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 …
Discussion:
Public Policy Polling, Washington Post, RH Reality Check, The Hill, LifeNews.com, Hot Air, The New Republic, Wall Street Journal, American Prospect, Mother Jones, The Hill, CatholicVote.org, Hullabaloo, The Huffington Post, The Daily Caller, The Raw Story, The Heritage Foundation, US Politics, No More Mister Nice Blog, Little Green Footballs, The Maddow Blog, Politicker, ThinkProgress, The Last Tradition, Jezebel, Weasel Zippers, Political Mojo, The Hinterland Gazette, Taylor Marsh, Shakesville, Michelle Malkin, Don Surber, Rumproast, News Desk, Daily Pundit, Right Wing News, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos, The PJ Tatler, Business Insider, Wake up America and Campaign 2012, more at Mediagazer »
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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.
Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
GOP Ups The Ante, Introduces Legislation To Allow Any Employer To Deny Any Preventive Health Service — Earlier today, in response to criticism from Catholic groups, the White House altered its regulation requiring employers and insurers to provide no-cost contraception coverage as part of their health care plans.
Discussion:
Daily Kos and Hullabaloo
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 …
Megan McArdle / The Atlantic Online:
Administration Backtracks on Birth Control, but at What Cost? — It looks like the Obama administration is pretty much completely caving on the rule forcing religious organizations to provide free contraception coverage for employees at facilities with a secular purpose (hospitals, schools, etc.).
Amanda Marcotte / Slate:
Obama Punks the GOP on Contraception — Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and President Obama — After two solid weeks of Republicans rapidly escalating attacks on contraception access under the banner of “religous freedom,” Obama finally announced what the White House …
Discussion:
pandagon.net, Angry Black Lady Chronicles and AlterNet
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.
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:
pandagon.net, Newshoggers.com, Daily Kos and US Politics
American Prospect:
Bishops, Republicans Get Served
Bishops, Republicans Get Served
Discussion:
New York Times, Firedoglake, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Balloon Juice
Planned Parenthood:
Statement by Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America …
Statement by Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America …
Discussion:
Slate, Los Angeles Times, NewsBusters.org, Jill Stanek, Daily Kos, Sky Dancing, The PJ Tatler and Lawyers, Guns & Money
usccb.org:
Bishops Studying Initial White House Movement On Religious Liberty
Bishops Studying Initial White House Movement On Religious Liberty
Discussion:
Washington Post, Political Mojo and Guardian
Mitt Romney for President of the United States …:
MITT ROMNEY DELIVERS REMARKS AT CPAC — This year, here at CPAC, we've got a great crowd. It's been a great conference. For that I suppose we should acknowledge President Obama, the conservative movement's top recruiter. Turns out, he really is a great community organizer.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, The Spectacle Blog, Daily Kos, Big Government, Hit & Run, 2012 Decoded and About.com Conservative …
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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:
The Last Tradition, GOP 12, The Reaction, No More Mister Nice Blog and nation.foxnews.com
Janet Hook / Washington Wire:
Santorum Gets Spirited Reception at CPAC
Santorum Gets Spirited Reception at CPAC
Discussion:
CNN, The Moderate Voice and The Hinterland Gazette
Josh Lederman / Ballot Box:
Occupy protesters, conservatives clash at CPAC conference
Occupy protesters, conservatives clash at CPAC conference
Discussion:
CNN
Reid J. Epstein / Politico:
At CPAC, Mitt Romney throws red meat
At CPAC, Mitt Romney throws red meat
Discussion:
CNN, Hot Air, The Hill and Conservatives4Palin
Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:
Romney to business leaders: ‘I love you’
Romney to business leaders: ‘I love you’
Discussion:
Weekly Standard and The Maddow Blog
Christopher Helman / Lists:
Kim Jong-Un Dead? That's The Rumor — In the past two hours, Twitter has exploded with unsubstantiated rumors that the new North Korean dictator died in Beijing today and that a coup is underway in North Korea. All rumor of course, and one that appears to have been started on China's twitter-like platform Weibo.
Discussion:
FP Passport
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Max Fisher / The Atlantic Online:
Believing the Unbelievable: Why Kim Jong Un Death Rumors Won't Die
Believing the Unbelievable: Why Kim Jong Un Death Rumors Won't Die
Adrian Chen / Gawker:
How a Birthday Party at the North Korean Embassy Started the Kim Jong-un Death Rumor
How a Birthday Party at the North Korean Embassy Started the Kim Jong-un Death Rumor
Discussion:
Hot Air and Business Insider
Adrian Chen / Gawker:
Chinese Twitter Says Kim Jong-Un Was Assassinated This Morning In Beijing
Chinese Twitter Says Kim Jong-Un Was Assassinated This Morning In Beijing
Discussion:
Reuters and The Huffington Post
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
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, The Atlantic Online, TBogg and Daily Kos
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:
Wake up America and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog
Josh Lederman / Ballot Box:
West: Liberals think we're selfish robots — The U.S. safety net is the unfortunate result of liberals who believe people are selfish robots, Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) argued Friday. — West delivered a forceful rebuke of both Democrats and government programs to help the needy …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers
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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
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:
Don Surber, Hot Air, The PJ Tatler, Michelle Malkin, Big Government and The College Fix
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:
National Review, Paul Krugman and TheMoneyIllusion
Erik Wasson / The Hill:
Obama budget sees increased deficit — President Obama's 2013 budget due out Monday will estimate the deficit for 2012 to be $1.33 trillion, higher than the $1.29 trillion deficit in 2011, according to senior administration officials. — The increase happens largely because the budget assumes enactment …
Discussion:
CNN
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 …
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 …