memeorandum: Obama's Secret Iran Strategy (Mosaic Magazine)

12:10 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, Gawker, Bloomberg View, Talking Points Memo 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

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, Unqualified Offerings, Talking Points Memo, Hit & Run, The Daily Caller and Instapundit

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, ABC News, New York Magazine, The Huffington Post, Washington Post, US News and Wall Street Journal

Michael Barbaro / New York Times:

Christie Says Parents Should Have ‘Choice’ on Vaccinations — Gov. Chris Christie visited the headquarters of One Nucleus, a life science company, in Cambridge, England, on Monday. — Neil Hall/Reuters — Updated, 10:27 a.m. | CAMBRIDGE, England — Amid an outbreak of measles …

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

Christie clarifies comments on measles vaccine after call for ‘balance’ causes stir — CAMBRIDGE, England - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie walked back comments he made here Monday morning calling for “balance” on the measles vaccine debate to allow for parental choice, asserting that “there is no question kids should be vaccinated.”

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

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

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

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Washington Post

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 — The two companies are going to war over self-driving taxis — Don't Miss Out — … Uber faces an ever-growing cast of adversaries that includes dubious regulators, litigious drivers, hostile members of the press, and some well-funded rivals.

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, Latest from Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly 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

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, Des Moines Register and Bloomberg Business

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

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:

Nancy Reagan Turned Down Rock Hudson's Plea For Help Seven 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: Raw Story

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, Hollywood Life, Ed Driscoll, SBNation.com, The Daily Caller and TVNewser

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, National Review, Bloomberg Business, Mediaite 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

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, The PJ Tatler and BarbWire.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