memeorandum: Even before Michael Brown's slaying in Ferguson, racial questions hung over police (Washington Post)

10:30 PM ET, August 14, 2014

Top Items:

Mario Trujillo / The Hill:

Police chief rips Obama remarks — The executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police criticized President Obama Thursday for his remarks about law enforcement in Ferguson, Mo. — “I would contend that discussing police tactics from Martha's Vineyard is not helpful to ultimately calming the situation …

Discussion: Power Line, Hot Air and Independent Journal Review

The United States Department of Justice:

Statement by Attorney General Eric Holder on Latest Developments in Ferguson, Missouri — Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement Thursday following his meeting earlier today with President Obama to discuss the latest developments in Ferguson, Missouri:

Discussion: Washington Post, Politico, White House.gov Blog, Firedoglake and New York Times

Bloomberg:

St. Louis County Police to Be Removed From Ferguson: Clay — Missouri Governor Jay Nixon will announce that St. Louis County law enforcement will be relieved of duty in Ferguson, which has been roiled by protests after the shooting death by police of an unarmed teenager, according to Representative William Lacy Clay.

Discussion: Washington Post, addictinginfo.org, UPROXX, Hot Air, The Huffington Post, Talking Points Memo, Bloomberg View and CNN

Casey Nolen / KSDK-TV:

TV crews hit by bean bags, tear gas — AL JAZEERA AMERICA TV crews were overcome with tear gas fired near their vehicle in Ferguson, Missouri, Wednesday night. Minutes later, police took down the crew's light kit, and pointed their camera at the ground. KSDK — CONNECT

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Guardian, Mediaite, Poynter, The Raw Story, New York Times, PoliticusUSA and TwitLonger, more at Mediagazer »

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Losing perspective in Ferguson — The popular line on Ferguson, Missouri — the site of ongoing protests over the police shooting of an 18-year-old African-American — is that it's become an American Iraq. The Huffington Post banner reads “Baghdad USA.” Lydia Polgreen, deputy International editor …

Discussion: Mediaite, Washington Post, Roger Ailes, SPJ News, The Daily Banter, Talking Points Memo, Poynter and National Review, more at Mediagazer »

Lucy McCalmont / Politico:

Eric Holder ‘concerned’ over Ferguson — Attorney General Eric Holder released a new statement Thursday regarding the escalating tensions in Ferguson, Missouri, saying such unrest “cannot continue,” but expressed concerns over the actions of local law enforcement.

Discussion: The Last Refuge and Colorlines

Josh Israel / ThinkProgress:

Civil Rights Icon Compares Ferguson To Montgomery Freedom Riders, Calls For Martial Law — Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), who nearly 40 years ago suffered a fractured skull as police officers attacked civil rights protesters with dogs and billy clubs in Selma, Alabama, denounced the police treatment …

Discussion: U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill …, New York Times, BBC and Daily Kos

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Claire McCaskill: ‘We need to demilitarize’ — Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill is calling for the “demilitarization” of the police in Ferguson, Missouri, deeming the response by law enforcement “the problem instead of the solution.” — McCaskill, who was in Ferguson on Thursday morning meeting …

Discussion: New York Times, The Hill, PoliticusUSA and Mashable

Jelani Cobb / New Yorker:
What I Saw in Ferguson — Nothing that happened in Ferguson …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Prairie Weather, Here & Now, Deadline, ThinkProgress, KMOV-TV, Jezebel, Colorlines, The Daily Caller and ABC News, more at Mediagazer »

Washington Post:
Even before Michael Brown's slaying in Ferguson, racial questions hung over police

The Huffington Post:
State Senator To Ferguson Police: ‘Will I Get Tear-Gassed Again?’

Discussion: Mediaite, USA Today, Mashable, KMOV-TV, ThinkProgress and alicublog

David Nakamura / Washington Post:
White House walks a careful line on Ferguson

Discussion: The Huffington Post, New York Times and Wall Street Journal

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
Politico's Media Reporter Says Arrested Journalists 'Aren't Heroes'

Discussion: Washington Post and Politico

Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:
Ferguson's Police Got Free Military Gear Straight From The Pentagon

Discussion: Fox News, ABC News, Guardian, ThinkProgress and lehighvalleylive.com

Taylor Wofford / Newsweek:
How America's Police Became an Army: The 1033 Program

Discussion: Washington Post, Balloon Juice, The Raw Story and Talking Points Memo

USA Today:
Pentagon fueled Ferguson confrontation: Column

Ashley Alman / The Huffington Post:
Huffington Post Reporter Arrested In Ferguson

