memeorandum: Finally, the government has decided to eliminate pork — from the menu in federal prisons (Lisa Rein/Washington Post)

1:20 PM ET, October 9, 2015

Top Items:

Why Republicans Need Paul Ryan As House Speaker — He's an ideological zealot and a tactical pragmatist. — In the immediate wake of John Boehner's chaotic resignation as House speaker and Kevin McCarthy's chaotic withdrawal as his presumptive successor, Republican hopes have quickly fixated …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Wall Street Journal, Washington Monthly, New York Times, Politico, Prairie Weather, Fox News, Daily Kos and Daily Mail

Katherine Krueger / Talking Points Memo:

Paul Ryan: Sorry Guys, It's Still No — Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) told NBC News through a spokesperson Friday that despite Republicans calling for him to enter the race for Speaker of the House, he's still not interested. … The news comes after Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and other party leaders …

Discussion: The Week and The Daily Caller

Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:

This Document Reveals Why The House Of Representatives Is In Complete Chaos — The House of Representative is in chaos. John Boehner announced his intention to step down as Speaker at the end of the month. There doesn't appear to be anyone to take his place.

Discussion: Politico, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Real Clear Politics, Slantpoint and Mediaite

CNN:

Paul Ryan considering running for House speaker — Washington (CNN)Rep. Paul Ryan is telling House Republicans privately he is considering running for speaker, several members say. — Ryan informed several members on the House floor of his deliberations, Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, told CNN.

Discussion: Business Insider, Mediaite, Daily Kos and Washington Post

The Hill:
Issa considering running for Speaker

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Bloomberg Business, Independent Journal, Power Line, BREITBART.COM, Weasel Zippers, Washington Post, American Spectator, Instapundit and The Moderate Voice

James Hohmann / Washington Post:
THE BIG IDEA: — Paul Ryan is seriously considering a bid for House speaker.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Talking Points Memo, National Review, The Week, Hot Air, Raw Story, American Spectator and Bloomberg View

Al Weaver / Washington Examiner:
Gingrich says he'd consider interim speakership

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Political Insider blog, The Last Tradition, Mediaite, Bloomberg View, Washington Monthly, Hot Air, Wall Street Journal, Prairie Weather, Independent Journal, The Daily Signal, The Hill and Politico

Politico:
Behind McCarthy's decision to bail

Discussion: Hot Air, The Week, National Review, Mediaite, BuzzFeed and The Last Refuge

Peter Sullivan / The Hill:
McCarthy: ‘Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom’

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Hullabaloo, Slantpoint, The Week, Talking Points Memo and The Gateway Pundit

Jonathan Allen / Vox:
Why speaker of the House is the worst job in Washington

Discussion: Washington Post, USA Today, Mashable, Slantpoint, Politico and The Week

Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Republican: ‘Very real’ chance GOP will need Dems to elect Speaker

Discussion: Hot Air, Belmont Club, Politico, Bloomberg.com news, Political Wire and The Moderate Voice

Bradford Richardson / The Hill:
Gingrich open to return to Speakership

Discussion: Slate, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, The Week, Hot Air, Political Insider blog, Talking Points Memo, Trail Blazers Blog and Mediaite

David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:
Top Republicans Appeal to Ryan to Seek Speaker's Job and Unify Party

Discussion: The Federalist

Benjamin Siegel / ABC News: Republicans Urge Paul Ryan to Jump Into Speaker's Race

Politico:

Ellmers thanks lawmakers for ‘prayers’ amid affair rumors — A GOP donor sent emails alleging an extramarital relationship between Ellmers and Kevin McCarthy, a claim aides say is unfounded. — Rep. Renee Ellmers stood up in a private meeting of Republican lawmakers on Friday and thanked them for their …

Discussion: Political Wire and Daily Mail

The Huffington Post:

Kevin McCarthy's exit came after receiving personal threat over affair allegations — “Why not resign like Bob Livingston?”

