memeorandum: Israel ‘disappointed’ that US will work with Palestinian unity government (Michael Wilner/Reuters)

2:50 AM ET, June 3, 2014

Top Items:

Sources: Intelligence community investigated Bergdahl's conduct — A senior official confirms to Fox News that the conduct of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl — both in his final stretch of active duty in Afghanistan and then, too, during his time when he lived among the Taliban — has been thoroughly investigated …

Discussion: Yahoo! News, his vorpal sword, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, Hot Air, The Gateway Pundit, Independent Journal Review, BREITBART.COM, The Jawa Report, National Review, Weekly Standard and The PJ Tatler

Stephen F. Hayes / Weekly Standard:

‘We Swore to an Oath and We Upheld Ours. He Did Not.’ — The Obama administration is facing mounting questions about the controversial prisoner swap that freed Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl from jihadists in Pakistan in exchange for the transfer and ultimate release of five senior Taliban commanders previously held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Discussion: TPNN, Gawker and CNN

Michael Tomasky / The Daily Beast:

Bowe Bergdahl Is the Right's New Benghazi — Buckle up: The right is going to try to turn the Taliban prisoner swap for ‘deserter’ Bowe Bergdahl into a Willie Horton moment for the president—and they'll ride it to January 2017. — So let's imagine that on Saturday night …

Discussion: Yahoo! News, RedState, The Daily Caller, NO QUARTER USA NET, NPR, Balloon Juice, The Federalist, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Defense One and Guardian

Mark Thompson / TIME:

The 6 U.S. Soldiers Who Died Searching For Bowe Bergdahl — Troops suggest that Bergdahl's desertion makes him more traitor than hero — Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl was freed by the Taliban over the weekend after they held him for nearly five years, in exchange for five Taliban leaders …

Discussion: Debbie Schlussel, Washington Free Beacon, Liberaland, The Jawa Report, Hot Air, National Review, Weekly Standard and The Gateway Pundit

Daniel Bates / Daily Mail:

EXCLUSIVE - 'A cover up just like Benghazi': Outraged parents of officer who died hunting for ‘deserter’ POW Bergdahl lash out at Obama over ‘LIES’ they were told about how their hero son died — Lt Darryn Andrews, from Dallas, Texas, died at the age of 34 on Sept 4, 2009 during his second tour of Afghanistan

CBS News:
The five Taliban swapped for Bowe Bergdahl

Discussion: The Long War Journal, ThinkProgress, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos and Firedoglake

Marc A. Thiessen / Washington Post:
Here's what happens when Taliban leaders are released

Discussion: Hot Air and AEIdeas

Jeryl Bier / Weekly Standard:
Jay Carney, 2013: No Decisions About Bergdahl-Detainee Deal ‘Without Consulting With Congress’

Discussion: Hot Air, Washington Free Beacon, protein wisdom, Mediaite and The Hill

Washington Post:
Mixed reaction to Bergdahl's recovery by service members who consider him a deserter

Discussion: NPR, The Heritage Foundation, New York Times, Fox News, Reuters, Right Wing Watch, Lawfare, Just Security, Joe For America, Yahoo! News, The Dish, MiamiHerald.com, Politico and The Daily Beast

Evan Wyloge / Arizona Capitol Times:

Two-time GOP loser changes party to Democrat, name to Cesar Chavez for new congressional bid — Scott Fistler didn't have much luck as a Republican candidate. He lost a 2012 write-in campaign against U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor, then lost a 2013 bid for a Phoenix city council seat now held by Laura Pastor, Ed's daughter.

Discussion: The Raw Story, Yahoo! News, RT, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Colorlines, National Review and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Rebekah L. Sanders / Arizona Republic:

Mystery congressional candidate has legendary name — A mystery candidate for Congress with the potential to draw valuable votes in a close race has baffled longtime political watchers for months. — Democratic contenders with meticulously honed identities are battling for retiring U.S …

Discussion: Politico and The Week

Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo: GOPer Changes Name To Cesar Chavez, Becomes A Dem To Run In Heavily Hispanic District

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Tea Party hits Reid with ethics charge over Koch brothers — Tea Party Patriots has filed a complaint against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) with the Senate Ethics Committee to protest his repeated attacks against Charles and David Koch. — Jenny Beth Martin …

Discussion: Daily Kos, susiemadrak.com and Washington Free Beacon

Timothy Cama / The Hill:

McConnell: EPA proposal ‘dagger in the heart’ of middle class — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) lambasted the Obama administration's proposed regulation to limit carbon emissions from power plants, saying the middle class will bear the brunt of the rules.

