Cheat Sheet
The Best In Brief
Please register to manage your email preferences and comment on the site.
The New York Times is calling it a "fiery sermon": President Obama's speech to the NAACP on Thursday broke from the executive's usual cool speaking style, as he passionately urged fellow African Americans to take responsibility for themselves and others in their communities. He said parents' responsibilities range from "putting away the Xbox and putting our kids to bed at a reasonable hour" to urging children to aspire not "to be the next LeBron or Lil Wayne" but "to be scientists and engineers, doctors and teachers, not just ballers and rappers." He continued with a political twist: "I want them aspiring to be Supreme Court justice. I want them aspiring to be president of the United States." Though Obama acknowledged the "pain of discrimination," he touted individual responsibility. As for his speaking style, the Times writes, "He was one part politican and one part black preacher." When audience members shouted back at Obama, he "threw back his head and laughed" and said "I've got an amen corner back there." He also found common ground with Newt Gingrich, Al Sharpton, and Mike Bloomberg in prioritizing education.
A pair of explosions hit the Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels in Jakarta on Friday just after 8 a.m. local time, killing nine and blowing out the windows of one hotel and leaving ambulances to pick up foreigners and locals from the city's business district. Both hotels are popular with Western businesspeople. South Jakarta's police chief said, "There were explosions heard from two separate places, one the JW Marriott, the other in the Ritz-Carlton." Witnesses say foreigners and Indonesians are being treated by ambulances; an Associated Press reporter says he saw three injured taken away from the Ritz. The blasts come two weeks after Indonesia's presidential election; a terrorist attack at the same Marriott in 2003 left 12 dead.
Sonia Sotomayor appears to have made herself a few fans on the Hill this week: Even as Republicans prepared to call to the stand Frank Ricci, the Newhaven firefighter from the discrimination lawsuit she presided over, they praised her. “You have been very reassuring here today and throughout this hearing that you’re going to try to understand the difference between judging and whatever political feelings you have about groups of gender,” said Lindsey Graham. Texas Senator John Cornyn said Sotomayor’s rulings were “pretty much in the mainstream.” Even her greatest foil throughout the confirmations, Jeff Sessions, more or less acknowledged that she would be confirmed, saying “I will not support and I do not believe anyone on this side will support a filibuster against your nomination.”
Hillary Clinton continued to brush back speculation that she's disappeared beneath the president's shadow with comments to reporters Thursday afternoon. "I broke my elbow, not my larynx," said the secretary of state on the heels of Wednesday's noted address at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C. Clinton continues to demonstrate her functioning larynx by speaking about her frustration with the vetting process for senior State Department appointees.
This looks like a pretty big roadblock to the Democrat’s health care plans: The director of the Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Elmendorf, said on Thursday that the bill drafted by the House and the Senate health committee does not propose “the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of federal health spending by a significant amount,” according to The Washington Post. "On the contrary," he said, "the legislation significantly expands the federal responsibility for health care costs." When asked, “Do you see a successful effort being mounted to bend the long-term cost curve?” Elmendorf replied bluntly: “No.”
Sarah Palin may be eating up all the headlines, but Mitt Romney, it seems, is quietly in the lead for 2012’s Republican Primary. “Mitt Romney is, at this point, far, far ahead in the 2012 stakes,” Ben Smith writes at Politico. “He has a real organization, he's raising more money than anyone else—his PAC revealed the details of a $1.6 million first six month today—and he's spreading the money around wisely. Sarah Palin’s PAC, meanwhile, has raised less than half of Romney’s total. Smith writes that Romney’s biggest advantage is that, unlike all of his likely rivals, “he’s clearly and unambiguously running.”
Actress Mischa Barton is skipping Thursday's world premiere of her new movie Homecoming, and some say the culprit is a mental-health crisis. After police removed Barton from her home for "medical issues," unconfirmed reports emerged that Barton was under a "5150 involuntary psychiatric hold," the same medical maneuver once used for a flailing Britney Spears. Homecoming director Morgan Freeman said he was "saddened" that Barton would miss the event and praised her performance. Her representatives have declined to comment on Mischa's mental state, but arrests in recent years for driving under the influence and marijuana possession have L.A. tongues wagging.
