memeorandum: Ron Paul: Abortion Is ‘The Most Important Issue of Our Age’ (Matthew Yglesias/ThinkProgress)

3:00 AM ET, August 28, 2011

Top Items:

Obama takes charge at hurricane command center — US President Barack Obama warned the US east coast was in for a “long 72 hours” as he led his government's response to Hurricane Irene at a disaster command center in Washington. — Obama on Saturday chaired a meeting at the National …

Discussion: Power Line, ABCNEWS, Watts Up With That?, Weasel Zippers, Wonkette and Scared Monkeys

Fred Barnes / Weekly Standard:

Obama's Enablers — Meet the mainstream media. — As a rule, the press is the scourge of presidents. They're expected to endure unending scrutiny, mistrust, and badgering—plus hostility if they're Republicans—by a hectoring herd of reporters and commentators in the mainstream media.

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative and White House Dossier

Darlene Superville / Associated Press:

Obama: Getting Through Irene Will Be ‘Tough Slog’ — President Barack Obama offered moral support Saturday to federal emergency management workers hunkered down for Hurricane Irene's weekend march up the East Coast and 14,000 active-duty and National Guard troops were put on standby for post-storm relief work.

Discussion: CNN and The Lonely Conservative

A.Killough / CNN:

TRENDING: Ron Paul: We don't need FEMA — (CNN) - As Hurricane Irene barrels along the U.S. East Coast, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas said the nation would be much better off without the Federal Emergency Management Agency. — “I live on the Gulf Coast. We put up with hurricanes all the time …

Discussion: The Politico, The Moderate Voice and No More Mister Nice Blog

Kamalwallace / This Just In:
Live blog: Hurricane death toll at 9; New York closes bridge entrance, port

Discussion: newsfeed.time.com, USA Today, CNN, Guardian, Gothamist, ThinkProgress and New York Times

CNN:
Strong winds, heavy rain lash N.C. coast

Discussion: This Just In, newsfeed.time.com, Gothamist, The Monkey Cage, Fox News, Hot Air, The Moderate Voice and ABCNEWS

msnbc.com:
10 dead as Irene churns up Atlantic

Discussion: Nation Now, The Democratic Daily, The Other McCain, The Lonely Conservative, Guardian, Scared Monkeys, PhotoBlog and Crooks and Liars

Mandy Van Deven / Salon:

Why won't America embrace the left? — In two centuries, the movement's history in America is plagued by failure. An expert explains why — What has the left really accomplished over the past two centuries? FDR's New Deal remains one of the great American success stories.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and The Lonely Conservative

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Cheney book: Bush authorized leak on Iraq — Dick Cheney writes in his forthcoming book, “In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir,” that he was surprised to learn that President George W. Bush had personally authorized a leak about Iraq strategy to a Washington Post columnist …

Discussion: The Political Carnival

Mother Jones:

Rikers Island Prisoners Left Behind to Face Irene — “We are not evacuating Rikers Island,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a news conference Friday. Bloomberg annouced a host of extreme measures being taken by New York City in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Irene …

Discussion: Gawker, New York Times, New York Magazine, Facing South, Runnin' Scared, Focal Point, Truthdig, Guardian, Gothamist, The Impolitic and Mock, Paper, Scissors, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:
Damage and Flooding Scar Atlantic Seaboard

Discussion: Metropolis, The Democratic Daily, Runnin' Scared, Gothamist, The Daily Dish, New York Magazine, Washington Monthly and The Huffington Post, more at Mediagazer »

Solitary Watch:
Locked Up and Left Behind: Hurricane Irene and the Prisoners on New York's Rikers Island

Discussion: newsfeed.time.com, New York Times, Runnin' Scared, Metropolis and TalkLeft

Scott Keyes / ThinkProgress:

BREAKING: Perry Says He Hasn't ‘Backed Off Anything’ In His Book, Still Thinks Social Security Is Unconstitutional — ThinkProgress filed this report from Des Moines, IA. — During a campaign stop in Des Moines, Iowa today, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) reaffirmed all the views expressed in his book Fed Up! …

Mark Mazzetti / New York Times:

Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, Qaeda No. 2, Is Said to Be Dead — WASHINGTON — A drone operated by the C.I.A. killed Al Qaeda's second-ranking operative in the mountains of Pakistan this month, an American official said Saturday, further weakening a terrorism network shaken by the killing of Osama bin Laden this year.

Discussion: americanthinker.com, Hot Air, Attackerman and Wonkette

Yahoo! News:
US official: Al-Qaida's No. 2 killed in Pakistan

Discussion: CBS News

Damien Gayle / Daily Mail:

Gaddafi 'seen in Zimbabwe on Mugabe's private jet' as Libya rebels march on dictator's home town — Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has fled Libya to Zimbabwe on a jet provided by Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, it was claimed today, as rebels began the march on his home town.

Discussion: The Heritage Foundation, Outside the Beltway and The Gateway Pundit

John Lewis / New York Times:

A Poll Tax by Another Name — Correction Appended — AS we celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, we reflect on the life and legacy of this great man. But recent legislation on voting reminds us that there is still work to do. Since January, a majority of state legislatures …

Discussion: Balloon Juice and Daily Kos

Steven Greenhouse / New York Times:

Old Letter Sheds New Light on Joe Hill Murder Case — At Woodstock, Joan Baez sang a famous folk ballad celebrating Joe Hill, the itinerant miner, songwriter and union activist who was executed by a Utah firing squad in 1915. “I never died, said he” is the song's refrain.

Discussion: Hullabaloo