memeorandum: ‘Earth Twin’ Is Found, Or Perhaps a Cousin (Kenneth Chang/New York Times)

9:55 PM ET, April 17, 2014

Top Items:

Obamacare Signups Hit 8 Million — And both young and old are on board — President Obama just announced the final numbers for the Affordable Care Act's open enrollment period. — Eight million people have signed up for private insurance plans through the new marketplaces.

Discussion: Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, New York Times, Washington Monthly, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, Mediaite, ThinkProgress and Washington Post

John Dickerson / Slate:

Obama Trolls the GOP — The refined cynicism of the president. — How do I get you to pay attention to this story? I could type out a balanced tale about an incremental change in White House spin and message control, relying on your discernment, patience, and kindness toward all the creatures of the Earth.

Discussion: Hot Air and Conservatives4Palin

Sam Baker / NationalJournal.com:

Obamacare Is On a Winning Streak — Strong enrollment and falling costs are giving the White House a lot of positive headlines. — President Obama running in 2008. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) — Obamacare hasn't “won”—but it's making a pretty impressive run.

Discussion: The New Republic, Gallup, ThinkProgress and Mediaite

Noam Levey / Los Angeles Times:
Obamacare effects are bigger than expected, poll finds

Discussion: Democratic Strategist and VodkaPundit

Politico: Obama: Dems should ‘defend and be proud’ of ACA

Major Garrett / NationalJournal.com: The Pen, Phone, and Stray Voltage

Oren Dorell / USA Today:

Jews ordered to register in east Ukraine — Jews in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk where pro-Russian militants have taken over government buildings were told they have to “register” with the Ukrainians who are trying to make the city become part of Russia, according to Israeli media.

Michal Margalit / Ynetnews:
Donetsk leaflet: Jews must register or face deportation

Discussion: Fox News, Israel Matzav, TheBlaze.com, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, “The Lid”, Business Insider, Ben Swann Truth In Media, CBS DC, The PJ Tatler, Ed Driscoll, Weasel Zippers and Wake up America

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Diplomatic deal struck on Ukraine

Discussion: New York Times and The Moderate Voice

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

Chelsea Clinton announces she's pregnant — NEW YORK - Chelsea Clinton announced here Thursday afternoon that she is expecting her first child later this year. — “I just hope that I will be as good a mom to my child and hopefully children as my mom was to me,” the former first daughter …

Discussion: Gothamist, Gawker, Hinterland Gazette and New Jersey Online

Tal Kopan / Politico:

Chelsea Clinton announces pregnancy — In a joint appearance, Chelsea and Hillary Clinton announced Thursday that Chelsea is expecting her first child later this year. — Speaking at a No Ceilings event, sponsored by the Clinton Foundation and Microsoft, the Clintons addressed women's issues …

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Liz Kreutz / ABC News:
Chelsea Clinton: I'm Pregnant!

Discussion: CNN, Politico, Guardian, Joe. My. God., CBS New York, Taylor Marsh and Mashable

CNN: Chelsea Clinton announces she's pregnant with first child

Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Reid calls Bundy supporters ‘domestic terrorists’ — By LAURA MYERS — LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL — U.S. Sen. Harry Reid on Thursday called supporters of Bunkerville rancher Cliven Bundy “domestic terrorists” because they defended him against a Bureau of Land Management cattle roundup …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Fox News, Weasel Zippers, Infowars, The Daily Banter and The Truth About Guns

Salon:

Dick Morris is very afraid: A horrible pundit's “popular vote” hysteria — It is widely acknowledged that Dick Morris is the worst pundit in America. It's truly not up for debate. He's so bad that even Roger Ailes was embarrassed by his hilariously wrong predictions in the 2012 election and let him go.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Hullabaloo and The Hill

Glenn Blain Daily / NY Daily News:
New York joins campaign to end Electoral College role in presidential elections

Discussion: Hullabaloo

RT:

Snowden asks Putin LIVE: Does Russia intercept millions of citizens' data? — Russia has “no mass surveillance in our country,” according to President Vladimir Putin, after he was asked a surprise question by whistleblower Edward Snowden at his Q&A session, adding “our surveillance activities are strictly controlled by the law.”

Discussion: PandoDaily, Politico and The PJ Tatler

David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:
Putin Asserts Right to Use Force in Eastern Ukraine

Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:
Ukraine prepared to offer autonomy to eastern regions if Russia pulls back troops

Discussion: Fox News, Infowars, The Agonist, kyivpost.com, Hot Air, Mediaite and Guardian

nbcnewyork.com:

4 Catholic High School Students Expelled After Confederate Flag, Blackface Incidents — Four Catholic high school students on Long Island have been expelled after two senior boys brought a Confederate flag to a school event and two sophomore girls posted a blackface photo on social media, the school said.

