memeorandum: Pay People to Cook at Home (Kristin Wartman/New York Times)

11:20 AM ET, May 12, 2013

Top Items:

Ross Douthat / New York Times:

The Taxman vs. the Tea Party — AS a taxpayer and a conservative who hopes to remain on good terms with the Internal Revenue Service for many April 15ths to come, I don't want to speculate too freely about the motives of the “low level” I.R.S. employees who decided to single out Tea Party groups …

Discussion: TIME, Daily Kos and Weekly Standard

Stephen Ohlemacher / bigstory.ap.org:

AP EXCLUSIVE: IRS KNEW TEA PARTY TARGETED IN 2011 — You are here — Home » Mitch McConnell » AP Exclusive: IRS knew tea party targeted in 2011 — WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior Internal Revenue Service officials knew agents were targeting tea party groups as early as 2011 …

Discussion: Associated Press, No More Mister Nice Blog, The PJ Tatler, americanthinker.com, Atlas Shrugs, Althouse, The Huffington Post, Michelle Malkin, Twitchy, CNSNews and National Review

Ben Smith / BuzzFeed:

Pro-Israel Group Sees “Same Conduct” In IRS's Tea Party Campaign — Z Street charged in 2010 that the Obama Administration was persecuting it for its policy views. Does Israel activism “contradict the Administration's public policies?” an IRS agent allegedly asked.

Lauren French / Politico:

IRS officials knew of tea party targeting — Senior Internal Revenue Service officials knew employees were singling out conservative groups for extra scrutiny as early as 2011, according to a watchdog agency's report set to be released next week, POLITICO has confirmed from a congressional source.

Discussion: CNN, Taylor Marsh, Weasel Zippers, Maggie's Farm, The Lonely Conservative, Power Line and Reuters

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

IRS anti-Tea Party scandal gets real — senior IRS officials aware of targeting (Update - Chief Counsel knew and targets expanded to groups “educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights") — This is getting real. — Yesterday it was just some “low level” employees involved.

Discussion: Ed Driscoll, Scared Monkeys, The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers, protein wisdom, The PJ Tatler, ProfessorBainbridge.com, Hot Air, The Jewish Press and Sister Toldjah

Fox News:
House Republicans swiftly announce hearing on IRS targeting conservative groups

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Associated Press:
AP Exclusive: Watchdog report says senior IRS officials knew tea party groups targeted in 2011

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and National Review

Kristin Wartman / New York Times:

Pay People to Cook at Home — THE home-cooked family meal is often lauded as the solution for problems ranging from obesity to deteriorating health to a decline in civility and morals. Using whole foods to prepare meals without additives and chemicals is the holy grail for today's advocates of better eating.

Discussion: Althouse

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Congressman Tears Into Fox News Host For Obsessing Over Benghazi Talking Points — Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) tore into Fox News' Chris Wallace and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI) for obsessing over the talking points U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice used when talking to the media …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Washington Post:

Will Obama suffer the ‘second-term curse’? — Recent events suggest that the 44th president may not be immune to the phenomenon that historians call the “second-term curse.” — Not four months after his ambitious inaugural address, President Obama finds himself struggling to move his legislative agenda through an unbudging Congress.

Discussion: Rothenblog, American Power and Booman Tribune

BuzzFeed:

Bloomberg Execs Knew Journalists Were Tracking Clients In 2011 — An anchor made on-air comments about tracking log in information more than a year ago. A big deal internally — but handled quietly. — Executives at the financial information company Bloomberg have known about journalists using …

Discussion: New York Post, Weasel Zippers and The Verge, more at Mediagazer »

Steve Liesman / CNBC:
Fed, Treasury Examining Bloomberg Use of Terminal Data

Discussion: Deadline.com and AllThingsD, more at Mediagazer »

Bruce Schreiner / Associated Press:

Mrs. Obama: Seek out those with different beliefs — RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) - First lady Michelle Obama urged Eastern Kentucky University graduates on Saturday night to reach out to people with different political beliefs, saying the country would benefit from the conversations.

Discussion: Jammie Wearing Fools and Associated Press

Peter Schroeder / The Hill:

Sanford: No hard feelings with GOP — Rep.-elect Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) said Sunday he was looking forward to working with House Republican leaders in Congress, even after their campaign arm abandoned his comeback political bid. — Sanford said he has always had an “independent streak,” …

Discussion: Politico

Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:

G.O.P. Delays on Nominees Raise Tension — WASHINGTON — President Obama's latest cabinet-level nominees are running into deep resistance in the Senate, pitching Democrats and Republicans into another tense standoff over White House appointments. — Just days after Republicans used Senate rules …