memeorandum: The Last Southern Democrat — HAMMOND, La.—Mary Landrieu is dead … (Molly Ball/The Atlantic Online)

1:20 PM ET, December 5, 2014

Top Items:

Facebook Prince Purges The New Republic: Inside the Destruction of a 100-Year-Old Magazine — Facebook billionaire Chris Hughes and his lieutenant from Yahoo gut one of journalism's great publications, setting off waves of resignations and tears. — When Facebook billionaire Chris Hughes …

Discussion: Politico, Talking Points Memo, National Review, Gawker and New York Magazine, more at Mediagazer »

Ezra Klein / Vox:

Even the liberal New Republic needs to change — When I entered journalism there were three places I badly wanted to work: The American Prospect, The Washington Monthly, and The New Republic. The decision turned out to be easy: TNR never called me back. The Washington Monthly didn't have entry-level positions.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Dish, The Huffington Post, RedState, Washington Center …, Talking Points Memo, Lawyers, Guns & Money, New York Magazine, New York Times, Balloon Juice and FishbowlDC, more at Mediagazer »

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Implosion of a Washington institution — Two weeks ago, Washingtonians gathered to celebrate the 100th birthday of The New Republic, the magazine that helped shape Woodrow Wilson's views on democracy and torpedo Bill Clinton's health plan. — On Thursday, the venerable Washington institution announced …

Discussion: Hit & Run, The Federalist, Poynter and National Review, more at Mediagazer »

Leah Finnegan / Gawker:

White Men Upset Wrong White Man Placed in Charge of White-Man Magazine — Today, former Gawker editor Gabriel Snyder was named the new editor-in-chief of The New Republic, which was once “the in-flight magazine of Air Force One,” according to a movie about the most famous person who worked there, who was a plagiarist and a fabulist.

Discussion: Mashable

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
A Eulogy for The New Republic — A century-old liberal institution gazes at the end.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Dish, RedState, Balloon Juice, Politico, Poynter, Booman Tribune and Power Line, more at Mediagazer »

Eric Bradner / CNN:

George W. Bush: Garner decision ‘hard to understand’ — Washington (CNN) — Former President George W. Bush says a New York grand jury's decision not to indict the police officer who choked and killed Eric Garner was “hard to understand.” — In an interview with CNN's Candy Crowley …

Discussion: Politico and CANNONFIRE

New York Times:

Eric Garner, Daniel Pantaleo and Lethal Police Tactics — One route to justice for Eric Garner was blocked on Wednesday, by a Staten Island grand jury's confounding refusal to see anything potentially criminal in the police assault that killed him. — But the quest will continue.

Discussion: Daily Kos, Washington Post, Rush Limbaugh, Prairie Weather, Althouse and Colorlines

The Hill: Obama signals he'll put muscle behind response to police killings

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
New Twist in Lynch's Confirmation After New York Grand Jury Decision

Discussion: Washington Post

Chester Dawson / Wall Street Journal:
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie Declines to ‘Second Guess’ Eric Garner Grand Jury

Discussion: Washington Monthly, New York Times, Mediaite and New York Magazine

Ashley Southall / New York Times:
Protesters Fill the Streets Across the Country Over Decision in Eric Garner Case

Discussion: Daily Kos and Washington Post

Stephen L. Carter / Bloomberg View:
Law Puts Us All in Same Danger as Eric Garner

Discussion: Hit & Run, EconLog, Talking Points Memo, The Huffington Post and Hot Air

Josh Feldman / Mediaite:
Christie: I'm Not Going to Second-Guess Eric Garner Grand Jury

Discussion: FOX News Radio

Salon:
White America's moral disaster: From Eric Garner to Mike Brown, a destructive view of “justice”

Discussion: Booman Tribune and Hullabaloo

Peter Beinart / The Atlantic Online:
If Eric Garner Were White

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, BillMoyers.com, National Review, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, NBC News, Mediaite, NY Daily News, ThinkProgress, New York Post, Fox News, The Gateway Pundit, The PJ Tatler, New York Times, Bloomberg View, Prairie Weather, Washington Post, New York Magazine and The Marshall Project

