memeorandum: As Scott Walker mulls White House bid, questions linger over college exit (David A. Fahrenthold/Washington Post)

10:50 AM ET, February 12, 2015

Top Items:

CBS News correspondent Bob Simon, 1941-2015 — Shares - — NEW YORK — Bob Simon, the longtime 60 Minutes correspondent and legendary CBS News foreign reporter died suddenly tonight in a car accident in New York City. — The award-winning newsman was 73. — Bob Simon, correspondent for 60 Minutes and CBS News.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Poynter, New York Times, CBS New York, New York Magazine, The Daily Banter, Liberaland, American Spectator, Gawker, Addicting Info, The Huffington Post, Mediaite and WREG-TV, more at Mediagazer »

NY Daily News:

Bob Simon, ‘60 Minutes’ correspondent, killed in crash on West Side Highway — Simon, 73, was passenger in livery cab that rear-ended another vehicle on 12th Ave. at 30th St. and slammed into median. — “60 Minutes” correspondent Bob Simon was killed in a car crash on the West Side Highway …

Discussion: Mediaite

Adam Harrington / CBS New York:
Bob Simon, ‘60 Minutes’ Correspondent And CBS News Veteran, Dies In West Side Highway Crash

Discussion: ABC, UPROXX, CBS Los Angeles and WTVR-TV

New York Post:
60 Minutes' Bob Simon killed in car crash

Discussion: Gothamist and Politico

David A. Fahrenthold / Washington Post:

As Scott Walker mulls White House bid, questions linger over college exit — MILWAUKEE — Scott Walker was gone. Dropped out. And in the spring of his senior year. — In 1990, that news stunned his friends at Marquette University. Walker, the campus's suit-wearing, Reagan-loving politico …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, NewsBusters, RedState, Hot Air, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The College Fix, Liberaland, National Review, FOX News Radio, Althouse, The Reality-Based Community and ABC News

Philly.com:

It's official: Philadelphia to host 2016 Democratic Convention — Philadelphia has been selected to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention, DNC chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced this morning. — The city beat out Columbus, Ohio, and Brooklyn, for the event, which will take place the week of July 25, 2016.

Discussion: Mediaite and Booman Tribune

Politico:

Dems pick Philly for '16 convention — Philadelphia has been chosen as the host of the 2016 Democratic National Convention, party officials announced Thursday. — The decision is a huge disappointment for New York City, where Mayor Bill de Blasio had made a major effort to land the convention for Brooklyn.

Discussion: Bloomberg Business

Jamelle Bouie / Slate:

Why Jon Stewart Was Bad for the Liberals Who Loved Him — He was hilarious, but I am glad to see him go. — Seventeen years ago, The Daily Show was a forgettable late-night lark on a little-watched cable channel. Today, after covering seven elections and countless scandals, controversies …

Discussion: Shakesville, Bloomberg Business, Washington Post, Bloomberg View and Hullabaloo, more at Mediagazer »

Michael Warren / Weekly Standard:
Democrats Lament Stewart Exit

Discussion: UPROXX, The Daily Caller and Mediaite

Sarah Ferris / The Hill:

ObamaCare signups surge in southern states — Signups for ObamaCare are surging in southern states, with increases of nearly 100 percent in some states compared to last year, federal health officials said Wednesday. — Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina and Mississippi have each seen 80 percent …

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Peter Nicholas / Wall Street Journal:

Unease Grows as Hillary Clinton Stays on Sidelines — Some Democrats Want the Former Secretary of State to Begin Actively Campaigning for the Presidential Nomination — The Republican race for president already has the feel of a sprint, with likely candidates attending fundraisers and party forums all over the map.

Russ Smith / SPLICETODAY.com:
Mainstream Journalists Are Scared of Scott Walker

Discussion: Hot Air and VodkaPundit

Ben Kamisar / The Hill:
Paul: ‘I blame’ Clinton for ISIS conflict

Discussion: Washington Times, Bloomberg Business, Latest from Crooks and Liars and Daily Kos

Greg Stohr / Bloomberg Business:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Thinks Americans Are Ready for Gay Marriage — Don't Miss Out — … (Bloomberg) — Americans are prepared to accept a U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, pointing to what she described as a sweeping change in attitudes toward gays.

Discussion: Politico, New York Times, National Review, SCOTUSblog, Towleroad News #gay and BuzzFeed

Washington Post:

Within NBC, an intense debate over whether to fire Brian Williams — (Stephanie Klein-Davis/Roanoke Times via AP) — Senior NBC officials seriously considered firing anchor Brian Williams because he lied to his viewers about riding in a military helicopter hit by a rocket-propelled grenade during …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, USA Today, Hot Air, New York Times and NPR, more at Mediagazer »

Ken Auletta / New Yorker:
Brian Williams's Crash and Tom Brokaw's Role

Discussion: FTVLive and Politico

Fox News Insider:

Marine Corps Says Crew Served Weapons Destroyed at Embassy — UPDATE, 9:57p ET: The Marine Corps has clarified what Marines did under State Department orders in Yemen following the evacuation of the U.S. embassy. — Crew served weapons were destroyed at the embassy, while Marines' personal weapons were …

Discussion: The Last Refuge, The Gateway Pundit and The Right Scoop

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:

Albright: Bibi ‘interfering’ in US politics — Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on Wednesday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of meddling with U.S. politics. — “He is interfering in our internal affairs,” the former Clinton administration official …

Laura Gunderson / Oregonian:

John Kitzhaber planned to resign, changed mind Wednesday, sources say — Gov. John Kitzhaber decided to resign Tuesday but then changed his mind, insisting Wednesday afternoon that he's staying, The Oregonian/OregonLive has learned. — Events developed as the Democratic governor …

Discussion: National Review

Jeff Mapes / Oregonian:
John Kitzhaber lawyer says governor will stay in office as rumors sweep Salem of resignation

Discussion: KGW-TV, Politico, TPNN, Washington Free Beacon, Washington Blade and Willamette Week

Amira Ata / Fusion:

Chapel Hill shooting: My best friend was killed and I don't know why — 21-year-old Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha was shot in the head alongside her husband and her sister in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Tuesday. A preliminary police investigation suggests that the fatal shootings were the result …

Discussion: Raw Story, CNN, New York Times, No More Mister Nice Blog, Philly.com, NPR, Mashable, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, abc7.com and Town of Chapel Hill, NC

WRAL-TV:
Chapel Hill police: Parking dispute may have led to triple shooting

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Associated Press, NC State News, The Daily Dot, Guardian, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, NPR, No More Mister Nice Blog and The PJ Tatler

Wbastone / The Smoking Gun:

So, What About Rev. Al Sharpton's Suspension? — In light of Brian Williams sanction, MSNBC host's lies deserve review — With its swift and severe punishment of Brian Williams, NBCUniversal declared yesterday that it will not stand for on-air talent lying to viewers.

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, FTVLive, Ed Driscoll and Mediaite

Matt Fuller / Roll Call:

Boehner on DHS: Senate Democrats Need to ‘Get Off Their Ass’ — House leaders emerged from a Republican Conference meeting Wednesday with a persistent refrain on Department of Homeland Security funding: The House has done its job; it's time for the Senate to act.

Discussion: Don Surber

Peter Baker / New York Times:

Obama's Dual View of War Power Seeks Limits and Leeway — WASHINGTON — In seeking authorization for his six-month-old military campaign against the Islamic State terrorist group, President Obama on Wednesday did something that few if any of his predecessors have done: He asked Congress …