memeorandum: HILLARY SAYS NO LINGERING EFFECTS FROM HER CONCUSSION … (Mike Allen/Politico)

1:00 PM ET, June 5, 2014

Top Items:

TIME:

Taliban Commander: More Kidnappings to Come After Bergdahl Deal — A Taliban commander close to the negotiations over the release of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl told TIME Thursday that the deal made to secure Bergdahl's release has made it more appealing for fighters to capture American soldiers and other high-value targets.

Discussion: Fox News, The PJ Tatler, Mediaite, Hinterland Gazette and The Gateway Pundit

Michael B. Mukasey / Washington Post:

The ghastly transaction that freed Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl — (Uncredited/AP) - In this image taken from video obtained from Voice Of Jihad Website, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, A Taliban fighter speaks to Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, in eastern Afghanistan.

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Times, National Review, Balloon Juice, Betsy's Page, Fox News and Wall Street Journal

Kendall Breitman / Politico:

Charles Krauthammer backs Bowe Bergdahl deal — Charles Krauthammer says he supports President Barack Obama's deal to bring Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl home. — “Had the choice been mine I would have made the same choice,” Krauthammer told Fox News' “Special Report” on Wednesday.

Discussion: The Huffington Post

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:

Bergdahl, Kerry and the left's view of the military. — “If I've lost Neuman, I've lost Middle America.” That's how we imagine President Obama reacting to being scathed by MAD magazine. The Usual Gang of Idiots tweeted a parody poster yesterday for “Barack Obama's Unfortunate New Movie,” titled “Trading Private Bergdahl.”

Discussion: Townhall.com, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, BarbWire.com, Mashable, Weekly Standard, National Review and Power Line

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Obama: ‘Absolutely no apologies’ — President Obama said Thursday he would make “absolutely no apologies” for ordering the controversial prisoner swap to rescue Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the last American prisoner of war in Afghanistan. — Obama said he was never surprised by …

Discussion: Washington Post and Hot Air

Justin Sink / The Hill:
WH surprised by Bergdahl

Discussion: Politico and New York Times

Byron York / Washington Examiner:
Outraged by Bergdahl case, fellow soldiers break secrecy pledge to tell story

Discussion: CNN, The Natural Truth, The Lead with Jake Tapper, Politico and RedState

Emily Bazelon / Slate:
Gitmo Fail — Obama promised to close Guantánamo.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Prairie Weather and Guardian

Matt Higgins / CBS DC:
Report: White House Aides Accusing Bergdahl's Unit Comrades Of ‘Swift Boating’ Him

Discussion: Politico, The Gateway Pundit and RedState

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:
President Obama's Prisoner Swap Weakened the Rule of Law

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, National Review, Wall Street Journal, Power Line and Freespace

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Graham warns of Republican impeachment push over Gitmo

Discussion: Politico, CNN, Infowars, Hot Air, PoliticusUSA and Washington Monthly

Kevin Sieff / Washington Post:
Exclusive: Afghan villagers recall when Bergdahl stumbled into their midst

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Mediaite, Power Line, Yahoo! News, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, National Review, The Daily Beast, CNN and Lawfare

Ricardo Baca / The Cannabist:

Inside look at what New York Times' Dowd was told about edibles in visit to Denver — When Pulitzer-winning New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd came to Denver in January 2014 to report on the newly legal recreational marijuana sales that had just begun throughout Colorado …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Business Insider, Taylor Marsh, Mediaite, The Huffington Post and New York Times

Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo:

Maureen Dowd's Cannabis Tour Guide Says He Warned Her About Edibles — New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd had a terrible trip after she ate too much of a pot-infused candy bar — but she was warned about the unpredictable potency of edibles, according to the man who gave her a tour of Colorado's marijuana industry.

