Top Items:
New York Times:
Christie Fires Aide in Bridge Scandal as U.S. Opens Inquiry — Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey apologized to the people of New Jersey on Thursday, saying that he was “embarrassed and humiliated” by revelations that one of his top aides and close associates ordered lane closings …
RELATED:
James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:
Chris Christie, the George Washington Bridge and the IRS. — New Jersey's Gov. Chris Christie has been tagged as a favorite, if not the favorite, for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. His landslide re-election victory in 2013, a quarter-century after the Garden State last voted …
New York Post:
Staffer's head rolls as Christie looks to save neck over Bridgegate — Heads are rolling over Bridgegate. — Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday fired the top aide who brazenly plotted the crippling lane closures on the George Washington Bridge, multiple sources told The Post.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Right Wing News, Taylor Marsh and Daily Kos
Tal Kopan / Politico:
Chris Christie announces 11 a.m. presser — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will hold a press conference Thursday morning, the day after controversy erupted over his office's involvement in a major September traffic snafu. — Christie will have a press availability at the governor's office …
Discussion:
CNN, Washington Monthly, ABC News, ABC News, Booman Tribune, The Moderate Voice and The New Republic
Leigh Ann Caldwell / CNN:
Christie on bridge scandal: ‘I knew nothing about this’ — (CNN) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday said he was “embarrassed and humiliated” by the conduct of “some people on my team” over an unfolding political scandal, saying he knew nothing of their activities to apparently punish …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Week, Post Politics, The Dish, The Moderate Voice, Mediaite, The Lead with Jake Tapper, The Reaction and Wonkblog
Eric Lach / Talking Points Memo:
WATCH LIVE: Christie Pal Testifies On Bridge Scandal — A former Gov. Chris Christie (R) appointee to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is expected to testify before a New Jersey state Assembly committee at 12 p.m. ET on Thursday. — David Wildstein, who is also a former high school classmate …
New York Times:
The Bully Was a Dupe — Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey has explanations to make, apologies to give and an administrative house to clean now that his top aides and political cronies were shown to have been fully and gleefully aware of the chaos they caused by ordering up lane closings …
Discussion:
BizPac Review, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, American Spectator, The Week and Lawyers, Guns & Money
CNN:
Christie won Fort Lee — (CNN) - It seems New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie didn't need the backing of Democratic Mayor Mark Sokolich of Fort Lee after all. — Christie carried Fort Lee in his landslide re-election victory last November over little known Democratic state Sen. Barbara Buono.
Discussion:
Politico
Eric Lach / Talking Points Memo:
Christie Pal Pleads The Fifth At Bridge Scandal Hearing
Christie Pal Pleads The Fifth At Bridge Scandal Hearing
Discussion:
National Review and AMERICAblog News
Igor Bobic / Talking Points Memo:
Christie Fires Top Aide ‘Because She Lied To Me’
Christie Fires Top Aide ‘Because She Lied To Me’
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, CNBC and The Hinterland Gazette
NY Daily News:
Christie's Waterloo — The George Washington Bridge fiasco …
Christie's Waterloo — The George Washington Bridge fiasco …
Discussion:
Slate, RedState, Washington Wire, susiemadrak.com and The Rude Pundit
Ginger Gibson / Politico:
Bill Pascrell on bridge flap: ‘Worst is yet to come’
Bill Pascrell on bridge flap: ‘Worst is yet to come’
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, CNN, Liberaland, The Hill, Hot Air, Connecting.the.Dots, Talking Points Memo and Riehl World News
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Chris Christie Live Blog
Chris Christie Live Blog
Discussion:
Balloon Juice and PoliticusUSA
Associated Press:
Christie fires aide, apologizes for traffic jams
Christie fires aide, apologizes for traffic jams
Discussion:
National Review and Hot Air
