memeorandum: Racism for fun and profit (Jason Russell/Washington Examiner)

8:00 PM ET, January 7, 2015

Top Items:

Sharpening Contradictions: Why al-Qaeda attacked Satirists in Paris — The horrific murder of the editor, cartoonists and other staff of the irreverent satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, along with two policemen, by terrorists in Paris was in my view a strategic strike, aiming at polarizing the French and European public.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Washington Monthly, KFOR-TV, Raw Story, Making Light and The Dish

New York Times:

Suspects Identified in Attack on French Newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, Paris Officials Say — PARIS — The police organized an enormous manhunt across Paris on Wednesday for three suspects they said were involved in a brazen and methodical slaughter at a satirical newspaper that had lampooned Islam.

Bill / Catholic League:

MUSLIMS ARE RIGHT TO BE ANGRY — Bill Donohue comments on the killing of 12 people at the Paris office of the newspaper Charlie Hebdo: — Killing in response to insult, no matter how gross, must be unequivocally condemned. That is why what happened in Paris cannot be tolerated.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Friendly Atheist and Hit & Run

Guardian:

Charlie Hebdo shooting: eleven dead at Paris offices of satirical magazine - live updates — Eleven dead and four critically injured — Attackers on the run after firing on staff and police — ‘France in state of shock,’ says President Hollande from scene of attack

Ezra Klein / Vox:

Don't let murderers pretend their crimes are about cartoons — Yes, Charlie Hebdo was a magazine that delighted in controversy and provocation. Yes, it skewered religion and took joy in giving offense. Yes, the magazine knowingly antagonized extremists — Charlie Hebdo's web site …

Discussion: Hot Air

Associated Press:

FRENCH POLICE IDENTIFY 3 SUSPECTS IN ATTACK THAT KILLED 12 — PARIS (AP) — French police officials identified three men as suspects in a deadly attack against newspaper offices that killed 12 people and shook the nation on Wednesday. — Two officials named the suspects as Frenchmen …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, New York Times, Mediaite, Business Insider, The Huffington Post, Reuters, Weasel Zippers, Associated Press, New York Magazine and The Moderate Voice, more at Mediagazer »

Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed:

Many Outlets Are Censoring Charlie Hebdo's Satirical Cartoons After Attack — News outlets shy away from publishing the controversial images of the paper's satirical cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. — The cartoon of Muhammad that appeared on a 2011 cover of Charlie Hebdo.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Mediaite, ThinkProgress, Hit & Run, US News, Talking Points Memo, The PJ Tatler, Washington Post and Gawker, more at Mediagazer »

Amanda Taub / Vox:

Charlie Hebdo and its biting satire, explained in 9 of its most iconic covers — Masked gunmen on Wednesday attacked the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French magazine known for its biting humor — and, more specifically, for a string of satirical cartoons about Islam and the Prophet Muhammed.

Discussion: Telegraph, The Dish and Washington Post

Ryan Broderick / BuzzFeed:

22 Heartbreaking Cartoons From Artists Responding To The Charlie Hebdo Shooting — Cartoonists from all over the world mourn in the wake of a Paris shooting that killed as many as 12 people, many of whom are members of Charlie Hebdo. — 1. David Pope … 2. Ruben L. Oppenheimer

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and The Mahablog

Hadas Gold / Politico:

Internal CNN memo: ‘We are not at this time showing the Charlie Hebdo cartoons’ — CNN is not showing detailed images of cartoons from the Charlie Hebdo magazine that could be viewed as offensive to Muslims, CNN senior editorial director Richard Griffiths said in a message sent to CNN staff Wednesday afternoon.

Discussion: Washington Post, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Banter, Mediaite, The Huffington Post and TVNewser

BBC:
Charlie Hebdo: Gun attack on French magazine kills 11

Kim Willsher / Guardian:
Paris terror attack: huge manhunt under way after gunmen kill 12

Discussion: CBS New York, Hot Air, The Huffington Post, Vox, Reporters Without Borders, The Dish, ABC News, Telegraph, iotwreport.com and CBS DC

Tony Barber / Financial Times:
The gunmen in Paris attacked more than a Muslim-baiting magazine

Discussion: Politico, New York Times, TIME, Associated Press, Hit & Run, Hot Air, Slate and Questions and Observations, more at Mediagazer »

Hadas Gold / Politico:
News orgs censor Charlie Hebdo cartoons after attack

Discussion: Telegraph, Gawker, The Huffington Post, Mashable, Mediaite and National Review

Kate Nocera / BuzzFeed:
Ted Cruz: Censoring Charlie Hebdo Cartoons “Unfortunate,” “Inconsistent” With Free Debate

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Mediaite

Daily Mail:
12 DEAD IN PARIS MASSACRE: Islamic gunmen execute French police officer as he pleads for his life …

Discussion: Mediaite, Wall Street Journal, American Spectator, Flopping Aces, Friendly Atheist, Business Insider and The Jawa Report