Well, this would surely look good on a college application: Southern California teen Zac Sunderland recently became the youngest person to sail around the world alone, after docking in Marina del Rey on Thursday, where he was greeted by roaring applause. Throughout the yearlong journey—on a 36-foot sailboat he bought with his own money—the 17-year old braved pirates off the coast of Indonesia, severe storms, loneliness, and exhaustion. "The hardest constantly was the tiredness," he said. "Half the time I haven't slept in 48 hours and it's just hard to get enough rest." Still, he called the 27,500-mile voyage an "amazing year." Next up? "Yeah, I don't know, just go chill with my friends," he said. "Go skate. Go do something normal for a change, you know."
The New York real-estate market is consolidating: Jared Kushner, the young and wealthy publisher of the New York Observer (and son of real-estate scion Charles Kushner), proposed to Ivanka Trump, Donald's daughter, on Wednesday evening. Ivanka announced the engagement over Twitter, saying "I got engaged last night... truly the happiest day of my life!!!" (Couldn't she have saved the scoop for the Observer?) One source tells Us—not surprisingly—"the ring is stunning!"
Did the runaway governor run away before? In their ongoing sifting through South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford's email records, The State discovers that Sanford went missing during a 2008 state-funded trip to Brazil and Argentina. Unable to track Sanford down in June of 2008, SC Commerce Secretary Joe Taylor wrote to a staffer, "Need contact number of [Sanford] ASAP." But the more interesting email revelations this time are not about Sanford's romance with Argentinian mistress Maria Belen Chapur, but his interactions with staffers. In addition to asking his staffers to help find a missing toy for his son, Sanford corresponded with staffers who strongly admonished the governor's controversial advocacy for rejecting stimulus money: "We are getting killed message-wise," wrote his Sanford's former chief of staff. "[E]ven folks who supoprt you are worried you have lost your mind."
It may be President Obama’s number one issue, but could health care reform use a better salesman? Mickey Kaus critiques Obama’s pitch at Slate. For one, when he talks about health care, he seems to “forget to highlight the part about the good things that are in the health care bills.” He also lectures, and he argues that we must save today in order to avoid future problems—a reasonable point, perhaps, but “as a matter of politics, it’s a proven loser.” Worst of all, says Kaus, “he doesn’t seem to know that much.”
The nominations are finally in for the Emmy Awards. Mad Men, 30 Rock, and Grey Gardens received multiple nominations in the announcements today at the Goldenson Theatre in Los Angeles, with 30 Rock scoring 22 nods. Nominations for a Drama Series included Big Love, House, Lost and Mad Men. 30 Rock stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin were each nominated for lead actress and actor in a comedy series. Other actresses nominated for a comedy series were Toni Collette for The United States of Tara and Mary-Louise Parker for Weeds. Grey Gardens was nominated in the made-for-TV movie category, and its lead actresses, Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange, both got the nod for lead actress in a mini-series. Nominees in the Outstanding Variety or Comedy Series category included The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and Saturday Night Live. Chandra Wilson of Grey's Anatomy and Jim Parsons of Big Bang Theory, who presented the awards, were each nominated. "Hello! Coming to the party!" Wilson shouted when she learned of her nomination. Possible snubs? Keifer Sutherland for his role 24. The awards show, which will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on September 20.
The Pulitzer-Prize winning author Francis "Frank" McCourt is said to be gravely ill and on his deathbed, according to his brother Malachy McCourt. Best known for his book Angela's Ashes, the 78-year-old is currently in hospice care in New York. His brother said that "[McCourt] is not expected to live". McCourt had recently been treated for skin cancer and had been recovering well until contracting meningitis two weeks ago.
Tom Watson, the 59-year-old, five-time British open champion, surprised everyone by shooting a five-under 65 on the opening day of the 2009 British Open. Way back in 1977 Watson won "The Duel In The Sun" over his friend Jack Nicklaus. On Thursday Watson wowed audiences again, rarely making mistakes and managing to extricate himself when they did occur. It remains to be seen whether Watson will be able to maintain his high level of play through the next three rounds. Elsewhere on the course, Tiger Woods struggled to find his swing, at times throwing his clubs in frustration. Woods finished the day shooting 71.
Julius Shulman, the photographer who influenced modernist architecture as much as the architects themselves, died Wednesday at 98-years-old. The Los Angeles Times writes that Shulman counted the architectural elite among his clients, including such heavy-hitters as Rudolf M. Schindler, Gregory Ain, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Albert Frey. His photographs of Los Angeles during its mid-century heyday were so powerful that, as one expert said, "you can practically hear the Sinatra tunes wafting in the air and the ice clinking in the cocktail glasses." Shulman never graduated college and only took one course in photography in his life. Born in Brooklyn in 1910, Shulman said he loved modernist architecture the very first time he saw it.
