memeorandum: Kerry, Lavrov hold talks on de-escalating Ukraine crisis (Reuters)

8:05 PM ET, March 30, 2014

Top Items:

Kenneth P. Vogel / Politico:

Chris Christie apologizes for ‘occupied territories’ remark — LAS VEGAS - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in a Saturday afternoon meeting with Sheldon Adelson apologized for stepping on a fault line in fraught Middle East politics during a speech he gave earlier in the day, according to a source familiar with the conversation.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, The PJ Tatler, Talking Points Memo, Algemeiner.com, CNN, Liberaland, Balloon Juice, Liberty Unyielding and Israel Matzav

Washington Post:

Influential Republicans working to draft Jeb Bush into 2016 presidential race — LAS VEGAS — Many of the Republican Party's most powerful insiders and financiers have begun a behind-the-scenes campaign to draft former Florida governor Jeb Bush into the 2016 presidential race …

Michael Barbaro / New York Times:
Seeking Political Revival, Christie Joins '16 Contenders at G.O.P. Forum

Discussion: Politico

Steve Peoples / Associated Press:
Walker, Christie Court GOP Donors in Las Vegas

Discussion: CNN, The Hill, The Moderate Voice and Politico

New York Times:

New G.O.P. Bid to Limit Voting in Swing States — CINCINNATI — Pivotal swing states under Republican control are embracing significant new electoral restrictions on registering and voting that go beyond the voter identification requirements that have caused fierce partisan brawls.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Chippewa Falls Herald, Washington Monthly, The Moderate Voice, Hinterland Gazette, NewsBusters, Hot Air, Liberaland and Hullabaloo

Michael Goodwin / New York Post:

Chickens come home to roost for Obama — Today's quiz: What do Vladimir Putin's aggression and ObamaCare's troubles have in common? OK, that was too easy. — It is impossible to dismiss as mere coincidence the Russian Bear's invasion of Ukraine and the continuing mayhem of the Affordable Care Act.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Reuters:

Kerry, Lavrov hold talks on de-escalating Ukraine crisis — (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, discussed ways to defuse the Ukraine crisis during talks in Paris on Sunday in which Kerry made clear Washington still considered Russian actions in Crimea “illegal and illegitimate.”

Discussion: CNN, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Business Insider

Matthew Lee / ABC News:
Kerry Set to See Russian FM on Ukraine

Discussion: CNN

Timothy Egan / New York Times:

A Mudslide, Foretold — DON'T tell me, please, that nobody saw one of the deadliest landslides in American history coming. Say a prayer or send a donation for a community buried under a mountain of mud along a great river in Washington State, the Stillaguamish.

Discussion: The Mahablog and Daily Kos

Jamelle Bouie / Slate:

Nearly twice as many whites as blacks favor the death penalty. There is a simple, and disturbing, reason why. — We hear a lot about the racial disparity in death penalty sentencing, namely, that black Americans are dramatically overrepresented on death row.

Charles Murray / Wall Street Journal:

Consider marrying young. Be wary of grand passions. Watch ‘Groundhog Day’ (again). Advice on how to live to the fullest — The transition from college to adult life is treacherous, and this is nowhere more visible than among new college graduates in their first real jobs.

Discussion: Althouse and Liberal Values

James Hohmann / Politico:

How Jeanne Shaheen plans to dismantle Scott Brown in New Hampshire — Part of an occasional series on the hottest races of the 2014 midterm election. — MANCHESTER, N.H.— During his first days as an all-but-certain candidate for Senate in New Hampshire, Scott Brown belted out Bachman-Turner Overdrive's …

Jerusalem Post:

US: No Palestinian prisoner release is violation of terms of talks — Israel says it is willing to release fourth tranche of Palestinian prisoners if talks continue. — WASHINGTON — Israel's failure to release a final batch of Palestinian prisoners, scheduled for Saturday night …

Discussion: Al Jazeera English, Israel Matzav and Washington Monthly

Bernie Becker / The Hill:

Rogers to target ‘celebrity politicians’ — House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said Sunday that his new radio gig will give him the chance to stand up to “celebrity politicians” with dangerous ideas on national security. — Rogers, who announced he would not seek reelection on Friday …

Discussion: The Huffington Post and Liberaland

Tina Nguyen / Mediaite:

WATCH: SNL's Obama Makes Out with Justin Bieber to Push Healthcare.gov — After Barack Obama went on Zach Galifinakis's Between Two Ferns to push Healthcare.gov, there wasn't much else he could do in pop culture without jumping his own personal shark. This week's cold open on SNL imagined a future in which he did.

Discussion: Joe. My. God. and Power Line