Barney Henderson / Telegraph:
Paris Charlie Hebdo attack: live

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, TIME, Guardian, NY Daily News, Da Tech Guy Blog, US News, Reuters, TheBlaze.com, Gawker, Twitchy, Mediaite and Press Association, more at Mediagazer »

Anne Penketh / Guardian:
Fight intimidation with controversy: Charlie Hebdo's response to critics

Discussion: Bloomberg, Committee to Protect …, New York Times, BBC, Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, Friendly Atheist, ThinkProgress, Poynter and Bloomberg Politics, more at Mediagazer »

Amir Taheri / New York Post: Terror in Paris — the limits of appeasement

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Why the Republican Congress's First Act Was to Declare War on Math — Budget nerds stood between them and their cherished tax cuts. — Shares — The first substantive act of the new, all-Republican Congress was a telling one: House and Senate leaders, now in partisan accord and able …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Hill, The White House, Keith Hennessey and Liberal Values

Daniel Strauss / Talking Points Memo:
Dems Respond To McConnell Taking Credit For Economic Growth: ‘Hahahahahahahahahahaha’

Discussion: U.S. Senate Republican …, ThinkProgress, The Moderate Voice and Addicting Info

New York Times:
On Day 2, Senate Democrats Vow Aggressive Battle Against Republican Agenda

Discussion: Daily Kos

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
McConnell promises dramatic change

Discussion: Politico

Manu Raju / Politico:
Exclusive: Reid to tap former sergeant-at-arms as chief of staff

Discussion: Washington Post and New York Times

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

Chris Christie's Chances Are Overrated — The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza has New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as the second most likely Republican presidential nominee after Rand Paul. University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato lists Christie as one of the top four candidates …

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post and Hot Air

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Rove: Common Core is Jeb's ‘biggest challenge’

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Washington Monthly

Roger Friedman / Showbiz411:

Exclusive: Bill Cosby Co-Star Tony Winner Phylicia Rashad Speaks Out for First Time, Defends Her Friend — EXCLUSIVE It was just happenstance: I ran into Tony winner Phylicia Rashad today at Paramount's super elegant lunch for the movie “Selma” at the Metropolitan Club.

Discussion: NY Daily News, USA Today, Gawker, Hinterland Gazette, New York Times, Talking Points Memo and Feministing

Daniel Strauss / Talking Points Memo:

Sen. Warren Blasts GOP Social Security Scheme — Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is outraged by House Republicans' move to block a routine Social Security budgeting move to use as a bargaining chip in future entitlement reform negotiations. — On social media platforms Warren, in very clear terms …

Discussion: Off the Charts Blog, Hot Air, ThinkProgress, Addicting Info and Washington Monthly

Stephen Ohlemacher / Associated Press:
House rule sets up election-year battle over Social Security

Discussion: Daily Kos and Booman Tribune

Tara Culp-Ressler / ThinkProgress:

Congress Introduces A National Abortion Ban On Its Very First Day Back — House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio administers a re-enactment of the House oath to Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) — Republicans in Congress are wasting no time following through on the anti-abortion agenda the GOP laid …

Discussion: The Hill, RH Reality Check, Slate, Feministing and Balloon Juice

Ben White / Politico:

Jeb to come clean — Bush is willing to release decade of tax returns, associates say. — Getty — As he lays the groundwork for a likely presidential campaign, Jeb Bush is prepared to make an early disclosure of a decade or more of personal tax returns, according to people close to the former Florida governor.

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Business Insider and Balloon Juice

Bloomberg.com:

Boehner Takes His Revenge on Republicans Opposing Him for Speaker — (Bloomberg) — John Boehner dished out a little payback, kicking two House Republicans off the influential Rules Committee and stopping a third from sponsoring a bill after they voted against his re-election for speaker.

Discussion: ABC News, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, The Hill, US News and ABC News

Rep. Mick Mulvaney / Facebook:
There was an attempt to oust John Boehner as Speaker of the House today.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Daily Signal, Hot Air, Firedoglake, Bloomberg Politics, New York Magazine, Fox News, The Hill and Reuters

Jenna Levy / Gallup:

In U.S., Uninsured Rate Sinks to 12.9% — Story Highlights — WASHINGTON, D.C. — The uninsured rate among U.S. adults for the fourth quarter of 2014 averaged 12.9%. This is down slightly from 13.4% in the third quarter of 2014 and down significantly from 17.1% a year ago.

Discussion: Obamacare Facts, Washington Post, US News, Balloon Juice, Daily Kos and Politico

Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic Online:

ISIS Is Losing Its Greatest Weapon: Momentum — There was a time when the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria appeared unstoppable. In September and October, as the jihadist group captured territory through a major offensive in Iraq's Anbar province, culminating in the fall of the town of Hit on October 13 …

Discussion: CNN, Hot Air, The Daily Beast and The Dish