memeorandum: U.S.-led coalition, Iraqis pound Islamic State in Tikrit (Reuters)

9:10 AM ET, March 26, 2015

Top Items:

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.

Nancy A. Youssef / The Daily Beast:
Everything The White House Told You About Bowe Bergdahl Was Wrong

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

Luis Martinez / ABC News:
Bergdahl Describes Harsh Treatment During Captivity

Discussion: The Hill

Helene Cooper / New York Times:
Bowe Bergdahl Charged With Desertion and Misbehavior Before the Enemy

Discussion: The Daily Caller

By Jeff Simon / CNN:
Military charges Bergdahl with desertion

Discussion: Fox News

Stephanie Kirchner / Washington Post:

French prosecutor: Co-pilot of doomed flight sought to ‘destroy the plane’ … DÜSSELDORF, Germany — A French prosecutor said Thursday that the co-pilot of the doomed Germanwing flight appeared to want to “destroy the plane,” in a stunning twist to the investigation that shifted attention …

Discussion: Hot Air, Vox Popoli and NPR

Daily Mail:

BREAKING NEWS: Germanwings co-pilot DELIBERATELY crashed Flight 4U9525 into mountain to ‘destroy the plane’ after locking his captain out of cockpit, reveals French prosecutor — The co-pilot of the doomed Germanwings Airbus A320 locked his captain out of the cockpit before deliberately crashing …

Discussion: CBS News, New York Times, Scared Monkeys and PUNDIT PRESS

New York Times:
Germanwings Pilot Was Locked Out of Cockpit Before Crash in France

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: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Gawker, Mediaite, Politico, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, The Huffington Post, New York Magazine and The Daily Caller

New York Times:

Opening New Iraq Front, U.S. Strikes ISIS in 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: Washington Post, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, defense.gov, Power Line, The Moderate Voice and Reuters

Reuters:

U.S.-led coalition, Iraqis pound Islamic State in Tikrit — (Reuters) - U.S.-led coalition warplanes launched their first airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Tikrit on Wednesday, officials said, coming off the sidelines to aid Iraqi forces fighting alongside Iran-backed Shi'ite militia on the ground.

Discussion: Informed Comment and Common Dreams

Christopher / Sacramento Bee:

Capitol Alert — California Attorney General Kamala Harris asked a court Wednesday to intervene and allow her to block an incendiary proposed ballot measure authorizing the killing of gays and lesbians. — Huntington Beach attorney Matt McLaughlin paid $200 to file the “Sodomite Suppression Act.”

Discussion: Hit & Run, New York Magazine, Washington Post, KQED News, Bloomberg Business and The Daily Banter

California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris:
Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Issues Statement on Proposed Ballot Initiative

Discussion: KQED News, Advocate, Los Angeles Times and Election Law Blog

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 Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, Business Insider and The Daily Banter

Al Jazeera English:

Saudi and Arab allies bomb Houthi positions in Yemen — Saudi envoy to US says his country has begun airstrikes against Houthi rebels to defend legitimate government of Yemen. — Saudi Arabia and a coalition of regional allies have launched a military operation in Yemen against the Houthi rebels …

Discussion: Israpundit

Reuters:
Exclusive: Saudi Arabia building up military near Yemen border - U.S. officials

Discussion: Washington Post, Belmont Club, USA Today, Guardian, Associated Press, euronews, Common Dreams, New York Times and Chicago Boyz

A.B. Stoddard / The Hill:

Israel a trap for Clinton — As Hillary Clinton prepares to sell herself as the next leader of the free world, she will want to find balance herself somewhere between the Obama administration, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the U.S. Congress on a nuclear arms deal with Iran …

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: Bloomberg Business, Wall Street Journal, PrawfsBlawg, USA Today, New York Times, IVN.us and Washington Monthly

Robert Barnes / Washington Post:
Supreme Court rules against Alabama redistricting plan

Discussion: USA Today, Addicting Info, New York Times and Booman Tribune

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson / The Hill:

Advise, consent and confirm Loretta Lynch — Loretta Lynch, the president's nominee to replace Eric Holder as the U.S. attorney general, is poised to become the first African-American woman to lead the Justice Department as the nation's chief law enforcement officer.

Bernie Becker / The Hill:

Black business owners backing GOP estate tax repeal bid — Republicans seeking to repeal the estate tax have rolled out the endorsements of black business advocates who argue the levy is especially painful for minority entrepreneurs. — Harry Alford of the National Black Chamber of Commerce …

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: Detroit Free Press, ThinkProgress, Fox 59 and Balloon Juice

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: Washington Post and Politico

Rebecca Cantrell / KFOR-TV:

Watch: KFOR captures Moore tornado touching down live … MOORE, Okla. — KFOR Chief Meteorologist Mike Morgan and Bob Moore Chopper 4 pilot Jon Welsh were on the air as a tornado formed and touched down in Moore, Oklahoma on Wednesday, capturing the storm's path of destruction live on KFOR.

Discussion: WGN-TV and Fox 59

WCNC-TV:

Carowinds officially unveils Fury 325 roller coaster — NBC Charlotte reporter Sam Baranowski and photographer Jennifer Kiser rode ? #?Fury325? at Carowinds Amusement Park Wednesday for media day. — CONNECT — CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carowinds held a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday morning …

Discussion: FOX News Radio

The Huffington Post:

Ted Cruz: ‘Global Warming Alarmists Are The Equivalent Of The Flat-Earthers’ — Ted Cruz, the junior U.S. senator from Texas and first official contender for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, compared people who think that the climate is warming to “flat-Earthers” …

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, Washington Post, Bloomberg Business and Talking Points Memo