Top Items:
Aaron Blake / Post Politics:
GOP congressman: Rate of pregnancies from rape is ‘very low’ — Another Republican congressman ventured into the realm of rape and pregnancy Wednesday, saying at a committee hearing that incidences of pregnancy from rape are “very low.” — Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, The Fix, Yahoo! News, Taking Note, Mediaite, DownWithTyranny!, Daily Kos, The Maddow Blog, The Raw Story and NationalJournal.com
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Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
House GOP Set To Vote Next Week On 20-Week Abortion Ban — The GOP-led House of Representatives is set to vote next week on legislation outlawing abortions later than 20 weeks into pregnancy after Republicans passed it out of committee Wednesday by a vote of 20-12.
Discussion:
Mediaite and Business Insider
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
No, Trent Franks Is Not Todd Akin
No, Trent Franks Is Not Todd Akin
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and Daily Kos
Kathryn Smith / Politico:
Trent Franks: ‘Incidence of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low’
Trent Franks: ‘Incidence of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low’
Discussion:
The Hill and Yahoo! News
Lydia Warren / Daily Mail:
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden says U.S. government has been hacking Chinese universities, businesses and politicians for FOUR YEARS as he finally breaks cover — Edward Snowden, the former CIA analyst behind the NSA leaks, has claimed that the U.S. government has been hacking Hong Kong and Chinese networks for at least four years.
Discussion:
The Hill, Business Insider, Politico and Althouse
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Alexander Burns / Politico:
Establishment renders harsh verdict on Edward Snowden
Establishment renders harsh verdict on Edward Snowden
Discussion:
New York Times, Wonkblog, The Week, Washington Monthly and Reuters
Thomas Drake / Guardian:
Snowden saw what I saw: surveillance criminally subverting the constitution | Thomas Drake
Snowden saw what I saw: surveillance criminally subverting the constitution | Thomas Drake
Discussion:
Yahoo! News, The Daily Beast and CNN
Jia Lynn Yang / Washington Post:
NSA leaker Edward Snowden: U.S. targets China with hackers
NSA leaker Edward Snowden: U.S. targets China with hackers
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Yahoo! News, msnbc.com, Little Green Footballs and Examiner
Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
Peter King Calls For Legal Action To Be Brought Against Greenwald (VIDEO) — Rep. Peter King (R-NY) on Wednesday elaborated on his call for journalists to be punished if they report on classified information, singling out The Guardian reporter at the center of the firestorm …
Discussion:
Booman Tribune, Hit & Run and The Moderate Voice
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Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
Democratic Sen. Tester: Snowden Didn't Compromise National Security (VIDEO) — Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) on Wednesday rejected the notion that Edward Snowden compromised the country's security when he leaked details of top secret National Security Agency surveillance programs.
Discussion:
Gallup, Hot Air, Hit & Run, CBS News and VodkaPundit
Charles Riley / CNNMoney.com:
Sales of Orwell's ‘1984’ spike after NSA leak
Sales of Orwell's ‘1984’ spike after NSA leak
Discussion:
Reuters, Washington Post, Taylor Marsh, Weasel Zippers, Business Insider, Constitution Daily and Examiner
Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:
Schumer: Cornyn Border Security Amendment A ‘Non-Starter’ And We Are Not Negotiating With Him — Democrats want it to be crystal clear. They don't think Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is crucial to passing immigration reform. So they aren't negotiating with him over his non-starter amendment …
Discussion:
Yahoo! News, Washington Monthly, NationalJournal.com, BREITBART.COM, Politico, Hot Air, Immigration Reform and First Read
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Byron York / Washington Examiner:
First look: The amendment that could upend the immigration debate
First look: The amendment that could upend the immigration debate
Discussion:
Immigration Reform, The Daily Caller and Politico
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
How conservatives are trying to kill immigration reform
How conservatives are trying to kill immigration reform
Discussion:
Immigration Reform
Washington Post:
CIA's deputy director to be replaced with White House lawyer — The CIA's deputy director plans to resign and will be replaced by White House lawyer and agency outsider Avril D. Haines, Director John O. Brennan said Wednesday. — Haines, who will succeed career officer Michael Morell on Aug. 9 …
Discussion:
Reuters, Yahoo! News, Hot Air, Business Insider and The Raw Story
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Reid J. Epstein / Politico:
Deputy CIA director Michael Morell retires
New York Times:
Earlier Denials Put Intelligence Chief in Awkward Position — WASHINGTON — For years, intelligence officials have tried to debunk what they called a popular myth about the National Security Agency: that its electronic net routinely sweeps up information about millions of Americans.
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Justin Sink / The Hill:
NSA chief: ‘Dozens’ of terrorist plots foiled by NSA programs
NSA chief: ‘Dozens’ of terrorist plots foiled by NSA programs
Discussion:
Politico
Daniel Strauss / The Hill:
NSA revelations only ‘the tip of the iceberg,’ says Dem lawmaker
NSA revelations only ‘the tip of the iceberg,’ says Dem lawmaker
Discussion:
Hot Air and Weasel Zippers
Walter Shapiro / American Prospect:
Dear 2016 Democratic Upstart — To: 2016 White House Candidates (Democrats Only) — Since you have time to read an unsolicited memo with such a provocative subject line, it is safe to assume that your name is not Hillary or Joe. — That's good because I am not writing for the establishment types …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Taegan Goddard's …
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Borys Kit / Hollywood Reporter:
Carey Mulligan Passes on Hillary Clinton Biopic
Carey Mulligan Passes on Hillary Clinton Biopic
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Business Insider, Guardian and Politico
Bernie Becker / The Hill:
Ways and Means Chairman: IRS targeting of Tea Party groups didn't start in Ohio — The IRS's singling out of conservative groups did not originate in Cincinnati, the House Republican in charge of tax policy said Wednesday. — House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) …
Discussion:
Politico, The Plum Line, ThinkProgress and Washington Free Beacon
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Steven Greenhouse / New York Times:
Judge Rules for Interns Who Sued Fox Searchlight — A Federal District Court judge in Manhattan ruled on Tuesday that Fox Searchlight Pictures had violated federal and New York minimum wage laws by not paying production interns, a case that could upend the long-held practice of the film industry …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, ProPublica, Red Alert Politics and Lawyers, Guns & Money, more at Mediagazer »
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The Atlantic Online:
The Obama Surveillance Revelations Are Pushing Liberals Over the Edge — Progressives aren't going to give the president a pass on civil liberties anymore. — The email went out shortly after midnight Thursday, a few hours after the news broke about the Obama administration's large-scale monitoring …
Discussion:
Red Alert Politics, The Great Debate and Examiner
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Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:
Blowing a Whistle — I'm glad I live in a country with people …
Blowing a Whistle — I'm glad I live in a country with people …
Discussion:
Guardian, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Daniel W. Drezner, No More Mister Nice Blog, Connecting.the.Dots and The Week
TwinCities.com:
Walker says he will sign abortion ultrasound bill — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Tuesday he will sign a measure that's quickly working its way through the Republican-controlled Legislature that would require women seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, Shakesville, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Post Politics
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Tara Culp-Ressler / ThinkProgress:
Scott Walker Endorses Mandating Transvaginal Ultrasounds And Shutting Down Abortion Clinics
Scott Walker Endorses Mandating Transvaginal Ultrasounds And Shutting Down Abortion Clinics
Discussion:
The Political Carnival and Daily Kos
John Stanton / BuzzFeed:
Arizona Senator's Son Used Homophobic, Anti-Semitic Language On Twitter — “He has apologized and I apologize as well,” says Senator Jeff Flake. — WASHINGTON — Sen. Jeff Flake's high school-aged son Tanner used twitter to threaten the “faggot” who stole his bike that he “will find you …
Discussion:
Gawker and The Raw Story
Harriet Baldwin- / Examiner:
Secret Service “Visits” Outspoken Critic of Obama - Because of Twitter? — I know, RIGHT? — After you read this- you will wonder what country we are in. — Tom Francois is an outspoken critic of Barack Hussein Obama- and has a robust Twitter presence. He also likes to dabble with his “paint” program to create funny cartoons.
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and Riehl World News
New York Times:
Bloomberg Urges No Gifts to Democrats Who Blocked Gun Bill — Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, in a sharp escalation in the battle over gun control, is seeking to punish Democratic senators by taking away the one thing they most need from New Yorkers: money. — On Wednesday, Mr. Bloomberg …
Discussion:
Yahoo! News, Politico, Weasel Zippers, Reuters, Political MoneyLine Blog, Daily Kos, The Hill, CNN, ABCNEWS, Capital New York, The Plum Line, New Republic and msnbc.com
Eduardo Porter / New York Times:
Health Care's Overlooked Cost Factor — When the Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Corporation merged its two hospitals with the neighboring Highland Park Hospital just north of Chicago 13 years ago, the deal was presented as an opportunity to increase efficiency and improve the quality of patient care.
Discussion:
The Heritage Foundation, AEIdeas and National Review
Politico:
Challenging Obama-knows-best — “Trust-me” is President Barack Obama's preferred mode of action in times of crisis — and his go-to comment to nervous staffers has always been some version of “Relax, I got this.” — But that message is an increasingly hard sell for Obama in his second term …
Cindy Adams / New York Post:
CBS anchor snubs sex scoop — CBS anchor Scott Pelley was furious after John Miller's scoop about the State Department sex scandal broke not on his “CBS Evening News,” but early Monday on “This Morning” hosted by Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell, network sources tell Page Six
Discussion:
Mediaite, NewsBusters and TVNewser