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3:50 AM ET, February 11, 2012

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
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
RELATED:
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 …
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.).
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.
New York Post:
Obama amends contraception rule amid backlash
Discussion: Power Line and Campaign 2012
Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:
How Obama'S Lady-Parts Deal Empowers The Church
Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:
Both Catholic Health Assn and Planned Parenthood Say They're Pleased With Contraception Rule Announcement
Adrian Chen / Gawker:
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
RELATED:
Max Fisher / The Atlantic Online:
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 …
Discussion: msnbc.com and Gawker
Adrian Chen / Gawker:
Chinese Twitter Says Kim Jong-Un Was Assassinated This Morning In Beijing
Discussion: Reuters and The Huffington Post
Christopher Helman / Lists:
Kim Jong-Un Dead? That's The Rumor
Discussion: FP Passport
Mike Allen / Politico:
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 …
RELATED:
Justin Sink / The Hill:   Koch lobbyist says brothers won't be ‘intimidated or silenced’ by Obama aides
Stephen C. Webster / The Raw Story:
Awkward: Fox News contributor debuts rap video at CPAC  —  Bright and early Friday morning at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C., a small group of Republicans were treated to perhaps the most bizarre attempt at rap music since “M.C. Rove” took the stage in front of the whole D.C. press corps in 2007.
RELATED:
Newt Gingrich / CNN:
Gingrich aims for anti-establishment tone in CPAC speech
Reid J. Epstein / Politico:
At CPAC, Mitt Romney throws red meat
David Dayen / Firedoglake:
There Is No Foreclosure Fraud Settlement Term Sheet  —  Don't worry, be happy.  —  Well, so much for my first “making chicken salad” option.  We are more than 24 hours removed from the foreclosure fraud settlement and the terms have, shockingly, not been released.
RELATED:
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
The Bettor's Case for Santorum  —  During the 2008 Democratic primaries, I had a lot of success in forecasting outcomes from state to state based solely on demographic variables.  Those projections did slightly better than the polls, although that was a low bar to clear because the polls had a lot of misses that year.
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
Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
Santorum: Birth Control Is Not Something ‘You Need Insurance For’ Because It Costs ‘Just A Few Dollars’  —  Rick Santorum told an audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this morning that insurance plans shouldn't cover contraception services because birth control …
Pundit Review Radio / BLACKFIVE:
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
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.’
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.
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.
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
 
 
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 More Items: 
CNN:
Anonymous targets the CIA
Chase / JSOnline:
Walker, Van Hollen: Chunk of mortgage settlement going to state budget
Joseph Berger / New York Times:
Catholic Institutions Reluctantly Comply With N.Y. Law on Contraceptives Coverage
Discussion: Balloon Juice and Hullabaloo
Michael Hastings / Rolling Stone:
The Afghanistan Report the Pentagon Doesn't Want You to Read
Erik Wasson / The Hill:
Obama budget sees increased deficit
Josh Lederman / Ballot Box:
West: Liberals think we're selfish robots
Discussion: Weasel Zippers
Justin Sink / The Hill:
Sen. Kirk released from hospital, moves to rehab center
Discussion: Politico
 Earlier Items: 
Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Obama backs Rep. Conyers in Democratic primary
Discussion: Politico
Andrew Restuccia / The Hill:
Rep. King: Pelosi's ‘Stasi troops’ force use of efficient light bulbs
Discussion: ThinkProgress and Ballot Box
Clive Crook / The Atlantic Online:
U.S. Taxes Really Are Unusually Progressive
Dan Amira / New York Magazine:
Christine O'Donnell: The ‘Door Is Open’ to Another Run
Discussion: The Hill
Lyle Denniston / SCOTUSblog:
New Citizens United sequel (UPDATED)
Discussion: Election Law Blog and Hit & Run
Dana Blanton / Fox News:
Fox News Poll: Santorum surges nationally after three-state sweep
Bloomberg:
Paul Krugman vs. the World
 

 
From Mediagazer:

Caitlin Huston / The Hollywood Reporter:
Internal memo: Hearst Magazines president announces layoffs as part of a decision to “reallocate resources” to “continue our focus on digital innovation”

Mark Sweney / The Guardian:
National World, one of the UK's biggest newspaper groups, gets a £56.2M buyout offer from shareholder Media Concierge, a 40% premium to its Nov. 21 stock price

Lachlan Cartwright / The Ankler:
Sources: MSNBC renewed Rachel Maddow's contract early this fall, but with a pay cut; MSNBC bosses' plan to shake up daytime and weekend programming

 
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