Top Items:
Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
Ted Cruz Wants You To Believe He's Legally Required To Sign Up For Obamacare. He's Not. — Newly-minted presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) admitted that he would grudgingly sign up for health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act on Tuesday, just one day after announcing …
Discussion:
Washington Post, NPR, Daily Kos, IVN.us, The Daily Caller, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo and ACASignups.net
RELATED:
Mark Wilson / National Review:
Of Course Ted Cruz Could Win — Columnists and their headline writers have a habit of offering hostages to Fate — e.g., “Let's not even pretend Ted Cruz has a chance of becoming president,” “Let's be serious about Ted Cruz from the start: He's too extreme and too disliked to win,” …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, Bloomberg View, New York Times, Moe Lane, Hot Air, Raw Story, US News, The New Republic, The Week and Talking Points Memo
Ari Phillips / ThinkProgress:
Ted Cruz Compares Himself to Galileo, Calls Those Who Believe In Climate Change ‘Flat-Earthers’
Ted Cruz Compares Himself to Galileo, Calls Those Who Believe In Climate Change ‘Flat-Earthers’
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, Mediaite, Washington Post, FOX News Radio, Liberaland, Raw Story, Bloomberg Business and Climate Denial Crock …
The Huffington Post:
Ted Cruz: ‘Global Warming Alarmists Are The Equivalent Of The Flat-Earthers’
Ted Cruz: ‘Global Warming Alarmists Are The Equivalent Of The Flat-Earthers’
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs, Washington Post, Bloomberg Business, Talking Points Memo and Progress Pond
Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
New Yorker scrubs ‘uppity’ description of Ted Cruz
New Yorker scrubs ‘uppity’ description of Ted Cruz
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Twitchy and Guardian
Dan Lamothe / Washington Post:
Bowe Bergdahl, once missing U.S. soldier, charged with desertion — Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. soldier who was recovered in Afghanistan last spring after five years in captivity, faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, according to his lawyer.
RELATED:
Luis Martinez / ABC News:
Bergdahl Describes Harsh Treatment During Captivity
Bergdahl Describes Harsh Treatment During Captivity
Discussion:
The Hill and Associated Press
Helene Cooper / New York Times:
Bowe Bergdahl Charged With Desertion and Misbehavior Before the Enemy
Bowe Bergdahl Charged With Desertion and Misbehavior Before the Enemy
Discussion:
The Daily Caller
Catherine Herridge / Fox News:
Official: At least 3 members of ‘Taliban 5’ tried to reconnect with terror networks
Official: At least 3 members of ‘Taliban 5’ tried to reconnect with terror networks
Discussion:
ABC News, The PJ Tatler, The Daily Caller and American Spectator
By Jeff Simon / CNN:
Military charges Bergdahl with desertion
Military charges Bergdahl with desertion
Discussion:
Fox News, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Addicting Info and FOX News Radio
Richard Hasen / SCOTUSblog:
Opinion analysis: A small victory for minority voters, or a case with “profound” constitutional implications? — It is easy to read the Supreme Court's five-to-four decision in Alabama Legislative Black Caucus v. Alabama and Alabama Democratic Conference v. Alabama as a mostly inconsequential case giving …
Discussion:
New York Times, IVN.us and Washington Monthly
RELATED:
Robert Barnes / Washington Post:
Supreme Court rules against Alabama redistricting plan — The Supreme Court on Wednesday sided with black challengers who said Alabama's redistricting plan improperly relied on race to draw legislative districts. — The court voted 5 to 4 to send the plan back for further judicial review.
Discussion:
USA Today, Addicting Info and Booman Tribune
Warren Rojas / Roll Call:
Congresswoman Demonstrates ‘Worst Parking Job Ever’ (Video) — Updated 5:02 p.m. | Abandon all hope, ye who happen to park anywhere near geometrically challenged-motorist Eleanor Holmes Norton. — A HOH tipster watched in horror Wednesday as the D.C. delegate, 77, awkwardly forced …
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, Business Insider and The Daily Banter
Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed:
Tucker Carlson's Brother: De Blasio Spokesperson A “Self-Righteous Bitch” — Accidental reply-all: Buckley Carlson says mayor's spokesperson has “extreme dick-fright” in email she received. — Brendan Hoffman / Getty — WASHINGTON — Daily Caller founder Tucker Carlson's brother Buckley Carlson referred …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Politico, Gawker, The Huffington Post, New York Magazine, The Daily Caller and Raw Story
New York Times:
Germanwings Pilot Was Locked Out of Cockpit Before Crash in France — PARIS — As officials struggled Wednesday to explain why a jet with 150 people on board crashed in relatively clear skies, an investigator said evidence from a cockpit voice recorder indicated one pilot left the cockpit …
Discussion:
ABC News, CNN, Mediaite, The Jawa Report, FOX31 Denver, Guardian, Fox News Insider, Mashable, The Week, Viking Pundit, PUNDIT PRESS and Telegraph
California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris:
Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Issues Statement on Proposed Ballot Initiative — Contact: (415) 703-5837, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov — LOS ANGELES - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued the following statement on her decision to file an action for declaratory relief seeking …
Discussion:
Advocate, Los Angeles Times, Mashable, Human Rights Campaign Blog, Election Law Blog and NPR
RELATED:
WDIV-TV:
Local 4 Defenders: Violent traffic stop in Inkster caught on camera … INKSTER, Mich. - — Video obtained exclusively by the Local 4 Defenders shows an African-American motorist being beaten by white police officers from the city of Inkster. — The primary officer involved says he was protecting himself.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Detroit Free Press, Fox 59 and Balloon Juice
Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:
Clinton hit with racketeering lawsuit over emails — The conservative group Freedom Watch has filed a racketeering lawsuit against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that accuses her of failing to produce documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Discussion:
Mediaite, Associated Press, Liberal Values, The Daily Caller and Moe Lane
Gregory Korte / OnPolitics:
Here's the new White House briefing room seating chart — The seating chart for the White House Press Briefing Room. (Gregory Korte / USA TODAY) — There are hundreds — maybe thousands — of reporters in Washington who cover the White House from time to time, but only 49 seats in the White House briefing room.
