memeorandum: GOP abandons Mark Sanford; ex-wife says sons ‘upset’ over encounter with former mistress (Washington Post)

9:55 PM ET, April 17, 2013

Top Items:

CNN:

Sources: Possible suspect sought in Boston bombing — After the explosion: Moment-by-moment — (CNN) — Investigators scrambling to solve the fatal bombings at the Boston Marathon want to question a man seen on video as a possible suspect in the attack, two official sources with knowledge of the investigation said Wednesday.

FBI:

No Arrest Made in Bombing Investigation … Contrary to widespread reporting, no arrest has been made in connection with the Boston Marathon attack. Over the past day and a half, there have been a number of press reports based on information from unofficial sources that has been inaccurate.

Discussion: The Independent, Business Insider, The Impolitic, News Desk, Gawker, theGrio, The Raw Story, The Other McCain, Washington Free Beacon, Deadspin, The PJ Tatler, The Hinterland Gazette and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, more at Mediagazer »

Los Angeles Times:

Videos point to 2 suspects in Boston Marathon bombing — Investigators comb through Boylston Street just beyond the finish line of the Boston Marathon, two days after two bombs exploded. (Julio Cortez / Associated Press / April 17, 2013) — Two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

The Boston Globe:

Image shows suspect carrying, perhaps dropping, black bag — Investigators are ‘very close’ in the investigation, said the official, who declined to be named — A sign was taped to a barricade near the bombing site Wednesday. — An official briefed on the Boston Marathon bombing investigation …

Discussion: Boston Globe, American Power and CBS DC

Daily Mail:

Boston bomber is caught on camera: FBI reveals store footage shows ‘dark-skinned man in backwards hat’ planting second explosive moments before blasts tore through marathon crowds — Shows the ‘dark-skinned’ suspect walking towards the mail box, dropping a package and walking away

Miketoole / CBS Boston:

CBS News: Possible Suspect In Boston Marathon Bombings Identified — BOSTON (CBS) - After a flurry of conflicting media reports Wednesday afternoon, federal, state and local authorities said there has been no arrest in the Boston Marathon bombings. — “Despite reports to the contrary …

Discussion: Riehl World News, The Gateway Pundit, JustOneMinute, The Raw Story, Reuters, Mashable, CBS New York, Mediaite and Pat Dollard, more at Mediagazer »

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
Reports: Authorities Eye Suspect In Boston Marathon Bombings

Discussion: Associated Press, Weasel Zippers and The Hill

Alexander Abad-Santos / The Atlantic Wire:
Reports: Boston Bombing Suspect ID'd in New Video — ‘Arrest Has Been Made’

Discussion: Yahoo! News and Mediaite

Tom Watkins / CNN:
Authorities arrest suspect in Boston bombings, source says

Discussion: TheBlaze.com, Weekly Standard, msnbc.com, Restoring Liberty, Sense of Events, Donklephant, Weasel Zippers and The Right Scoop

This Just In:
Sources: Possible suspect sought in Boston blasts

Discussion: CNN, Mediaite, Yahoo! News and Business Insider

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Senate rejects background checks on gun purchases in 54-46 vote — The Senate delivered a devastating blow to President Obama's agenda to regulate guns Wednesday by defeating a bipartisan proposal to expand background checks. — It failed by a vote of 54 to 46, with 5 Democrats voting against it.

Discussion: Washington Times, Politico, CNN, Zandar Versus The Stupid, The PJ Tatler, Ricochet Conversations Feed, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Lonely Conservative and Outside the Beltway

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:

Drive for Gun Control Blocked in Senate — WASHINGTON — A wrenching national search for solutions to the violence that left 20 children dead in Newtown, Conn., in December all but ended Wednesday after the Senate defeated several gun-related measures. — In rapid succession …

Discussion: Hot Air, TalkLeft, Hit & Run, A plain blog about politics, Wonkblog, Weekly Standard, The Week, The Plum Line, Quartz, Balloon Juice and American Power

Ron Fournier / NationalJournal.com:

At Pivotal Point in Presidency, Obama Routed on Gun Control — But GOP victory could backfire if empowered and ignored voters revolt. — Blame the gun lobby. Blame Republicans. Blame a handful of skittish Democrats who gave the GOP cover. Blame the entire band of demagogues who killed …

Discussion: ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Hot Air and Instapundit

Talking Points Memo:
NRA Celebrates Failure Of Background Check Bill In Senate

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Firedoglake

John Bresnahan / Politico:
Gun control: Senate rejects background checks deal

Discussion: The Plum Line and White House Dossier

Associated Press:
Senate rejects gun background checks

Discussion: Hit & Run and BillMoyers.com

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
Senate Votes Down Background Check Bill

Discussion: Post Politics and The Raw Story

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
Background Checks Die At The Hands Of Senate Filibuster

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

CNN:
Senate defeats proposed assault weapons ban

Discussion: Reuters

Meredith Shiner / Roll Call:
Senate Torpedoes Background Check Deal

Discussion: Power Line and Hot Air

Ed O'Keefe / Post Politics:
Gun background check compromise, assault weapon ban fail in Senate

Discussion: The Fix, Wonkette, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Gawker

U.S. News:

Feds arrest suspect in ricin-positive letters sent to Obama, senator — The ricin-laced letters sent to President Obama and Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker were both postmarked April 8 and sent from Memphis, Tenn., signed “I am KC and I approve this message.” A third letter went to Michigan Sen. Carl Levin.

