memeorandum: Top Obama advisers tell African American leaders that justice will prevail in Ferguson (Washington Post)

3:30 PM ET, August 20, 2014

Top Items:

'Spare the lives of the remaining hostages. Like Jim they are innocents': Brave mother of beheaded American journalist calls on ISIS to cease killing as she pays tribute to her ‘extraordinary son’ — A masked and robed member of ISIS speaking English in what is thought to be a British accent addresses the camera as well

Discussion: ABC News, American Spectator, Vox Popoli, Betsy's Page, Clash Daily and PUNDITGUY, more at Mediagazer »

Arlette Saenz / ABC News:

White House Knew of Recent ISIS Threat to Kill US Journalist — ISIS had recently threatened to kill U.S. journalist James Foley to avenge airstrikes the United States has conducted in Iraq, a senior U.S. official told ABC News. — The White House had been aware of the threat prior …

Discussion: Hot Air, CBS DC, protein wisdom, Telegraph, abc13.com, ABC News, Patterico's Pontifications, The Daily Caller, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Mediaite and The Huffington Post, more at Mediagazer »

Free James Foley / Facebook:

A message from Jim's mom, Diane Foley: — We have never been prouder of our son Jim. He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people. — We implore the kidnappers to spare the lives of the remaining hostages. Like Jim, they are innocents.

Discussion: Mediaite, The Huffington Post, CNN, Guardian, Washington Examiner, WBUR, Telegraph, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, New York Times, Foreign Policy, Gawker and Pastebin, more at Mediagazer »

Patrick Reis / NationalJournal.com:

These Are the Stories James Foley Risked His Life to Tell — The accomplished war reporter went deep into conflict zones and brought back stories to people who would not have otherwise heard them. — James Foley, a journalist who disappeared in Syria nearly two years ago …

Discussion: Telegraph, WBUR, Business Insider and The Huffington Post, more at Mediagazer »

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:
BREAKING: ISIS Beheads American Journalist James Foley — THREATENS TO MURDER SECOND JOURNALIST!

Discussion: Guardian, CNN, The Daily Caller and Mashable, more at Mediagazer »

Chelsea J. Carter / CNN:
Video shows ISIS beheading U.S. journalist James Foley

Discussion: NY Daily News, Committee to Protect …, Hit & Run, The Other McCain, New Day, Washington Post, The Hugh Hewitt Show, Scared Monkeys, Taylor Marsh, Mediaite and Outside the Beltway

Lizzy Tomei / GlobalPost:
Reported Islamic State beheading of James Foley not yet verified

Discussion: Washington Post, The Moderate Voice, Hot Air, Los Angeles Times, The Independent, Associated Press, Telegraph, Business Insider, National Review, Reuters, BuzzFeed, CNN, Yahoo! News, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Independent Journal Review and The Huffington Post, more at Mediagazer »

Fox News:
US intel confirms journalist execution video ‘authentic,’ Obama vows ‘relentless’ fight against ISIS

Discussion: The News Commenter and Fox News Insider

Hayes Brown / ThinkProgress:
The Social Media Strategy Behind The Brutal Beheading Of An American Journalist

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Wall Street Journal, AEIdeas and Shakesville, more at Mediagazer »

Associated Press:
James Foley: A profile

Discussion: Firedoglake and Gawker

Manu Raju / Politico:

McConnell's plan to shut down Obama — HENDERSON, Ky. — Mitch McConnell has a game plan to confront President Barack Obama with a stark choice next year: Accept bills reining in the administration's policies or veto them and risk a government shutdown. — In an extensive interview here …

Discussion: Firedoglake, New York Times, ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, No More Mister Nice Blog, Bloomberg View, PoliticusUSA, Forbes, RedState, Mediaite, Washington Times, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Political Insider blog and Hot Air

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:

McConnell Promises Government Shutdown Wars In A GOP Majority — The government shutdown battles are poised to make a comeback if Republicans win control of the Senate this fall. — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) promised in no uncertain terms that he'd use must-pass spending bills …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Hot Air, Political Insider blog, Daily Kos, Washington Post and Politico

Hollywood Reporter:

‘SNL’ Political Secrets Revealed: Hillary's “Entitlement,” the Sketch Obama Killed and the Show's “Karl Rove” — In an exclusive book excerpt, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and even Sarah Palin recount the inner battle between the left and right … Lorne Michaels, executive producer …

Discussion: OnPolitics, The Huffington Post, The Daily Caller, Washington Post, The Verge and Mediaite

New York Times:

Shooting Accounts Differ as Holder Schedules Visit to Ferguson — FERGUSON, Mo. — As a county grand jury prepared to hear evidence on Wednesday in the shooting death of a black teenager by a white police officer that touched off 10 days of unrest here, witnesses have given investigators sharply conflicting accounts of the killing.