Discussion:
Politico and Washington Post
Chris Sikich / Indianapolis Star:
Disciples of Christ threatens to cancel convention due to religious freedom bill — The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has sent a letter to Gov. Mike Pence threatening to cancel its 2017 convention in Indianapolis if he signs controversial legislation that could allow business owners to refuse services to same-sex couples.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Christian Church, LGBTQ Nation, Balloon Juice, Fox 59, Joe. My. God. and ThinkProgress
Manu Raju / Politico:
'You can't govern the country based on being angry' — Lindsey Graham's unorthodox 2016 strategy: Telling Republicans what they don't want to hear. — Ted Cruz vows to repeal “every word” of Obamacare and Common Core if he becomes president. He would “abolish” the IRS …
Dylan Byers / Politico:
‘60 Minutes’ under fire for Africa coverage — Journalist and author Howard W. French and more than 150 other writers and professors sent a letter to 60 Minutes Executive Producer Jeff Fager on Wednesday faulting the CBS News program for its “frequent and recurring misrepresentation of the African continent.”
Discussion:
Mediaite
Darren Samuelsohn / Politico:
Hillary's nerd squad — Clinton's tech team signals a significant departure from her analog approach in 2008. — Hillary Clinton is assembling a technology team that signals a significant departure from her 2008 presidential run, led by Obama veterans and geared toward recasting her analog-era image.
Discussion:
The PJ Tatler
CBS Sacramento:
Researchers Predict ‘Imminent Collapse’ Of Universe After Period Of Rapid Expansion — Davis, Calif. (CBS SACRAMENTO) - Physicists predict the universe is primed for a “cosmological collapse” that will cause the universe to stop expanding at its current rate and ultimately collapse in on itself to wipe away all known matter.
Discussion:
Daily Kos, CBS San Francisco, FOX News Radio and The Strata-Sphere
Trip Gabriel / New York Times:
Unhappy With a Moderate Jeb Bush, Conservatives Aim to Unite Behind an Alternative — OSKALOOSA, Iowa — Fearing that Republicans will ultimately nominate an establishment presidential candidate like Jeb Bush, leaders of the nation's Christian right have mounted an ambitious effort to coalesce …
Discussion:
Salon, The Mahablog, Washington Monthly, New York Times, Hullabaloo and National Journal
Mark Hensch / The Hill:
Christie PAC hires firm for likely 2016 bid — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's political action committee on Wednesday hired a digital firm in the latest sign of the Republican's likely presidential run. — The Wall Street Journal reported that Leadership Matters for America hired Upstream Communications Wednesday afternoon.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal and The Reaction
Washington Post:
In 2016 campaign, the lament of the not quite rich enough — At this point in the 2012 presidential race, Terry Neese was in hot demand. — “Gosh, I was hearing from everyone and meeting with everyone,” said Neese, an Oklahoma City entrepreneur and former “Ranger” for President George W. Bush …
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, ABC News, New York Magazine and Washington Monthly
New York Times:
U.S. Begins Striking ISIS in Iraq, Trying to Reclaim Tikrit — BAGHDAD — American warplanes began airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Tikrit late Wednesday, finally joining a stalled offensive to retake the Iraqi city as American officials sought to seize the initiative from Iran …
Discussion:
The Week
Carl Campanile / New York Post:
Cornell dean says ISIS welcome on campus in undercover video — This guy is either the dumbest Ivy League bigwig ever or politically correct to a fault — for welcoming offers to bring ISIS and Hamas to Cornell University. — A video sting operation shows Cornell's assistant dean for students …