One person was killed and six were injured today when a stage being built for a Madonna concert collapsed, the Associated Press reports. The stage at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille, France fell apart on top of workers, who were all taken to the hospital. Two of the injuries are serious, Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said. The upcoming Sunday concert, part of Madonna's Sticky & Sweet tour, has been canceled due to the collapse.
After 13 years of red tape, foreign women who face violence from their husbands will now be officially protected: The Obama administration is moving to allow victims of domestic abuse to receive asylum in the U.S. But in order to gain asylum, they'll need to prove that they suffer from chronic abuse, are treated as subordinate to their abuser, and that they cannot find protection at home. The long policy battle stems from the 1996 case of a Guatemalan woman named Rody Alvarado, who was beaten by her husband, and granted an asylum in the U.S. that was then revoked.
There were fewer screaming, crying fans in pleated skirts this time, but Paul McCartney delighted a New York City audience on Wednesday with a performance on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater. The mini-concert was for a taping of the Late Show with David Letterman and hearkened back to two famous Beatles performances: their legendary debut on the Ed Sullivan Show and the rooftop sessions from Let It Be. McCartney even played one of the Let It Be tunes, "Get Back." He threw in some classics from his post-Beatles career as well, including "Band On The Run."
Perhaps she'll need rehab from this too: Amy Winhouse officially divorced Blake Fielder-Civil in a London courtroom on Thursday. Court documents show it was Fielder-Civil who filed for the separation, saying that Winehouse had "confessed the adultery to me in April 2008," a fact which Winehouse confirmed. When asked if he found living with Winehouse "intolerable," Fielder-Civil answered "Yes." No cold feet here: People magazine reports that the divorce hearing lasted only 75 seconds.
Everyone wants to know: who's going to succeed the ailing Kim Jong Il? The heir apparent now seems to be his youngest son, the 26-year-old Kim Jong Un. While almost nothing is known of the dictator-in-training, The Washington Post looked for clues at Liebefeld-Steinhölzli Schule, the Swiss boarding school where Un reportedly arrived in 1998—the summer North Korea began producing highly enriched uranium—in $200 basketball shoes, the rough amount of a monthly salary in North Korea. People knew him by an alias, "Pak Un," and he told people his parents were local diplomats. It's no surprise that his parents didn't show up for parents' visiting day. In the classroom, Pak Un studied Swiss history, where he learned about the country's government—known as "direct democracy"—and current events, which included the 2000 U.S. Presidential elections. Pak Un was a fast learner, and was fluent in German and English, though he struggled in the Swiss dialect. And while he was awkward around girls, the place that he really felt at home was the basketball court. Teammates remember that he revered American basketball icons like Michael Jordan, and kept his room stocked with basketball paraphernalia. Said one teammate of Kim Jong Un: "He hated to lose. Winning was very important." And another friend adds: "We were just playing basketbal—now he is going to be a dictator."
Officials are closer to knowing what downed the Caspian Airlines aircraft: they've recovered two black boxes from the plane, which crashed Wednesday en route from Tehran to Yerevan, Armenia. All 168 people on board were killed. While the search for the third black box is still out, the two recovered boxes will be sent to Caspian's Russian headquarters for analysis. Witnesses say the plane's tail caught on fire before it crashed, 16 minutes after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport.
According to Us Weekly and other media reports, Michael Jackson's prescription-drug addiction was kicked off by a life-altering incident that occurred while filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984. During a take at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium, fireworks exploded before they were supposed to, igniting Jackson's head in flames. Unaware of the fire at first, Jackson continued to dance, ultimately suffering second- and third-degree burns on his scalp and body. "He was never the same after the incident," Us Weekly reports. To relieve the burns and the pain of multiple surgeries following the accident, Jackson was prescribed several medications. Rare footage of the incident has also been released.
A bill designed to help troops on the frontlines has created a new frontline—on Capitol Hill. In spite of a vocal pro-fighter-jet contingent in Congress, President Obama has long argued that funds used to manufacture F-22s would be better spent providing troops with more useful weapons and equipment. On Wednesday, the president announced that he will veto a pending $680 billion defense spending bill for fiscal year 2010 if lawmakers allocate funding for more F-22 fighter jets than the Defense Department has requested. "The administration strongly objects to the provisions in the bill authorizing $1.75 billion for seven F-22s in FY 2010," the White House said. Obama's intervention in the hot-button debate over ending the F-22 program has heightened pressure on lawmakers to respect his military priorities.
