memeorandum: A Discredited Vaccine Study's Continuing Impact on Public Health (Clyde Haberman/New York Times)

1:35 AM ET, February 3, 2015

Top Items:

Rand Paul: Vaccines Can Lead to ‘Mental Disorders’ — Republican Sen. Rand Paul is standing by his statement that most vaccinations should be “voluntary,” telling CNBC that a parent's choice not to vac...

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Latest from Crooks and Liars, Bloomberg Business, Washington Post, Respectful Insolence, Bloomberg View, Talking Points Memo, Gawker and Joe. My. God.

Elise Viebeck / The Hill:

Rand Paul: Parents ‘own’ children, not the state — Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) doubled down on his position that most vaccines should be voluntary, suggesting Monday that mandated immunization is an example of government overreach. — “The state doesn't own your children,” Paul said in an interview with CNBC's “Closing Bell.”

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Little Green Footballs

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:

Ben Carson On Vaccinations: We Shouldn't Allow Diseases To Return — “Certain communicable diseases have been largely eradicated by immunization policies in this country and we should not allow those diseases to return by foregoing safe immunization programs, for philosophical …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Taylor Marsh

CNBC:

Defensive? Sen. Rand Paul on voluntary vaccines — Sen Rand Paul (R-Ky.) thinks the decision to vaccinate should be voluntary. Sen. Paul also discusses tax reform, his proposal to audit the Federal Reserve and his plans for the 2016 presidential election.

Discussion: The Charlotte Observer, Bloomberg Business, New York Magazine, The Huffington Post, ABC News, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and US News

David A. Fahrenthold / Washington Post:

How Rand Paul tried to lead an eye doctors' rebellion — The letters came from a young ophthalmologist in Kentucky. He was recruiting for an eye doctors' rebellion. — “We won't be trod upon,” he wrote, using the language of 1776. “You can't promulgate injustice without consequences.”

Discussion: Mediaite, Politico, Talking Points Memo, Unqualified Offerings, Hit & Run, The Daily Caller and Instapundit

Peter Sullivan / The Hill:
Paul shushes CNBC host in testy interview

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Politico and Washington Post

David Weigel / Bloomberg Business:
Chris Christie's Long Dance with Anti-Vaxxers

Discussion: CNN, The Daily Beast, Raw Story, National Review, Guardian and Balloon Juice

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:
Rand Paul Was Longtime Member Of Group That Promoted Autism-Vaccines Link

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Right Wing Watch and Addicting Info

Clyde Haberman / New York Times:

A Discredited Vaccine Study's Continuing Impact on Public Health — Vaccines: An Unhealthy Skepticism Vaccines: An Unhealthy Skepticism — An outbreak of measles that started at Disneyland has turned a spotlight on those who choose not to vaccinate their children.

Discussion: Addicting Info, Washington Post and Talking Points Memo

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:
Chris Christie just called for ‘balance’ in vaccinations. Uh-oh.

Discussion: Fox News, US News, New York Times, Today, BuzzFeed, The Hill, Hot Air and New Jersey News …

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Christie clarifies comments on measles vaccine after call for ‘balance’ causes stir

Chuck Ross / The Daily Caller:
Hillary Clinton Wanted To Investigate Link Between Autism And Vaccinations

Discussion: Power Line, The Daily Beast, Washington Post, Raw Story, Hot Air and No More Mister Nice Blog

BuzzFeed:
Carly Fiorina On Vaccinations: “Parents Have To Make Choices For Their Family”

Discussion: Mediaite, Raw Story, Washington Post and The Dish

Michael Barbaro / New York Times:
Christie Says Parents Should Have ‘Choice’ on Vaccinations

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Welp, So Much for Young People — In recent years many progressive political thinkers have focused on the views of so-called millennials. They are more pro-gay rights, more racially inclusive and generally have more progressive political views on a host of issues.

Discussion: Althouse and Washington Monthly

John Biggs / TechCrunch:

Uber Opening Robotics Research Facility In Pittsburgh To Build Self-Driving Cars — Driver-on-demand service Uber is building a robotics research lab in Pittsburgh, PA to “kickstart autonomous taxi fleet development,” sources close to the decision have confirmed to TechCrunch.

