memeorandum: China jails dissident Zhu Yufu over poem sent on Skype (Guardian)

6:10 PM ET, February 10, 2012

Top Items:

Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:

Obama to Offer ‘Accomodation’ on Contraception Rule — With the White House under fire for its new rule requiring employers including religious organizations to offer health insurance that fully covers birth control coverage, ABC News has learned that later today the White House …

Sarah Kliff / Washington Post:

The catch in Obama's contraceptives compromise — The White House has given reporters the rundown on the “accommodations” that President Obama will announce on the health reform law's requirements for hospitals run by faith-based groups to cover the costs of employees' contraceptives. Here's how it works.

Discussion: In These Times, The Loyal Opposition, Associated Press, The New Republic, usccb.org, ProfessorBainbridge.com, Hullabaloo, Business Insider, ThinkProgress, Hot Air, LifeNews.com, Swampland, The Raw Story and Balloon Juice

Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:

Both Catholic Health Assn and Planned Parenthood Say They're Pleased With Contraception Rule Announcement — Senior administration officials are pleased with the initial response to President Obama's pending announcement on an “accommodation” for religious organizations regarding …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The White House, Washington Monthly, Washington Post, New York Magazine, National Review, Guardian, Taylor Marsh, The American Independent, TalkLeft, The Reality-Based Community and Pundit & Pundette

The White House:

FACT SHEET: Women's Preventive Services and Religious Institutions — Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most health insurance plans will cover women's preventive services, including contraception, without charging a co-pay or deductible beginning in August, 2012.

Discussion: National Review, Guardian, The Heritage Foundation, Democracy in America, Jezebel, Wonkette and RedState

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

Birth control may now be wedge issue against GOP — At his press conference this morning announcing the new shift in contraception policy, Obama said: “I understand that some folks in Washington may want to treat this as another political wedge issue. But it shouldn't be.”

Discussion: Slate, pandagon.net, Newshoggers.com, Daily Kos and US Politics

American Prospect:

Bishops, Republicans Get Served — President Barack Obama, accompanied by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, announces the revamp of his contraception policy requiring religious institutions to fully pay for birth control, Friday, Feb. 10, 2012, in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington.

Discussion: Firedoglake, New York Times, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Ramona's Voices

Planned Parenthood:
Statement by Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America …

Discussion: Angry Black Lady Chronicles, Slate, Los Angeles Times, The PJ Tatler, Jill Stanek, Daily Kos, Sky Dancing and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:
I Still Want My Free Lunch

Discussion: ACS Blog

Washington Post:
White House to announce adjustment to birth-control rule

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, Ballot Box, Big Government, ACS Blog, TBogg, The College Fix, Outside the Beltway, Firedoglake, Riptide 2.0, The Moderate Voice, Rod Dreher, The Atlantic Online, The Lonely Conservative and Associated Press

Helene Cooper / New York Times:
Obama Offers ‘Accommodation’ on Birth Control Rule

Discussion: Truthdig, The Lede, Wake up America, The New Republic and The Page

Amie Parnes / The Hill:
Obama shifts on birth control mandate after heavy criticism

Discussion: Washington Post, The Week, New York Times and ABCNEWS

Nick Baumann / Mother Jones:
Most of Obama's “Controversial” Birth Control Rule Was Law During Bush Years

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Public Policy Polling, Political Mojo, HorsesAss.Org, Balloon Juice, Feministing, Daily Kos, THEROOT.COM and The Last Tradition

Politico:
Obama offers birth-control compromise

Discussion: The Heritage Foundation and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:

Appealing to Activists, Romney Calls Himself ‘Severely Conservative’ — Mitt Romney addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference attendees in Washington on Friday. — Mitt Romney faced thousands of conservative activists on Friday and urged them to stand “shoulder to shoulder” …

Discussion: GOP 12, No More Mister Nice Blog and nation.foxnews.com

Janet Hook / Washington Wire:
Santorum Gets Spirited Reception at CPAC

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Reid J. Epstein / Politico:
At CPAC, Mitt Romney throws red meat

Discussion: CNN, The Hill and Hot Air

Mj Lee / Politico:
Allen West: Tea party is like ‘The Blob’

Discussion: Mediaite and CNN

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:
Romney to business leaders: ‘I love you’

Discussion: GOP 12 and The Maddow Blog

Rick Santorum / CNN:
TRENDING: Santorum blasts Obama for ‘coercion’

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette and Politico

Kathleen McAuliffe / The Atlantic Online:

How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy — Jaroslav Flegr is no kook. And yet, for years, he suspected his mind had been taken over by parasites that had invaded his brain. So the prolific biologist took his science-fiction hunch into the lab. What he's now discovering will startle you.

