memeorandum: Syria's Refugees Overwhelming Relief Efforts and Host Countries, U.N. Official Says (Thanassis Cambanis/New York Times)

1:25 PM ET, April 5, 2013

Top Items:

Jackie Calmes / New York Times:

In Obama Budget, Social Programs Face a Cutback — WASHINGTON — President Obama next week will take the political risk of formally proposing cuts to Social Security and Medicare in his annual budget in an effort to demonstrate his willingness to compromise with Republicans and revive prospects …

Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:

Bad News Friday — The two biggest pieces of news today are that President Obama's budget will reflect the tax and spending deal he offered House Speaker John Boehner last year — i.e. it will include the so-called Chained-CPI Social Security benefit cut — and that the March jobs numbers came in way lower than expected.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and A plain blog about politics

Zachary A. Goldfarb / Washington Post:

Obama budget would cut entitlements in exchange for tax increases — President Obama will release a budget next week that proposes significant cuts to Medicare and Social Security and fewer tax hikes than in the past, a conciliatory approach that he hopes will convince Republicans to sign onto …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress, National Review, Post Politics, Crooks and Liars, The Plum Line, Daily Kos, Hot Air, susiemadrak.com and Prairie Weather

Paul Krugman:

Desperately Seeking “Serious” Approval — Sigh. So Obama is going with the “chained CPI” thing in his latest proposal — changing the price index used for Social Security cost adjustments. This is, purely and simply, a benefit cut. — Does it make sense in policy terms?

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:

Obama Budget: Administration Explains Why It Started With A ‘Compromise Proposal’ — NEW YORK CITY — President Barack Obama's budget, which will be introduced on Wednesday, takes a political position that some of his base is bound to bemoan. Rather than present an outline of progressive priorities …

Ryan Grim / The Huffington Post:
Jim DeMint: ‘69.5 Million Americans’ Are Dependent On Government

Discussion: The Plum Line, Shakesville and The Heritage Foundation

CEPR:
President Obama Proposes a Bigger Hit to Seniors Than to the Rich

Discussion: Firedoglake

Politico:
Boehner rejects Obama cuts-revenue proposal

Discussion: Firedoglake, CBS News and First Read

Mark Felsenthal / Reuters:
Obama budget to offer program cuts, seek deficit deal: official

Discussion: CNN, The Hill and KUOW

Tyler Durden / Zero Hedge:

People Not In Labor Force Soar By 663,000 To 90 Million, Labor Force Participation Rate At 1979 Levels — Things just keep getting worse for the American worker, and by implication US economy, where as we have shown many times before, it pays just as well to sit back and collect disability …

Discussion: Power Line, National Review, TheBlaze.com and The Gateway Pundit

Catherine Rampell / New York Times:
U.S. Adds Only 88,000 Jobs; Jobless Rate Falls to 7.6%

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Via Meadia, Mediaite, Wall Street Journal, msnbc.com, The Hugh Hewitt Show, Daily Kos and KUOW

Tyler Durden / Zero Hedge:
Payrolls Plunge To 88K, Biggest Miss Since December 2009, Participation Rate At New 30 Year Low

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, The Big Picture and Weekly Standard

Joe Weisenthal / Business Insider:
GIGANTIC MISS: JUST 88K NEW JOBS, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FALLS TO 7.6%, DOW FUTURES OFF 150

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Calculated Risk, Wonkblog, Outside the Beltway and Balloon Juice

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Jobs report: Only 88,000 jobs added; Update: “This is a punch to the gut”

Discussion: CNBC, Forbes, Colorlines and The Shark Tank

Associated Press: US economy adds 88K jobs, rate drops to 7.6 pct.

Pam Belluck / New York Times:

Judge Orders Morning-After Pill Available for All Ages — A federal judge has ruled that the Unites States government must make the most common morning-after pill available over the counter for all ages, instead of requiring a prescription for girls 16 and under.

Discussion: LifeNews.com, CNN, Taylor Marsh, Daily Kos, The Other McCain, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Joe. My. God., The Raw Story, americanthinker.com, Gawker, The Volokh Conspiracy and Feministing

Sarah Kliff / Wonkblog:
BREAKING: Federal court rules emergency contraceptives needs to be sold over the counter

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Elise Viebeck / The Hill:
Federal judge lifts restrictions on sale of morning-after pill

Discussion: Politico

Scott Wilson / Washington Post:

Obama rekindles talk about boys club after comment about California attorney general — President Obama reopened the debate Thursday over whether his administration is too influenced by men after praising the looks of Kamala Harris, California's attorney general and a possible future gubernatorial candidate.

