Top Items:
Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:
What Everyone Needs To Know About The Smear Campaign Against Trayvon Martin (1995-2012) — Trayvon Martin, as he appeared on his actual Facebook page — Over the last 48 hours, there has been a sustained effort to smear Trayvon Martin, the 17-year old African-American who was shot dead by George Zimmerman a month ago.
RELATED:
Rene Stutzman / Orlando Sentinel:
Police: Zimmerman says Trayvon decked him with one blow then began hammering his head — With a single punch, Trayvon Martin decked the Neighborhood Watch volunteer who eventually shot and killed the unarmed 17-year-old, then Trayvon climbed on top of George Zimmerman and slammed his head …
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, Yahoo! Good Morning America, Mediaite, Associated Press, Examiner, The News Burner, Politico, White House Dossier, Reuters, msnbc.com, Patterico's Pontifications, New York Magazine, Stinque, BuzzFeed, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Raw Story, newsfeed.time.com, Weasel Zippers, Gawker, ABCNEWS, Colorlines, Moonbattery and Jammie Wearing Fools
Wbastone / The Smoking Gun:
An Unfortunate T-Shirt Hits Florida Streets In Wake Of Trayvon Martin Killing — Expanding the definition of “cracker,” a t-shirt featuring the photo of the man who shot Trayvon Martin is now available for purchase. — As seen at right (click to enlarge), the shirt has a picture of George Zimmerman and the words “Pussy Ass Cracker.”
Discussion:
iOwnTheWorld.com, Weasel Zippers, protein wisdom, The Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, American Power and ABCNEWS
Frances Robles / MiamiHerald.com:
Multiple suspensions paint complicated portrait of Trayvon Martin — SANFORD — Miami Gardens teenager Trayvon Martin was suspended from school in October in an incident in which he was found in possession of women's jewelry and a screwdriver that a schools security staffer described as a “burglary tool,” The Miami Herald has learned.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Weasel Zippers, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Little Green Footballs and National Review
Alex Pappas / The Daily Caller:
Former NAACP leader accuses Sharpton and Jackson of ‘exploiting’ Trayvon Martin — Former NAACP leader C.L. Bryant is accusing Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton of “exploiting” the Trayvon Martin tragedy to “racially divide this country.” — “His family should be outraged at the fact …
Discussion:
THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, The Jawa Report, Weasel Zippers and The Gateway Pundit, more at Mediagazer »
Wbastone / The Smoking Gun:
Mother Seeks Trayvon Martin Trademarks
Mother Seeks Trayvon Martin Trademarks
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, msnbc.com, Mediaite, Ricochet Conversations Feed, The PJ Tatler and Clayton Cramer's Blog
Lizette Alvarez / New York Times:
Florida Teenager Had Been Suspended Over Marijuana
Florida Teenager Had Been Suspended Over Marijuana
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, TalkLeft, The PJ Tatler and Mediaite
Elisabeth Bumiller / New York Times:
Support in U.S. for Afghan War Drops Sharply, Poll Finds — WASHINGTON — After a series of violent episodes and setbacks, support for the war in Afghanistan has dropped sharply among both Republicans and Democrats in recent months as increasing numbers of Americans say that the United States …
RELATED:
New York Times:
Most Oppose at Least Part of Overhaul, Poll Finds
Most Oppose at Least Part of Overhaul, Poll Finds
Discussion:
The Caucus and The Huffington Post
Josh Lederman / The Hill:
GOP contenders use hearing to blast president, each other
GOP contenders use hearing to blast president, each other
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, Wall Street Journal, Politico and CNN
Lucy Madison / CBS News:
Poll: Support for war in Afghanistan hits all-time low
Poll: Support for war in Afghanistan hits all-time low
Discussion:
Politico
Catalina Camia / USA Today:
Santorum defends cursing at New York reporter
Santorum defends cursing at New York reporter
Discussion:
Slate, Campaign 2012, Political Insider, The Stranger … and The Huffington Post
Ilya Somin / The Volokh Conspiracy:
Justices Skeptical of Claims that the Individual Mandate is a Tax — Today's Supreme Court oral argument transcript suggests that many of the justices, including at least three of the liberals, are skeptical of claims that the individual mandate is a tax. This is important not only for today's argument …
Discussion:
tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com, NationalJournal.com, Reuters, ABCNEWS, Guardian, Patterico's Pontifications, Time, SCOTUSblog and New York Times
RELATED:
Julian Pecquet / The Hill:
Gohmert: Liberals should fear ‘redneck president’ if court upholds mandate
Gohmert: Liberals should fear ‘redneck president’ if court upholds mandate
Discussion:
The Raw Story
Lyle Denniston / SCOTUSblog:
Argument recap: Moving on to the mandate (FINAL UPDATE)
Argument recap: Moving on to the mandate (FINAL UPDATE)
Discussion:
Slate, Mother Jones, The Volokh Conspiracy, The Moderate Voice, The New Republic, Left Coast Rebel, Wake up America, The Huffington Post, American Prospect, Washington Post, The Maddow Blog, Fox News Insider, Law Blog, Above the Law, Opinion L.A., Crooks and Liars, Hit & Run, Campaign 2012, Los Angeles Times, Daily Kos, The PJ Tatler, RADAMISTO, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Questions and Observations, New York Times, Outside the Beltway, New York Magazine, Washington Wire, aca litigation blog and CBS News, more at Mediagazer »
Juliet Eilperin / Washington Post:
EPA to impose first greenhouse gas limits on power plants — The Environmental Protection Agency will issue the first limits on greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants as early as Tuesday, according to several people briefed on the proposal. The move could end the construction …
Discussion:
Grist, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, The Volokh Conspiracy, Hit & Run and InsideClimate News
RELATED:
Sarah Huisenga / NationalJournal.com:
Gingrich Begins Charging $50 for Photos at Events — Candidate previously posed for free with people attending his appearances. — HOCKESSIN, Del. - In a sign that his campaign is in need of fresh funds, Newt Gingrich on Monday began charging $50 to have a photograph taken with him following …
Stephanie Mencimer / Mother Jones:
Catholic Bishops Lose a Big Battle Over Contraception — For the past several months, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has been waging war on the Obama administration over reproductive health care, declaring it no less than a battle over religious freedom.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, The Mahablog and Booman Tribune
Jeff Sneider / Variety:
Jane Fonda to play Nancy Reagan in ‘Butler’ — Actress will portray former First Lady in Lee Daniels pic — In the midst of recruiting an all-star ensemble for his long-gestating passion project “The Butler,” director Lee Daniels has tapped Jane Fonda to play Nancy Reagan.