Not surprisingly, critics of President Obama's new, landmark health-care bill have emerged in force. After the legislation cleared a key Senate committee on Wednesday, industry players and moderate Democrats the committee had wooed for months spoke out against it, raising questions about the prospects of a bipartisan bill. Their concerns dealt mainly with insurance-industry fees and medical cost controls. About 1,000 insurance agents spread out across Capitol Hill, the Washington Post reported, lobbying against a government-sponsored plan that would compete with private firms. "This scares the heck out of me," said Tom Minkler, president of Clark Mortenson Agency, an insurance and financial services firm. Meanwhile, Mike Ross, a Democratic congressman from Arkansas, spoke out for the New Democrat Coalition, saying the group has enough votes to thwart the bill, which "does not reflect many of (their) concerns."
President Obama may be taking constant grief over the effectiveness of his $700 billion-plus stimulus plan, but China is feeling pretty good about its equivalent. According to the Wall Street Journal, China has bounced back from the economic downturn more quickly than analysts anticipated and grew at a pace of 7.9 percent in the second quarter. Chinese authorities' expansionary monetary policies and $585 billion stimulus plan are helping fuel the country's standout growth and the Shanghai stock market's leading index has gained 75 percent this year in response to the improving business outlook. While some analysts have raised concerns about potentially creating new asset bubbles and whether China's growth is sustainable, the country's success could be key to helping the rest of the global economy bounce back.
It's so hard to say goodbye. Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme-Court confirmation hearing is likely to wind to a close Thursday, as Republicans attack her membership in Hispanic advocacy groups and her "wise Latina" remarks one last time. The hearing has followed the same pattern as other recent ones in which the Supreme Court nominee plays it safe and dances around major issues like gun rights and abortion. Sotomayor appeared to irk both Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday as she responded with "long, legally detailed and often evasive replies." Linday Graham once again acknowledged the likelihood of Sotomayor's confirmation Thursday morning, saying her future appears "pretty bright." Nevertheless, the GOP will call Frank Ricci, the defendant in Sotomayor's controversial firefighter case to the stand to highlight its criticism that she is an "activist judge."
More confidence from Wall Street: JP Morgan's profits climbed 36 percent this year, beating analysts' expectations, the bank announced on Thursday. JP Morgan's second quarter earnings rose to $2.7 billion from $2 billion a year ago. JP Morgan, the largest bank to repay its TARP money—many said the $25 billion was repaid too soon—has been the only bank among the country's top five banks to post net income during every quarter of the recession.
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine is about to field a major visitor: President Obama, who is stopping by Thursday afternoon for a 17,500-person rally for the Democrat's reelection. Corzine, who is currently trailing Republican candidate Chris Christie, hopes Obama's appearance at the PNC Bank Arts Center will bring Democrats out to the polls on Election Day. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama sees Corzine as "a friend," and "even has some affection for the fact that Mr. Corzine was a basketball player at the University of Illinois."
A fuller picture of the secret plan to assassinate al Qaeda members, kept hidden even from Congress, is emerging in the press. While a report in The New York Times earlier this week quoted officials who stressed that the program, which would have used independent hit squads to target victims abroad, was only theoretical and had never been put to use, The Washington Post reports Thursday that the plan was close to moving forward when CIA Director Leon Panetta pulled the plug. According to the Post, the plan had been on ice for eight years, but was about to enter a "somewhat more-operational phase" until Panetta ordered it stopped and informed Congress of its details. But not everyone in the intelligence community was so keen on briefing lawmakers. Obama's Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, although supportive of shelving the plan based on logistical concerns, said that notifying Congress of the program was only optional for the CIA. "It was a judgment call," Blair told the Post. "We believe in erring on the side of working with the Hill as a partner."
In a decision sure to rile environmentalists and thrill Sarah Palin, President Obama has approved logging in Alaska's Tongass National Forest, a stunning swath of temperate rain forest. The ruling, given the stamp of approval by the Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, will undo a Clinton-era rule that prohibited logging in roadless areas of national forests around the country. Obama had supported the logging rule during his campaign. Vilsack and others justified the about-face by saying the area that will be logged is relatively small, and that jobs are desperately needed in Alaska. Environmentalists disagree, saying that the Tongass Forest is a remarkable natural treasure deserving of protection.
Partner Sites: Expedia| Hotels| Hotwire| Urbanspoon| Vimeo
