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Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid icon and father of modern South Africa, dies — Revolutionary and politician Nelson Mandela — (CNN) — Nelson Mandela, the revered statesman who emerged from prison after 27 years to lead South Africa out of decades of apartheid, has died, South African President Jacob Zuma announced late Thursday.
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Nelson Mandela, South Africa's Liberator as Prisoner and President, Dies at 95 — Nelson Mandela, who led the emancipation of South Africa from white minority rule and served as his country's first black president, becoming an international emblem of dignity and forbearance, died Thursday. He was 95 .
Lydia Polgreen / New York Times:
Mandela's Death Leaves South Africa Without Its Moral Center — JOHANNESBURG — Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president and an enduring icon of the struggle against racial oppression, died on Thursday, the government announced, leaving the nation without its moral center …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Lede, ANIMAL and Shakesville
Nelson Mandela / CNN:
Political world reacts to Nelson Mandela death — (CNN) - U.S. lawmakers and former presidents from both sides of the aisle took time Thursday to mark the death of Nelson Mandela, the prisoner-turned-president who reconciled South Africa after the end of apartheid, is dead. — Mandela was age 95.
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ABC News, Politico and Fox News Insider
Tracy Connor / World News:
Nelson Mandela dead at 95
Nelson Mandela dead at 95
Discussion:
Power Line, NBCNews, The Raw Story and The Verge
BBC:
South Africa's Nelson Mandela dies
South Africa's Nelson Mandela dies
Discussion:
Associated Press, Gothamist, Algemeiner.com and LAist
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GOP men told how to talk to women — The National Republican Congressional Committee wants to make sure there are no Todd Akin-style gaffes next year, so it's meeting with top aides of sitting Republicans to teach them what to say — or not to say — on the trail, especially when their boss is running against a woman.
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Republicans tussle over gay candidates — Virginia Rep. Randy Forbes, a senior House Republican eyeing a powerful committee chairmanship, is causing friction with some of his colleagues by pushing the House GOP campaign arm to deny support for some of the party's gay congressional candidates.
Alexandra Jaffe / The Hill:
Republican candidates shift their messages on Obama healthcare law
Republican candidates shift their messages on Obama healthcare law
Discussion:
The Plum Line, The World's Greatest … and First Read
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President Clinton Doodled Male Genitalia (We Think) and It Was Glorious — The image above comes from the hacker Guccifer, who reportedly got access to the Clinton Library and allegedly obtained unreleased doodles. Guccifer famously broke into George W. Bush's emails and revealed that the former preisdent paints dogs.
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Mediaite, TheBlaze.com and FishbowlDC
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Gabrielle Bluestone / Gawker:
Here's Some New Hacked Presidential Art From The Clinton White House
Here's Some New Hacked Presidential Art From The Clinton White House
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Weasel Zippers, The Verge and ANIMAL
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Stolen cobalt-60 found in Mexico; curious thieves likely doomed — MEXICO CITY — The day after a load of stolen radioactive material was found in a field, Mexican authorities had formed a perimeter around the area and were measuring for contamination as they planned the recovery process Thursday, according to Mexican news reports.
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Mashable, NO QUARTER USA NET, JONATHAN TURLEY, neo-neocon and The Verge
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Obama Approval Down Most Among Hispanics in Past Year — Hispanics' approval has fallen from 75% in December 2012 to 52% in November — PRINCETON, NJ — President Barack Obama's job approval rating averaged 41% in November, down 12 percentage points from 53% last December, his high-water mark since his first year in office.
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The Fix:
Why Barack Obama can't win
Why Barack Obama can't win
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Hot Air, Taegan Goddard's …, The Reaction, Politico and Des Moines Register
Maria Sacchetti / Boston Globe:
President Obama acknowledges having lived with his uncle — President Obama acknowledged on Thursday that he lived with his Kenyan uncle for a brief period in the 1980s while preparing to attend Harvard Law School, contradicting a statement more than a year ago that the White House had no record of the two ever meeting.
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Yahoo! News, ABC News, Post Politics, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, Mediaite, Weasel Zippers, NBCNews, Atlas Shrugs, Washington Free Beacon, NPR and The PJ Tatler
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Polis melts down on House floor — Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) on Wednesday night lost his cool on the House floor over the issue of immigration, after the presiding officer warned another Democrat not to refer to people sitting in the House gallery. — Democrats were calling for House passage …
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Mediaite, Liberaland, National Review and americanthinker.com
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Opinion: Hospitals close as GOP balks at Obamacare — Editor's note: Sally Kohn is a progressive activist, columnist and television commentator. Follow her on Twitter at @sallykohn. — (CNN) — The Obamacare website is open for business. But the Charlton Memorial Hospital in Folkston, Georgia, is closed.
