning Joe’ for Fla. Senate — Republicans in Washington are trying to recruit Joe Scarborough to run against Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) next year. — Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), who heads the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), told The Hill on Thursday that he has talked …

Discussion: USA Today, Weasel Zippers, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Post on Politics, National Review, Riehl World View and FrumForum

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Dumbing Deficits Down — Like anyone who writes regularly about what passes for economic and fiscal debate in American politics, I've developed a strong tolerance for nonsense. After all, if I got upset every time powerful people were illogical and/or dishonest, I'd spend every waking hour in a state of raging despair.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Huffington Post, The Atlantic Online, Don Surber, NewsBusters.org, Wall Street Journal, Daily Kos, Prairie Weather and The Hill

Ezra Klein:
Why does Mike Huckabee want Medicare to waste money?

Discussion: The New Republic

Philippathomas / Philippa Thomas Online:

The State Department spokesman and the Prisoner in the Brig — I just heard an extraordinary remark from State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley. He was speaking to a small audience at MIT on “the benefits of new media as it relates to foreign policy”, an event organised by the Center for Future Civic Media.

Discussion: Guardian, Outside the Beltway and The Raw Story

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Crowley slams Defense on Manning

Discussion: Time and The Nation

Paul Farhi / Washington Post:

Secretly recorded phone calls cast NPR fundraiser in unflattering light — An NPR fundraising executive said her organization would be willing to shield a would-be donor from a government audit by keeping the donor's name anonymous, according to a series of surreptitiously recorded phone …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Speakeasy, Poynter, NewsBusters.org, YID With LID, Pressthink, James O'Keefe's Project …, Doug Ross and Atlas Shrugs, more at Mediagazer »

tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com:
NPR Emails Show CEO Refusing Donation from Phony O'Keefe Group

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Big Journalism, The Daily Caller and The Wire

Elizabeth Jensen / New York Times:
New Tape Increases Pressure for NPR

Discussion: The Atlantic Online and Poynter

Ronald Brownstein / NationalJournal.com:

Along for the Ride — Republican presidential hopefuls aren't so much leading as reacting. That could hurt them in 2012. — Politics, like nature, abhors a vacuum. — Proving that truism, the slowly emerging class of Republican presidential candidates increasingly looks like a bunch of bystanders.

Myglesias / Yglesias:
Public Opinion And Elite Signalling

Discussion: Ezra Klein, Mother Jones and The Monkey Cage

The Hill:

GOP lines up $6 billion more in cuts — House Republicans on Friday will release a three-week measure to keep the government operating that would cut another $6 billion in spending this year. — The House proposal should come to a vote Tuesday, and could target additional earmarked funds.

Discussion: FrumForum

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Democrats demand Obama's budget help

Discussion: Ballot Box, Liberty Pundits Blog, The Politico and FrumForum

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
New Temporary Spending Bill in Works

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Ezra Klein and KeithHennessey.com

Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn:

Sen. Ron Johnson denounces ‘mob rule’ — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a former businessman and now a freshman senator, held a conference call Thursday afternoon with a small group of bloggers. For a freshman, he's entirely fluid on the issues and easily navigates between specifics and larger themes.

JSOnline:

Walker rescinds layoff notices — Madison - Gov. Scott Walker on Friday directed two state agencies to rescind layoff notices because the Legislature passed the budget-repair bill. — Walker sent his directive to the state Department of Administration and the office of State Employment Relations.

Discussion: Hot Air

Tim Pawlenty / Minnesota Public Radio:

Tim Pawlenty's Team — Possible 2012 Presidential Candidate — Pawlenty served as Minnesota governor from 2003-2010. He grew up in South St. Paul and was the first person in his family to graduate from college. He earned a law degree from the University of Minnesota and worked as a criminal prosecutor.

Discussion: GOP 12 and Ben Smith's Blog

Jordan Fabian / The Hill:

Palin: ‘We need much greater cuts’ than in GOP spending plan — The former Alaska governor urged Republicans to be “bold and strong” and have “steel spines” in the budget debate. — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) on Thursday criticized congressional Republicans' spending plan as too tepid …

Discussion: FrumForum

Kerry Howley / New York Times:

The Road to the White House Is Paved With Pizza — We're less than a year from presidential primary season, which means that three million Iowans are in for some ritual abuse. They will stand accused of being an unrepresentative sample, which they are, and holding disproportionate influence, which they do.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online