Discussion: Hot Air, The PJ Tatler, The Gateway Pundit, National Review, St. Louis Public Radio, Business Insider, Gawker and The Last Refuge

Jamelle Bouie / Slate:
Why the Fires in Ferguson Won't End Soon

Discussion: The Dish, Obsidian Wings, FiveThirtyEight, Alas, a Blog, PoliticusUSA, Guardian and CNN

Missouri Governor's Office / Governor Jay Nixon:
A message from Gov. Jay Nixon about the situation in Ferguson

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Hit & Run, Associated Press, Right Wing News, Politico, TIME, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The Gateway Pundit

Washington Post:
Top Obama advisers tell African American leaders that justice will prevail in Ferguson

Discussion: The Last Refuge, Hot Air, Politico, ACLU, Shakesville, St. Louis Public Radio and White House.gov Blog

Daniel Strauss / Talking Points Memo:

Missouri's Capt. Johnson Flashes Fraternity Sign, Gets Called A ‘Gang Member’ — Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson, the highway patrol captain placed in charge of security in Ferguson Missouri, was photographed making hand signs that some quickly thought were gang signs.

Discussion: Shakesville

Soraya Nadia McDonald / Washington Post:
Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson is not a gang member. He's just a Kappa.

Discussion: The Raw Story

Matt Arco / New Jersey Online:

WATCH: Chris Christie spars with N.J. woman over Bruce Springsteen — LONG BRANCH — Gov. Chris Christie and Bruce Springsteen haven't always been on the same page. — But don't tell the governor he can't play his idol's music ahead of his town hall events.

Discussion: Politico, Business Insider, Taylor Marsh, Gawker, OnPolitics and Gothamist

Ronald S. Lauder / New York Times:

Who Will Stand Up for the Christians? — WHY is the world silent while Christians are being slaughtered in the Middle East and Africa? In Europe and in the United States, we have witnessed demonstrations over the tragic deaths of Palestinians who have been used as human shields by Hamas, the terrorist organization that controls Gaza.

Discussion: Hot Air and Vox Popoli

USA Today:

Rick Perry's flimsy indictment: Our view — Let voters, not jurors, judge Texas governor's politics. — Politics as usual should not be a violation of criminal law. This ought to be obvious to anyone in a democratic society. But it does not seem to be well understood in Texas …

Discussion: JONATHAN TURLEY

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:
Perry booked, gets mug shot

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Nat Brown / National Review:

Democrats Fail in Effort to Tilt Alaska's GOP Senate Primary — The last major Republican primary in a state with a competitive Senate race this fall is over. Last night in Alaska, the choice of both establishment Republican Karl Rove and the free-market Club for Growth won over a tea-party-backed candidate — but not by much.

Discussion: Politico and Power Line

Cameron Joseph / The Hill:
GOP establishment favorite wins Alaska Senate primary

Discussion: CNN and RedState

S.A. Miller / Washington Times:

Mitt Romney: Obama worse than even I expected … BECKLEY, W.Va. — When Mitt Romney stumped here Tuesday for a trio of Republican candidates for Congress, the event had all the trappings of a “Romney for President” rally. — The crowd chanted, “Mitt! Mitt! Mitt!”

Discussion: Independent Journal Review, his vorpal sword, Mediaite, Truth Revolt and CNN

Tim Hanrahan / Wall Street Journal:

Obama Transcript and Video: World ‘Appalled’ by Foley Murder; ISIS ‘Cancer’ Must Be Extracted — Video: Obama Says Foley Murder ‘Shocks the Conscience’ of the World — President Barack Obama condemned the beheading of an American journalist and said the U.S. would be vigilant and relentless …

Discussion: CBS New York, Hot Air and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion