memeorandum: Taliban Prisoner Swap Frees U.S. Soldier Held Nearly 5 Years (Eric Schmitt/New York Times)

8:00 PM ET, May 31, 2014

Top Items:

Eric Schmitt / New York Times:

Taliban Prisoner Swap Frees U.S. Soldier Held Nearly 5 Years — WASHINGTON — The lone American prisoner of war from the Afghan conflict, captured by insurgents nearly five years ago, has been released to American forces in exchange for five Taliban prisoners held at the Guantánamo Bay …

Discussion: Mediaite, No More Mister Nice Blog, his vorpal sword, Hot Air, Hinterland Gazette, Business Insider, Defense One, The Daily Caller, Gawker, Outside the Beltway, Mashable, The Week, Independent Journal Review, Liberaland and Balloon Juice

Associated Press:

US SOLDIER FREED FROM CAPTIVITY IN AFGHANISTAN — WASHINGTON (AP) — The only American soldier held prisoner in Afghanistan has been freed by the Taliban in exchange for the release of five Afghan detainees from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Obama administration officials said Saturday.

Discussion: NBC News, Scared Monkeys, CBS DC and The PJ Tatler

Karen Tumulty / Washington Post:

Bergdahl release arrangement could threaten the safety of Americans, Republicans say — Amid jubilation Saturday over the release of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl from captivity by the Taliban, senior Republicans on Capitol Hill said they were troubled by the means by which it was accomplished …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Mediaite

Eli Lake / The Daily Beast:

Here are the Taliban Terrorists Obama Released to Free POW Bowe Bergdahl — In exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Berghdahl, the U.S. has released five senior Taliban commanders from the Guantanamo Bay prison. They are considered some of the worst of the worst. — The five Guantanamo detainees released …

Discussion: The Talking Dog, Patterico's Pontifications and The Long War Journal

Julie Pace / Associated Press:

Only American Soldier Held Prisoner In Afghanistan Freed — WASHINGTON (AP) — The only American soldier held prisoner in Afghanistan has been freed and is back in U.S. custody after nearly five years of captivity, U.S. officials said Saturday. — The officials said the Taliban agreed …

Fox News:

US soldier held captive by Taliban in Afghanistan for nearly five years freed — Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only American solider held captive in Afghanistan, has been released by the Taliban in exchange for five Afghan detainees, U.S. officials said Saturday.

Discussion: BizPac Review

Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:

THE PROBLEM ISN'T THE VA OR ERIC SHINSEKI … Eric Shinseki resigned today as a result of the unfolding scandal within the Department of Veterans Affairs. This event became inevitable the moment that Shinseki sat down before the Veterans Affairs Committee of the United States Senate.

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Daily Kos and Guardian

New York Times:
Mr. Shinseki Takes the Fall

Discussion: Washington Post and CNN

Michael Tomasky / The Daily Beast:
‘No Drama’ Obama Finally Takes Charge and Sacks Shinseki

Discussion: New York Times, Hot Air, National Review, Yahoo! News, The Moderate Voice, Politico and CNN

Michael Zuckerman / The Atlantic Online:

Are Reform Conservatives Serious? — After Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide victory in 1964 and during the rush of progressive legislation that followed, Republicans decided they needed to respond with some proposals of their own. It was the high tide of Great Society liberalism …

Discussion: Booman Tribune

New York Times:

Investor, Bettor, Golfer: Insider Trading Inquiry Includes Mickelson, Icahn and William T. Walters — The divergent lives of a championship golfer, a high-rolling gambler and a billionaire investor have collided in a federal insider trading investigation. — Federal authorities are examining …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Scared Monkeys and NPR

Wall Street Journal:
FBI, SEC probe trading of Carl Icahn, Billy Walters and Phil Mickelson

Discussion: abc7chicago.com and The Week

Kevin D. Williamson / National Review:

Laverne Cox Is Not a Woman — The world is abuzz with news that actor Laverne Cox has become the first transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine. If I understand the current state of the ever-shifting ethic and rhetoric of transgenderism, that is not quite true …

Discussion: Mediaite

Hadley Arkes / Library of Law & Liberty:

Scalia's Genius and His Curse — When our sensibilities were fed from different sources, it used to be said that, with spring, “the voice of the turtledove has been heard in the land.” But in these recent weeks the landscape has been filled with the sounds of “disinvitations” …

Discussion: Power Line and National Review

Gary Brecher / PandoDaily:

War Nerd: What's happening in Eastern Ukraine is very simple, rational, and straightforward … What's happening in Eastern Ukraine is very simple, rational, and straightforward. — Russia has what it wanted—Crimea, a Russian-majority peninsula with better beaches than the rest of Russia put together …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Hullabaloo and Bloomberg View

Ariana Eunjung Cha / Washington Post:

Ban lifted on Medicare coverage for sex change surgery — The Obama administration on Friday ended a 33-year ban on Medicare coverage for gender reassignment surgery — a major victory for transgender rights and a decision that is likely to put pressure on more insurers to provide coverage for such services.

Discussion: National Review, Independent Journal Review, Jezebel, Hot Air and BuzzFeed