Top Items:
Noah Shachtman / Foreign Policy:
Exclusive: Intercepted Calls Prove Syrian Army Used Nerve Gas, U.S. Spies Say — Last Wednesday, in the hours after a horrific chemical attack east of Damascus, an official at the Syrian Ministry of Defense exchanged panicked phone calls with a leader of a chemical weapons unit …
Discussion:
New York Times, ThinkProgress, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Hit & Run, Washington Post, Israel Matzav, AMERICAN DIGEST, CBS News, The Hinterland Gazette, Guardian, emptywheel, NPR, Global Grind, Reuters, FP Passport, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, American Spectator, driftglass, americanthinker.com, Gawker, Daily Kos and Business Insider
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Max Fisher / WorldViews:
Here's why Obama is giving up the element of surprise in Syria — Military thinkers from Sun Tzu to Napoleon Bonaparte have long emphasized the element of surprise. So it might seem strange that the Obama administration is not just clearly telegraphing that it likely plans to launch limited strikes …
Discussion:
American Prospect, neo-neocon, The Week, Hot Air, CounterPunch, Defense One, Wired, Balloon Juice, National Review, AL.com, Real Clear Politics, The Mahablog, ThinkProgress, The Dish and Israel Matzav
Wall Street Journal:
U.S. leaks tell Assad he can relax. The bombing will be brief and limited. — An American military attack on Syria could begin as early as Thursday and will involve three days of missile strikes, according to “senior U.S. officials” talking to NBC News. The Washington Post has the bombing at …
Discussion:
National Review, msnbc.com, Betsy's Page, NPR, Weekly Standard and Sense of Events
Los Angeles Times:
Syria chemical weapons response poses major test for Obama — Obama, who before taking office vowed to end the foreign policies of Bush, is now wrestling with some of the same moral and legal realities. — White House Press Secretary Jay Carney discusses the potential U.S. response to Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Foreign Policy, Firedoglake, Hit & Run, WorldViews, The PJ Tatler and Guardian
Ian Hurd / New York Times:
Bomb Syria, Even if It Is Illegal
Bomb Syria, Even if It Is Illegal
Discussion:
The PJ Tatler, CANNONFIRE, ABC News, Telegraph, Guardian, Foreign Policy, Real Clear Politics, The Heritage Foundation and NPR
New York Times:
Arab League Stance Muddies U.S. Case
Arab League Stance Muddies U.S. Case
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Business Insider and Defense One
Lara Seligman / The Hill:
McCain scolds White House for ‘crazy’ leaks on Syria air strikes
McCain scolds White House for ‘crazy’ leaks on Syria air strikes
Discussion:
Politico
kff.org:
Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: August 2013 — As outreach efforts for enrollment in the health insurance marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) increase over the summer, the August Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds that the public's most trusted sources of information on the law …
John Parkinson / ABC News:
Growing Bipartisan Coalition Urges Obama to Seek Congressional Authorization for Syrian Strike — A growing bipartisan coalition in Congress is coming together to “strongly urge” President Obama “to consult and receive authorization from Congress before ordering the use of U.S. military force in Syria.”
Discussion:
The Other McCain, Hot Air, Mediaite and democrats.com
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Jack Goldsmith / Lawfare:
Why Doesn't President Obama Seek Congressional Approval for Syria? — I have a pretty broad view of presidential power to use military force abroad without congressional authorization. On that view, which is close to the past views of the Office of Legal Counsel, the planned use of military force …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Andrew Kaczynski, Business Insider, Yahoo! News, americanthinker.com and Guardian
Robert Fisk / The Independent:
Does Obama know he's fighting on al-Qa'ida's side?
Does Obama know he's fighting on al-Qa'ida's side?
Discussion:
Sense of Events
New York Post:
Weiner paid for phony supporters at campaign events, source says — Anthony Weiner is having such a hard time generating support for his limp campaign that he has resorted to paying a rent-a-crowd firm to provide “supporters” for his events, The Post has learned.
Discussion:
Politico, The Daily Caller, Weasel Zippers, The PJ Tatler, NY Daily News, National Review, Joe. My. God. and Jammie Wearing Fools
Reuters:
Exclusive: U.S. delays deadline for finalizing Obamacare health plans — (Reuters) - The Obama administration has delayed a step crucial to the launch of the new healthcare law, the signing of final agreements with insurance plans to be sold on federal health insurance exchanges starting October 1.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, AL.com, Weasel Zippers, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and National Review
Josh Schiller / Washington Post:
Why you won't see or hear the ‘I have a dream’ speech — Josh Schiller is an associate in the New York offices of Boies Schiller & Flexner who has represented plaintiffs and defendants in copyright infringement lawsuits. — Fifty years ago this week, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech.
Discussion:
Washington Wire, The Huffington Post, Post Politics, Techdirt, Hit & Run, msnbc.com and Poynter, more at Mediagazer »
Zach Carter / The Huffington Post:
Taxpayer Dollars Paid A Third Of Richest Corporate CEOs: Report — WASHINGTON — More than one-third of the nation's highest-paid CEOs from the past two decades led companies that were subsidized by American taxpayers, according to a report released Wednesday by the Institute for Policy Studies, a liberal think tank.
