Top Items:
New York Times:
Half Brother of Afghan President Is Killed in Kandahar — By ALISSA J. RUBIN, CARLOTTA GALL and RUHULLAH KHAPALWAK — KABUL, Afghanistan — The powerful half brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai was shot dead on Tuesday by a close family associate, according to Karzai family friends who were nearby.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Washington Post, Global Public Square, Scared Monkeys, Swampland, Taylor Marsh, Gawker and New York Magazine
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Telegraph:
Afghan President Hamid Karzai confirms brother's assassination — The death of Ahmed Wali Karzai was confirmed by Hamid Karzai, his half brother, who said the killing reflected the suffering of all Afghan people. — “Inside the houses of Afghan people, we have all suffered from the same kind (of pain).
Discussion:
The Huffington Post and The Reaction
Mirwais Khan / Associated Press:
Afghan president's half brother killed in south
Afghan president's half brother killed in south
Discussion:
Aljazeera, The Politico and National Review
Jake Tapper / Political Punch:
'C'mon, Man!' Exclaims VP in Deficit Meeting. 'Let's Get Real!' — Officials familiar with the negotiations say today's meeting began with President Obama asking House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., to lay out what was agreed upon in the deficit reduction talks led by Vice President Biden.
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Los Angeles Times:
Boehner-Cantor rivalry affecting debt talks — It's not the first sign of friction between the two Republican leaders. — The debt talks are not the first time friction has been apparent between House Speaker John A. Boehner, rear, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. (Win McNamee, Getty Images / July 12, 2011)
Discussion:
Roll Call, The Hill, Swampland, The Hill, Washington Post, The Politico and Prairie Weather
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
Fresh doubt cast on Obama's health care story — During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama often discussed his mother's struggle with cancer. Ann Dunham spent the months before her death in 1995, Obama said, fighting with insurance companies that sought to deny her the coverage she needed to pay for treatment.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Betsy's Page, The Lonely Conservative, JammieWearingFool and Clayton Cramer's Blog
Brian Ross / ABCNEWS:
Michele Bachmann Clinic: Where You Can Pray Away the Gay? — A former patient who sought help from the Christian counseling clinic owned by GOP presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann and her husband, Marcus, told ABC News he was advised that prayer could rid him of his homosexual urges and he could eventually be “re-oriented.”
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Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
Wisconsin recall elections underway — (CNN) - Six Democratic state senators in Wisconsin face recall elections Tuesday stemming from the state battle over collective bargaining rights that shut down the state legislature for weeks in February and March. — Protest Democrats …
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Monica Davey / New York Times:
It's a Season of Recalls for Voters in Wisconsin
It's a Season of Recalls for Voters in Wisconsin
Discussion:
Prairie Weather
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Bachmann opens door to raising debt limit — if it repeals healthcare bill — Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) opened the door to voting to raise the debt ceiling on Monday — in the extraordinarily unlikely instance that it's tied to a repeal of President Obama's healthcare law.
Discussion:
GOP 12, ThinkProgress, Weasel Zippers, The Maddow Blog and News Hounds
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Natalie Jennings / Washington Post:
Michelle Obama orders 1,556-calorie meal at Shake Shack — First lady Michelle Obama ordered a whopper of a meal at the newly opened Washington diner Shake Shack during lunch on Monday. — A Washington Post journalist on the scene confirmed the first lady, who's made a cause out of child nutrition …
Discussion:
Adam Serwer, The Note, The Atlantic Online, theblogprof, Scared Monkeys, Top of the Ticket, pandagon.net, Babalú Blog, Los Angeles Times, National Review, americanthinker.com, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, UNCOVERAGE.net, Political Punch, PointOfLaw Forum, Weasel Zippers, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, New York Magazine, MyFox Philadelphia, The Lonely Conservative and JammieWearingFool
Jake Sherman / The Politico:
Darrell Issa questions White House's 2012 actions — House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa is probing what he sees as signs of an unseemly overlap between President Barack Obama's official and political activities. — In what could be considered the committee's sharpest probe …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Weasel Zippers, UrbanGrounds, Taegan Goddard's … and White House Dossier
Christian Heinze / GOP 12:
Huntsman's two pledges — Jon Huntsman explains why he won't sign any of the growing number of pledges. … DeMint has been one of the most rigid of all drafters, averring that he won't support any candidate who doesn't sign his Cut, Cap, and Balance pledge. — [Hat tip: Daniel Strauss]
Discussion:
The Note and Ben Smith's Blog
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Lauraklairmont / CNN:
Huntsman goes on offense against Romney
Huntsman goes on offense against Romney
Discussion:
The Politico, The Note, Outside the Beltway and GOP 12
Fred Lucas / CNSNews:
Obama: Job Losses Prove Stimulus Worked — (CNSNews.com) - Three days after the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the national unemployment rate had ticked up from 9.1 percent in May to 9.2 percent in June, President Barack Obama said that the loss of jobs in the public sector is …
Luis Martinez / ABCNEWS:
2nd Living Recipient Awarded Medal of Honor — At a White House ceremony later today, Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry, an Army Ranger, will become only the second living recipient of the Medal of Honor for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Petry lost his right hand while throwing a live grenade away from his fellow soldiers.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice and ABQJournal Online
Mike Waterhouse / WEWS-TV:
Unruly passenger on flight diverted to Cleveland faces federal charges — Passenger helps flight crew restrain suspect — Last Updated: 14 hours and 16 minutes ago — CLEVELAND - The unruly passenger who caused a commercial jet flying from Chicago to Germany to divert to Cleveland Friday is facing federal charges.