Discussion: The Federalist, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Business Insider, VICE, Booman Tribune, Washington Monthly, The Cannabist, BarbWire.com, The Dish, The Daily Caller, The Huffington Post, TalkLeft, Yahoo! News, New York Times and Mediaite

Mike Allen / Politico:

HILLARY SAYS NO LINGERING EFFECTS FROM HER CONCUSSION - PARENTS MOBILIZE TO STOP DATA-MINING OF THEIR CHILDREN — GERRIT LANSING ENGAGED - DAVID ESPO b'day — FIRST LOOK — TIME cover: “WAS HE WORTH IT? The cost of bringing Sgt. Bergdahl home ... The return of sergeant Bowe Bergdahl from captivity is no simple feel-good story.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Hinterland Gazette, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, Liberal Values, The Huffington Post, ESPN, Wall Street Journal and NPR

Alana Goodman / Washington Free Beacon:

Hillary to New York Times: Back Off — Some of Hillary Clinton's closest aides blasted the New York Times for what they said was unfair coverage of the former first lady during a recent secret meeting with the paper's Washington bureau, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.

Discussion: Independent Journal Review, The Daily Caller, NewsBusters, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and ABC News

The Clarion-Ledger:

McDaniel rep, others locked in courthouse — An official investigation has been opened into three people who were found locked in the Hinds County Courthouse hours after it was closed by election officials Tuesday after returns had been counted in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate. — CONNECT

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Fox News, susiemadrak.com, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Mediaite, Red Racing Horses, NationalJournal.com and Politico

Susan Davis / Associated Press:
2014 Senate landscape tilts in GOP's favor

Discussion: Capitol Report

Jonathan Martin / New York Times:
Thad Cochran and Chris McDaniel Tied in Primary

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Politico, The Daily Caller, Rasmussen Reports, Taegan Goddard's …, Philly.com, Democratic Strategist, The Dish, New York Magazine and Outside the Beltway

Michael Scherer / TIME:

Brian Schweitzer Isn't Holding Much Back as 2016 Approaches — Would he be a better president than Hillary Clinton? He thinks so — To get rid of the trash, former Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer either has to drive it away in a pickup from his remote lake house or burn it in a rusty oil barrel.

Discussion: Washington Post

Jonathan Topaz / Politico:
Brian Schweitzer: Not ready for Hillary

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Evan Gahr / The Daily Beast:

Really, Dr. Carson? Obamacare Is Worse Than 9/11? — The Republican presidential hopeful thinks that Obamacare has caused Americans more pain than jetliners crashing into the World Trade Center and two costly wars. — Dr. Ben Carson, the Republican right's favorite African-American neurosurgeon …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Raw Story, Joe. My. God. and Mediaite

David Saleh Rauf / Texas Politics:

First draft of state GOP 2014 platform has revamped planks on immigration, homosexuality — Fort Worth — The first blueprint of the Republican Party of Texas' 2014 platform contains a revamped immigration plank that emphasizes a beefed-up plan for border security and a proposes a visa program …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Right Wing Watch, The Raw Story, Joe. My. God., The New Civil Rights Movement and PinkNews.co.uk

David Taffet / Dallas Voice:
Texas Republican platform committee removed worst of anti-gay language

Discussion: Right Wing Watch and Joe. My. God.

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Energy Choices — Nate Silver got a lot of grief when he chose Roger Pielke Jr., of all people, to write about environment for the new 538. Pielke is regarded among climate scientists as a concern troll - someone who pretends to be open-minded, but is actually committed to undermining the case for emissions limits any way he can.

Discussion: Financial Times, EconLog and ThinkProgress

John Feehery / Wall Street Journal:

Obama the Velcro President — They said that Ronald Reagan was the Teflon President. Nothing, not even Iran-Contra, could stick to him. — Barack Obama is the Velcro President. Everything is sticking to him. — He probably thought he could get some major political mileage …

Discussion: Hinterland Gazette

Stephanie Simon / Politico:

Big Brother: Meet the Parents — This story is part of a POLITICO series examining the unchecked expansion of private-sector data collection and the implications for consumer privacy. — You've heard of Big Oil and Big Tobacco. Now get ready for Big Parent.

Discussion: Eduwonk