Discussion: The Verge and CBS San Francisco

Brad Stone / Bloomberg Business:
Exclusive: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Verge, Nerdist, Mashable and Hit & Run

Steve Lohr / New York Times:

In Net Neutrality Push, F.C.C. Is Expected to Propose Regulating Internet Service as a Utility — The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission this week is widely expected to propose regulating Internet service like a public utility, a move certain to unleash another round …

Discussion: The Verge and Addicting Info, more at Mediagazer »

Brian Fung / Washington Post:
The FCC is moving to preempt state broadband limits

Discussion: Daily Kos, Nextgov, The Verge and THE DISTRICT SENTINEL

Politico:
The FCC chair's Internet pivot

Discussion: Guardian, Common Dreams, Washington Monthly, Latest from Crooks and Liars and FishbowlDC

Anomaly / FreakOutNation:

‘KKK’ Graffiti At South Carolina High School: ‘Happy Ni**er Month’ — Pictures have surfaced on social media of racist graffiti at a South Carolina high school on the first day of Black History Month. — According to Raw Story, officials at South Pointe High School in Rock Hill confirmed …

Discussion: FOX News Radio

David Edwards / Raw Story:
‘Happy N***** Month’: ‘KKK’ defaces South Carolina high school to mock first day of Black History Month

Discussion: theGrio

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:

Nancy Reagan Turned Down Rock Hudson's Plea For Help Nine Weeks Before He Died — On a Sunday evening in July 1985, just hours after arriving in Paris from Los Angeles, Rock Hudson collapsed shortly after checking into the famed Ritz hotel. — Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor in ‘Giant’, 1956.

Discussion: Joe. My. God. and Raw Story

Michael Tomasky / The Daily Beast:

The GOP: Still the Party of Stupid — That Scott Walker speech was great? It was shallow, tedious, and wrong. In other words, it struck the perfect chord for today's GOP voters. — Mitt Romney definitely had his down sides as a candidate: the retread factor, and, as I noted two weeks ago …

Discussion: Daily Kos, Washington Post, TPNN, Bloomberg Business and Des Moines Register

FIRE:

Students, FIRE Go Four-for-Four as Ohio U. Settles Speech Code Lawsuit — In a settlement signed today, Ohio University (OU) agreed to revise several policies that restricted free speech on campus rather than fight a student-led First Amendment lawsuit in court.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, BarbWire.com, Washington Free Beacon and Hit & Run

Sarah Kliff / Vox:

Obama supports vaccines now — but pandered to anti-vaxxers in 2008 — Chris Christie has come under fire for remarks suggesting that parents should have a choice in which vaccines their children do and don't receive. Those remarks got fierce pushback from public health officials …

Discussion: Politico, Bloomberg Business, Mediaite, National Review and Little Green Footballs

Brian Tashman / Right Wing Watch:

Mike Huckabee Mocks ‘Bizarre’ Michael Sam Call, Fears Gay ‘Economic Terrorism’ — Mike Huckabee appeared last week on Dave Garrison's “Faith & Liberty” radio show, where he spoke about his new book, “God, Guns, Grits and Gravy.” Garrison told Huckabee that he was upset about how Right Wing Watch …

Discussion: FOX News Radio

Jessica Donati / Reuters:

U.S. forces declassify data on Afghan troops after watchdog dispute — (Reuters) - The U.S.-led force in Afghanistan is to make recently classified data on the Afghan security forces available to the public after a U.S. government watchdog complained about undue secrecy surrounding reconstruction efforts.

Discussion: New York Times, BarbWire.com, NPR and Ghosts of Tom Joad

TMZ.com:

Warren Sapp — Arrested For Soliciting Prostitute (Update) — ARRESTED FOR SOLICITING PROSTITUTE — [Update: Fired by NFL Network] — EXCLUSIVE — 2:15 PM PT — The NFL Network has fired Sapp. He'd been with the network since 2008. — 12:55 PM PT — New details in the Warren Sapp arrest ...

Discussion: Deadspin, NBCSports.com, ProFootballTalk, The Big Lead, Ed Driscoll, SBNation.com, Hollywood Life, The Daily Caller and TVNewser

Associated Press:

Portland strippers head to Salem to lobby for better work conditions — SALEM — Any tourist guide to Portland will tell you about the strip clubs. — There are dozens of them, something for any taste or any neighborhood, helped to ubiquity by Oregon's fierce protection of free speech.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, BarbWire.com and The PJ Tatler

Peter J. Henning / New York Times:

Court Sets Up a Hurdle, Not a Barrier, for Insider Trading Cases — It is interesting to see how a few words in a judicial opinion can mean so much. One sentence in the recent appeals court decision in United States v. Newman that overturned the convictions of two hedge fund traders …

Discussion: ProfessorBainbridge.com

Mosaic Magazine:

Obama's Secret Iran Strategy — The president has long been criticized for his lack of strategic vision. But what if a strategy, centered on Iran, has been in place from the start and consistently followed to this day? — President Barack Obama wishes the Islamic Republic of Iran every success.

Discussion: Israel Matzav and Weekly Standard