Top Items:
New York Times:
Edward Snowden, Whistle-Blower — Seven months ago, the world began to learn the vast scope of the National Security Agency's reach into the lives of hundreds of millions of people in the United States and around the globe, as it collects information about their phone calls, their email messages …
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Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:
Clemency for Edward Snowden Would Not Set a Dangerous Precedent — Some months ago, Edward Snowden wrote an appeal for clemency to the U.S. government, arguing that its “systematic violations of law” created “a moral duty to act.” — On New Year's Day, America's most influential newspaper officially agreed.
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh and Prairie Weather
Rebecca Shabad / The Hill:
NYT calls for Snowden clemency — The editorial board of The New York Times is urging the Obama administration to grant Edward Snowden clemency. — “It is time for the United States to offer Mr. Snowden a plea bargain or some form of clemency that would allow him to return home …
Discussion:
Yahoo! News and Talking Points Memo
E.J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:
The resurgent progressives — The reemergence of a Democratic left will be one of the major stories of 2014. Moderates, don't be alarmed. The return of a viable, vocal left will actually be good news for the political center. — For a long time, the American conversation …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, Booman Tribune, National Review and Liberaland
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New York Post:
Historic Bible goes missing after de Blasio swearing in — The FDR bible used by Mayor Bill de Blasio for his swearing in vanished after the New Year's Day ceremony, sparking a panicked, hours-long search for the historic tome. — “They had the whole detail looking through blankets,” …
Discussion:
New York Times, Twitchy, Mediaite, Politicker, Liberty Unyielding and Capital New York
Henry Goldman / Bloomberg:
De Blasio Sworn In by Clinton Pledges to Focus on NYC Wealth Gap — Jan. 2 (Bloomberg) — Bill de Blasio assumed office as New York's 109th mayor yesterday, sworn in by former President Bill Clinton at a ceremony attended by thousands who heard him vow to dedicate his government to improving life for the least fortunate.
Discussion:
The Agonist
John Fund / National Review:
Bill in the China Shop: 'We Won't Wait, We'll Do It Now' — New York City — We all knew we were in for something completely different when the inauguration of self-described “progressive” Bill de Blasio as New York's mayor began with a keynote from pro-Communist activist Harry Belafonte.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Front Page Magazine, alicublog, Politicker and The Daily Caller
Dan Balz / Washington Post:
Is New York's de Blasio prompting a repositioning by the Clintons?
Is New York's de Blasio prompting a repositioning by the Clintons?
Discussion:
Capital New York, Politico, Taylor Marsh, The Fix, NewsBusters, Althouse, New York Times and BuzzFeed
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Taking Office, de Blasio Vows to Fix Inequity
Taking Office, de Blasio Vows to Fix Inequity
Discussion:
NY Daily News, Algemeiner.com, Capital New York, Politicker, Daily Kos and The Reaction
Edith Honan / Reuters:
Threatening snowstorm may be early test for N.Y. Mayor de Blasio
Threatening snowstorm may be early test for N.Y. Mayor de Blasio
Discussion:
VodkaPundit
George F. Will / Washington Post:
The price of political ignorance: More government — It was naughty of Winston Churchill to say, if he really did, that “the best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” Nevertheless, many voters' paucity of information about politics and government …
Discussion:
Hit & Run and Cafe Hayek
Aaron Smith / CNNMoney.com:
“Duck Dynasty” launches its own line of guns — The family-owned business at the center of the hit TV show “Duck Dynasty” has launched its own line of guns. — The gunmaker Mossberg has teamed with Duck Commander, the company owned by “Duck Dynasty's” Robertson clan, to release nine different shotguns …
Jonathan Pearlman / Telegraph:
World's climate warming faster than feared, scientists say — Scientists say the world's climate is warming faster than feared because previous predictions were too “optimistic” and overestimated the cooling impact of clouds — As the planet marked its fourth hottest year on record …
Discussion:
NoTricksZone and Right Wing News
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Dan Vergano / National Geographic:
Climate: Cloud Mixing Means Extra Global Warming
Climate: Cloud Mixing Means Extra Global Warming
Discussion:
Scared Monkeys, Weasel Zippers and Real Science
Hayden Higgins / The Atlantic Online:
Manly Faces and Aggressive Men — The men featured are young. Most are white. Many have tousled hair, a couple sport grizzly beards, and a few are tattooed. As a rule, the men are good-looking. Their cheekbones would make Derek Zoolander proud, but the models are not sitting for their “Blue Steel” close-ups.
Jonathan Allen / Politico:
W.H. stands by birth-control rule — The Obama administration Wednesday said the Affordable Care Act contraceptive coverage regulations are fair - and they don't really hurt the Denver-based religious organization that got a temporary New Year's Eve reprieve from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Discussion:
Right Wing News, Taylor Marsh, Los Angeles Times and New York Times
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Sandhya Somashekhar / Washington Post:
Supreme Court temporarily allows religious groups not to cover birth control
Supreme Court temporarily allows religious groups not to cover birth control
Discussion:
SCOTUSblog, Washington Times and NBCNews
Hanna Rosin / TIME:
Men Are Obsolete — Five reasons we are definitely witnessing the end of men — How do I know men are finished? I'll read you a quote that says it all: “Yes. There have been times when I've been in a drunken stupor.” Toronto's mayor, a shining example of modern manhood is what I would call …
Discussion:
Independent Journal Review, NewsBusters and Weasel Zippers
New York Times:
Boehner Is Said to Back Change on Immigration — WASHINGTON — Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio has signaled he may embrace a series of limited changes to the nation's immigration laws in the coming months, giving advocates for change new hope that 2014 might be the year that a bitterly divided …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, The Plum Line, PoliticusUSA, Liberaland, Prairie Weather and The BLT
CBC News:
Rob Ford files papers for mayoral re-election — Toronto mayor registers as candidate in Oct. 27 municipal election — Toronto Mayor Rob Ford wasted no time relaunching his bid for re-election, officially filing his nomination papers Thursday shortly after the clerk's office opened on the first day for acceptance of nominations.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller and Mediaite
Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Hawaii Senate primary is dividing Democrats along ethnic and generational lines — HONOLULU — Daniel K. Inouye, the most revered and powerful figure in Hawaii political history, had a deathbed wish: that Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D) would appoint his protegee, Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, to replace him in the Senate.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, GovBeat and The Week
John Ingold / Denver Post:
WORLD'S FIRST LEGAL RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA SALES BEGIN IN COLORADO — Colorado's ambitious experiment in cannabis policy hit a historic milestone Wednesday, when licensed stores began making the first legal sales of recreational marijuana anywhere in the world.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, The Daily Caller, WJLA-TV, New York Times, Americans Against the …, Hit & Run, The Raw Story, The Verge, Guardian, Gawker, Politico, Althouse, USA Today and The Cannabist
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Niraj Chokshi / Washington Post:
Marijuana sales commence in Colorado for recreational use
Marijuana sales commence in Colorado for recreational use
Discussion:
GovBeat, The Heritage Foundation and InvestorPlace