memeorandum: Obama Administration Backs Bankruptcy Option for Some Student Debt (Josh Mitchell/Wall Street Journal)

12:10 PM ET, July 21, 2012

Top Items:

Jim Merlino / Politico:

Post Aurora: Don't expect new gun laws — I served as Democratic policy director for the Colorado Senate minority in 2003 — when the state legislature passed the gun law package that is now the law in Colorado. — These bills had been delayed since the 1999 Columbine shootings.

John Schwartz / New York Times:

Colorado Gun Laws Remain Lax, Despite Changes After Columbine — The news of the horrifying armed assault in Aurora, Colo. — just a half-hour drive from the site of the Columbine High School shootings in 1999 — has a freakish resonance in a state that has long played an unsought role …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, newsfeed.time.com, Poynter, Brady Campaign …, The Other McCain, Los Angeles Times, Law Blog, Hit & Run and thenation.com/blogs/163255, more at Mediagazer »

David Weigel / Slate:

Could A Brave Citizen With a Concealed Weapon Have Prevented the Aurora Shootings? … - Weigel: Three Rules for Anyone Trying To Politicize the Colorado Shooting — Why the Internet Won't Tell Us Anything About the Alleged Dark Knight Shooter - The Huge Mormon Pageant That Always Gets Evangelicals All Riled Up

Discussion: iOwnTheWorld.com, The Reality-Based Community, Associated Press, The Reaction, Hatewatch, CNN, Business Insider, The BRAD BLOG and Truth Wins Out

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill: Gun control calls follow shooting, but few expect major changes

Adam Gopnik / News Desk:
One More Massacre — The murders—it dignifies them to call them a …

Discussion: Hullabaloo and Red Alert Politics

Associated Press:

Obama effort spends more in June than it takes in — WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid a heavy barrage of advertising by opposing “super” political groups, President Barack Obama's re-election campaign spent more than it collected in June. While outraised again by Republican Mitt Romney …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Associated Press and Washington Examiner

Gary Silverman / Financial Times:

America, I'm so in love with you — I think it's fair to say that Mitt Romney is one of the best-preserved 65-year-old men in the history of US politics. His full head of mostly dark hair and trim physique make him look much younger. — However, Mr Romney is a bona fide senior citizen …

Discussion: The Caucus, The Mahablog and alicublog

New York Times:

Obama Spends the Most, but Romney Raises More — President Obama outspent Mitt Romney 2 to 1 in June even as Mr. Romney far outraised him, according to campaign reports filed on Friday with the Federal Election Commission, leaving Mr. Obama and the Democratic Party with significantly less cash …

Discussion: The Caucus

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Obama out-raises Romney in direct contributions for month of June

Discussion: Politico and Prairie Weather

Paul Krugman:
Al Green, Threat to the American Way of Life

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

CNN:
Pro-Romney super PAC brings in almost $21 million in June

Discussion: Politico

Roger Ebert / New York Times:

We've Seen This Movie Before — JAMES HOLMES, who opened fire before the midnight premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises,” could not have seen the movie. Like many whose misery is reflected in violence, he may simply have been drawn to a highly publicized event with a big crowd.

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, Deadspin, Mediaite, newsfeed.time.com, CBS Denver and BuzzFeed

Alex Pappas / The Daily Caller:

Colorado tea partier describes ‘surreal’ day of wrongly being linked to theater massacre — Colorado Tea Party Patriots member Jim Holmes told The Daily Caller in a Friday interview that his day has been “surreal” after falsely being linked to the movie theater massacre in Colorado by an on-air ABC News reporter.

Discussion: Power Line, Scared Monkeys, American Spectator, Weasel Zippers, Mother Jones, Right Wing News, Jammie Wearing Fools and Instapundit

Zack Beauchamp / ThinkProgress:
Expired Assault Weapons Ban Would Have Covered Rifle Used In Colorado Shooting

Discussion: Washington Wire, Guardian, The Huffington Post, Business Insider, Los Angeles Times and Philly.com

Jason Sickles / Reuters:

Movie theater gunman had been stockpiling arsenal — AURORA, Colo. — The gunman who blasted his way through a packed movie house early on Friday, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others, had apparently been planning his attack for weeks. — “In the last 60 days he purchased four guns …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, ABCNEWS, Reuters, The Huffington Post, Crooks and Liars and CNN

New York Times:
12 Are Killed at Showing of Batman Movie in Colorado

Discussion: Associated Press, Sunlight Foundation …, L.A. NOW, 2012 Decoded, Media Decoder, CBS News and The Huffington Post, more at Mediagazer »

Jessica Fender / Denver Post:
Aurora shooting suspect left apartment “booby trapped,” music blaring

Discussion: USA Today, msnbc.com, Jammie Wearing Fools, ABCNEWS, Towleroad News #gay, Crooks and Liars, The Daily Caller, Swampland and CBS New York

Adam Peck / ThinkProgress:

NRA Magazine Sends Insensitive Tweet Hours After Colorado Shooting, Then Deletes Social Media Accounts — The theater where the shooting took place — Just after 9:00 am EST, as most of the country was just learning about the tragic shooting in Aurora, Colorado, the National Rifle …

Discussion: CNN, Prairie Weather and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Josh Mitchell / Wall Street Journal:

Unemployment Rises in Six of 10 Battleground States — Unemployment rose in June in six of 10 battleground states that could play a pivotal role in the presidential election, reflecting job cuts in some cases and weak payroll growth in others. — The jobless rate climbed a 10th …

Discussion: Hot Air, americanthinker.com and The Rightnewz

Christopher S. Rugaber / Associated Press: Unemployment rates rise in 27 states as more look for work

Josh Mitchell / Wall Street Journal:

Obama Administration Backs Bankruptcy Option for Some Student Debt — The Obama administration urged Congress to make it easier for people to discharge a portion of certain student debt by filing for bankruptcy protection. — The recommendation, in a report by the Education Department …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Associated Press, Firedoglake, New York Times and Gawker

Mark Hosenball / Reuters:

Exclusive: New York police link nine 2012 plots to Iran, proxies — (Reuters) - New York police believe Iranian Revolutionary Guards or their proxies have been involved so far this year in nine plots against Israeli or Jewish targets around the world, according to restricted police documents obtained by Reuters.

Discussion: Via Meadia, americanthinker.com, Weasel Zippers, Algemeiner.com and Atlas Shrugs