memeorandum: Anti-Gay Marriage Rally Fail (BuzzFeed)

9:40 AM ET, April 18, 2013

Top Items:

EMS Director Says 60 To 70 Dead In West Explosion — West EMS Director Dr. George Smith says as many as 60 or 70 people died and hundreds were injured Wednesday night in a fertilizer plant explosion in West. — A rescuer earlier said he knew of five deaths.

Selwyn Crawford / Dallas Morning News:

Live video: Explosion, injuries reported at fertilizer plant near Waco in West, Texas — A massive explosion at a fertilizer plant rocked the town of West, north of Waco, causing multiple injuries and leaving people trapped and buildings on fire. — Firefighters were reported among …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, Chicago Boyz, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Moderate Voice, The Agonist and AMERICAblog

Lateef Mungin / CNN:

Explosion hits fertilizer plant north of Waco, Texas — Are you there? Please send photos and videos to iReport, but please stay safe. — (CNN) — An explosion ripped through a fertilizer plant Wednesday night in the area of West, Texas, sending a massive fireball into the sky and causing dozens of injuries, officials said.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Booman Tribune, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Crooks and Liars

Washington Post:

Fertilizer plant explosion injures at least 160 in central Texas; 5 to 15 feared dead — A massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in central Texas Wednesday night left more than 160 people wounded and killed an estimated five to 15 people, officials said, likely including firefighters …

Discussion: Restoring Liberty and Outside the Beltway

Randy Lee Loftis / Dallas Morning News:

West fertilizer plant said in report that it presented no risk — The fertilizer plant that exploded Wednesday night in West, Texas, reported to the Environmental Protection Agency and local public safety officials that it presented no risk of fire or explosion, documents show.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Macleans.ca and Quartz

Lateef Mungin / CNN:
Deadly blast rattles Texas town

Discussion: Business Insider

Waco Tribune-Herald:
UPDATED: Fatalities confirmed in West plant explosion

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, Gawker and Los Angeles Times

BuzzFeed:
Massive Explosion In Texas Injures More Than 100, Leads To Evacuations

Discussion: Joe. My. God., Mediaite and U.S. News

Gabrielle Giffords / New York Times:

A Senate in the Gun Lobby's Grip — SENATORS say they fear the N.R.A. and the gun lobby. But I think that fear must be nothing compared to the fear the first graders in Sandy Hook Elementary School felt as their lives ended in a hail of bullets. The fear that those children who survived …

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

A Lame Duck Squawks, But Why? — After his gun control proposals were defeated today in the Senate, President Obama gave a speech in the Rose Garden, surrounded by Joe Biden, Gabrielle Giffords, and Newtown parents. He went on what can charitably be described as an angry rant.

Discussion: Washington Times

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: The Reaction, No More Mister Nice Blog, CNN, The Impolitic, Morning Read, The PJ Tatler, Talking Points Memo, Hit & Run, Zandar Versus The Stupid, The Lonely Conservative, Outside the Beltway and Whiskey Fire

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Gun Control Effort Had No Real Chance, Despite Pleas

Discussion: The Maddow Blog

Jacob Sullum / Hit & Run:
Obama Responds to His Gun Control Defeat With Self-Righteous Solipsism

Discussion: Power Line, Betsy's Page, White House.gov Blog and Instapundit

Ron Fournier / NationalJournal.com:
At Pivotal Point in Presidency, Obama Routed on Gun Control

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Roll Call, National Review, The Michael Bane Blog, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Hot Air and Instapundit

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

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
Senate Blocks Drive for Gun Control

Discussion: Politico, The Agonist, BOR, CNN, msnbc.com and Post Politics

Jason Howerton / TheBlaze.com:

MIND-BOGGLING DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT RICIN LETTER SUSPECT: 'I'M ON THE HIDDEN FRONT LINES OF A SECRET WAR' — Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, of Tupelo, Miss., has been arrested in connection with ricin letters that were sent to both Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and President Barack Obama," The New York Times reports.

Discussion: New York Times, Fox News, Ed Driscoll, No More Mister Nice Blog, BuzzFeed, Restoring Liberty, Patterico's Pontifications, The Jawa Report, Mediaite and The PJ Tatler

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, Outside the Beltway, Business Insider, The Hinterland Gazette, CANNONFIRE, Mediaite, The Week, Twitchy and Towleroad News #gay

Lady Liberty 1885:
Paul Kevin Curtis and the Ricin Letters

Discussion: Clarion-Ledger, The Week, Weasel Zippers and Doug Ross

Boston Globe:

Authorities have clear video images of two suspects in Boston Marathon bombings, official says — Authorities have clear video images of two separate suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings carrying black bags at each explosion site and are planning to release the images today in an appeal …

Discussion: The Hill, msnbc.com, The Boston Globe, CBS Boston and The Boston Marathon

New York Post:
Authorities circulate photos of two men spotted carrying bags near site of Boston bombings

Discussion: Riehl World News, Blazing Cat Fur and Poynter

Los Angeles Times:
Videos point to 2 suspects in Boston Marathon bombing

Discussion: Daily Mail and Weasel Zippers

New York Times:
Suspicions in Boston Attack Turn to Man Seen in Videos

Discussion: NewsBusters, Yahoo! News and Poynter, more at Mediagazer »

Jason Zengerle / New York Magazine:

How Savvy Jenny Sanford Sabotaged Ex-Husband Mark's Political Comeback — Obama Delivers Emotional Condemnation of Senate Republicans After Gun-Control Defeat — A couple of months ago, when I was reporting a feature on Mark Sanford's political comeback and the ongoing soap opera between …

Discussion: Power Line, The Hinterland Gazette, Right Turn, Balloon Juice, U.S. News, Washington Wire and Towleroad News #gay

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Republicans pull plug on Mark Sanford

CNN:

Hillary Clinton reacts to Boston bombing — (CNN) - Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paid tribute Wednesday to those who ran to help victims of the Boston Marathon bombing earlier this week. In a speech at a Global Fund for Women anniversary gala in New York City, Clinton said such spirit of …

Discussion: Politico, The Hill and Taylor Marsh

Frank Smyth / msnbc.com:
How the gun lobby has already blocked Boston's bombing investigators

Discussion: The Daily Caller

FBI:
No Arrest Made in Bombing Investigation

Jordy Yager / The Hill:

Lawyer up, Issa warns CIA staff — In separate letters to the legal offices of the CIA, State Department and Defense Department, Issa said some witnesses on the issue might need lawyers, if their agencies decide to retaliate against them for their testimony.

Discussion: Hot Air

Sharyl Attkisson / CBS News:
House investigators talking to new Benghazi whistleblowers

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

The Local:

Hollande denounces ‘homophobic’ violence — President François Hollande has denounced “homophobic” acts as protests against the bill once again boiled over on Wednesday night. The French parliament just days away from the crucial and final vote on whether to legalise gay marriage.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Joe. My. God. and Towleroad News #gay

Vicki Needham / The Hill:

House Democrats, restaurant owners backing minimum wage increases — House Democrats are gathering support behind a proposal to raise the minimum wage for hourly and tipped workers. — Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.) and Donna Edwards (D-Md.) unveiled a new association of restaurant owners …

Discussion: Campaign for America's Future