memeorandum: First American soldier killed in Iraq since official end of combat in 2011 (Washington Post)

4:40 PM ET, October 22, 2015

Top Items:

Hillary Clinton Benghazi hearing transcript (full text) — The full transcript of Hillary Clinton's opening statement to the House Benghazi committee, provided by Hillary for America: Thank you Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Cummings, members of the committee.

Discussion: Bloomberg.com news, Ethics Alarms and Daily Wire

Select Committee on Benghazi:

Chairman Gowdy's Opening Statement — Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods served our country with courage and with honor. They were killed under circumstances most of us could never imagine. Under cover of darkness, terrorists poured through the front gate of our facility …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and PoliticusUSA

Amy Chozick / New York Times:
Test of Will and Patience Follows Days of Preparation for Hillary Clinton

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Taylor Marsh, Outside the Beltway, The Slot and Washington Post

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
It's Getting Embarrassing

Discussion: Mother Jones

Washington Post:
Transcript: Clinton testifies before House committee on Benghazi

Discussion: Mother Jones, Power Line and Business Insider

Justin Fishel / ABC News:
Hillary Clinton's Long-Awaited Benghazi Hearing Marked by Testy Exchanges

Discussion: WIVB-TV, The PJ Tatler, Business Insider, abc7news.com, The Daily Caller, OnPolitics, The Gateway Pundit, Truth Revolt and MichelleMalkin.com

CNN:
Poll: 3-in-4 say Benghazi panel politically motivated

Discussion: Daily Kos, Shakesville, Latest and ThinkProgress

Julian Hattem / The Hill:
Clinton enters Benghazi showdown on offense

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Lanny Davis / The Hill:
Three questions Benghazi Republicans should ask — and why they probably won't

Discussion: Bloomberg Business, Politico and Bloomberg.com news

Peyton M. Craighill / Washington Post:
Americans skeptical of both Clinton, Republicans on Benghazi

Discussion: The Week, neo-neocon, Democratic Strategist, Business Insider and Washington Free Beacon

Politico:
Trey Gowdy Benghazi hearing with Hillary Clinton transcript (full text)

Discussion: Bloomberg.com news and Hot Air

Michael R. Gordon / New York Times:

U.S. and Kurdish Commandos Said to Raid ISIS Prison in North Iraq — BAGHDAD — American and Kurdish commandos raided an Islamic State outpost near the northern Iraqi town of Hawija, freeing prisoners there and capturing some of the militants themselves, Iraqi officials said on Thursday.

Discussion: CBS News, Mother Jones, CNN, US News, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Telegraph, Hot Air, Defense One, Talking Points Memo and The PJ Tatler

Washington Post:

First American soldier killed in Iraq since official end of combat in 2011 — BAGHDAD —Elite American and Kurdish forces raided an Islamic State prison in northern Iraq on Thursday, freeing about 70 captives facing “mass execution” and leaving one U.S. commando dead, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.

Discussion: Reuters, Jihad Watch, The Week, Washington Free Beacon and NPR

Fox News:

One US soldier killed in Iraq during rescue of more than 70 ISIS hostages — One U.S. soldier was killed in an operation that freed as many as 70 ISIS hostages in Iraq, the Pentagon confirmed. — The Arab hostages were freed from an ISIS prison in northern Iraq near Hawijah.

Discussion: Daily Mail

Eliza Collins / Politico:

Carson surges past Trump in Iowa poll — Ben Carson has surged past Donald Trump in Iowa, according to a Quinnipiac University poll of likely Republican caucus participants out Thursday. The retired neurosurgeon leads the Republican field with 28 percent, while Trump has fallen behind with 20 percent.

Discussion: Rush Limbaugh, Political Insider blog, ABC News, Daily Kos, The Week, Conservative Intelligence … and Talking Points Memo

Des Moines Register:

Last Slide — BURLINGTON, Ia. — A feisty Donald Trump expressed his enthusiasm here Wednesday night at the prospect of facing Hillary Clinton in the November 2016 general election, suggesting her bid for the Democratic nomination is sealed by Vice President Joe Biden's decision not run for president.