Discussion:
Firedoglake
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Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:
In Dramatic Reversal, Michigan Senate Passes Obamacare's Medicaid Expansion — The Michigan Senate voted Tuesday to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, extending health coverage to more than 400,000 low-income residents, but not without a little legislative drama first.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Hot Air and Booman Tribune
Tracy Connor / NBCNews:
Suspect in WWII vet slay: We were buying crack from victim — One of the teens charged with beating to death a World War II veteran allegedly claimed he was buying crack cocaine from the 88-year-old and the transaction turned violent — but cops said there is no evidence to support that.
Discussion:
AL.com, Daily Mail, National Review, Jammie Wearing Fools, Scared Monkeys and Twitchy
Tina Daunt / Hollywood Reporter:
Matt Damon, Ben Affleck to Co-Host Cory Booker Fundraiser (Exclusive) — JJ Abrams, Michael Eisner and Ted Sarandos will also co-host the event at Ron Burkle's house, marking the second major Hollywood fundraiser in the New Jersey Democrat's run for the U.S. Senate.
Discussion:
Politico, The Daily Caller and Ballot Box
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Bill Hoffmann / NewsMax.com:
Senate Hopeful Lonegan Launches Attack on Cory Booker
Senate Hopeful Lonegan Launches Attack on Cory Booker
Discussion:
Yahoo! News, CNN, Politico and Washington Post
Quinnipiac News + Events:
Release Detail — August 28, 2013 - De Blasio Close To 40% In New York City Mayoral Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Quinn, Thompson In Battle For Second Place — With 13 days until the primary election, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio surges ahead of the Democratic pack …
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's … and Post Politics
Groupthink:
Solidarity is For Miley Cyrus: The Racial Implications of her VMA Performance — As a black woman, I feel like I owe a debt of gratitude to Mikki Kendall, of Solidarity Is For White Women fame for managing to so perfectly encapsulate years of subjugation of black women by white women.
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, CNN, The Daily Caller, Crime and Consequences Blog, Power Line, Mediaite, Guardian and Colorlines
KNSD-TV:
Former San Diego Mayoral Candidate Carl DeMaio Confronts City Hall Bathroom Rumors — Congressional candidate Carl DeMaio called a news report accusing him of masturbating in a San Diego City Hall restroom as “disgusting, humiliating and nothing more than a character assassination attempt.”
Discussion:
Joe. My. God., Taegan Goddard's …, The Raw Story, Voice of San Diego, The Political Carnival and Most Recent
The United States Department of Justice:
Bank Chairman Pleads Guilty To Using Public Funds To Purchase Luxury Vacation Condo — JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Columbia, Mo., bank chairman pleaded guilty in federal court today to misleading federal investigators …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Techdirt, DealBook and Fortune
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Isolde Raftery / NBCNews:
Feds: Bank chairman used bailout money to buy luxury condo
Feds: Bank chairman used bailout money to buy luxury condo
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Washington Free Beacon
Kaitlyn Schallhorn / Red Alert Politics:
Rep. Steve King calls on unemployed Americans to get off their butts and start working — Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is making no excuses for unemployed Americans, urging them to get off their butts and start working, and criticizing the unemployed for failing to contribute to the standard of living.
Discussion:
Right Wing Watch and The Raw Story
Patrick O'Connor / Washington Wire:
At 50th Anniversary of March, No GOP Speakers — No elected Republicans will speak at today's event marking the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, but that hasn't stopped GOP officials from honoring the occasion. — A parade of current and former elected officials issued remarks calling …
Discussion:
Post Politics
David Leonhardt / Economix:
‘The Great Shift’: Americans Not Working — Looking at these two charts together is a quick way to become demoralized about the American economy: — Yes, the unemployment rate has fallen. But almost the entire reason it has fallen is the drop in the number of people in the labor force — either working or actively looking.
Discussion:
Via Meadia
Garance Franke-Ruta / The Atlantic Online:
People Who Need to Retire: Pat Robertson Edition — The 700 Club host falsely asserted that gay men in San Francisco use special rings to give AIDS to unsuspecting people who shake their hands. What year is it? — Dear people in public life: When you love your job …
Discussion:
Hot Topics, LGBTQ Nation, Taylor Marsh, Mediaite, Right Wing Watch and The Atlantic Wire
Politico:
Immigration reform's No. 1 enemy: Time — Immigration reform advocates have a new enemy: the congressional calendar. — Fall's fiscal fights have lined up in a way that could delay immigration reform until 2014, multiple senior House Republican leadership aides tell POLITICO …
Discussion:
New York Times, Taegan Goddard's … and Daily Kos
Alex Weprin / TVNewser:
August 2013 Ratings: MSNBC Down Double Digits — MSNBC continued its rough 2013 in the ratings, continuing to lose significant audience from 2012. The problems were particularly prevalent in primetime, with some shows losing close to -50% of viewers. — The ratings for August 2013 (Nielsen Live + Same Day data):
Discussion:
Hot Air, americanthinker.com, The Moderate Voice, NewsBusters, The Daily Caller, Weasel Zippers and Washington Free Beacon