memeorandum: Mystery as drones spotted in Paris sky (Agence France-Presse)

4:50 PM ET, February 25, 2015

Top Items:

Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo:

Kerry Blasts Netanyahu: He's ‘Wrong’ On Iran Deal Like He Was On Iraq War — Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to a potential nuclear deal with Iran, calling it as wrongheaded as the prime minister's backing of the Iraq War.

Jeffrey Goldberg / The Atlantic Online:

Netanyahu Invites Arab Diplomats to His Big Speech—and Gets Rejected — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is refusing to meet with a group of ardently pro-Israel Democratic senators next week in Washington, but he very much wants to see the faces of Arab ambassadors in the audience during his controversial address to Congress.

Discussion: The Times of Israel, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and The Daily Banter

Julie Hirschfeld Davis / New York Times:

Obama Aide Calls Netanyahu's Planned Visit ‘Destructive’ to U.S.-Israel Ties — WASHINGTON — Susan E. Rice, President Obama's national security adviser, sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Tuesday over his plans to address a joint meeting of Congress next week …

Discussion: Power Line, Common Dreams, Algemeiner.com, Daily Kos, Israel Matzav and The Times of Israel

Evan McMurry / Mediaite:
Netanyahu Rejects Invite for Closed-Door Meeting with Senate Dems

Discussion: FOX News Radio

Patricia Zengerle / Reuters:
Netanyahu declines Democrats' invitation for meeting during visit

Discussion: BarbWire.com, The PJ Tatler and Bloomberg Business

Cristina Marcos / The Hill:

Right turns fire on McConnell — Conservative hardliners laid into Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Tuesday night for what they view as capitulating to Democrats on immigration. — McConnell announced earlier in the day that the Senate would vote on a “clean” …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler and Hot Air

Politico:
GOP lawmakers clash over shutdown

Discussion: ABC News, New York Times, Daily Kos, Hot Air, ABC News and Los Angeles Times

Sean Sullivan / Washington Post:
Boehner: 'We're waiting for the Senate to act' on DHS funding

Discussion: Political Insider blog, Truth Revolt and Hit & Run

Scott Wong / The Hill:
Will Boehner risk the Tea Party's wrath over DHS funding?

Discussion: Associated Press, National Journal, Washington Post, Hot Air and Washington Monthly

John Fund / National Review:

Less than Half in New Poll Think Obama Loves America — Once again, surveys show we are a divided nation. In the furor over Rudy Giuliani's comment that President Obama doesn't “love America,” the polling site YouGov.com decided to see how many Americans agreed with him. — The answer: a surprising number.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo, FishbowlDC, Hot Air, Washington Times and Politico

Michael W. Chapman / CNSNews:
Rev. Graham: America is ‘Morally Crumbling Within ... We Have Turned Our Back on God’

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Washington Post, The Last Tradition, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, @politifact and Liberaland

Matt Wilstein / Mediaite:
Must-See Late Night Clip: Seth Meyers Proves That Obama Loves America

Discussion: Liberal Values and FOX News Radio

Eric Eyre / Charleston Gazette:

GOP-backed bill would make it criminal to enforce ACA in W.Va. — In another salvo against the federal Affordable Care Act, some Republicans in West Virginia's House of Delegates want to make it a crime for state and federal officials to enforce the health-care law.

Discussion: Political Wire, PoliticusUSA and The State Journal Stories

Daniel Strauss / Talking Points Memo:
West Virginia GOPers Want To Make Enforcing Obamacare A Felony

Discussion: Political Wire and Balloon Juice

Washington Post:

Bowser: Legal pot possession to take effect at midnight in the District — Flanked by members of the D.C. Council and the city's top lawyer, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser announced on live television Wednesday afternoon that marijuana possession will become legal in the District at 12:01 a.m. Thursday.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, NPR, Hit & Run and The Daily Caller

Washington Post:
Lawmakers encourage Bowser to reconsider declaring pot legal in D.C.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and The Atlantic Online

Rogerpielkejr / The Climate Fix:

I am Under “Investigation” — As some of you will already know, I am one of 7 US academics being investigated by US Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) who is the ranking member of the House of Representatives Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

Discussion: Power Line, Hill Heat, BarbWire.com, Weekly Standard and Watts Up With That?

James Rosen / Fox News:

Senior State Dept. official arrested for allegedly soliciting sex from a minor — EXCLUSIVE: A senior State Department official in charge of federal counterterrorism programs was arrested Tuesday afternoon for allegedly soliciting sex from a minor, Fox News has learned.

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, NO QUARTER USA NET, Hot Air, Associated Press, The Daily Caller, New York Magazine, The PJ Tatler and Power Line

Christine Mai-Duc / Los Angeles Times:
State Department official arrested, suspected of soliciting sex from minor

Discussion: Jezebel and Raw Story

Robert Costa / Washington Post:

Trump says he is serious about 2016 bid, is hiring staff and delaying TV gig — Real estate mogul Donald J. Trump, who has long toyed with presidential ambitions, said Wednesday he is serious about pursuing a run for the White House — moving ahead with a spate of political hires and delaying his television commitments for 2016.

Discussion: Des Moines Register, Political Wire and OnPolitics

Ariel Edwards-Levy / The Huffington Post:

GOP Pollster Explains Why Republicans Need Record Minority Support To Win In 2016 — WASHINGTON — The American electorate is more diverse than ever, which means Republicans will have to attract a record percentage of minorities to win the presidency in 2016, a GOP pollster said Tuesday.

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Salon, US News, Booman Tribune and Political Wire

Agence France-Presse:

Mystery as drones spotted in Paris sky — Paris (AFP) - Investigators in Paris have been left puzzled by a string of drone sightings over Paris, even as three journalists for TV station Al-Jazeera were arrested Wednesday for flying one from a park on the edge of the city.

Discussion: Gizmodo

Matt Wilstein / Mediaite:

Chris Hayes Literally Applauds Laura Ingraham's Terror Comments — MSNBC's Chris Hayes appeared to shock even himself Tuesday night by giving credit where credit is due to Fox News contributor and conservative radio host Laura Ingraham for comments she made about ISIS on Fox & Friends this morning.

Discussion: Hullabaloo and The Huffington Post

Sarah Ferris / The Hill:

H&R Block: Majority of ObamaCare customers paying back subsidy — A majority of ObamaCare customers, 52 percent, are being forced to pay back some of their subsidies during this year's tax season, according to new data from H&R Block. — Customers are paying back an average of $530 …

Discussion: Fox News and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

H&R Block Newsroom:
H&R Block: Taxpayers Following ACA Rules, Refunds Take a Hit

Discussion: Fox News and The Daily Caller

J.K. Trotter / Gawker:

Why Has Fox News Stopped Defending Bill O'Reilly? — Over the past week, Fox News has aggressively rebutted accusations that its star host Bill O'Reilly lied about his whereabouts during the Falklands War in 1982. But after a new report challenged O'Reilly's recent claim that he was present …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, Mediaite, CNNMoney, BizPac Review, In These Times and No More Mister Nice Blog, more at Mediagazer »

Emma Roller / National Journal:

Can Democrats Ever Win Back State Legislatures? — One group is putting $70 million on it happening in the next five years. — Caring about the 2016 presidential race is so over; now all the cool kids are watching 2020. — Since 2008, Democrats have lost control of 30 state legislative chambers …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Democratic Strategist and FishbowlDC