Discussion: Daily Mail

Ed O'Keefe / Washington Post:
Angered by Trump and Cruz, Hispanic conservatives plan ‘unprecedented’ meeting

Discussion: Hot Air, Balloon Juice, Power Line and Christian Science Monitor

Ashley Killough / CNN:

Jeb Bush: Supergirl is ‘pretty hot’ — North Las Vegas, Nevada (CNN)After nearly an hourlong discussion on serious policy, Jeb Bush was thrown a softball Wednesday night while speaking at an event in Las Vegas: — Who is your favorite Marvel superhero? — 25 photos: Badass women of sci-fi

Discussion: New York Times, The Verge, Washington Post, OnPolitics, Talking Points Memo and The Week

Scott Lucas / LasVegasSun.com:
In Nevada, Jeb Bush calls Supergirl ‘hot’ and argues for deregulation of federal land

Discussion: New York Magazine, Raw Story and Washington Post

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:
Rubio: Trump Lacks Basic “Understanding” Of 9/11, Clinton Not Bush Deserves Blame

Discussion: Mediaite

Holly Bailey / Yahoo:

What becomes of Joe Biden now? — Long before Vice President Joe Biden walked into the Rose Garden Wednesday and gave up his dream of one day being president, he knew he was at a crossroads. Friends and associates of his say Biden had been grappling with the question of his future for more than a year.

Discussion: ABC News, CityLab and NPR

New York Times:
Hillary Clinton Advisers Woo Biden Backers, but Resistance Lingers

Discussion: Political Wire, Hollywood Life and Washington Free Beacon

Evan Osnos / New Yorker:
Why Biden Didn't Run — In Joe Biden's political vocabulary …

Discussion: Poynter., Scared Monkeys and New York Times

Ann Coulter / Official:

SAVE US FROM PAUL RYAN AND THE KEMP BOYS — After Paul Ryan helped Mitt Romney lose the 2012 election by doing the impossible — losing a debate to Joe Biden — he went on an intimate tour of poverty. It was a journey so personal, Ryan brought reporters, writers and documentary producers with him.

Discussion: Liberaland, addictinginfo.org and Vox Popoli

Marianne LeVine / Politico:
Paul Ryan prizes family time, opposes family leave

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, Refinery29, PoliticusUSA, Ben Swann's Truth In Media, Fox News and The Hill

Mike DeBonis / Washington Post:
‘Supermajority’ of House Freedom Caucus to back Paul Ryan's speaker bid

Daily Mail:

‘Right-wing’ killer stopped to pose with pupils who thought blood-soaked sword and mask was a prank... then continued his murder spree that left two dead at Swedish school with high ratio of migrant pupils — The 21-year-old man who launched a sword attack on a school in Sweden and stabbed …

Discussion: The Local, Liberty Unyielding, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Vlad Tepes

The Local:
Three dead, two hurt in Swedish school attack

Discussion: New York Times, NPR, Truth Revolt and Vlad Tepes

Beacon:

Gov. LePage says public campaign financing like “giving your wife your checkbook” — At a town hall meeting in Auburn on Wednesday night, Governor Paul LePage once again lashed out against Question 1, a citizen initiative to increase election transparency and strengthen Maine's Clean Elections Act.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Political Wire and Raw Story

Julia Carrie Wong / SFWeekly:

Airbnb Apologizes For Passive Aggressive Ads on Muni Shelters (UPDATED) — Less than two weeks before San Franciscans could vote to severely restrict Airbnb in the short-term rental company's hometown, new ads touting the benefits of the company's tax payments have popped up on Muni bus shelters.

Discussion: Techdirt, Washington Post, The Verge, CBS San Francisco and VentureBeat

Kristina Peterson / Wall Street Journal:

A Democrat's Proposal: In Exchange For Debt Ceiling Boost, Make It The House of Me — With congressional inaction threatening default on the national debt, one Democrat spotted an opening to leverage the “Jared Polis” agenda. — Rep. Jared Polis (D., Colo.) introduced his personal debt limit wish list …

Discussion: Washington Post and Political Wire

Pew Research Center / Pew Internet:

Religion and Science — Are science and religion at odds with each other? A majority of the public says science and religion often conflict, with nearly six-in-ten adults (59%) expressing this view in newly released findings from a Pew Research Center survey.

Discussion: Christianity Today, Washington Post, Pew Research Center and The Scoop Blog