memeorandum: Obama: Keystone pipeline bill ‘has earned my veto’ (Gregory Korte/Associated Press)

7:15 PM ET, February 24, 2015

Top Items:

Obama: Keystone pipeline bill ‘has earned my veto’ — WASHINGTON — President Obama vetoed a bill Tuesday that would have approved the Keystone XL pipeline, making good on a threat to reject a proposal embraced by Republicans as a jobs measure but opposed by environmentalists as contributing to climate change.

Discussion: FOX News Radio, DeSmogBlog, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Hill, Common Dreams, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times

Laura Barron-Lopez / The Hill:

Obama will quickly veto Keystone bill — President Obama is poised to reject GOP-backed legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline with a swift veto designed to minimize any distraction from a looming shutdown within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Discussion: ABC News, Politico, Bloomberg Business, ABC News, Forbes, Daily Kos and PoliticusUSA

Timothy Cama / The Hill:
Most Keystone oil would stay in U.S., study says

Discussion: ThinkProgress, National Geographic, The Daily Caller and Politico

Sam Youngman / Lexington Herald-Leader:
Mitch McConnell endorses Rand Paul's call for GOP presidential caucus in Kentucky

Discussion: Hit & Run and Political Wire

Associated Press:
Boehner, McConnell: Pipeline veto purely political

Discussion: Politico, Fox News, Daily Kos, US News, PoliticusUSA, The Atlantic Online and Washington Post

Steven Dennis / The World's Greatest Deliberative Body:

McConnell Throws in Towel on DHS Fight, but Reid Is Waiting for Boehner to Cave (Updated) — Reid is holding out for more. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call) — Updated 5:20 p.m. | In an extraordinary sequence of events, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell offered Democrats exactly …

Discussion: The Hill, Roll Call, Hot Air, RedState, CBS DC, Daily Kos and Political Wire

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

GOP gets bad news on ObamaCare repeal plan — The Senate's chief referee has dealt a significant setback to conservatives who want to send an ObamaCare repeal bill to the president's desk this year. — GOP sources say Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has raised red flags …

Discussion: Washington Post, Bloomberg View, Politico and Daily Kos

Sarah Kliff / Vox:
If SCOTUS kills Obamacare subsidies, Republicans don't have an exit strategy

Discussion: US News and Washington Monthly

U.S. Department of Justice:

Federal Officials Close Investigation Into Death of Trayvon Martin — The Justice Department announced today that the independent federal investigation found insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman for the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida.

Discussion: PoliticusUSA, Shakesville and Mashable

ABC News:

Trayvon Martin: DOJ Set to Announce No Charges Against George Zimmerman … While the public waits for a Justice Department announcement over two separate investigations spurred by the summer shooting of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, the department is going to first announce its findings in the killing of Trayvon Martin.

Discussion: abc30.com, The Gateway Pundit, Hinterland Gazette, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Colorlines

USA Today:
No federal charges for Zimmerman in Trayvon Martin death

Discussion: Hot Air

Lizette Alvarez / New York Times:
Justice Dept. Won't Charge George Zimmerman in Trayvon Martin Killing

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Common Dreams

Spencer Ackerman / Guardian:

The disappeared: Chicago police detain Americans at abuse-laden ‘black site’ — The Chicago police department operates an off-the-books interrogation compound, rendering Americans unable to be found by family or attorneys while locked inside what lawyers say is the domestic equivalent of a CIA black site.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, BizPac Review, Techdirt, msnbc.com, The PJ Tatler, Business Insider, Common Dreams, Mediaite, The Verge, Booman Tribune, The Intercept, Shakesville and Hit & Run

BuzzFeed:

Ron Paul: Black Caucus Only Against War Because They Want That Money For Food Stamps — “They are really against war because they want all of that money to go to food stamps for people here.” — w.soundcloud.com — Former Republican Rep. Ron Paul, the father of potential presidential candidate Rand Paul …

Discussion: The Daily Banter, FreakOutNation and Booman Tribune

Eric W. Dolan / Raw Story:
Ron Paul: Congressional Black Caucus opposes war because they want food stamps

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Julian Hattem / The Hill:

Democratic FCC commissioner balks at net neutrality rules — A Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission wants to narrow the scope of new net neutrality rules that are set for a vote on Thursday, The Hill has learned. — Mignon Clyburn, one of three Democrats on the FCC …

Discussion: The Verge, The Daily Caller and RedState, more at Mediagazer »

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
As Republicans Concede, F.C.C. Is Expected to Enforce Net Neutrality

Discussion: Gizmodo and Eschaton

Michael Finnegan / Los Angeles Times:

Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa won't run for U.S. Senate — Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Tuesday that he would not enter the race for Barbara Boxer's seat in the U.S. Senate, leaving state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris as the only major candidate.