Discussion:
Campaign 2012, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air and Jammie Wearing Fools
CNN:
Strauss-Kahn charged in alleged prostitution ring — (CNN) — Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was charged in France on Monday with “aggravated pimping” for his alleged participation in a prostitution ring, prosecutors said. — He is not allowed to have contact …
Discussion:
Jezebel, Gothamist, Wonkette, New York Magazine and Gawker
RELATED:
Pascal Rossignol / Reuters:
France's Strauss-Kahn under investigation in pimping case
France's Strauss-Kahn under investigation in pimping case
Discussion:
Agence France Presse, TalkLeft and Associated Press
Derek Thompson / The Atlantic Online:
Gray Nation: The Very Real Economic Dangers of an Aging America — Two economists envision a scary — and scarily realistic — future where the working population expands slower and slower, and jobless recoveries are the only recoveries we know — In the future, U.S. growth will be slower.
Dodai Stewart / Jezebel:
Racist Hunger Games Fans Are Very Disappointed [Hunger Games] — The good news? The Hunger Games made $155 million at the box office its opening weekend, making it the third-best debut in North American box office history. The bad news, however, reflects a level of idiocy that we weren't really expecting.
Discussion:
Julian Sanchez, Colorlines, ThinkProgress, msnbc.com, BuzzFeed and The Stranger …
Jennifer Bendery / The Huffington Post:
Trayvon Martin Parents To Attend Capitol Hill Forum On Hate Crimes, Racial Profiling … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Trayvon Martin, Trayvon Martin Case, Trayvon Martin Guns, Trayvon Martin Shooting, Trayvon Martin's Parents, Treyvon Martin Capitol Hill, Treyvon Martin Parents, Black Voices News
Discussion:
The Hill
Charles Thompson / PennLive.com:
Pennsylvania representative asks if female co-sponsors of state ultrasound bill are ‘men with breasts’ — Pennsylvania State Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Philadelphia, picked up the political hand grenade that is the state's ultrasound bill today when she wondered aloud at a Capitol rally …
Discussion:
LifeNews.com, Weasel Zippers, Sister Toldjah, Pundit & Pundette, Hot Air and Campaign 2012
BuzzFeed:
In Secret Documents, Anti-Gay Marriage Group Looked To Divide Gays, Blacks — Blunt language and broad plans from the National Organization for Marriage. A goal: “Fanning the hostility.” Another project: “Sideswiping Obama.” — The leading opponents of same-sex marriage planned …
Discussion:
US Politics
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Republicans seeking out Hispanics — Senate Republicans want to alter DREAM Act legislation to steal away Hispanic voters from Democrats. — Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), the only Senate Republican of Hispanic heritage and a possible vice presidential pick, is working on an alternative version …
Discussion:
Daily Kos and Global Public Square
Dylan Byers / Politico:
Newt Gingrich loses his print reporters — Newt Gingrich has lost his last embedded print reporters, reporters on the trail confirm. — The last two print reporters covering Gingrich full-time on the trail — from POLITICO and the Atlanta Journal Constitution — pulled out on Friday.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Wonkette, Washington Monthly, Truthdig and Rumproast
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Models Based on ‘Fundamentals’ Have Failed at Predicting Presidential Elections — The 1988 presidential election was a victory for political science. Michael Dukakis had led George Bush in the polls for much of the spring and summer. But Mr. Bush had some fundamental advantages …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Washington Monthly, American Prospect and The Monkey Cage
Ben Geman / The Hill:
Senate opens fight on oil tax breaks — The Senate voted 92-4 Monday to begin an election-year floor debate over Democratic legislation to repeal oil industry tax breaks, a plan that's unlikely to ultimately pass but provides a platform for partisan warfare over gasoline prices.
Discussion:
Booman Tribune
Daniel W. Drezner:
The dirty little secret about second-term presidents — ABC News reports on a “hot mic” moment between President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev: … Now, compared to past “hot mic” moments, this certainly seems less, well, profane. Nevertheless, it has gotten …
Discussion:
Power Line, Hot Air, The Maddow Blog, BuzzFeed, Eunomia, The PJ Tatler, The Heritage Foundation, BBC and The Agonist
RELATED:
J. David Goodman / The Lede:
Microphone Picks Up Obama's Private Exchange With Medvedev
Microphone Picks Up Obama's Private Exchange With Medvedev
Discussion:
Scared Monkeys, The Caucus, ThinkProgress, msnbc.com, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Reuters and GOP 12