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The Moderate Voice, USA Today, PERRspectives and Talking Points Memo
Dan Merica / CNN:
Cruz refers to controversial law as advice to conservative group — Washington (CNN) - Republican Sen. Ted Cruz's advice for a conservative group facing criticism and hardship: “Stand your ground.” — The choice of words appeared to be a reference to a string of negative press …
Discussion:
Politico, The Raw Story and Daily Kos
James C. McKinley Jr / New York Times:
Unarmed Man Is Charged With Wounding Bystanders Shot by Police Near Times Square — An unarmed, emotionally disturbed man shot at by the police as he was lurching around traffic near Times Square in September has been charged with assault, on the theory that he was responsible …
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addictinginfo.org, ANIMAL, The Raw Story, Hit & Run, The Daily Caller, ThinkProgress, Gawker, Gothamist and Making Light
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A Roll of the Dice — President Obama is back selling his health-care law with the manic intensity of a late-night-infomercial pitchman who knows that if he doesn't move the product, it could be discontinued. — Here's Obama aiming his comments at young people this Wednesday: “The product is good.
Discussion:
The Plum Line, PostPartisan, AEIdeas, The Jawa Report and Post Politics
Alex Roarty / NationalJournal.com:
Obamacare Is Costing Democrats the White Women They'll Need at the Ballot Box — Polls show that when it comes to the troubled health care law, Democrats should be most concerned about one of their key constituencies. — A woman votes at the Park Slope Branch Public Library in the Brooklyn borough of New York November 5, 2013.
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Hot Air, The PJ Tatler, neo-neocon, Booman Tribune, Connecting.the.Dots, National Review and First Read
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On Smarm — Last month, Isaac Fitzgerald, the newly hired editor of BuzzFeed's newly created books section, made a remarkable but not entirely surprising announcement: He was not interested in publishing negative book reviews. In place of “the scathing takedown rip,” Fitzgerald said …
Discussion:
The Raw Story and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Mark Schlabach / ESPN:
Jameis Winston not charged — TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Nearly one year after Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston was accused of rape by a female FSU student, the state attorney has decided not to charge the Heisman Trophy favorite. — Thursday's decision clears the way for him to finish the season with the No. 1 Seminoles.
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New York Times, The Daily Caller, NPR, Scared Monkeys, NBCNews and ABC News
New York Times:
No, There Won't Be a Doctor Shortage — IN just over a decade the United States will need 130,000 more doctors than medical schools are producing. So says the Association of American Medical Colleges, which warns of a doctor shortage that will drive up wait times, shorten office visits …
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AEIdeas
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ABC brass nixed Barbara Walters' pick of Edward Snowden as year's most fascinating person — Michael Bolton's happy to be backup at charity gala; Will Ferrell keeps Ron Burgundy at a distance — Barbara Walters wanted Edward Snowden to be at the top of her list of 10 most fascinating people of 2013.
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Liberaland, Mediaite, Gawker and TVNewser
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Wendy's Employee — SERVES MARIJUANA BURGER ... Gets Arrested, Fired — SERVES MARIJUANA BURGER — ... Gets Arrested, Fired — EXCLUSIVE — Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “burger joint” — TMZ has learned, a Wendy's employee was arrested last month in Georgia …
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ANIMAL, Grub Street New York and Gawker
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De Blasio Names Bratton as New York Police Commissioner — Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio on Thursday morning named William J. Bratton to lead the New York Police Department. — The move will return Mr. Bratton to the helm of the nation's largest force at a time of historically low crime rates …
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ThinkProgress, Associated Press, Gothamist, Joe. My. God., National Review and Taegan Goddard's …
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Pope Francis is the Catholic Church's Obama - God help us — Pope Francis is undergoing a popularity surge comparable to the way Barack Obama was greeted by the world in 2008. And just as President Obama has been a disappointment for America, Pope Francis will prove a disaster for the Catholic Church.
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This Is Brad DeLong's … and Hullabaloo
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How the GOP lost its nerve on tax reform — The email blasting Rep. Dave Camp's tax plan as “disastrous” arrived two days before a pivotal meeting between House Republican leaders and their chief tax writer. — The subject line: “Republican tax plan threatens conservative talk radio and media localism.”
Discussion:
CNN and No More Mister Nice Blog
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The righteousness in Hobby Lobby's cause — Business people shouldn't be required to check their faith at the door. — The Supreme Court has agreed to referee another dispute over President Obama's healthcare law. This time it will look at whether businesses can use religious objections …
Discussion:
Shakesville and National Review