memeorandum: How “prisons without bars” could cut the cost of prison and keep people from coming back (Christopher Ingraham/Washington Post)

8:00 PM ET, March 19, 2015

Top Items:

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Lawmakers urge Obama to mend fences with Netanyahu — Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are urging President Obama to mend fences with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. — The relationship between the two leaders has soured in the run-up to the prime minister's election triumph this week.

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:

Bibi Will Make History — Well, it's pretty clear now: Benjamin Netanyahu is going to be a major figure in Israeli history — not because he's heading to become the longest-serving Israeli prime minister, but because he's heading to be the most impactful. Having won the Israeli elections …

Discussion: FOX News Radio, ThinkProgress and Foreign Policy

New York Times:

Israel's Netanyahu Reopens Door to Palestinian State, but White House Is Unimpressed — JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Thursday tried to walk back his pre-election declaration that no Palestinian state would be established on his watch, but his new assertions appeared …

Discussion: Power Line, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Lawfare, Florida Politics, The Atlantic Online, Israel Matzav, Mediaite, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Week and Washington Post

msnbc.com:

Netanyahu: US has ‘no greater ally’ than Israel — In his first interview since re-election, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells Andrea Mitchell that the U.S. has no greater ally than Israel, and says his address to Congress was not meant to disrespect President Obama.

Discussion: Politico, US News, The Tower, The Atlantic Online, Hot Air, The Week, Associated Press and New York Times

Yousef Munayyer / New York Times:
Netanyahu's Win Is Good for Palestine

Discussion: Reuters, New York Magazine, Common Dreams and Mondoweiss

David Knowles / Bloomberg Business:
Before and After: Netanyahu's Shifting Comments on a Palestinian State

Discussion: Jerusalem Post and Weekly Standard

Jonathan Allen / Reuters:

Exclusive: Despite Hillary Clinton promise, charity did not disclose donors — (Reuters) - In 2008, Hillary Clinton promised Barack Obama, the president-elect, there would be no mystery about who was giving money to her family's globe-circling charities. She made a pledge to publish …

Discussion: Liberal Values, Hit & Run and The Daily Caller

Brent Budowsky / The Hill:

How Hillary can win big — While Hillary Clinton is under attack from taxpayer-subsidized partisan inquisitions by Republicans in a Congress that is disapproved of by nearly 73 percent of Americans, according to Real Clear Politics, 57 percent of Americans would be proud to have her as our president …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler

A.B. Stoddard / The Hill:

Nothing new from Clinton — As Hillary Clinton hides behind lame tweets, furiously planning the launch of her new and different presidential campaign, Democrats wonder if they can find a 3-D printer that could produce a new Candidate Hillary. Hillary 2.0 would have the same resume …

Discussion: Bloomberg Business and Hit & Run

Amanda Becker / Reuters:
Democratic support for Hillary Clinton softens: Reuters/Ipsos poll

Discussion: Washington Post, Politico, Hot Air, Progress Pond, The Week, Washington Free Beacon and The PJ Tatler

Seth Lipsky / New York Post:
Why doesn't Obama just pardon Hillary?

Discussion: Hot Air

Dylan Byers / Politico:

As ratings plunge, MSNBC faces shakeup — Insiders say to expect more news, less bombast and, fresh voices. — It would be hard to imagine a news event better tailored to MSNBC's Venn diagram of “lean forward” liberals and “place for politics” political junkies.

Discussion: Adweek, National Review, PoliticusUSA, Hot Air, Washington Free Beacon, Taylor Marsh, The Daily Caller and FishbowlDC, more at Mediagazer »

faa.gov:

Amazon Gets Experimental Airworthiness Certificate … March 19-The Federal Aviation Administration today issued an experimental airworthiness certificate to an Amazon Logistics, Inc. unmanned aircraft (UAS) design that the company will use for research and development and crew training.

Discussion: The Verge, Tech Times, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Moe Lane

Kevin Robillard / Politico:
FAA gives Amazon go-ahead on drone testing

Discussion: The PJ Tatler

Donesha Aldridge / WJTV:

Family and NAACP: Body Found Hanging is Otis Byrd; Authorities Will Not Confirm Identity — CLAIBORNE COUNTY, Miss. - The Claiborne county chapter of the NAACP and family members say that Otis Byrd, a man reported missing, was found hanging in the woods not far from his last known residence.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and CBS News

Brad Conaway / WLOX-TV:
NAACP: Missing African American man found hanging from tree

Discussion: The Clarion Ledger, Raw Story and Hinterland Gazette

Katie J.M. Baker / BuzzFeed:

College Professor Bans Student From Class For His Views On Rape — A 19-year-old was banned from the discussion portion of a humanities class at Reed College after students complained that his opinions on sexual assault made them feel uncomfortable. He doesn't want to keep quiet.

Discussion: Hit & Run, The Daily Caller and Shakesville

Holly Yan / CNN:

Obama: Maybe it's time for mandatory voting — Story highlights — (CNN)How do we offset the influence of big money in politics while fixing the country's abysmal voter turnout rate? — President Barack Obama suggests it might be time to make voting a requirement.