Discussion: Salon, Fox News, National Review, Hullabaloo, The Daily Caller, Doug Ross, The Moderate Voice, Erick on the Radio, Infowars, OnPolitics, NBC News and Business Insider

Scott Wong / The Hill:

GOP lawmakers confronted McCarthy — House GOP lawmakers this week confronted Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) about rumors they worried could have hampered his bid for Speaker. — At a closed-door meeting on Tuesday with Texas's GOP delegation, members pressed McCarthy for reassurances.

Discussion: Business Insider, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, RedState, Washington Post, BizPac Review, Fox News Insider, Daily Kos, Politico, Washington Monthly and Bloomberg Business

Karen Tumulty / Washington Post:
The GOP sinks deeper into chaos. Can it still function as a party?

Discussion: National Review

Vanessa Williams / Washington Post:
Carson suggests that gun rights might have changed history for Jews in WWII

Discussion: Washington Monthly, National Review, Political Wire, CBS Baltimore and Instapundit

Nick Baumann / The Huffington Post:
Ben Carson Blames Holocaust On Gun Control

Discussion: The Week, Slantpoint, myfox8.com and American Spectator

Eugene Scott / CNN:
Ben Carson defends his Oregon gunman comments

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Beast, Fox News Insider, Hollywood Life, Telegraph, UPROXX, Mediaite, Jezebel and Campaign for America's Future

New York Times:

Obama Administration Ends Pentagon Program to Train Syrian Rebels — LONDON — The Obama administration has ended the Pentagon's $500 million program to train and equip Syrian rebels, administration officials said on Friday, in an acknowledgment that the beleaguered program had failed …

Discussion: CNN, Politico, Outside the Beltway, Common Dreams, Associated Press, Fox News, Business Insider, Algemeiner.com, Infowars, Mediaite, Defense One, Hot Air, The Week, RT and US News

Josh Rogin / Bloomberg View:

White House Is Weighing a Syria Retreat — A week into Russia's military intervention in Syria, some top White House advisers and National Security Council staffers are trying to persuade President Barack Obama to scale back U.S. engagement there, to focus on lessening the violence and …

Discussion: US News, RedState, National Review and Just Security

Washington Post:
How America can counter Putin's moves in Syria

Discussion: Politico, Foreign Policy, Guardian, Just Security, rubber hose and New York Times

Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:
Shows of Strength From Trump and Putin

Discussion: Hot Air and BREITBART.COM

Ryan Lizza / New Yorker:

A New Clue Suggests Biden May Run — Joe Biden has taken another step toward entering the Presidential race. — Representatives of the Vice-President held a meeting this week with Democratic National Committee staffers. They briefed Biden's aides on arcane but crucial rules …

Discussion: ABC News, Daily Mail, New York Times, Slantpoint, OnPolitics, NBC News, Business Insider and Washington Post

Wall Street Journal:
Hillary Trades Places With Clinton

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Washington Post:
Ms. Clinton's disappointing choice on the Trans-Pacific Partnership

Discussion: Power Line, US News, Consortiumnews.com and Slantpoint

Meghan Keneally / ABC News:

Campus Shooting Came After Fight Between Two Groups of Students

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Red Alert Politics, Fusion, No More Mister Nice Blog, Shakesville and The Week

WGN Web Desk / WGN-TV:

Facebook engagement announcement accidentally reveals something else — Share Update: … A couple wanted to let everyone know they're getting married, so they went to Facebook. — The picture they posted shows the woman with her fiancé pointing to the ring on her finger.

Discussion: fox8.com

Alfred Nobel / Nobelprize.org:

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2015 — The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2015 is to be awarded to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011.

Discussion: Hit & Run, American Spectator, New York Times, Bloomberg View, Spectator, Washington Post, Telegraph, Business Insider, The Week, Guardian and allAfrica.com

Juliet Eilperin / Washington Post:

Obama weighs expanding background checks through executive authority — In response to the latest mass shooting during his presidency, President Obama is seriously considering circumventing Congress with his executive authority and imposing new background-check requirements for buyers who purchase weapons from high-volume gun dealers.