Discussion: Boing Boing

Abigail Pesta / The Daily Beast:

Komen Exec Karen Handel Calls Planned Parenthood a ‘Gigantic Bully’ — In an interview with The Daily Beast, former Komen VP Karen Handel says Planned Parenthood broke a secret pact and launched an ‘Armageddon.’ She calls the organization ‘a gigantic bully, using Komen as its own personal punching bag.’

Discussion: Jezebel, TBogg, The Atlantic Online and Daily Kos

Michelle Fields / The Daily Caller:

‘Occupy CPAC’ protesters paid $60 for the day [VIDEO] — Protesters at Friday's “Occupy CPAC” event, organized by AFL-CIO and the Occupy DC movement, told The Daily Caller that they were paid “sixty bucks a head” to protest outside the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C.

Discussion: Hot Air, Michelle Malkin, Don Surber, Big Government and The College Fix

Josh Lederman / Ballot Box: Occupy protesters, conservatives clash at CPAC conference

Faiz Shakir / ThinkProgress:

REPORT: By A Nearly 2 To 1 Margin, Cable Networks Call On Men Over Women To Comment On Birth Control — TP interns Zachary Bernstein and Fatima Najiy conducted the research for this report. — President Obama's regulation mandating that health insurance plans offer free birth control is an issue that most directly affects women.

Discussion: ECHIDNE of the snakes

Washington Post:

Rep. Spencer Bachus faces insider-trading investigation — The Office of Congressional Ethics is investigating the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee over possible violations of insider-trading laws, according to individuals familiar with the case.

Discussion: New York Times, The Maddow Blog, The Enterprise Blog, Firedoglake, Los Angeles Times, RedState, Business Insider, Big Government, ThinkProgress and Politico

Brian Burch / CatholicVote.org:

Unacceptable — former Vatican Ambassador, Prof. Robert George, others respond — The following letter was signed by former Vatican Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon, Princeton Prof. Robert George, Notre Dame Law Prof. Carter Snead, Catholic University of America President John Garvey, and EPPC Fellow Yuval Levin.

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Bloomberg:

Paul Krugman vs. the World — The escalating battle of ideas between the Nobel Prize-winning economist and his illustrious peers — What has been getting the Nobel Prize-winning economist and New York Times columnist so riled up lately? In the last few weeks, what began as a semi-civil battle …

Discussion: Paul Krugman, National Review and TheMoneyIllusion

Dana Blanton / Fox News:

Fox News Poll: Santorum surges nationally after three-state sweep — Rick Santorum has surged nationally in the race for the 2012 Republican nomination after his three-state sweep this week, while Mitt Romney has lost ground among GOP primary voters. In addition, most GOP voters …

Discussion: Firedoglake, American Research Group, Politico and National Review

Dan Amira / New York Magazine:

Christine O'Donnell: The ‘Door Is Open’ to Another Run — Someday, I will learn to use a camera. — A surprise guest showed up this afternoon in CPAC's media filing room, where journalists gather to bang out stories on their laptops and snack on the occasional tray of complimentary pastries …

Discussion: The Hill and Taegan Goddard's …

Sabrina Tavernise / New York Times:

Education Gap Grows Between Rich and Poor, Studies Say — WASHINGTON — Education was historically considered a great equalizer in American society, capable of lifting less advantaged children and improving their chances for success as adults. But a body of recently published scholarship suggests …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, THEROOT.COM, ThinkProgress, Washington Post, Prairie Weather, Rod Dreher and Neptunus Lex

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:

Santorum says ‘other types of emotions’ could preclude women in combat — For a candidate with virtually no staff and who tends to talk off the cuff, Rick Santorum has been nearly gaffe-free. However, this evening might have been his first, and it comes at a time when he is trying …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Crooks and Liars, Jezebel, Wonkette, Althouse, Politico, The Moderate Voice, ABCNEWS, Vox Popoli, The Week, Shakesville, Feministing, The Daily Dish, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and msnbc.com

Jason Cherkis / The Huffington Post:

Occupy Y'All Street: Occupy Charlotte Activist Gambles Everything On The Movement … Bank Of America , North Carolina , Dnc , Veterans Affairs , Video , Creative Loafing , Duke Energy , Freedom Plaza , Mark Kemp , McPherson Square , Occupy Charlotte , Old City Hall , US Airways …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars