memeorandum: Obamacare rates are rising once again (Philip Klein/Washington Examiner)

2:35 PM ET, August 22, 2014

Top Items:

Obama vs. ISIS: This Time It's Personal — When ISIS beheaded an American journalist, it meant to intimidate—and provoke—the United States. It should be careful what it wishes for. The gloves just came off. — The Obama administration signaled Thursday that the United States has begun …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Don Emmert / GlobalPost:

Full text of the last email the Islamic State sent to the Foley family — The last time James Foley's parents heard from their son's captors was on Aug. 12. They received this message. — BOSTON, Mass. — American journalist James Foley was murdered by Islamic State militants …

Discussion: Guardian, The Huffington Post, CNN, Clash Daily, Politico, Business Insider, Hot Air, Mashable, Daily Mail, Al Jazeera America, RT, New York Times, TalkLeft, The Other McCain and RedState

Kristina Wong / The Hill:

Defense secretary: ISIS threat 'beyond anything we've seen' — The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is beyond “just a terrorist group” and poses a greater threat than Al Qaeda, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday. — “This is beyond anything that we've seen,” he said during a briefing …

Discussion: NewsBusters blogs, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air and TPNN

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Missouri Dem: ‘Rand Paul was right’

Discussion: Fox News

Charles Krauthammer / National Review:
Time to Stop ISIS — The Islamic State has grown because it seemed unstoppable.

Discussion: VodkaPundit

Spencer Ackerman / Guardian:
Apocalyptic Isis beyond anything we've seen, say US defence chiefs

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Washington Free Beacon and The Dish

Lucas Tomlinson / Fox News:
Enemy of My Enemy: Are airstrikes against ISIS putting US on same side as Assad?

Discussion: The Dish, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, The PJ Tatler and Hot Air

Missy Ryan / Reuters:
Islamic State threat 'beyond anything we've seen': Pentagon

Discussion: Firedoglake

Robin Wright / Los Angeles Times:
Op-Ed Obama, be upfront on Iraq

Discussion: New York Times, Hot Air, Washington Free Beacon and Foreign Policy

Washington Post:

Washington Post editorials will no longer use ‘Redskins’ for the local NFL team — THIS PAGE has for many years urged the local football team to change its name. The term “Redskins,” we wrote in 1992, “is really pretty offensive.” The team owner then, Jack Kent Cooke, disagreed, and the owner now, Daniel M. Snyder, disagrees, too.

Discussion: National Review, Mediaite, American Spectator, Mashable, Poynter and The Daily Banter

Annys Shin / Washington Post:

Washington Post editorial board stops using the word ‘Redskins’ — The Washington Post editorial board said Friday it will stop using the word “Redskins” when referring to Washington's football team, joining a growing list of other commentators who have renounced the term because they believe it disparages Native Americans.

Discussion: Politico and USA Today

Zeke J Miller / TIME:

Harry Reid's Joke to Asians: You're Not Smarter Than Everyone Else — “One problem that I've had today is keeping my Wongs straight” — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid drew laughter from an Asian audience Thursday with a pair of Asian-themed jokes. — “I don't think you're smarter …

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, OnPolitics, Hit & Run, Hot Air, Mediaite, TPNN, Washington Free Beacon, Business Insider, Gawker, The Gateway Pundit and National Review

CNN:
Reid cracks Asian jokes, apologizes

Discussion: Politico

Glenn Thrush / Politico:

How Al Sharpton became Obama's man on race — How Al Sharpton became Obama's go-to man on race. — A few days after 18-year-old Mike Brown was gunned down in Ferguson, Missouri, White House officials enlisted an unusual source for on-the-ground intelligence amid the chaos and tear gas …

Discussion: The Federalist and Booman Tribune

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
Steve King Goes Off About Ferguson And The Congressional Black Caucus

Discussion: Shakesville, Mediaite and Washington Monthly

Michael R. Gordon / New York Times:

Russia Moves Artillery Units Into Ukraine, NATO Says — WASHINGTON — The Russian military has moved artillery units manned by Russian personnel inside Ukrainian territory in recent days and is using them to fire at Ukrainian forces, NATO officials said on Friday.

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Hit & Run, Guardian, Hot Air and The Daily Caller

Bloomberg:
Russian Aid Convoy Without Consent Deemed Invasion by Ukraine

Discussion: Washington Post, Weekly Standard, Hot Air and Bloomberg View

Ryanschuessler / Ryan L. Schuessler:

I will not be returning to Ferguson — I had been on the ground helping Al Jazeera America** cover the protests and unrest in Ferguson, Mo., since this all started last week. After what I saw last night, I will not be returning. The behavior and number of journalists there is so appalling …

Discussion: Guardian, The Daily Caller, Gawker, Mediaite and Hot Air, more at Mediagazer »

LeighAnne Manwarren / Daily Oklahoman:

More victims are possible in Oklahoma City police sex crime case — Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw was arrested about 3 p.m. Thursday. He is accused of sexually assaulting at least six women while on patrol in the Springlake division. — An Oklahoma City police officer …

Discussion: KFOR-TV, CBS Detroit, Shakesville and The Raw Story

Philip Klein / Washington Examiner:

Obamacare rates are rising once again — WHITE HOUSE OBAMACARE HEALTH CARE ENTITLEMENTS BUDGETS AND DEFICITS — Supporters of President Obama's health care law have been touting proposed insurance rates for 2015 — arguing that they aren't as high as some of the dire warnings of the law's critics.

Discussion: Bloomberg View and Conservatives4Palin

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:

Breaking: Obama Admin Offers Hobby Lobby Workaround On Birth Control — The Obama administration rolled out a plan on Friday to protect access to copay-free birth control for women in response to the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby ruling. — A new “proposed rule” by the Department of Health …

Discussion: Hullabaloo

New York Times:

A Terrorist Horror, Then Golf: Incongruity Fuels Obama Critics — WASHINGTON — He had just hung up the telephone with the devastated parents before heading in front of the cameras. Unusually emotional, President Obama declared himself “heartbroken” by the brutal murder of an American journalist …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, BREITBART.COM, The Daily Banter, Truth Revolt, Gawker, Power Line, Daily Mail and The PJ Tatler

BooMan / Booman Tribune:

A Gun Distinction Without a Difference — It seems to be hugely important to gun rights supporters that people understand the difference between fully automatic and semiautomatic weapons. And it appears to greatly irritate them when they hear people fail to accurately distinguish between the two.

Discussion: Eschaton

Charles C. W. Cooke / National Review:
Don Lemon, Automatic Weapons, and the Integrity of Language

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, The Daily Caller, Liberaland, Twitchy, Ed Driscoll and BREITBART.COM

Matthew Boyle / BREITBART.COM:

EXCLUSIVE: RAND PAUL SLAMS OBAMA ON IMMIGRATION WHILE MEETING WITH GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT — GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala — Here performing eye surgeries on blind Guatemalans for several days in the rural town of Salama, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) strongly criticized President Obama's immigration policy …

Discussion: CNN and Talking Points Memo