Linh Tat / NorthJersey.com:
EMS responses delayed by GWB lane closures in Fort Lee
EMS responses delayed by GWB lane closures in Fort Lee
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo, BuzzFeed, Firedoglake, PostPartisan, Riehl World News, Capital New York, NY Daily News, Weasel Zippers, Washington Post, Business Insider, Mother Jones, Gothamist, Mediaite, Hot Air, The Week, Daily Kos, The Dish, scienceblogs.com, Jammie Wearing Fools, Reuters, CBS New York, DownWithTyranny!, CNN, Los Angeles Times, No More Mister Nice Blog, Politico, Taylor Marsh, The Atlantic Online, The Raw Story, Liberaland, Post Politics, Guardian, The Federalist, New York Times and Liberal Values
Brent Johnson / New Jersey Online:
Fort Lee woman died as GWB closures delayed medical help, report says
Fort Lee woman died as GWB closures delayed medical help, report says
Discussion:
Mediaite, NorthJersey.com, Capital New York, Firedoglake, NewsBusters, The Moderate Voice, ThinkProgress, Hot Air and The PJ Tatler
Maggie Haberman / Politico:
Chris Christie's critics savor his misfortune
Chris Christie's critics savor his misfortune
Discussion:
CNN, ABC News, Talking Points Memo and Power Line
Jethro Mullen / CNN:
Dennis Rodman apologizes for North Korea outburst, says he'd been drinking — Rodman, ex-NBAers play North Korea — (CNN) — Former NBA star Dennis Rodman apologized Thursday for his much-criticized outburst about an American citizen imprisoned in North Korea, saying he was stressed …
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CNN:
Swearing toddler removed from home — (CNN) — A Nebraska toddler who repeated a slew of profanities in an online video has been taken into child protective custody, Omaha police said Wednesday. — While authorities found nothing criminal in the video, officials from the Omaha police's Child Victim Unit …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Riehl World News and The Raw Story
Eleanor Barkhorn / The Atlantic Online:
School Wasn't Canceled for Bad Weather in 1882 — Record-low temperatures caused by the Polar Vortex have forced schools across the country to close this week. Weather-related school cancellations tend to raise anxieties about whether we're a nation of wimps.
Discussion:
American Spectator
Erik Wemple:
MSNBC's Rachel Maddow hunkers down on Koch Bros. claim — Mark V. Holden is general counsel at Koch Industries Inc., and he has a big file relating to MSNBC. The progressive cable network tends to make frequent references to Koch Industries and its politically active, free-market major shareholders Charles and David Koch.
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit
Guy Taylor / Washington Times:
Iraqi ambassador slams Obama, praises Bush — Ambassador praises Bush's ‘ownership’ of relationship — NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW: — Iraq's ambassador to Washington says the Obama administration doesn't fully grasp the consequences of failing to more aggressively combat a surging al Qaeda threat inside …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and VodkaPundit
RELATED:
Peter Baker / Reuters:
Grim Sequel to Iraq's War
Grim Sequel to Iraq's War
Discussion:
Lawfare, Mediaite, New York Times and Real Science
Jordan Weissmann / The Atlantic Online:
The Poverty Line Was Designed Assuming Every Family Had a Housewife Who Was a ‘Skillful Cook’ — The official poverty line, as I wrote yesterday, is a dated and crude statistical concept that in many ways fails to capture America's historical success at fighting economic need.
Discussion:
Shakesville and Washington Monthly
Ramsey Cox / The Hill:
Sen. Durbin to GOP: Put down Ayn Rand books — Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) asked Republicans to stop reading Ayn Rand books and help Democrats pass legislation aimed to give struggling Americans a hand. — “I say to my conservative friends, put down those Ayn Rand books …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, CNN, PoliticusUSA, Shakesville and Politico
Jennifer Kabbany / The College Fix:
Under Obama, Youth Misery Index Hits All-Time High — A Youth Misery Index that measures young Americans' woes has skyrocketed under President Barack Obama and hit an all-time high. — The index, released Wednesday, was calculated by adding youth unemployment and average college loan debt figures …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and National Review