memeorandum: How Twitter quietly banned hate speech last year (Annalee Newitz/Ars Technica)

7:05 AM ET, January 16, 2016

Top Items:

Amid Heat Over ‘New York Values’ Comment, Ted Cruz Slams Cuomo, De Blasio — NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Amid heat from both sides of the aisle following his comments about “New York values” during Thursday night's Republican presidential debate. Ted Cruz issued an apology - but not for his remarks.

Discussion: NY1 News, New York Times, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, ATTN, The Right Scoop, The Hayride, Jammie Wearing Fools, ABC News, Washington Post, Business Insider, Mediaite and WTVR-TV

Ben Schreckinger / Politico:

Cruz plotting new attacks on Trump — NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C.— The Ted Cruz who came out swinging at Donald Trump on Thursday night is here to stay, now willing to not only answer Trump's criticisms but to eagerly define his rival's weaknesses as the 2016 race in Iowa becomes a two-man contest.

Discussion: BarbWire.com, New Yorker, BuzzFeed, Hot Air, Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, The Right Scoop, Vox, CNN, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, NBC News, US News, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Daily Kos and Mashable

Todd J. Gillman / Trail Blazers Blog:

Cruz sorry/not sorry for ‘New York values’ barb — COLUMBIA, S.C. — Ted Cruz is sorry. He's so sorry about taking a shot at Donald Trump's “New York values” that he apologized six times on Friday — kind of. — “Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio …

Discussion: Mediaite, New York Times, Hot Air, Patterico's Pontifications and Instapundit

Tierney Sneed / Talking Points Memo:
We Have Our First Lawsuit Over Ted Cruz's Eligibility — And It's A Doozy

Discussion: Off the Kuff, National Review, Trail Blazers Blog, The Gateway Pundit, The Last Refuge and Daily Kos

Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed:
Cruz Apologizes To New Yorkers — For Their Liberal Politicians

Discussion: CBS New YorkCBS New York and Business Insider

Caitlin Dickson / Yahoo Politics:
New Yorkers give Ted Cruz a piece of their mind

Discussion: Hunter Walker, ABC News, Politico and Bloomberg Business

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:
Rep. Peter King: Ted Cruz “A Fraud And A Hypocrite” On New York Values

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Wall Street Journal and New York Daily News

Nathan McDermott / BuzzFeed: Lawyer Says He Filed Cruz Eligibility Lawsuit Because “Nobody Else Did”

Cortney O'Brien / Townhall.com:
NY Gov Who Told Conservatives They Weren't ‘Welcome’ Says Cruz Should Apologize for ‘Values’ Comments

Discussion: National Review

Les Zaitz / Oregonian:

Protester arrested in Burns, accused of driving stolen refuge vehicle — UPDATE: Protester ordered not to occupy federal property as condition of his release from federal charges now pending in Medford. — BURNS - Oregon State Police on Friday arrested one of the protesters occupying …

Discussion: Guardian, Balloon Juice, Raw Story and Talking Points Memo

Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:

First Member Of Bundy Militia Arrested — The first members of the militia illegally occupying a federal building in Oregon have been arrested. The occupation has gone on for nearly two weeks, costing the state more than $133,000 per day. — Two members of the militia were finally arrested …

Discussion: addictinginfo.org

Lauren Fox / Talking Points Memo:

First Militiaman Arrested In Connection With Oregon Standoff — Police arrested one of the Oregon militiamen Friday for driving a refuge truck -which was the property of the federal government - into town. — According to the Oregonian, 62-year-old Kenneth Medenbach was arrested …

Discussion: Raw Story

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Obama's Iran Policy, Explained — Many, including us, have criticized John Kerry and other members of the Obama administration for praising effusively Iran's treatment of captured U.S. sailors. We and many others have pointed out that, far from meriting praise and thanks …

Discussion: US Department of State

CNN:

American sailors told by Iranian captors to ‘act happy’ — Washington (CNN)The 10 U.S. Navy sailors held by Iran were told by their captors to “act happy” while they were being videotaped during their detention, according to a U.S. defense official with access to the latest information about the debriefing of the sailors.

Discussion: TheBlaze.com, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, Washington Free Beacon and The Last Tradition

Vanessa Vitiello Urquhart / Slate:

Hillary Clinton Isn't a Lesbian—but She Dresses Like One — Hillary Clinton's sense of style has been criticized for as long as she has been on the national political scene. One of the uglier forms this mockery has taken, most often in barbed private jokes and comments but occasionally openly …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit and Progressives Today

Greg Stohr / Bloomberg Business:

Corruption Gets Review at U.S. High Court With McDonnell Appeal — The U.S. Supreme Court will consider making it harder to prosecute public officials for corruption, agreeing to hear former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell's appeal of his conviction for what government lawyers said was a bribery scheme.

Discussion: Politico and ABC News

Ben Kamisar / The Hill:
Attorney files ‘birther’ lawsuit against Cruz

Discussion: Politico, neo-neocon, Hot Air and ABC News

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:
Fiorina: I would have left Bill long ago

Discussion: ABC News, Hullabaloo, CNN and The Daily Caller

David Goldman / CNNMoney:

Walmart will close 269 stores this year, affecting 16,000 workers — Walmart said it will close 269 stores in 2016, as the mega-retailer tries to revitalize its slumping finances. — The company said the stores it plans to close are generally poor performers, and most are within 10 miles of another Walmart.

Discussion: Allen B. West and Diane Ravitch's blog

news.walmart.com:
Walmart Continues Sharpened Focus on Portfolio Management

Adam Goldman / Washington Post:

Former CIA chief in Benghazi challenges the story line of the new movie “13 Hours” — It is the most fateful moment in a movie that purports to present a searingly accurate account of the 2012 attacks that left four Americans dead in Benghazi, Libya: a scene in which the highest-ranking CIA operative …

Discussion: NO QUARTER USA NET, The San Diego Union …, Guardian, Business Insider, NBC News and National Review

Andrew Perez / International Business Times:

GOP 2016: Emails Show Carly Fiorina Super PAC Helps Out At Campaign Events, Despite Coordination Rules — Carly Fiorina's presidential campaign may be fizzling out. But her campaign could have an impact far beyond the 2016 race with the questions it's raised about U.S. campaign finance rules.

Discussion: Raw Story, addictinginfo.org and Balloon Juice

Will Weissert / Associated Press:

Cruz's story of White House rejection leaves out job offer — AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Ted Cruz has said that after working on George W. Bush's 2000 campaign, being passed over for a senior position with the new administration was “a crushing blow.” Turns out, it was his own choice.

Discussion: Politico

Annalee Newitz / Ars Technica:

How Twitter quietly banned hate speech last year — Company now emphasizes safety and free expression rather than lack of censorship. — Seven years ago, Twitter began its rise to prominence by billing itself as a space where people could speak freely because nobody was censored.

Discussion: Vox Popoli

Associated Press:

Justice Dept. Pardon Attorney to Resign at End of Month — The Justice Department's pardon attorney is resigning at the end of the month after less than two years on the job, the department announced Friday. — Deborah Leff has led the department's pardon office since April 2014 …

Alex Griswold / Mediaite:

NY Times Produces Audio of Trump Endorsing Tariff He Swears He Never Endorsed — One of the more bizarre moments during Thursday's Fox Business Republican debate was when moderator Neil Cavuto asked Donald Trump about a quote he had given The New York Times, only for Trump to deny he had ever said it.

Discussion: liberalamerica.org and alan.com