Discussion: Hinterland Gazette and Liberaland

KMOV-TV:
Parent says daughter warned by teacher for carrying Bible at local school

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Liberaland and The Gateway Pundit

Kenneth Chang / New York Times:

‘Earth Twin’ Is Found, Or Perhaps a Cousin — It is a bit bigger and somewhat colder, but a planet circling a star 500 light-years away is otherwise the closest match of our home world discovered so far, astronomers announced on Thursday. — The planet, known as Kepler 186f …

Discussion: Liberal Values, Outside the Beltway, Doug Ross, Shakesville, Towleroad News #gay, The Verge and Talking Points Memo

Jonathan Kandell / New York Times:

Gabriel García Márquez, Conjurer of Literary Magic, Dies at 87 — Gabriel García Márquez, the Colombian novelist whose “One Hundred Years of Solitude” established him as a giant of 20th-century literature, died on Thursday at his home in Mexico City. He was 87.

Discussion: Boing Boing and The Moderate Voice

ThinkProgress:

Florida Voter Confronts GOP Representative On His Repeated Efforts To Repeal Obamacare — Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL) at a Tampa town hall meeting. — CREDIT: Scott Keyes — TAMPA, Florida — A Florida voter had harsh words for Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL) at a town hall Tuesday …

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Hullabaloo, Mediaite and Daily Kos

RealClearPolitics Video Log:

Carney: The Toughest Interview Obama Had Was With Jon Stewart — JAY CARNEY: I remember we had some discussion during 2012 about well, is it appropriate for the president, the sitting president and candidate, to give interviews with Jon Stewart and others. And the answer was yes …

Discussion: Hit & Run, Twitchy, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, MichelleMalkin.com, NewsBusters, Independent Journal Review and Ed Driscoll

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

Poll: Hillary Clinton's numbers worst since 2008, as GOP brand surges — A new poll shows former secretary of state Hillary Clinton's (D) numbers hitting their lowest point in six years. — Meanwhile, it finds that the Republican Party is experiencing something of a renaissance.

Discussion: Power Line, Fox News, Hot Air, BREITBART.COM, The Daily Caller and Weasel Zippers

Matt Vasilogambros / NationalJournal.com:

Why Every Member of Congress Gets a Monthly Porn Delivery — Larry Flynt has sent a monthly copy of Hustler to every congressional office for the last 30 years, and members of Congress can't stop it. — Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Discussion: Gawker, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, RT and Outside the Beltway

Sean Higgins / Washington Examiner:

Media Matters for America is resisting SEIU's effort to unionize its staff — BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL LABOR UNIONS LABOR NLRB MEDIA SEIU — Media Matters for America is apparently resisting an effort by Service Employees International Union Local 500 to unionize its staff.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, Washington Free Beacon, RedState, The Gateway Pundit, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Doug Ross

Whoopi Goldberg / The Cannabist:

My vape pen and I, a love story — “I took a sip. It was beautiful. And my pen and I have been together ever since.” — My vape pen and I maintain a mostly private relationship. Sure, I'll sometimes show my pen to a friend or share her with a close confidant. But mostly it's just she and I working through my pain.

Discussion: Guardian, Mediaite, The Dish, Poynter, KDVR.com and The Huffington Post

Aman Batheja / The Texas Tribune:

PAC to Shut Down After Name Draws Furor … A Texas political action committee called Boats 'N Hoes PAC will be just a memory by Thursday, according to the Republican political consultant who is the boss of the man who started it. — Houston consultant Allen Blakemore confirmed Wednesday evening …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Talking Points Memo, MySanAntonio.com, BOR, Hinterland Gazette, The Week, Politico, Liberaland and The Raw Story

Stephanie Strom / New York Times:

When ‘Liking’ a Brand Online Voids the Right to Sue — Might downloading a 50-cent coupon for Cheerios cost you legal rights? — General Mills, the maker of cereals like Cheerios and Chex as well as brands like Bisquick and Betty Crocker, has quietly added language to its website …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, ABC News, Mashable, Firedoglake, naked capitalism, Discourse.net, Gawker, The Raw Story, The Week, RT and Fox News Insider

Sarah McLaughlin / FIRE:

Bergen Administrators Fear ‘Game of Thrones’ Quote, Censor Professor — Brace yourselves; censorship is coming! — Displaying a lack of both pop culture and First Amendment awareness, administrators at Bergen Community College in New Jersey placed Professor Francis Schmidt on leave this past January …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Hit & Run and Instapundit

Harry Enten / FiveThirtyEight:

Early Senate Polls Have Plenty to Tell Us About November — Republican Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell is fighting for his political life — or is he? The Senate minority leader is nearly tied in the polls with Democratic opponent Alison Lundergan Grimes.