memeorandum: Flournoy withdraws from consideration as U.S. defense secretary: sources (Reuters)

7:50 PM ET, November 25, 2014

Top Items:

Meghan Keneally / ABC News:

Exclusive: George Stephanopoulos Interviews Police Officer Darren Wilson … In an exclusive interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, police officer Darren Wilson breaks his silence about the shooting of Michael Brown. — Wilson told ABC News that he did not execute Brown on August 9 …

Discussion: theGrio, Liberaland, Raw Story, FOX News Radio and Scared Monkeys

Jamelle Bouie / Slate:

Why Darren Wilson was never going to be indicted for killing Michael Brown. — The first Ferguson protests had two slogans: “Hands up, don't shoot”—referring to Michael Brown's final actions before he was killed—and “Justice for Michael Brown.” And when you asked protesters what they meant by …

Discussion: The Federalist, Vox, Reuters, ThinkProgress, The Dish, BillMoyers.com, PoliticusUSA, Mother Jones, Associated Press, Guardian and Talking Points Memo

Conor Friedersdorf / The Atlantic Online:

Witnesses Saw Michael Brown Attacking-and Others Saw Him Giving Up — A grand jury in St. Louis County, Missouri, has ruled that there is no probable cause to believe Officer Darren Wilson committed a crime when he killed Michael Brown. Put another way, in their estimation …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Talking Points Memo, Gawker, CNN, Mashable, The Daily Caller, Hot Air and Outside the Beltway

Wbastone / The Smoking Gun:

Michael Brown's Stepfather Urged Protesters To “Burn This Bitch Down” After Grand Jury Announcement — Buster — Michael Brown's stepfather last night repeatedly urged protesters to “Burn this bitch down” after a prosecutor announced that no criminal charges would be filed against the Ferguson …

Discussion: FOX2now.com, ABC News, Time, Mediaite, FOX News Radio, National Review and USA Today

Kendall Breitman / Politico:

Peter King: President Obama should invite Officer Darren Wilson to the W.H. — Rep. Peter King has a suggestion for the White House in dealing with the latest developments in Ferguson — invite Officer Darren Wilson over. — “I think it would be very helpful if President Obama went and met …

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo:
Ferguson Library Sees ‘Staggering’ Spike In Donations After Grand Jury Decision

Discussion: Time, KSDK-TV, The Huffington Post and Mediaite

Josh Feldman / Mediaite:
GOP Rep. Peter King: Obama Should Invite Darren Wilson to White House

Discussion: Politico and FOX News Radio

New York Times:
After Violent Night in Ferguson, State Asks National Guard for Protection

Discussion: Hot Air, Daily Kos, Fox News Insider, BuzzFeed, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, New York Magazine, The Other McCain, Ed Driscoll and Twitchy

Maria L. La Ganga / Los Angeles Times:
Darren Wilson, recalling shooting, said Michael Brown looked like a demon

Discussion: Hot Air, New York Times and Conservatives4Palin

Alana Horowitz / The Huffington Post:
Ferguson Prosecutor Robert McCulloch Gives Bizarre Press Conference

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Hit & Run, Firedoglake, Time, Above the Law and Raw Story

Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:
Legal Experts Explain Why The Ferguson Grand Jury Was Set Up For Failure

Discussion: The New Republic, National Review, CNN, Hot Air and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Ron Christie / The Daily Beast:
Justice Was Served in Ferguson—This Isn't Jim Crow America

Discussion: Hot Air, Betsy's Page and Conservatives4Palin

Ben Casselman / FiveThirtyEight:
It's Incredibly Rare For A Grand Jury To Do What Ferguson's Just Did

KSDK-TV:
Last Slide — He said gas lines were another challenge faced …

Discussion: ABC News, The Nation, Mashable, USA Today, CBS St. Louis, Talking Points Memo, Reuters, Washington Post, Weekly Standard, NOLA River, Scared Monkeys, Gawker and Time

Brian Beutler / The New Republic:
Go to Ferguson Right Now, President Obama, and Give Your Biggest Race Speech Yet

Discussion: Washington Post, Yahoo! News, New York Times, Bloomberg Politics, Fox News, Hit & Run, Gigaom, Questions and Observations, The Dish, Outside the Beltway and LiberalAmerica.org

John Hudson / Foreign Policy:

Exclusive: Flournoy Drops Out of Race to Be Next Secretary of Defense

Discussion: Israel Matzav, Hot Air, The New Republic, New York Times, Political Wire, The Week, Washington Post and The PJ Tatler

Reuters:

Flournoy withdraws from consideration as U.S. defense secretary: sources — (Reuters) - Michele Flournoy, a former top U.S. Defense Department official widely tipped as a possible replacement for Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, has taken herself out of consideration for the job …

Discussion: FOX News Radio

The Hill:
How Obama and Chuck Hagel reached the end of the line

Discussion: Politico, Scared Monkeys and RealClearPolitics Videos

Glenn Thrush / Politico:
How Obama Dumped Hagel

Discussion: Lawfare, ABC News, National Review, Wall Street Journal, ABC News and Foreign Policy

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Congress Poised To Eliminate Key Tax Breaks For Middle Class, Provide Permanent Tax Breaks For Corporations — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has reached a compromise with House Republicans on a package of tax breaks that would permanently extend relief for big multinational …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Daily Kos and Washington Monthly

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:

Obama Promises to Veto Pending Deal on Major Business Tax Breaks — WASHINGTON — House and Senate negotiators neared a deal on Tuesday to make permanent a list of major tax breaks for business, infuriating President Obama. Mr. Obama promised to veto it on the grounds that the package …

Discussion: Washington Post, PoliticusUSA and Political Wire

Brian Faler / Politico: White House threatens to veto tax deal

Kathleen Hunter / Bloomberg.com:

Democrats Erred by Acting on Health Care in 2010, Schumer Says — Nov. 25 (Bloomberg) — Democrats made a mistake by passing President Barack Obama's health-care law in 2010 instead of focusing more directly on helping the middle class, third-ranking U.S. Senate Democrat Charles Schumer said today.

Discussion: Washington Post, Bloomberg Politics, Outside the Beltway, Washington Monthly and Josh Blackman's Blog

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:

Schumer: Democrats Screwed Up By Passing Obamacare In 2010 — New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that Democrats made a mistake by setting their sights on health care reform early in President Barack Obama's first term, arguing that his party should have focused on fixing the economy first.

Discussion: Balloon Juice and Mediaite

Burgess Everett / Politico:
Schumer slams ‘sensationalist’ press

Discussion: Hot Air

Tara Culp-Ressler / ThinkProgress:

How To Talk To Your Tea Party Uncle About Obamacare This Thanksgiving — As your family gathers around the table this Thanksgiving, the conversation may get a little heated if your right-wing relatives bring up President Obama's signature health law. The Affordable Care Act remains …

Discussion: American Spectator and Daily Signal

Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:
Obama's Immigration Action Reinvigorates Tea Party

Discussion: Political Wire

Ken Kurson / The New York Observer:

Sen. Ted Cruz, '16 Presidential Hopeful, Woos New York Jewish Donors — 'I don't think I'm all that conservative'; If not a love match, at least some serious flirting — Ted Cruz addresses a small lunch group, including from left Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Michael Steinhardt, Ken Abramowitz and Mort Klein.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, US News, The PJ Tatler and Time

Sen. Rand Paul / TIME:

Rand Paul: The Politicians Are To Blame in Ferguson — The failure of the War on Poverty has created a culture of violence and put police in a nearly impossible situation. — We are witnessing a tragedy in Ferguson. This city in Missouri has become a focal point for so much.

Discussion: Bloomberg Politics, CNN and Politico

Tony Romm / Politico:
Rand Paul on Ferguson: Criminal justice reforms part of answer

Discussion: Hit & Run

Joe Millitzer / FOX2now.com:

Body found in Ferguson neighborhood — FERGUSON, MO (KTVI) - A body was found in a Ferguson neighborhood just east of the Canfield apartments in the 9400 block of Glen Owen drive. The body was found in a white Pontiac car parked in a driveway at around 9am. — The driver's side window is shot out.

Discussion: Mediaite, Hinterland Gazette, Talking Points Memo, New York's PIX11 and FOX News Radio

New York Times:

F.D.A. to Require Calorie Count, Even for Popcorn at the Movies — WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration will announce sweeping rules on Tuesday that will require chain restaurants, movie theaters and pizza parlors across the country to post calorie counts on their menus.