Discussion: The Fix, Taylor Marsh, The Week and Shakesville

Peter Baker / The Caucus:
Obama's Remarks About California's Attorney General Raise Eyebrows

Discussion: NewsBusters blogs, msnbc.com and Politico

BuzzFeed:
The 13 Hottest Attorneys General

Discussion: Post Politics, Mediaite, New York Magazine, PostPartisan, The Week, Washington Wire, Salon, The Daily Beast and Gawker

Arlette Saenz / ABCNEWS:
Obama Calls Californian Kamala Harris ‘Best Looking’ Attorney General

Discussion: Salon, Talking Points Memo, JustOneMinute, Mediaite, Hot Air, No More Mister Nice Blog, americanthinker.com, msnbc.com, Yahoo! News and The Hinterland Gazette

Michael Winter / USA Today:

Holmes' doctor warned police before Colo. theater attack — Newly released documents say a psychiatrist warned police that accused Colorado theater gunman James Holmes had homicidal thoughts and was a danger to the public. Holmes is accused of killing 12 people on July 20th. (April 5)

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Hot Air and The Daily Caller

John Ingold / Denver Post:
CENTENNIAL — Soon after a gunman killed 12 people and wounded …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Outside the Beltway

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano / Fox News:
FoxNews.com's Jana Winter should be praised, not threatened with jail time

Discussion: CNN, Hit & Run, The Jawa Report and TVNewser

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

The Urge to Purge — When the Great Depression struck, many influential people argued that the government shouldn't even try to limit the damage. According to Herbert Hoover, Andrew Mellon, his Treasury secretary, urged him to “Liquidate labor, liquidate stocks, liquidate the farmers. ...

Discussion: Paul Krugman, Vox Popoli, Prairie Weather, The Week, Hot Air and LewRockwell.com Blog

Brian Hughes / Washington Examiner:

Democrats have doubts about Obamacare too … President Obama is eager to build public support for his health care overhaul in the few months remaining before its implementation, but waning enthusiasm from Democrats threatens his effort right out of the gate.

Discussion: Questions and Observations and americanthinker.com

Steve Peoples / Associated Press:

Former Mass. US senator not ruling out run in NH — The Republican is currently on a bit of a speaking tour around the Granite State (AP) — NASHUA, N.H. (AP) — Declaring that he's likely not done with politics, former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown from Massachusetts refused Thursday to rule …

Discussion: Daily Kos

Arlette Saenz / ABCNEWS:
Scott Brown Won't Rule Out New Hampshire Senate Bid

Discussion: Yahoo! News, The Week, americanthinker.com and The Daily Caller

Alan B. Krueger / White House.gov Blog:

The Employment Situation in March — While more work remains to be done, today's employment report provides further evidence that the U.S. economy is continuing to recover from the worst downturn since the Great Depression. It is critical that we continue the policies that are helping …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Michelle Malkin, The Week, The Hinterland Gazette, Real Time Economics, Weasel Zippers and Twitchy

Stephanie Baker / Bloomberg:

Blair Scorned at Home Builds Business Empire Abroad — Blair Builds Business Empire, Embraces Philanthropy — On a snowy morning in the middle of February, Tony Blair, looking trim from his four- to five-times- a-week workout regime, is sipping coffee in his office in London's Mayfair district.

Discussion: Press Association, Telegraph and BBC

David Skolnick / Vindicator:

Worry about government secrecy, Woodward tells Youngstown crowd — After four decades of being one of the nation's best known and widely respected journalists, you'd think Bob Woodward has seen it all. — “But I wake up every morning haunted by what we don't know,” he said Thursday …

Discussion: Mediaite and Taegan Goddard's …

Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed:

North Korea Sets Deadline For Diplomats To Leave: Next Wednesday — The next phase of brinksmanship. — WASHINGTON — North Korea is continuing to escalate its war rhetoric, warning foreign diplomats in Pyongyang on Friday they might not be safe after April 10 in the event of a conflict.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway