memeorandum: White House gives up more Solyndra docs (Andrew Restuccia/The Hill)

6:05 PM ET, February 4, 2012

Top Items:

Obama asks Assad to ‘step aside,’ condemns mass murder in Homs — President Barack Obama on Saturday accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government of murdering civilians in an “unspeakable assault” in the city of Homs, and demanded that Assad step down, a day after more than 400 civilians across the country.

Discussion: Wake up America, Atlas Shrugs, The Gateway Pundit and The PJ Tatler

Colum Lynch / Washington Post:

Russia, China veto U.N. resolution on Syria — UNITED NATIONS — Russia and China on Saturday vetoed a Western and Arab-sponsored U.N. resolution condemning Syria's violent repression of anti-government demonstrators, throwing their prestige and power behind President Bashar al-Assad …

Discussion: US Department of State, Foreign Policy, The Agonist and Israel Matzav

New York Times:

Russia and China Block U.N. Action on Syrian Crisis — UNITED NATIONS — A United Nations Security Council effort to end the violence in Syria collapsed in acrimony and a veto by Russia and China on Saturday, hours after the Syrian military attacked the ravaged city of Homs …

Discussion: Foreign Policy, Reuters, ThinkProgress, Anthony De Rosa, The Lede, Outside the Beltway and Jezebel

CNN:
U.N. Security Council fails to pass resolution on Syria

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Gawker and This Just In

Erik Wasson / The Hill:
Obama condemns Syria violence, can't secure UN resolution

Discussion: Politico and Verum Serum

BBC:
Russia and China veto resolution on Syria at UN

Discussion: Firedoglake

BBC:
Arrests at Syrian embassy protest

Discussion: msnbc.com, Guardian and HotAirPundit

Nonny Mouse / Crooks and Liars:

What Cancer Is, and What It's Not — (h/t ABL WARNING: Graphic images and language) — My mother died of breast cancer. I'm sure the vast majority of people reading this can point to an aunt, a cousin, a sister, a best friend who has had the disease. So far, the estimated new cases …

Discussion: Jezebel, Angry Black Lady Chronicles and US Politics

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:

Big Sister Is Watching You — Totalitarian feminism and the smearing of Susan G. Komen. — The smear campaign against the breast cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure appears to have had its desired effect, although this may turn out to be a case in which appearances are deceiving.

Discussion: Neptunus Lex, LifeNews.com, The Daily Caller, ThinkProgress and Daily Kos

Sam Baker / The Hill:
Cancer charity's effort to privately defund Planned Parenthood backfires

Discussion: Reuters, Politico and The Hill

Adam Serwer / Political Mojo:
What Does Komen's Latest Statement on Planned Parenthood Really Mean?

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, Mercury News, The Moderate Voice, Jill Stanek, Nation Now, Beach Peanuts, The Huffington Post, The Political Carnival and Bark Bark Woof Woof, more at Mediagazer »

Ethan Klapper / NationalJournal.com:

Gingrich to Hold Post-Caucus Press Conference — Instead of the traditional election night party, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will hold a press conference after the Nevada Caucus on Saturday, raising new speculation about his future in the race. — An e-mail sent to reporters …

Discussion: Fox News, The Right Scoop, Reuters, The Moderate Voice, Saint Petersblog, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and CNN

Chip Reid / CBS News:
Romney hopes for lopsided win in Nev. caucuses

Discussion: Hot Air

Ben Adler / thenation.com/blogs/163272:
Newt Gingrich's New Enemies: Subway Riders

Discussion: Liberal Values, The Mahablog, Gawker, New York Magazine, Gothamist and Political Mojo

Indianapolis Star:

Jury finds Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White guilty on 6 of 7 felony charges … Purchase Image — Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White and his wife, Michelle, enter the Hamilton County Government and Judicial Center on Friday in Noblesville. / D. Kevin Elliott / For the Star

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The BRAD BLOG, Balloon Juice, Business Insider and Time

Noel Sheppard / NewsBusters.org blogs:

Maher Turns on Occupiers, Denounces Them as D-bags That Should ‘Get a Job’ — The Occupy movement lost one of its most ardent supporters in the media Friday night. — On HBO's Real Time, host Bill Maher surprisingly said of the protesters, “As I watch them on the news now I find myself almost agreeing with Newt Gingrich.

Jordy Yager / The Hill:

GOP puts oversight of Obama into high gear — Republicans are putting congressional oversight of the Obama administration into high gear ahead of the 2012 elections. — Following a recent promise by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) “to do a better job of holding [President Obama] …

Andrew Restuccia / The Hill:
White House gives up more Solyndra docs

Discussion: Don Surber

Peter Berkowitz / Wall Street Journal:

Sex Smears and the Rule of Law at Yale — The university has tarnished a student's reputation, and its own. — The case of former Yale quarterback Patrick Witt provides additional evidence, as if more were needed, that our leading colleges and universities have lost their way.

CBS Las Vegas:

Controversial Artist Depicts Obama Trampling The Constitution — Provo, Utah (CBS Las Vegas) - In front of the White House a man is sitting on a park bench in the throes of depression. He is surrounded by all 43 presidents. In the forefront, purposefully ignoring the depressed man is President Obama …

Discussion: Scared Monkeys

Tyler Durden / zerohedge.com/fullrss2.xml:

How Europe Has Evolved From A Democracy To A Bankocracy And Why Austerity Will Lead To Chaos — In one of the clearest (and most optically pleasing) discussions of recent months, David McWiliams (of Punk Economics) succinctly explains how Europe has evolved from a democracy to a bankocracy …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

WMUR:

Obama's NH Approval Rises With Economy — Poll Shows Obama Beating Republican Contenders — DURHAM, N.H. — A new poll shows that the improving economy has also raised President Barack Obama's standing in New Hampshire. — The WMUR Granite State Poll shows that 38 percent of New Hampshire adults …

Discussion: Ballot Box and Taegan Goddard's …

Adrian Chen / Gawker:

Anonymous Leaks Huge Cache of Emails From Iraq War Crimes Case — Anonymous is on a rampage today. Just hours after leaking a confidential phone call between the FBI and Scotland yard, members have released a huge archive of emails and documents related to the 2005 Haditha Massacre, which left 24 Iraqi civilians dead.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Mashable!, TalkLeft, VentureBeat and New York Magazine