memeorandum: “It wasn't people from Sweden that blew up the World Trade Center,” he said. (Alison Elkin/Bloomberg Business)

12:30 PM ET, September 20, 2015

Top Items:

Eric Bradner / CNN:

Poll: Fiorina rockets to No. 2 behind Trump in GOP field — Washington (CNN)Carly Fiorina has rocketed into second place in the Republican presidential field on the heels another strong debate and Donald Trump has lost some support, a new national CNN/ORC poll shows.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Talking Points Memo, Political Wire, RedState, Althouse, Slantpoint, OnPolitics, Washington Free Beacon, Mashable, Guardian, Hot Air, Balloon Juice and Rasmussen Reports

ABC News:

???This Week??? Transcript: Donald Trump and Sen. Marco Rubio — THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT FOR ??? THIS WEEK??? ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2015 (BEGIN VIDETOAPE) ANNOUNCER (voice-over): Starting right now on ABC, THIS WEEK, Trump under fire. The GOP front-runner taking heat for what he didn't say.

Discussion: Bloomberg Business, Politico, Political Wire and NPR

Alison Elkin / Bloomberg Business:

“It wasn't people from Sweden that blew up the World Trade Center,” he said. — Donald Trump on Sunday doubled down on last week's controversial comments about Muslims. — Trump, the front runner for the 2016 Republican nomination, was asked on CNN's State of the Union about his campaign rally in New Hampshire on Thursday.

Discussion: Politico

Nick Gass / Politico:

Ben Carson: America's president can't be Muslim — <p>The president of the United States should not be a Muslim, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson declared during an interview airing Sunday morning. And Islam, a faith professed by some 3 million Americans, is not constitutional …

Discussion: Power Line, No More Mister Nice Blog, Mock Paper Scissors and The Hill

CNN:

Trump to CNN: ‘I love the Muslims’ — Urbandale, Iowa (CNN)Donald Trump on Saturday responded to a question from CNN about whether Muslims pose a danger to the country, saying: “I love the Muslims. I think they're great people.” — The Republican presidential front-runner made the comment …

Discussion: Raw Story, Daily Mail, Washington Post, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Slantpoint and BarbWire.com

NBC News:

Carly Fiorina Won GOP Debate, but Trump Still Leads: NBC Online Survey — More than a third of Republican voters say that Carly Fiorina performed best in the Wednesday night debate on CNN. But debate performances don't translate into vote preference overnight, and Donald Trump maintains …

Discussion: Guardian

Ed Demaria / NBC News:

Ben Carson Does Not Believe a Muslim Should Be President — Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson said he would not support a Muslim as President of the United States. — Responding to a question on “Meet the Press,” the retired neurosurgeon said, “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation.

Discussion: Political Wire

Chris Strohm / Bloomberg Business:
Republican Ben Carson Says Muslim Shouldn't Be U.S. President

Discussion: ABC News and Politico

Cortney O'Brien / Townhall.com:
‘That Face’ Surpasses Trump in New Hampshire

Discussion: Guardian, Joe.My.God., No More Mister Nice Blog and Voter Gravity

Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic:

The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration … Never marry again in slavery. — Margaret Garner, 1858 — Wherever the law is, crime can be found. — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, 1973 — I. — “lower-class behavior in our cities is shaking them apart.”

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Guardian, Raw Story, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Unfogged

Kyle Smith / New York Post:

How Ahmed's clock became a false, convenient tale of racism — When is America going to get serious about the problem of white kids getting suspended from school for nothing? — By now you've heard the story of Ahmed Mohamed, crowned by the Daily Beast “The Muslim Hero America Has Been Waiting For” …

Discussion: The Virtual Militia Musters …

Sarah Palin / Facebook:
I Guess Muhammad's Pencil Box is Cooler Than the Palin Kids'

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Raw Story, BizPac Review, Pharyngula, Slate, Hot Air, BREITBART.COM, Mock Paper Scissors, Slantpoint and Talking Points Memo

Mike Lillis / The Hill:

Democrats: Sanders unelectable — The surging popularity of Sen. Bernie Sanders has done little to alleviate the chief concern that Democrats have about his presidential bid: Namely, that he's simply unelectable on a national stage. — The Vermont Independent has quickly closed the gap …

Discussion: Booman Tribune

Udi Segal / Jerusalem Post:

Analysis: Israel must prepare for Palestinian Authority's collapse — Abbas spokesman: If new Israeli gov't won't recognize 2-state solution, no chance for peace process - Jerusalem yawns at PA threat to tear up Oslo Accords — After the Kalashnikov era was put down and defeated during …

Discussion: Israel Matzav

Martin Weil / Washington Post:

Cyclist, a White House staffer, dies on charity ride after collision with a car — A White House staff member was killed Saturday in Howard County while taking part in a bicycle ride to raise money to combat cancer. — Police said Jacob Thomas Brewer, 34, of Alexandria …

Discussion: Hot Air, Outside the Beltway and Moe Lane