Discussion: The Raw Story and Daily Kos

Burgess Everett / Politico:
Alison Lundergan Grimes to hold D.C. fundraiser with Harry Reid

Discussion: The Hill and Washington Free Beacon

epa.gov:
Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule

Jason Samenow / Washington Post:

Female-named hurricanes kill more than male hurricanes because people don't respect them, study finds — People don't take hurricanes as seriously if they have a feminine name and the consequences are deadly, finds a new groundbreaking study. — Female-named storms have historically killed …

Discussion: USA Today, Mashable, Mediaite, Jezebel, Vermont Public Radio, Liberal Values, Gawker, MyFOX8.com, Daily Kos and Althouse

Nathan Fenno / Los Angeles Times:

Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino sues NFL over concussions — Sports Now — Sports news from Los Angeles and beyond

Discussion: Mediaite, The MMQB with Peter King and ThinkProgress

Adam Liptak / New York Times:

No Easy Way to Be Fair on Media Credentials — WASHINGTON — Scotusblog has covered the Supreme Court in depth and with distinction since 2002. It wins journalism awards at a steady clip. Its main reporter, Lyle Denniston, is an old-school journalist of fearsome integrity and independence.

Associated Press:
Justices reject reporter's bid to protect source

Discussion: Booman Tribune and Politico, more at Mediagazer »

Adam Liptak / New York Times:
Supreme Court Rejects Appeal From Reporter Over Identity of Source

Discussion: Reuters, RT, Outside the Beltway, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, emptywheel, Freedom of the Press …, NPR, Hit & Run and Poynter

Mark Follman / Mother Jones:

Fearing Rising Backlash, NRA Urges Gun Activists to Stand Down — Carrying assault rifles into restaurants backfired—and now the gun lobby is firing at its own for acting “downright weird.” — THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS have been rough for proponents of open-carry gun laws.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Daily Banter, Gawker, Business Insider, Mediaite, Texas Politics, Joe. My. God., The Raw Story, Guns.com and Balloon Juice

Eric Lach / Talking Points Memo:
NRA Issues Amazing Statement Admitting Bringing AR-15s To Chipotle Is Dumb

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Mashable, Wall Street Journal, Texas Politics, Guardian, Daily Kos, The Moderate Voice, Bloomberg View, PoliticusUSA, Hot Air, Washington Free Beacon, The Raw Story and The Week

Sarah Palin / Facebook:

Commander-in-Chief's Definition of “Honorable Service” Includes Anti-American Actions While in Uniform; He Just Destroyed Troop Morale — The Obama administration tells America this soldier served “with honor and distinction.” (http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/ susan-rice-bergdahl-served-honor-and- distinction_794066.html)

Discussion: Politico, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, PoliticusUSA and Little Green Footballs

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
Palin Bashes Bergdahl For His ‘Horrid Anti-American Beliefs’

Discussion: National Review, The Daily Caller, Power Line, Fox News, PJ Media, Anderson Cooper 360 and Lawfare

Jonathan Choe / myfoxtwincities.com:

CHARGES: Neighbor, 61, pulls gun on father teaching girl to ride bike — It's yet another instance of a neighbor puling a gun on a neighbor. This time, it happened in Rosemount, Minn. while a father was teaching his 7-year-old daughter how to ride a bicycle.

Discussion: Booman Tribune and The Raw Story

Michael Wilner / Reuters:

Israel ‘disappointed’ that US will work with Palestinian unity government — State Department says no plans to cut off aid despite some US lawmakers' comments to the contrary, says the US “will be judging this government by its actions.” — Israel said on Monday it was “deeply disappointed” …

Discussion: Israel Matzav and American Spectator

Noah Rothman / Mediaite:

Jeffrey Toobin: Obama ‘Clearly Broke the Law’ on Bergdahl — CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin declared on Monday that President Barack Obama “broke the law” when his administration failed to give Congress notice of at least 30 days before releasing five ranking Taliban members from Guantanamo Bay.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Hot Air and Lawfare