memeorandum: Former chief of staff to break silence on Michele Bachmann (Kevin Diaz/Minneapolis Star Tribune)

11:35 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: Chicago Boyz, The PJ Tatler, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Moderate Voice, The Agonist and AMERICAblog

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, Mediaite, Outside the Beltway and Althouse

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

Randy Lee Loftis / Dallas Morning News:
West fertilizer plant said in report that it presented no risk

Discussion: Macleans.ca and Quartz

Dallas Morning News:
Cleanup begins, search for survivors continues after massive fertilizer plant explosion in West

Discussion: Daily Kos, Hot Air and Trail Blazers Blog

Monte Plott / CNN:
What we know about fertilizer plant explosion in Texas

Discussion: BOR, Business Insider, Guardian and Off the Kuff

Lateef Mungin / CNN:
Deadly blast rattles Texas town

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Business Insider

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: New York Times, Gawker, USA Today, Guardian, CBS DC, Taylor Marsh, msnbc.com, Riehl World News, CBS Boston, Pat Dollard, The Boston Globe and The Boston Marathon, more at Mediagazer »

New York Post:

Authorities circulate photos of two men spotted carrying bags near site of Boston bombings — Investigators probing the deadly Boston Marathon bombings are circulating photos of two men spotted chatting near the packed finish line, The Post has learned. — In the photos being distributed …

Discussion: Deadspin, Michelle Malkin, Guardian, The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers, Jihad Watch, Doug Ross, Riehl World News, Blazing Cat Fur, Poynter, Gawker and Shakesville

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Report: FBI to release video of two suspects in Boston bomb attack — Law enforcement officials plan to release images of two suspects in the bombing of the Boston Marathon, the Boston Globe reported Thursday. — According to the paper, the suspects were seen separately on video gathered …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Frank Smyth / msnbc.com:

How the gun lobby has already blocked Boston's bombing investigators — One avenue of investigation is already closed off to forensic officials working the Boston Marathon bombing case due to efforts dating back decades by the National Rifle Association and gun manufacturers.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

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

Discussion: NewsBusters, Yahoo! News and Poynter

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 …

Rebecca Schoenkopf / Wonkette:

‘INSTAPUNDIT’ TELLS WHATS-HER-NAME, THAT LADY WHO GOT SHOT IN THE FACE, TO STOP ‘BULLYING’ PEOPLE — Of the many, many, many fine citizens who have sorely tested our hippie nonviolent ways this week, we may have finally found a winner. See that tweet up there?

Discussion: Riehl World News, The Raw Story, Pharyngula, No More Mister Nice Blog and INSTAPUTZ

Colby Itkowitz / Morning Call:
Senate rejects gun checks offered by Toomey, others

Discussion: Politico, Post Politics and Reuters

Washington Post:
President Obama's remarks on failure of Manchin-Toomey background check plan (TRANSCRIPT)

Discussion: National Review

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senate rejects background checks on gun purchases in 54-46 vote

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

Jonathan Cohn / New Republic:
The Angriest Obama We've Ever Seen

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Wonkblog, The Plum Line and Ballot Box

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

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

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, The PJ Tatler, Ed Driscoll, The Daily Caller, BuzzFeed, No More Mister Nice Blog, Patterico's Pontifications, Restoring Liberty, The Jawa Report and Mediaite

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, Washington Post, The Maddow Blog, Shakesville, Business Insider, The Hinterland Gazette, CANNONFIRE, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, Twitchy, The Week and Towleroad News #gay

Lady Liberty 1885:
Paul Kevin Curtis and the Ricin Letters

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

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

Politico:
Gang of Eight aims to stop conservative attacks

Discussion: The Maddow Blog, The Daily Caller and Washington Monthly

Meredith Shiner / Roll Call:
After Gun Defeat, Where Does Obama Go From Here?

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Taegan Goddard's …, Instapundit and Hot Air

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

Discussion: The Caucus, The Maddow Blog, Politico and Capital New York

Washington Post:
Gun-control overhaul is defeated in Senate

Discussion: The Daily Beast, First Read, The Fix, The Hinterland Gazette, Althouse, TIME, News Desk, Taegan Goddard's … and Post Politics

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, Right Turn, The Hinterland Gazette, Balloon Juice, Taylor Marsh, Daily Kos, Post Politics, Politico and The BRAD BLOG

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

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Post Politics, The Fix, The Reaction, Daily Kos, National Review, Washington Monthly, Dependable Renegade, Associated Press, ABCNEWS, NationalJournal.com and The Greenroom

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Gun Violence Victims Detained, Put Through Background Check For Yelling ‘Shame On You’ At Senators — “Shame on you!” Patricia Maisch and Lori Haas yelled in rapid succession at the 46 senators who had just voted to kill a compromise amendment to expand background checks for gun purchases at gun shows or online.

Ryan Grim / The Huffington Post:
Patricia Maisch, Hero Of Tucson, Escorted Out Of Capitol For Shaming Senate

Discussion: Daily Kos, Mediaite, ThinkProgress and The Raw Story

Kevin Diaz / Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Former chief of staff to break silence on Michele Bachmann — WASHINGTON - GOP operative Andy Parrish, a former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, is expected to tell an Iowa Senate ethics panel that her 2012 presidential campaign made improper payments to its state chairman.

Discussion: Reuters and The Maddow Blog

Quinnipiac News + Events:

Release Detail — April 18, 2013 - Big Gender Gap As Kasich Leads 2014 Ohio Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; He Leads Dem Challengers In Early Look At 2014 Race — With a commanding lead among men, Ohio Gov. John Kasich leads likely Democratic challengers in an early look …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and Politics Extra

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

James Hohmann / Politico:

Mitch McConnell ad seizes on secret audio — Mitch McConnell continues to seize on the bungled taping of his Louisville campaign headquarters. — The Senate Minority Leader will go on the air Thursday with a new commercial that links last week's brouhaha to the Democratic president's desire to oust him.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, CNN and First Read

Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar / Associated Press:

Max Baucus Says He Fears Obamacare Is Headed For ‘Huge Train Wreck’ — WASHINGTON — A senior Democratic senator who helped write President Barack Obama's health care law stunned administration officials Wednesday, saying openly he thinks it's headed for a “train wreck.”

Discussion: Power Line and Weasel Zippers