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
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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:
The Last Tradition, The Impolitic, Weasel Zippers, pandagon.net and AlterNet
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 …
Discussion:
Politics, The New Republic, The Huffington Post and American Prospect
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.
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Birth control may now be wedge issue against GOP
Birth control may now be wedge issue against GOP
Discussion:
The Left Call, pandagon.net, Daily Kos, Newshoggers.com and US Politics
New York Post:
Obama amends contraception rule amid backlash
Obama amends contraception rule amid backlash
Discussion:
Power Line and Campaign 2012
usccb.org:
Bishops Studying Initial White House Movement On Religious Liberty
Bishops Studying Initial White House Movement On Religious Liberty
Discussion:
New York Times, Washington Post, Politics, Politico, Political Mojo, Guardian and Outside the Beltway
Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:
Obama to Offer ‘Accomodation’ on Contraception Rule
Obama to Offer ‘Accomodation’ on Contraception Rule
Discussion:
Public Policy Polling, Washington Post, RH Reality Check, LifeNews.com, Wall Street Journal, Hot Air, JustOneMinute, New York Times, The Daily Caller, The Raw Story, American Prospect, The New Republic, Hullabaloo, Politicker, CatholicVote.org, The Huffington Post, The Hill, The Heritage Foundation, Little Green Footballs, US Politics, The Hill, The Last Tradition, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Maddow Blog, ThinkProgress, Daily Pundit, Jezebel, Weasel Zippers, Rumproast, Political Mojo, The Moderate Voice, The Hinterland Gazette, Shakesville, Taylor Marsh, Michelle Malkin, Right Wing News, Don Surber, Outside the Beltway, News Desk, Daily Kos, The PJ Tatler and Campaign 2012, more at Mediagazer »
American Prospect:
Bishops, Republicans Get Served
Bishops, Republicans Get Served
Discussion:
Firedoglake, New York Times and News Desk, more at Mediagazer »
Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:
Both Catholic Health Assn and Planned Parenthood Say They're Pleased With Contraception Rule Announcement
Both Catholic Health Assn and Planned Parenthood Say They're Pleased With Contraception Rule Announcement
Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:
How Obama'S Lady-Parts Deal Empowers The Church
How Obama'S Lady-Parts Deal Empowers The Church
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money
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:
Power Line, Los Angeles Times, Daily Kos, Big Government, The Spectacle Blog, 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” …
Newt Gingrich / CNN:
Gingrich aims for anti-establishment tone in CPAC speech
Gingrich aims for anti-establishment tone in CPAC speech
Discussion:
Ballot Box and Politico
Stephen C. Webster / The Raw Story:
Awkward: Fox News contributor debuts rap video at CPAC
Awkward: Fox News contributor debuts rap video at CPAC
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Rumproast, GOP 12, campusprogress.org and Gawker
Reid J. Epstein / Politico:
At CPAC, Mitt Romney throws red meat
At CPAC, Mitt Romney throws red meat
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, Hot Air, Conservatives4Palin, CNN and The Hill
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
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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 …
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
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 …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers
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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.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post
RELATED:
American Banker:
Missing Settlement Document Raises Doubts on $25B Deal
Missing Settlement Document Raises Doubts on $25B Deal
Discussion:
Reality Check, Nebraska Radio Network, ProPublica, The Heritage Foundation and THEROOT.COM
David Dayen / Firedoglake:
Making Chicken Salad: 9 Ways to Improve Housing Policy Around the Foreclosure Fraud Settlement
Making Chicken Salad: 9 Ways to Improve Housing Policy Around the Foreclosure Fraud Settlement
Discussion:
Salon, Eschaton, Washington Post and The White House
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.
Discussion:
Enik Rising, Booman Tribune and Hit & Run
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:
Sky Dancing and Boing Boing
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.’
Discussion:
Jezebel, TBogg, Daily Kos and The Atlantic Online
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, Hot Air and Wake up America