memeorandum: Trying to Learn From Criticism, Even When It's Misguided or Rude (Paul Waldman/American Prospect)

2:45 PM ET, August 14, 2014

Top Items:

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 …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Wall Street Journal, BuzzFeed, Politico, New York Times, Washington Post, OnPolitics, The Daily Banter, The Daily Caller, No More Mister Nice Blog, Mediaite, TheBlaze.com, Hit & Run, Business Insider, Daily Signal and The Huffington Post

Mary Katharine Ham / Hot Air:

Free societies require more of police than turning tough situations into militarized zones — There's a lot of bad going on in Ferguson, Missouri right now. Let me start with the shooting, several times over, by police of an unarmed young man. It is not in dispute that he was unarmed …

Discussion: RedState

Adam Serwer / msnbc.com:

In Ferguson, the blurred line between law enforcement and combat — The photograph shows a man with his hands raised in surrender or protest, and a clutch of police, clad in camouflage and body armor brandishing assault rifles. The patches on their shoulders read “police,” but they look like soldiers.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Huffington Post, The Raw Story, Gawker, Daily Kos, Independent Journal Review, Jezebel, Bloomberg View and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

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 …

USA Today:
Pentagon fueled Ferguson confrontation: Column

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The New Republic, Featured stories, The Hill, KSDK-TV, Newsweek, Washington Post, lehighvalleylive.com, The Raw Story, RedState, Crooked Timber, BillMoyers.com and The Lead with Jake Tapper

Mark Berman / Washington Post:
Washington Post reporter arrested in Ferguson

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Firedoglake, ThinkProgress, USA Today, Politico, The Intercept, Taylor Marsh, Mediaite, The Raw Story, Hit & Run, alicublog and Right Wing News, more at Mediagazer »

Jamelle Bouie / Slate:
The Militarization of the Police — It's dangerous and wrong …

Discussion: Guardian, ThinkProgress, The Week, The New Republic, Washington Post, Lawyers, Guns & Money, New York Times, Hot Air and Business Insider

John McWhorter / The Daily Beast:
The True Stereotypes Behind Michael Brown's Death

Discussion: Washington Post and The Huffington Post

Karoli / Latest from Crooks and Liars:

Ferguson Police Chief Turns To Hannity To Handle His PR — After a long day of crowd control and reporter arrests, the chief made an appearance on Sean Hannity's show to reassure everyone he had things under control. — Police Chief Thomas Jackson took a breather from all of his responsibilities …

Discussion: Slate and New York Times

Ashley Alman / The Huffington Post:

Huffington Post Reporter Arrested In Ferguson — The Huffington Post's Ryan J. Reilly and the Washington Post's Wesley Lowery were arrested Wednesday evening while covering the protests in Ferguson, Missouri after the death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, who was shot by a police officer last week.

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: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, National Review, Poynter, Mediaite and No More Mister Nice Blog, more at Mediagazer »

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

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

Stephanie Baumer / KMOV-TV:
Alderman Antonio French released from police custody in Ferguson

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Huffington Post, ABC News and Latest from Crooks and Liars

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: Talking Points Memo, Hot Air, UPROXX and CNN

KSDK-TV:
Nine charged for alleged Ferguson looting

Discussion: National Review and Daily Kos

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

Discussion: ThinkProgress, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Verge, The Raw Story, Mediaite, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, The Huffington Post, Vox, Booman Tribune, susiemadrak.com and Hit & Run, more at Mediagazer »

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

Discussion: Washington Monthly, CNN, Washington Post and TIME

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Harrowing Images Out of Ferguson

Discussion: St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The Moderate Voice

Matt Pearce / Los Angeles Times:
Two reporters briefly detained near protest in Ferguson, Mo.

Discussion: CNN, Firedoglake, KTLA, UPROXX, Business Insider and The Raw Story

Brent Budowsky / The Hill:

Clinton hurt 2014 Dems — Democrats face potentially catastrophic midterm elections that could leave Republicans and conservatives in control of the House, the Senate and the Supreme Court. Yet while Democrats face a political state of emergency, Hillary Clinton this week launched …

Discussion: Politico, Outside the Beltway, Taylor Marsh, Washington Post and New York Times

Peter Beinart / The Atlantic Online:
How Money Warps U.S. Foreign Policy

Discussion: The Federalist, LewRockwell, The Boston Globe and Conservatives4Palin

William Douglas / News, sports and weather …:
Clinton's lead over GOP candidates shrinking

Discussion: Politico and CNN

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: Talking Points Memo, Booman Tribune, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, The Huffington Post 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: The Huffington Post, Washington Monthly, The Moderate Voice, Roll Call, Hinterland Gazette, Mediaite and Daily Kos

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

Discussion: Daily Kos

Wall Street Journal:

Israel Outflanks White House Over Gaza — The Obama administration has tightened control on arms transfers to Israel since learning last month that the Israeli military had been securing supplies of ammunition from the Pentagon without its approval.

Discussion: The Times of Israel, Guardian, Hot Air, Israel Matzav, Mondoweiss, Fox News, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Washington Free Beacon

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, Mediaite, Poynter, New York Times, PoliticusUSA, The Raw Story and TwitLonger

Washington Post:

Obama administration shows little urgency for stemming Islamic State violence — Senior U.S. officials describe the threat posed by the Islamic State in chilling terms, but they have mounted a decidedly modest military campaign to check its advance through northern Iraq.

Discussion: Power Line and Booman Tribune

Mario Trujillo / The Hill: Obama prepares schools for migrant kids

Allie Jones / Gawker:

Joe Scarborough: Reporters Arrested in Ferguson Just Want Attention — Joe Scarborough—a former U.S. Congressman and MSNBC's aging jam band dad—said today on Morning Joe that the two reporters detained in Ferguson, Missouri should have just listened to the police.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Hullabaloo and UPROXX

Washington Post:
Post's Lowery detained in Ferguson

Discussion: Politico, National Review, ThinkProgress, Gawker, The Huffington Post, msnbc.com, Balkinization, CBS St. Louis, Prairie Weather, Mashable, Hit & Run, The ToastThe Toast and The Raw Story, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:

Where We Came From, State by State — We charted how Americans have moved between states since 1900. See how your state has changed: — These charts were compiled using Census microdata obtained from ipums.org at the University of Minnesota Population Center.

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