memeorandum: Kerry calls Sotloff murder a ‘punch to the gut’ (Jesse Byrnes/The Hill)

1:10 PM ET, September 3, 2014

Top Items:

Dexter Filkins / New Yorker:

The Death of Steven Sotloff — In the final moments before an ISIS executioner beheaded the American journalist Steven Sotloff, the masked man offered up, in an English accent, a message to his viewers: “We take this opportunity to warn those governments that enter this evil alliance of America …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog and Prairie Weather, more at Mediagazer »

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:

Kerry calls Sotloff murder a ‘punch to the gut’ — The brutal execution of U.S. journalist Steven Sotloff by Islamic militants was a “punch to the gut,” Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday. — “For so many who worked so long to bring Steven and the other Americans home safely, this was not how the story should've ended.

Debra Kamin / The Times of Israel:
Steven Sotloff, killed by Islamic State, had deep roots in Israel

Discussion: Politico and Mashable, more at Mediagazer »

Justin Sink / The Hill:
‘We will not be intimidated’ by ISIS

Discussion: Power Line

Josh Rogin / The Daily Beast:
After Steven Sotloff Murder, Congress Demands a Vote on Obama's ISIS War

Discussion: The Hill, Weekly Standard, New York Times and Yahoo! News, more at Mediagazer »

The Hill:
Lawmakers to Obama: Hit ISIS

Discussion: ABC News, Hot Air and The Daily Beast

Yitzhak Benhorin / Ynetnews:
Steven Sotloff, journalist executed by ISIS, was Israeli-American

Discussion: Politico, Business Insider, New York Times and Israel Matzav

Kathleen Hennessey / Los Angeles Times:
Obama: Video of slain journalist is authentic, U.S. won't be intimidated

Discussion: New York Times, The Week, Gawker, Hot Air, Wall Street Journal and The New Republic, more at Mediagazer »

Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo:

Phil Robertson's Plan For Combating ISIS: ‘Convert Them Or Kill Them’ — “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson put forward a strategy Tuesday for combating militants with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria: “convert them or kill them.” — Robertson was asked to opine on Fox News' …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Daily Kos and Gawker

Josh Feldman / Mediaite:
Phil Robertson Tells Hannity How He'd Combat ISIS: ‘Convert Them or Kill Them’

Discussion: Politico, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and The Huffington Post

Jessica Roy / New York Magazine:

Columbia Student Will Carry a Mattress Everywhere Until Her Alleged Rapist Is Expelled — Emma Sulkowicz staged the piece of performance art as a protest against Columbia's handling of her sexual-assault case. — 1.9k — Shares — 1.8k — Emma Sulkowicz says she was raped …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, TIME, Gothamist, Columbia Daily Spectator, The Daily Caller, Jezebel, The Raw Story, Guardian and Inside Higher Ed

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Sen. Coburn: Let's change Constitution — Sen. Tom Coburn is pushing for a national convention to amend the Constitution. — The Oklahoma Republican, who has grown disenchanted with gridlock in Washington, will officially launch his effort after he retires from the Senate in a few months.

Emily Bazelon / Slate:

A Huge Abortion Win in Texas — But will it last? — Late Friday, after many of us checked out for the long weekend, a judge in Texas blocked the state from shutting down most of its abortion clinics. Judge Lee Yeakel struck down the state's “brutally effective system of abortion regulation …

Discussion: National Review and Houston Chronicle

Ron Christie / The Daily Beast:

Democrats' Midterm Wish: The Government Shutdown That Won't Happen — Staring at a midterm catastrophe, the Democrats lob increasingly desperate charges. But the Republicans are no longer that stupid. — With Labor Day now behind us, Americans returning from their summer break …

Brian Beutler / The New Republic:
Screw Politics, Obama Should Act On Deportations as Soon as Possible

Discussion: Washington Post, RedState and Hullabaloo

Tom Lyden / myfoxtwincities.com:

EXCLUSIVE: ISIS fighter worked at Minneapolis airport — He was the second known American killed while fighting for ISIS in Syria, and the second from Minnesota — and a Fox 9 exclusive uncovering his employment history is raising a few eyebrows. — An airport is probably the last place anyone …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Mediaite, The Blotter and Business Insider

Kaitlin Stack Whitney / The Atlantic Online:

The Secret Pot-Growing Operations in America's Cornfields — On any given weekday in the summer, you will find me walking through fields counting bugs. In fact, it's my job: I'm an ecologist studying the communities of insects that live in agricultural landscapes.

TIME:

5 Feminist Myths That Will Not Die — If we're genuinely committed to improving the circumstances of women, we need to get the facts straight — Much of what we hear about the plight of American women is false. Some faux facts have been repeated so often they are almost beyond the reach of critical analysis.

Discussion: The Other McCain

Scott Clement / Washington Post:

New poll says large majority of Americans believe Redskins should not change name — (Post Sports Live/The Washington Post) — A large but shrinking majority of Americans say the Washington Redskins should not change their team's name, according to a poll released Tuesday finding …

Discussion: ESPN, NewsBusters, ABC News, Washington Free Beacon, Hot Air and Booman Tribune

Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:

Ready, Aim, Fire. Not Fire, Ready, Aim. — President Obama has been excoriated for declaring that “we don't have a strategy yet” for effectively confronting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. In criticizing Obama for taking too much time, Representative Mike Rogers …

Discussion: NationalJournal.com, Gawker and JustOneMinute

Pew Research Center:

Who runs for office? A profile of the 2% — There are 90,107 government units in the U.S. — everything from county governments (3,031) to independent school district governments (12,880), according to 2012 Census Bureau data. Some governments have appointed officials …

Discussion: Washington Post

Office of Media Relations:

Economy Will Drive Midterm Elections, GW Battleground Poll Shows — Voters Remain Unhappy with President and Congress — MEDIA CONTACTS: — Jason Shevrin: 202-994-5631, jshevrin@gwu.edu — Emily Grebenstein: 202-994-3087, emgreb@gwu.edu — WASHINGTON—An overwhelming majority …

Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Free Beacon and Taegan Goddard's …

Erica Ritz / TheBlaze.com:

Why Glenn Beck Said Hillary Clinton ‘Will Be the Next President of the United States’ — Glenn Beck said on his radio program Tuesday that “Hillary Clinton will be the next president of the United States.” — Beck said he received information from a friend of his, who is also friends with the …

Discussion: Capitol Report, Booman Tribune, CNN, Politico and Talking Points Memo

Fox News:

Obama to send approximately 350 additional military personnel to Iraq — December 14, 2011: A U.S. flag flies in front of the Chancellery building inside the compound of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.reuters — President Obama announced Tuesday he is sending approximately 350 additional military personnel …

Discussion: Associated Press, Fox News Insider and Independent Journal Review

Philip Ewing / Politico:
Obama authorizes 350 more troops for Iraq

Discussion: Firedoglake and Mediaite

Annie Lowrey / New York Magazine:

What Eric Cantor Is Really Going to Do on Wall Street — The ousted House majority leader has no investment-banking experience. But he has extremely valuable connections. — Shares — Today brings the utterly unsurprising news that Eric Cantor is headed to Wall Street.