Top Items:
New York Times:
Obama Opts for Faster Afghan Pullout — WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to announce Wednesday evening that he will order the withdrawal of 10,000 American troops from Afghanistan this year, and another 20,000 troops, the remainder of the 2009 “surge,” by the end of next summer …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, The Caucus, The Politico, New York Times, The Democratic Daily, Guardian, Fox Nation, Hot Air, ThinkProgress, Taylor Marsh, Sky Dancing, The Note, JustOneMinute, Daily Kos, Top of the Ticket, Proof Positive, New York Magazine, Political Punch, The Enterprise Blog, Gothamist, AmSpecBlog and The Right Scoop
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Associated Press:
Text of Obama's speech on Afghanistan — By The Associated Press - 25 minutes ago — The text of President Barack Obama's speech Wednesday night on Afghanistan, as provided by the White House: — ___ — Good evening. Nearly 10 years ago, America suffered the worst attack on our shores since Pearl Harbor.
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, The Enterprise Blog, Guardian, Washington Post and RedState
The Politico:
Obama to draw down surge troops — President Barack Obama on Wednesday night announced plans to recall 10,000 American troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year and fully reverse the 33,000-troop surge by next summer, declaring that the U.S. must turn its attention to “nation building here at home.”
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
Sam Youngman / The Hill:
President Obama lays out exit strategy for the Afghanistan war
President Obama lays out exit strategy for the Afghanistan war
Discussion:
The Hill, CNN, The Nation and The Politico
Zaid Jilani / ThinkProgress:
GRAPH: Obama ‘Withdrawal’ Plan Would Leave More Troops In Afghanistan Than When He Began His Presidency
GRAPH: Obama ‘Withdrawal’ Plan Would Leave More Troops In Afghanistan Than When He Began His Presidency
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, ABCNEWS, Center for American Progress, Newshoggers.com and New York Times
Scott Wilson / Washington Post:
Obama to order home 10,000 troops from Afghanistan, officials say
Obama to order home 10,000 troops from Afghanistan, officials say
Discussion:
Mediaite, Firedoglake and msnbc.com
Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Obama's speech on the Afghanistan war: Draining a political mess of his own making
Obama's speech on the Afghanistan war: Draining a political mess of his own making
Discussion:
Pajamas Media, CNN, News Desk, USA Today and The Moderate Voice
Jose Antonio Vargas / New York Times:
My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant — One August morning nearly two decades ago, my mother woke me and put me in a cab. She handed me a jacket. “Baka malamig doon” were among the few words she said. ("It might be cold there.") When I arrived at the Philippines' Ninoy Aquino International Airport …
Discussion:
The Politico, Washington Post, Mediaite, Runnin' Scared, Salon, The Atlantic Wire, msnbc.com, The Huffington Post, Rooted Cosmopolitan, The Impolitic, Daily Kos, The Sideshow, New York Magazine, Swampland, Guardian, EconLog, Feministing, Towleroad News #gay, Pajamas Media, The Wire, Don Surber, ThinkProgress, Gothamist, National Review, Hullabaloo, Fox Nation, The Washington Independent and Eschaton, more at Mediagazer »
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Chris Suellentrop / The 6th Floor:
My (Legal) Editor's Dream — Last week, at 11:54 p.m. on Monday night, June 13, an e-mail from Jose Antonio Vargas landed in my inbox. “Hi Chris,” Jose wrote. “Hope you are well. Any chance we can chat on the phone tomorrow? It's rather urgent and personal — and a possible story for you.”
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Politico, Mediaite and This Just In, more at Mediagazer »
Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:
Washington Post Passed On Jose Antonio Vargas' ‘Undocumented Immigrant’ Story
Washington Post Passed On Jose Antonio Vargas' ‘Undocumented Immigrant’ Story
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, EconLog, Washington Post and National Review, more at Mediagazer »
Amy Gardner / Washington Post:
Palin cancels trip to Sudan — Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has canceled a trip next month to war-ravaged Sudan, one of the most unstable nations in the world and the focus of passionate advocacy within the U.S. evangelical community. — Palin scrapped her visit to the North African country …
Discussion:
USA Today, Flap's Blog, The Daily Dish, The Note and Conservatives4Palin
RELATED:
Scott Conroy / Real Clear Politics:
Palin Bus Tour Takes Extended Pit Stop
Palin Bus Tour Takes Extended Pit Stop
Discussion:
The TrogloPundit, The Raw Story, Mediaite, Jezebel, The Reaction, CNN, The Other McCain, TPMDC, sisu, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Guardian, Sky Dancing, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Wire, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, Balloon Juice, New York Magazine, Indecision Forever, Outside the Beltway, Wonkette, Flap's Blog, The Camp Of The Saints and Weigel
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Palin says her bus tour isn't over
Palin says her bus tour isn't over
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and The Daily Caller
Colby Hall / Mediaite:
No Joke: Sarah Palin Reportedly Quits One Nation Bus Tour Halfway Through (Update)
No Joke: Sarah Palin Reportedly Quits One Nation Bus Tour Halfway Through (Update)
Discussion:
JustOneMinute and Washington Post
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
Democrats Explicitly Call Out GOP For Sabotaging The Economic Recovery — They've made it explicit. Democrats are accusing Republicans of trying to sabotage the recovery — or at least stall it — by blocking all short-term measures to boost the economy, even ones they previously supported.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, The BRAD BLOG, Daily Kos, The New Republic and Firedoglake
RELATED:
Jon Ralston / Las Vegas Sun Blogs:
Huntsman's family gave nearly $25,000 to Reid last cycle
Huntsman's family gave nearly $25,000 to Reid last cycle
Discussion:
Las Vegas Sun, The Hill, New York Magazine, Verum Serum, The Politico and And So it Goes in Shreveport
Jonathan Allen / The Politico:
House Republicans to vote on de-funding Libya conflict
House Republicans to vote on de-funding Libya conflict
Discussion:
The Hill, CNN and ThinkProgress
Matt Taibbi / Rolling Stone:
Michele Bachmann's Holy War — The Tea Party contender may seem like a goofball, but be warned: Her presidential campaign is no laughing matter — Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and, as you consider the career and future presidential prospects of an incredible American phenomenon named Michele Bachmann, do one more thing.
Robert Lopez / L.A. NOW:
Famed crime boss James ‘Whitey’ Bulger arrested in Santa Monica — Legendary Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger, who has been on the run for more than a decade, was arrested Wednesday in Santa Monica, multiple law enforcement sources told The Times. — Bulger, 81, has been the subject …
Discussion:
New York Times, The Informer, New York Magazine, Boing Boing and Ricochet Conversation Feed
Dan Mitchell / International Liberty:
Andrew Sullivan Has No Idea What He's Talking about, but I Agree with His Conclusion — Even though he's become rather partisan in recent years, I still enjoy an occasional visit to Andrew Sullivan's blog. But I was rather amused last night when I read one of his posts …
Discussion:
The Lonely Conservative and GayPatriot
Telegraph:
Self publishing writer becomes million seller — An entrepreneur has turned the writing world upside down by becoming the first author to sell more than a million electronic books without a publishing deal. — In the last year John has had four of the top 10 books on Amazon/Kindle at the same time, including number one and two
Discussion:
Guardian and Pajamas Media
Mike Riggs / Hit & Run:
Barney Frank and Ron Paul will Introduce Legislation on Thursday to Fully Legalize Marijuana — Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) will introduce “bi-partisan legislation tomorrow ending the federal war on marijuana and letting states legalize, regulate, tax …
Discussion:
Top of the Ticket, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Daily Caller and Salon
Steve Tetreault / Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Reid says candidate misled him, questions fitness for Senate — WASHINGTON — Simmering tension in the still-young 2012 Nevada race for U.S. Senate burst into the open Tuesday when Sen. Harry Reid unloaded on upstart candidate Byron Georgiou, a Democratic lawyer and entrepreneur from Las Vegas.
Discussion:
Hotline On Call
Paul Bentley / Daily Mail:
Has O.J. Simpson confessed murder to Oprah? Huge TV interview planned in which convict ‘will admit he killed Nicole in self-defence as she pulled a knife on him’ — O.J Simpson has confessed to Oprah Winfrey that he murdered his former wife, it has been reported.
Discussion:
And So it Goes in Shreveport, Mediaite and Don Surber
Ezra Klein / Washington Post:
CBO: We'll only have giant deficits if Congress wants giant deficits — The Congressional Budget Office just released the latest edition of its long-term budget outlook (pdf), and it shows the same thing as always: If Congress lets the Bush tax cuts expire or offsets their extension …
RELATED:
ABCNEWS:
Economic Trouble Puzzles Fed Chief, Too — The economy's continuing struggles aren't just confounding ordinary Americans. They've also stumped the head of the Federal Reserve. — Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke told reporters Wednesday that the central bank had been caught off guard by recent signs of deterioration in the economy.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Truthdig and Fox Nation
Rick Callahan / Associated Press:
Planned Parenthood stops seeing Medicaid patients — INDIANAPOLIS - Thousands of low-income Planned Parenthood of Indiana patients were left fending for themselves Tuesday to pay for birth control, breast exams, Pap tests and other medical services while a court battle continued over a new state law …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and Ricochet Conversation Feed
Jimmy Vielkind / Capitol Confidential:
Silver sees session end today, ready for SSM tweaks — After spending 90 minutes meeting with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, legislative leaders emerged to say they have not fully ironed out details of the “big ugly” framework containing a property tax cap, rent regulation renewal and relief of some local government mandates.
Discussion:
Capital Tonight, Associated Press, Firedoglake, New York Magazine, Towleroad News #gay and AMERICAblog Gay
RELATED:
Azi Paybarah / PolitickerNY:
Amendments to Marriage Bill Taking Shape, Vote Uncertain
Amendments to Marriage Bill Taking Shape, Vote Uncertain
Discussion:
Above the Law and Ben Smith's Blog
Matthew Boyle / The Daily Caller:
Private emails detail Obama admin involvement in cutting non-union worker pensions post-GM bailout — New emails obtained by The Daily Caller contradict claims by the Obama administration that the Treasury Department would avoid “intervening in the day-to-day management” of General Motors post-auto bailout.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers
G-A-Y / Good As You:
Tipping their hand: In last ditch effort, NY's chief lobby group pushes ‘ex-gay’ therapy — The New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms is the big anti-equality lobby group in Albany. A big NOM ally too, appearing alongside Gallagher and Brown at this week's “protect marriage” press conference.
Discussion:
Gothamist and Joe. My. God.
RELATED:
David Beasley / Reuters:
Staff quit because “I'm different,” Gingrich says — (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich on Wednesday attributed the mass resignations among his campaign staff to the fact that he is “very different” from mainstream politicians. — “Philosophically …
Discussion:
News Desk, Political Insider, GOP 12, Ballot Box, Jesus' General, The Page and Indecision Forever
Michael Barone / Wall Street Journal:
The Surprising Roots of Liberal Nostalgia — World War II created confidence in large institutions and big government. But few would want the cultural conformity of the mid-20th century back. — There's a longing on the left for the golden years of the 1940s, '50s and early '60s.
Discussion:
Pajamas Media and Power Line
The Investigative Project on Terrorism:
CAIR Loses IRS Status — Donations to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) no longer are tax deductible after the organization was among 275,000 tax-exempt organizations purged earlier this month by the Internal Revenue Service. — The groups failed to file required annual reports …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Maggie's Notebook and UrbanGrounds
William Lajeunesse / Fox News:
NASA Scientist Accused of Using Celeb Status Among Environmental Groups to Enrich Himself — The NASA scientist who once claimed the Bush administration tried to “silence” his global warming claims is now accused of receiving more than $1.2 million from the very environmental organizations whose agenda he advocated.
Discussion:
YID With LID and Left Coast Rebel