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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 …
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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.


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

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 …


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

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.).
Discussion:
Washington Post

Birth control may now be wedge issue against GOP
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The Left Call, pandagon.net, Daily Kos, Newshoggers.com and US Politics


Bishops, Republicans Get Served
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New York Times, Firedoglake, Ramona's Voices and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Statement by Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America …
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Slate, Los Angeles Times, Jill Stanek, Daily Kos, Sky Dancing, NewsBusters.org, The PJ Tatler and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Bishops Studying Initial White House Movement On Religious Liberty
Discussion:
Politics, Washington Post, Political Mojo and Guardian

I Still Want My Free Lunch
Discussion:
LifeNews.com, The Raw Story and ACS Blog

AP sources: Obama revamping birth control policy
Discussion:
Politics


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.
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Los Angeles Times, Daily Kos, The Spectacle Blog, Big Government, Hit & Run, 2012 Decoded and About.com Conservative …
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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” …


At CPAC, Mitt Romney throws red meat
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Hot Air, CNN, Conservatives4Palin and The Hill


How a Birthday Party at the North Korean Embassy Started the Kim Jong-un Death Rumor — The internet is aflame with rumors, launched by Chinese micro-blog users, that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was assassinated in Beijing this morning. We believe we've figured out what's behind the rumor …
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, Hot Air and Business Insider
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Believing the Unbelievable: Why Kim Jong Un Death Rumors Won't Die — An incredible story that the North Korean leader was killed in Beijing gained remarkable attention in the West, revealing some of the ways Americans can misunderstand Asian societies. — North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un waves …


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

Chinese Twitter Says Kim Jong-Un Was Assassinated This Morning In Beijing
Discussion:
Reuters and The Huffington Post


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

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


Making Chicken Salad: 9 Ways to Improve Housing Policy Around the Foreclosure Fraud Settlement — I think I've made my position on the foreclosure fraud settlement pretty clear. Nevertheless, there's a time to stew and a time to figure out how to make this work as well as possible.
Discussion:
Salon, Eschaton, The Huffington Post and Washington Post
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There Is No Foreclosure Fraud Settlement Term Sheet
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ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*


Koch fights back: Obama ‘trying to intimidate’ — Responding more aggressively than in the past, Koch Industries' political arm on Friday accused President Barack Obama and his allies of “trying to intimidate into silence those who may disagree with them.” — The statement came in response …
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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

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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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


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:
Hot Air, Firedoglake, American Research Group, Politico and National Review


Obama Targets Military Meritocracy — It's time to bust some chops here. — The Military is a meritocracy. It's up or out. There are plenty of challenges and opportunities, and this author is one who took (or tried to) make the most out of an even playing field.
Discussion:
The PJ Tatler

‘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, Michelle Malkin, The PJ Tatler, Big Government and The College Fix