Steve Strunsky / New Jersey Online:

Christie bridge scandal report cannot determine if governor was involved — TRENTON — An interim report by the joint legislative panel investigating last year's controversial lane closures at the George Washington Bridge could not determine if Gov. Chris Christie had any direct involvement …

Discussion: Politico

Shawn Boburg / NorthJersey.com:
GWB probe finds no evidence of link to Christie; legislative panel blames his appointees

Discussion: Washington Post and National Review

Wall Street Journal:
Inquiry Finds ‘No Conclusive Evidence’ Christie Knew of Lane Closures

Discussion: Hot Air

Alexandra Jaffe / CNN: Bridgegate panel co-chair: ‘We are not done’

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Democrats Against Reform — It's easy to understand why Republicans wish health reform had never happened, and are now hoping that the Supreme Court will abandon its principles and undermine the law. But it's more puzzling — and disturbing — when Democrats like Charles Schumer …

Discussion: Washington Post, The Daily Beast, PoliticusUSA, Democratic Strategist, Addicting Info, hrms.urban.org, Campaign for America's Future and Daily Kos

The National Interest:

Wounded Donkey: The Democratic Party's Obamacare Disaster — “Both Harkin and Schumer are liberals lamenting what will likely be the Obama administration's main domestic-policy legacy. They are both now saying the Democrats blew it.” — Democrats are finally starting to have second thoughts about Obamacare.

Neil Munro / The Daily Caller:

Top GOP Leader Promises Total Amnesty In 2015 — House Speaker John Boehner's top committee chairman says he wants an immigration bill that would allow millions of foreign migrants to stay and work jobs sought by Americans. — “I'm going to use my assets and resources in the new year …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, TPNN, Liberaland, RedState, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post

George Selgin / Free Banking:

A 1920-21 Recovery Myth — The Forgotten Depression, Jim Grant's excellent book about the 1920-21 downturn and the recovery that followed, has generated a burst of critical commentary from persons anxious to reject the principal conclusion Grant draws from that episode.

Discussion: EconLog and Cafe Hayek

Megan Brilley / fox4kc.com:

Hate crime murder? Man intentionally drove SUV into KC Muslim teen, police say — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 15-year-old boy died after losing too much blood when his legs were severed in what police believe was an intentional attack outside the Somali Center of Kansas City Thursday evening.

Discussion: Raw Story

David Sims / The Atlantic Online:

Seen It All Before: 10 Predictions About Police Body Cameras — Twenty years ago, law enforcement and activists teamed up to support another video surveillance technology: in-car dash cams. — A strange coalition has formed around the police officer-worn body camera.

Discussion: Washington Post and Prairie Weather

Nelson D. Schwartz / New York Times:

More Jobs and Higher Wages: U.S. Recovery Starts to Hit Home — After more than five years of elusive gains, ordinary Americans may finally be about to see the benefits of the recovery where it really counts: in their pocketbooks and wallets. — The Labor Department reported Friday …

Discussion: CNNMoney.com, CNBC, Washington Monthly, Campaign for America's Future and Outside the Beltway

Molly Ball / The Atlantic Online:

The Last Southern Democrat — HAMMOND, La.—Mary Landrieu is dead, and everyone knows it but Mary Landrieu. — The senior senator from Louisiana, a diminutive blond woman with a round, youthful face, is standing under a green canopy in the middle of an airfield. The canopy reads, “City of Hammond, Too Lovely to Litter.”

Discussion: Washington Monthly, New York Times and Washington Post

Eugene Volokh / Washington Post:

Could ‘Barry’ sue Lena Dunham over her memoirs? — Actress Lena Dunham holds her memoir, “Not That Kind of Girl,” ahead of a book signing in Piccadilly in central London in October. (Joel Ryan/Invision via Associated Press) — A reader writes: … A very interesting question …