Discussion:
The Jawa Report and Atlas Shrugs
Kenric Ward / Sunshine State News:
U.S. Jobless Numbers Dragging Obama Down in Florida — Romney beats president in hypothetical match-up as independents swing toward GOP — A slipping economy has Floridians moving away from President Barack Obama and warming up to Republican Mitt Romney, a Sunshine State News Poll shows.
Discussion:
Washington Post, GOP 12, Taegan Goddard's … and National Review
Matthew Yglesias / ThinkProgress:
The Future Deficit Can Inherently Exists In The Future — Kicking the can down the road is generally understood to be a bad thing. But it's crucial to note that in the context of discussion of America's long-term structural deficit, the can in question inherently exists in the future.
Discussion:
Eschaton
Megan McArdle / The Atlantic Online:
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Thinks We're Still in the Bush Era — Another day, another chart from the “non-partisan” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on what “accounts” for the public debt. At some level, these exercises are silly: all prior legislation could be equally said to …
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog
Bryan Preston / Pajamas Media:
Video: President Obama promises ‘massive job killing taxes’ if re-elected — From today's presser on the debt ceiling debate. Check out how the prez frames the debate over taxes. — Click here to view the embedded video. … Re-elect me to get massive job killing tax hikes when I'm a lame duck and you can't do a thing about it.
Discussion:
Betsy's Page, Hot Air, Patterico's Pontifications, Sense of Events and The Camp Of The Saints
John Schwartz / New York Times:
Polygamist, Under Scrutiny in Utah, Plans Suit to Challenge Law — Kody Brown is a proud polygamist, and a relatively famous one. Now Mr. Brown, his four wives and 16 children and stepchildren are going to court to keep from being punished for it. — The family is the focus of a reality TV show …
Discussion:
The Camp Of The Saints, Althouse and The Other McCain
Mark Weiss / Telegraph:
Israel parliament passes anti-boycott bill — Israel's parliament has passed a controversial bill making it illegal for any citizen advocating a boycott of Israel or West Bank settlements. — The Knesset voted 47-38 in favour after a stormy debate, during which opposition members accusing …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and Taylor Marsh
Rebecca Rosenberg / New York Post:
The ‘randy’ rabbi — A prominent Long Island Jewish leader was caught with his dreidel out in a string of sordid sex tapes, according to sensational Manhattan court records. — Rabbi Avraham Rabinowich — who leads the wealthy, Conservative Bellmore Jewish Center and is vice president …
Discussion:
Runnin' Scared and New York Magazine
Marc Caputo / MiamiHerald.com:
Police reports show different side of Michele Bachmann — From complaining about her house being egged to filing a report that she was being held “against my will” in a public restroom, Michele Bachmann has left a trail of police reports showing a seldom-seen side of a presidential candidate.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Mediaite and The Blotter
LATimes / Top of the Ticket:
‘South California’ proposed as 51st state by Republican supervisor — The 51st state should be named South California, says Jeff Stone, a Republican on the the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. But the proposed 13 southern California counties that would split off from the Golden State would not include Los Angeles.
Discussion:
RedState, Althouse, The Caucus and UNCOVERAGE.net
Craig Robinson / The Iowa Republican:
TIR Poll: Look Out for Chris Christie — While Michele Bachmann is the frontrunner in the Iowa Caucuses, she has yet to seal the deal with Iowa caucus goers. TheIowaRepublican.com poll shows that Bachmann is head and shoulders above the current crop of candidates campaigning in Iowa …
Discussion:
msnbc.com, GOP 12 and Iowa Caucuses
Lawrence Hurley / New York Times:
Supreme Court Picks One EPA Enforcement Case Over Another and Attorneys Ask Why — When the Supreme Court decided last week to take up a case over whether U.S. EPA enforcement of the Clean Water Act can lead to constitutional violations, many veteran environmental lawyers scratched their heads.
Rick Perlstein / New York Times:
Betty Ford, Pioneer — THE obituaries for Betty Ford, who died Friday at the age of 93, were filled with colorful stories about an incongruous life: former Martha Graham dancer, dispenser of scandalous comments to the media, alcohol and drug addict. So colorful, in fact …
Wall Street Journal:
The Taxman Retreateth — The IRS stops its attack on political donors, at least for now. — The IRS last week abandoned its plan to audit major political donors just in time for the 2012 election season to begin in earnest. We're glad to see the agency back down from this ill-conceived campaign …
James Robinson / Guardian:
Rupert Murdoch invited to appear before MPs — Commons culture select committee also invites James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks to answer questions about phone hacking — Rupert Murdoch, the News Corporation chairman and chief executive, has been asked to appear before MPs …
Discussion:
New York Magazine and National Review, more at Mediagazer »
John Leland / New York Times:
Returning Jeter's Big Hit: No Good Deed Goes Untaxed (Perhaps) — Here is the fan's fantasy: You go to the ballpark and under a picture-perfect sky not only do the Yankees win, but in recognition of your exemplary behavior, the team also showers you with free season tickets …
Discussion:
The Consumerist, Gothamist, This Just In and American Morning
The Hill:
Six months in, handful of House freshmen haven't offered a bill — More than six months after being sworn in to office, a handful of Republican freshman lawmakers have yet to introduce a single piece of legislation. — The three House Republicans and a GOP senator were swept into office …
Discussion:
Say Anything
Judson Berger / Fox News:
Ex-Aide's Lawsuit Claims Rep. Jackson Lee Mocked, Disregarded Her Disability — Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's former legislative director is suing the Democratic congresswoman, claiming she made “humiliating” comments about her vision disability while refusing to do anything to accommodate her.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and JammieWearingFool
New York Times:
Gordon Brown Says Newspaper Hired ‘Known Criminals’ — LONDON — Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown brought new and alarming charges on Tuesday to the broadening scandal enveloping Rupert Murdoch's media empire in Britain, accusing one of the most prestigious newspapers in the group of employing …