Discussion: Washington Post, KTLA and Political Wire

Antonio Villaraigosa / Facebook:

My grandfather came to this great state more than 100 years ago and I have had the privilege of serving its people for the last two decades, from our state capitol in Sacramento to L.A.'s City Hall, as a legislator and chief executive. I have worked hard to create solutions to the important issues facing our state.

Discussion: Politico, KQED News and Washington Post

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Walker breaks out in national GOP race — PPP's newest national Republican poll finds a clear leader in the race for the first time: Scott Walker is at 25% to 18% for Ben Carson, 17% for Jeb Bush, and 10% for Mike Huckabee. Rounding out the field of contenders are Chris Christie and Ted Cruz at 5% …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, Hot Air, The Daily Caller and Althouse

New York Post:

Eric Garner's daughter on Al Sharpton: 'He's all about the money' — Al Sharpton (left) and Erica Snipes. — Al Sharpton is all about the Benjamins, a daughter of police chokehold victim Eric Garner claims in a bombshell videotape. — Erica Snipes tees off on the reverend as interested primarily …

Discussion: CBS New York, Rush Limbaugh, Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite, TVNewser, Pat Dollard, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, BizPac Review, The Gateway Pundit, Hinterland Gazette, Twitchy, Truth Revolt and Hollywood Reporter

Josh Israel / ThinkProgress:

Nevada Lawmaker Says Cancer Is A Fungus, Recommends Simply Washing It Out — CREDIT: AP Photo/Cathleen Allison, File — Nevada Assemblywoman Michele Fiore (R) wants to reform the rules of end-of-life medical care so that more cancer patients can simply flush out their disease using baking soda.

Discussion: Ralston Reports and Raw Story

Ben Kamisar / The Hill:

Black conservatives seek to draft Condoleezza Rice for Senate race — The Black Conservatives Fund wants to draft former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for a Senate bid in 2016, as they argue she represents the GOP's best chance to win a Senate seat in deep-blue California.

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post, Bloomberg Business, FOX News Radio and Balloon Juice

Rafael Olmeda / Sun-Sentinel:

Broward deputy drags cuffed woman through courthouse hallway by her feet … Get unlimited digital access. 99¢ for 4 weeks.

Discussion: WSVN-TV, Hit & Run, Talking Points Memo and Raw Story

David Weigel / Bloomberg Business:

Durbin: Selma Anniversary Should Give GOP Pause About Opposing Loretta Lynch — Race and a top nomination for the Obama cabinet. — The nomination of Loretta Lynch for attorney general has not moved through the Senate quite as quickly as Democrats had hoped.

Discussion: US News and The Daily Caller

Rasmussen Reports:

Do Voters Believe Obama Loves America? — U.S. voters overwhelmingly say they love this country, but one-out-of-three doesn't believe President Obama feels that way. — The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 35% of Likely U.S. Voters agree with this statement …

Discussion: Washington Times and The Daily Caller

Nick Gass / Politico:

Hugh Hewitt to moderate first GOP presidential debate — Radio talk-show host Hugh Hewitt will moderate the first Republican presidential debate as part of a partnership between Salem Media Group and CNN. The debate will take place Sept. 16 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Discussion: Bloomberg Business, Washington Examiner, PR Newswire, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo and National Review

Randal C. Archibold / New York Times:

As Cuba Shifts Toward Capitalism, Inequality Grows More Visible — HAVANA — The river where Jonas Echevarria fishes cuts through neighborhoods brimming with new fine restaurants, spas and boutiques, springing up in Cuba's accelerating push toward private enterprise.

Discussion: Hit & Run

Bill Chappell / NPR:

Marijuana Is Now Legal In Alaska, The 3rd U.S. State With Legal Pot — Alaska's voter initiative making marijuana legal takes effect Tuesday, placing Alaska alongside Colorado and Washington as the three U.S. states where recreational marijuana is legal. The new law means people over age 21 …

Discussion: Anchorage Daily News, Reuters, The Daily Caller, Common Dreams, Post On Politics and New York Magazine

Numbers / Pew Research Center for the People …:

Growing Support for Campaign Against ISIS - and Possible Use of U.S. Ground Troops — Shifting Views on How Best to Defeat Global Terrorism — The public has grown more supportive of the U.S. fight against ISIS, as about twice as many approve (63%) as disapprove (30%) …

Discussion: Politico and Washington Free Beacon