Julie Pace / ABC News:
Obama Briefed on Violence in St. Louis Suburb

Discussion: Politico and WANE-TV

Ross Kaminsky / American Spectator:
Ferguson on Fire — As the suicide of Robin Williams …

Discussion: Techdirt, Washington Monthly, CNN and Colorlines, more at Mediagazer »

Catalina Camia / OnPolitics:
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon criticized for slow Ferguson response

Discussion: msnbc.com, Washington Post, Colorlines and National Review

Sen. Rand Paul / TIME:

Rand Paul: We Must Demilitarize the Police — Anyone who thinks that race does not skew the application of criminal justice in this country is just not paying close enough attention. And the root of the problem is big government. — The shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown is an awful tragedy …

Ashley Killough / CNN:
Rand Paul on Ferguson: Police too militarized

Discussion: Politico and The Daily Caller

Adam Serwer / msnbc.com:
In Ferguson, the blurred line between law enforcement and combat

Discussion: Brains and Eggs, ThinkProgress, The Huffington Post, The Raw Story, Firedoglake, Gawker, Daily Kos and Colorlines

Brian Stelter / CNNMoney.com:

“Meet the Press:” Gregory out, Todd in — NBC will name Chuck Todd the new host of “Meet the Press” as soon as Thursday afternoon, according to people with direct knowledge of the network's plans. — The sources confirmed widespread speculation that David Gregory, who moderated the show …

Discussion: Politico, Taylor Marsh, The Daily Caller, The Huffington Post, PoliticusUSA, TVNewser, Talking Points Memo, Booman Tribune, Outside the Beltway and FishbowlDC, more at Mediagazer »

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Chuck Todd to replace David Gregory on ‘Meet The Press’ — Chuck Todd, the NBC News chief White House correspondent and political director, will replace David Gregory as moderator of “Meet The Press,” network sources confirmed early Thursday afternoon in the wake of a CNN report.

Discussion: NewsBusters

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
Did MSNBC's Ticker Just Confirm That Chuck Todd Is Taking Over ‘Meet The Press’?

Discussion: The Daily Caller, TVNewser and FishbowlDC, more at Mediagazer »

Kyle Mantyla / Right Wing Watch:

Steve King: Since Ferguson Rioters Are All Of The Same ‘Continental Origin,’ Racial Profiling Is Not A Concern — Rep. Steve King appeared on Newsmax TV yesterday, where host J.D. Hayworth asked him about the rising tensions in Ferguson, Missouri and the call by members of the Congressional Black Caucus …

Discussion: Roll Call, The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, The Moderate Voice, Mediaite, Hinterland Gazette, Washington Monthly, CNN and BuzzFeed

Ahiza Garcia / Talking Points Memo:
Rep. Steve King: Ferguson Protestors Are Of A Single ‘Continental Origin’ (VIDEO)

Discussion: Daily Kos and The Daily Banter

Charlie Spiering / BREITBART.COM:

PHOTOGRAPHER DELETES OBAMA DANCING PHOTO AFTER GOING VIRAL — A Martha's Vineyard photographer quietly deleted photographs of President Obama dancing during a birthday party after they went viral online. — Editorial and fine art photographer Elizabeth Cecil posted two photos of the president …

Discussion: Hot Air

Tim Arango / New York Times:

Maliki Agrees to Relinquish Power in Iraq — BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki said Thursday night that he had agreed to relinquish power, state television reported, potentially ending a crisis in which his deployment of extra security forces around the capital had raised worries of a military coup.

Discussion: National Review

New York Times:

Where We Came From, State by State — Charts showing how Americans have moved between states for 112 years. — BLURRING PARTY LINES | AUGUST 14, 12:23 AM — Welcome to Rhode Island, America's Least Polarized State — Wonder what Washington might look like if it were less polarized?

Discussion: Here & Now, Washington Center …, City Desk and ImmigrationProf Blog

Mike Allen / Politico:

Open Mike: Inside Ready for Hillary — From this week's Open Mike with Mitch Stewart, the Obama for America campaign veteran who's now a senior adviser to Ready for Hillary, the super PAC formed to encourage Clinton to run for president. — ALLEN: Lightning strikes and Secretary Clinton decides not to run.

Brent Budowsky / The Hill:
Clinton hurt 2014 Dems

Discussion: Liberal Values, News, sports and weather …, Outside the Beltway, Taylor Marsh, Washington Post and New York Times

Jodi Kantor / New York Times:

As Work Shifts Vary, Family's Only Constant Is Chaos — Like increasing numbers of low-income mothers and fathers, Ms. Navarro is at the center of a new collision that pits sophisticated workplace technology against some fundamental requirements of parenting, with particularly harsh consequences for poor single mothers.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Balloon Juice and ThinkProgress