Discussion: Mediaite, NPR, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, The Jawa Report, The Week and VodkaPundit

David Jackson / USA Today:
Obama broaches the idea of mandatory voting

Discussion: Washington Monthly, PolicyShop, American Spectator and Fox News

Paul Drewes / KHVO:

Rumors swirl around sale of Waimanalo estate — Buyer of multi-million dollar ‘Magnum P.I.’ home has connection to President Obama — A well-known Waimanalo home has been sold, but the big question is who is the buyer? — The talk around town points to President Barack Obama …

Gina Mangieri / KHON2:
Sale of ‘Magnum P.I.’ home may be tied to President Obama

Discussion: Politico, Chicago and Washington Post

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:

The Huge Boehner-Pelosi Deal That Could Change Medicare Forever — WASHINGTON — The House's top two leaders are on the verge of securing a sweeping deal to permanently fix a gaping hole in Medicare that has haunted Congress for more than a decade while also securing significant long-term savings in the program.

Discussion: Washington Post, Hit & Run and Washington Monthly

Jeremiah Horrigan / Times Herald-Record:

Arabic version of Pledge of Allegiance at Pine Bush High School ignites furor — What began as an effort to celebrate national Foreign Language Week at Pine Bush High School has imploded into a raging controversy that has divided the school into angry factions. — » RELATED CONTENT

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Associated Press, Talking Points Memo, FOX31 Denver and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Vanity Fair:

Shame and Survival — She tried public appearances. She tried being reclusive. She tried leaving the country, and she tried finding a job. But the epic humiliation of 1998, when her affair with Bill Clinton became an all-consuming story, has followed Monica Lewinsky every day.

Discussion: New York Times, Bloomberg Business and Washington Free Beacon

Sugar Mama / Austin American-Statesman:

Austin Mayor Steve Adler: ‘White people’ stickers appalling, offensive — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — East Austin businesses were targeted with stickers that declared them “exclusively for white people.” — Sugar Mama's Bakeshop, El Chilito Tacos y Café and Windmill Bicycles reported finding stickers.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Austin Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, WGN-TV, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Raw Story

Ray Long / Chicago Tribune:

Lobbyist sues to regain big pension he got from 1 day as substitute teacher — A union lobbyist who qualified for a teacher pension windfall by subbing at a school for one day is now suing a state retirement board because his benefits were scaled back once his sweet deal was exposed.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Fox News and Hot Air

Gdrosenblum / CBS San Francisco:

Napolitano Says 'We Don't Have To Listen To This Crap' As Half-Naked Students Protest Potential UC Tuition Hikes — SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - University of California President Janet Napolitano remarked to a fellow regent that they “didn't have to listen to this crap” as underwear-clad …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Daily Caller and Althouse

Lee Shearerupdated / Athens Daily News:

Hoop skirts banned at UGA following Oklahoma frat video — Hoop skirts will go the way of Confederate uniforms as special-event attire for Greek organizations at the University of Georgia — into the past. — The hoop skirt ban came after UGA Student Affairs administrators met Monday …

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The Daily Caller and The PJ Tatler

Wall Street Journal:

Inside the U.S. Antitrust Probe of Google — Key FTC staff wanted to sue Internet giant after finding ‘real harm to consumers and to innovation’ — WASHINGTON—Key staff of the Federal Trade Commission concluded in 2012 that Google Inc. used anticompetitive tactics and abused its monopoly power …

Discussion: The Hill, The Verge and USA Today

Cameron Joseph / The Hill:

Ingraham: Jeb ‘will lose’ to Hillary — Conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham declared that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush “will lose” if he's the GOP presidential nominee next year. — Ingraham, who's long ragged on Bush for his positions on immigration reform, said he couldn't beat former Secretary …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:

My Stake In the 2016 Election Is Way More Personal Than Usual — Ed Kilgore: … This is more personal for me than usual. Scary, too. There are no guarantees in life, and there's no guarantee that MoJo will employ me forever. If I lose my job, and Republicans repeal Obamacare …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Lawyers, Guns & Money, New York Magazine, Balloon Juice, Washington Monthly and Talking Points Memo

Politico:

House panel passes GOP budget amid rancor over defense spending — The House Budget Committee on Thursday morning passed the GOP's 2016 spending proposal on a straight party line vote, but only after Republican leaders delayed their plan to dramatically boost Pentagon spending.

Discussion: The Hill and Hot Air

Billy House / Bloomberg Business:

Why a Top Louisiana Republican Skipped Selma — Correction appended. — U.S. Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 3 House Republican who has been criticized in the past by civil rights leaders, stayed at a posh Georgia resort with his wife earlier this month rather …

Discussion: Politico

Christopher Ingraham / Washington Post:

How “prisons without bars” could cut the cost of prison and keep people from coming back — You probably already know the jaw-dropping stats about American prisons: that the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world. That we're home to 5 percent of the world's population, but 25 percent of its prisoners.

Discussion: Washington Monthly