Discussion: New York Times, Business Insider, The Hinterland Gazette, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, CANNONFIRE, Weasel Zippers, Mediaite, Ricochet Conversations Feed, Towleroad News #gay and AMERICAblog

CNN:
Officials: Arrest made in ricin scare

Discussion: Business Insider, Mediaite, Towleroad News #gay and Taylor Marsh

U.S. News:
Letter sent to Obama tests positive for ricin, officials say

Discussion: Bloomberg, Daily Kos, Towleroad News #gay and Mediaite

Henry C. Jackson / Associated Press:
Senator: Police have suspect in mind in mailing to Miss senator that tests positive for ricin

Discussion: Associated Press and The Agonist

Justin Sink / The Hill:
New poison letter sent to Obama; police clear packages found at Capitol

Discussion: CNN, The Moderate Voice, Politico and Outside the Beltway

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

Republicans pull plug on Mark Sanford — National Republicans are pulling the plug on Mark Sanford's suddenly besieged congressional campaign, POLITICO has learned — a potentially fatal blow to the former South Carolina governor's dramatic comeback bid. — Blindsided by news …

Discussion: New York Magazine, CNN, Associated Press, DownWithTyranny!, ABCNEWS, The Moderate Voice, The Reaction, bigstory.ap.org, The Raw Story, Towleroad News #gay, Washington Wire, Daily Kos, National Review, msnbc.com, Hot Air, The National Memo, The Daily Caller and The Week

Washington Post:

GOP abandons Mark Sanford; ex-wife says sons ‘upset’ over encounter with former mistress — Following revelations that his ex-wife accused him of trespassing on her property earlier this year, former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford (R) has lost the support of his national party.

Discussion: Post Politics, Washington Monthly, Dependable Renegade and msnbc.com

Sarah Mimms / NationalJournal.com:
Mark Sanford Attacks Elizabeth Colbert Busch in First General Election Ad

Discussion: Politico, Post Politics, First Read, The Week, The Fix, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air and CNN

Robert Stanton / Houston Chronicle:

Humble first-grader says teacher sent kids out, fondled her — A first-grade teacher at an Humble prep school cited her racial prejudice against black students in denying allegations that she fondled a girl in her classroom last month, according to court records.

Discussion: Zandar Versus The Stupid, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and The Daily Caller

David Edwards / The Raw Story:
Texas teacher claims she couldn't have fondled black student because she's racist

Discussion: Wonkette, Gawker and KHOU-TV

Javier Manjarres / The Shark Tank:

Move Over “Obama Phone,” Say ‘Hola!’ to the Marco Rubio Immigration Phone, AKA MarcoPhone — With the new ‘Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act’ finally being filed in the U.S. Senate, concerns over how much money the immigration reform bill will cost …

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Washington Monthly, Weasel Zippers, The PJ Tatler, Post Politics, Mediaite and National Review

Matthew Boyle / BREITBART.COM:
IMMIGRATION BILL CONTAINS ‘MARCOPHONES’

Discussion: Post Politics

Tara Culp-Ressler / ThinkProgress:

High Schooler Protests ‘Slut-Shaming’ Abstinence Assembly Despite Alleged Threats From Her Principal — A West Virginia high school student is filing an injunction against her principal, who she claims is threatening to punish her for speaking out against a factually inaccurate abstinence assembly at her school.

Discussion: Friendly Atheist and BuzzFeed

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

Tom Friedman Continues His Journey To Insanity (The Terrorists Win) — Times columnist and global raconteur Tom Friedman outdoes himself as he tries to put the Boston bombing into perspective: — Bring on the Next Marathon — By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN — ...

Discussion: New York Times and Hit & Run

Scott Wong / Politico: Claire McCaskill: If Boston bombings are terrorism, why not Sandy Hook?

Tanya Eiserer / Crime Blog:

Updated: Wife of ex-JP confesses, says her husband shot former Kaufman DA, his wife and top prosecutor — Kim Williams' Facebook profile photo, believed to be quite dated. (Facebook) — Update 12:25 p.m.: Kim Williams' arrest warrant says she confessed to the entire plot, explaining her role and saying her husband was the shooter.

Discussion: Dallas Morning News, WFAA-TV, Crooks and Liars, Business Insider, Unfair Park, NPR and The PJ Tatler

John Stanton / BuzzFeed:

Alleged McConnell Bugger Visited White House — Days before Progress Kentucky launched a Twitter offensive against Mitch McConnell, its executive director met with White House officials. — Via: J. Scott Applewhite / AP — WASHINGTON — The head of a group accused of illegally taping private meetings …

Discussion: Pat Dollard, Riehl World News and Washington Free Beacon