memeorandum: We Have to Step In and Save Detroit (Steven Rattner/Opinionator)

11:45 AM ET, July 20, 2013

Top Items:

Rich Benjamin / Salon:

Obama's safe, overrated and airy speech — The president's remarks gave us context to the episode, but not a single opinion on the issues that brought us here — When people hold their breath for your imminent words, isn't it exasperating when you open your mouth, but don't say much?

Discussion: NewsBusters blogs, Weasel Zippers, David E's FablogDavid … and Mediaite

New York Times:

President Obama's Anguish — President Obama did something Friday that he hardly ever does — and no other president could ever have done. He addressed the racial fault lines in the country by laying bare his personal anguish and experience in an effort to help white Americans understand …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Right Turn, ImmigrationProf Blog, Daily Kos and American Power

Charles M. Blow / New York Times:

Barack and Trayvon — On Friday President Obama picked at America's racial wound, and it bled a bit. — Despite persistent attempts by some to divest the Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman tragedy of its racial resonance, the president refused to allow it. — During a press briefing …

The White House:

Remarks by the President on Trayvon Martin — THE PRESIDENT: I wanted to come out here, first of all, to tell you that Jay is prepared for all your questions and is very much looking forward to the session. The second thing is I want to let you know that over the next couple of weeks …

NPR:
Week In Politics: Obama On Race And Trayvon Martin

Discussion: National Review

Adam Kredo / Washington Free Beacon:
Iran's Mullahs Demand Justice for Trayvon

Discussion: The Jawa Report and Weasel Zippers

Talking Points Memo:
Why Obama Decided To Speak Out On Race And The Zimmerman Verdict

Discussion: The Mahablog

Frank Newport / Gallup:
Fewer Blacks in U.S. See Bias in Jobs, Income, and Housing

Discussion: American Power and Yahoo! News

Ben Shapiro / BREITBART.COM:
OBAMA: ‘TRAYVON COULD HAVE BEEN ME’ — Speaking at the White House …

Discussion: Right Wing News, Post Politics, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit and Little Green Footballs

CNN:
Transcript: President Obama addresses race, profiling and Florida law

Discussion: PolicyMic and Hot Air

Ted Cruz / CNN:
Cruz says Obama going after guns with ‘stand your ground’ remark

Discussion: Politico

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Why Obama decided to speak out

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

New York Times:
President Offers a Personal Take on Race in U.S.

Discussion: Althouse, The Democratic Daily, Taylor Marsh, American Power and The Hugh Hewitt Show

Sheldon Alberts / The Hill:
Zimmerman brother: Obama ‘very sincere’ in comments on racial fallout of Trayvon case

Discussion: Associated Press

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Helen Thomas, trailblazing reporter, dead at 92 — Helen Thomas, whose career covering the White House dated back to the Kennedy administration, died on Saturday at the age of 92, the Gridiron Club announced in an email to members on Saturday. — Thomas served for 57 years at United Press International …

Discussion: Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, NewsBusters blogs and Blazing Cat Fur, more at Mediagazer »

Jake Miller / CBS News:

Veteran White House journalist Helen Thomas dies — Veteran White House journalist Helen Thomas died early Saturday morning in Washington, D.C., CBS News confirms. She was 92 years old. — A cousin of Thomas' confirmed her passing to CBS News White House correspondent Peter Maer.

Discussion: CBS New York

Calvin Woodward / Associated Press:

Pioneering Journalist Helen Thomas Dies at 92 — Helen Thomas, the irrepressible White House correspondent who used her seat in the front row of history to grill 10 presidents and was not shy about sharing her opinions, died Saturday. She was 92. — Thomas, who died at her apartment in Washington …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Hill and Associated Press

Steven Rattner / Opinionator:

We Have to Step In and Save Detroit — For months, the question in many minds has been not whether Detroit would file for bankruptcy, but when. — But while Detroit's decision this week to enter bankruptcy might make it easier to improve the city's fiscal position, it will prove far tougher …

Gary Heinlein / detroitnews.com:

Ingham County judge rules Detroit bankruptcy be withdrawn; Schuette appeals — Judge Rosemarie Aquilina (Dale G. Young/The Detroit News) — Lansing — Ruling the governor and Detroit's emergency manager violated the state constitution, an Ingham County Circuit judge ordered Friday …

Discussion: National Review, Weasel Zippers, Twitchy, Mediaite, Wonkblog, The Gateway Pundit, Outside the Beltway and Ed Driscoll

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Michigan judge halts Detroit bankruptcy because it dishonors Obama

Discussion: Business Insider, Slate, National Review and Ed Driscoll

Matthew Boyle / BREITBART.COM:
EXCLUSIVE—RAND PAUL: OBAMA WILL BAIL OUT DETROIT ‘OVER MY DEAD BODY’

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, Mediaite, Red Alert Politics, BizPac Review, Politico and The Daily Caller

Brian Stelter / New York Times:

Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight Blog Is to Join ESPN Staff — Nate Silver, the statistician who attained national fame for his accurate projections about the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, is parting ways with The New York Times and moving his FiveThirtyEight franchise to ESPN …

Discussion: Fang's Bites, TechCrunch, Deadline.com, The Verge, Mediaite, Politico, The Huffington Post, American Power, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Outside the Beltway, more at Mediagazer »

Bloomberg:

China's Flying Propaganda Weapon Will Blow Your Mind — What's the latest weapon in the Chinese military's arsenal of high-tech killing machines? It might be an airplane capable of disseminating propaganda so powerful it induces nervous breakdowns, according to report in Tuesday's Global Times …

Mike Lillis / The Hill:

Congressional Black Caucus members would support Florida boycott — A number of House Democrats are lining up behind the Rev. Jesse Jackson's threat for an economic boycott of Florida following the not-guilty verdict in the death of Trayvon Martin. — The lawmakers, all members …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Gretawire

Ed Rogers / PostPartisan:

The Insiders: Obamacare is falling apart — As the reality of Obamacare emerges, a disastrous calamity imposed on the American people, even the most compliant members of the Obama fan club are beginning to panic. Three union presidents have sent Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid …

Discussion: Power Line, NewsBusters blogs, Weasel Zippers and Conservative Intelligence …

Scott Keyes / ThinkProgress:

Top 12 Conservative Freakouts After Obama's Race Speech — Conservatives didn't even wait for President Obama to finish his deeply personal remarks on Trayvon Martin's killing and the role of race in America to go ballistic, accusing the president of being a “Racist in Chief” who is “trying to tear our country apart.”

Discussion: ComPost and Booman Tribune

Scott Shane / New York Times:

Judge Challenges White House Claims on Authority in Drone Killings — WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Friday sharply and repeatedly challenged the Obama administration's claim that courts have no power over targeted drone killings of American citizens overseas.

Discussion: The Verge, Wired, Hit & Run and The Reaction