The Commentariat -- Feb. 20, 2015

Internal links & defunct video removed.

Jim Acosta of CNN: "In his scheduled speech to the Democratic National Committee's 2016 winter meeting on Friday, President Barack Obama is expected to reclaim some ownership over an issue that is suddenly a hot topic among top Republicans -- income inequality."

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "President Obama on Thursday called on nations around the world to expand human rights, religious tolerance and peaceful dialogue as they struggle to combat a spate of terrorism that has recently struck places as far afield as Australia, Canada and Europe":

... Laurie Goodstein of the New York Times: "Muslim leaders [in the U.S.] and elsewhere have already started organizing or expanding prevention programs and discussions on countering violent extremism, often with assistance from law enforcement officials and trained counter-recruiters who emphasize that the Internet's dangers for young Muslims now go far beyond pornography."

Dominic Rushe of the Guardian: "American and British spies hacked into the world's largest sim card manufacturer in a move that gave them unfettered access to billions of cellphones around the globe and looks set to spark another international row into overreach by espionage agencies. The National Security Agency (NSA) and its British equivalent GCHQ hacked into Gemalto, a Netherlands sim card manufacturer, stealing encryption keys that allowed them to secretly monitor both voice calls and data, according to documents newly released by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden." ...

... Jeremy Scahill & Josh Begley write the story for the Intercept.

... Dustin Volz of the National Journal: "Google is warning that the government's quiet plan to expand the FBI's authority to remotely access computer files amounts to a 'monumental' constitutional concern. The search giant submitted public comments earlier this week opposing a Justice Department proposal that would grant judges more leeway in how they can approve search warrants for electronic data."

Hiroko Tabuchi of the New York Times: "Buffeted by a tightening job market, high employee turnover and scrutiny of its labor practices, Walmart, the largest private employer in the country, said on Thursday that it would increase wages for a half-million employees. The retail giant, which for years has been the target of widespread criticism over its low pay structure and increasing reliance on part-time workers, said that all of its United States workers would earn at least $9 an hour by April." ...

... Laura Clawson of Daily Kos: "This means around 40 percent of Walmart workers will get a raise. It's a start. But only a start, and Walmart can afford to pay more, without raising prices. An infographic accompanying McMillon's letter also noted some improvements in scheduling practices, including that 'some associates' (no word on how many, so this may well be window dressing) will get fixed schedules rather than struggling with schedules and hours that fluctuate wildly week to week, that schedules will be set two and a half weeks in advance, and that 'associates who want more hours can view open shifts in their store.' But the company will not be changing its balance of full-time and part-time workers." ...

... Joe Pinsker of the Atlantic: "This isn't an isolated act of corporate social responsibility -- it's a response to the current realities of labor economics that will likely inform the behavior of other American employers.... First, the company is giving in to mounting criticisms about its pay practices.... Second..., the American economy's recovery in the past few years has led to an increase in the number of jobs and a decrease in the unemployment rate -- both of which mean that companies will have to start paying their employees more in order to get them to stick around." ...

... Hamilton Nolan of Gawker: "Walmart CEO Doug McMillon wrote that the company decided to give employees raises to $9 an hour this year, and $10 an hour next year, because of corporate conscience: 'We're always trying to do the right thing and build a stronger business. We frequently get it right but sometimes we don't. When we don't, we adjust... When we take a step back, it's clear to me that one of our highest priorities must be to invest more in our people this year.' Doug McMillon is lying.... In fact, Walmart is so committed to holding down the wages of its workers -- keeping them in poverty -- that it consistently fights any attempts of employees to organize, even as the company's owners have grown to become some of the richest people in the world. Dozens and dozens of current and former Walmart employees have explicitly described to us how Walmart is a bad place to work."

Jim Kuhnhenn of the AP: "State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki will become President Barack Obama's new communications director, filling a key slot as Obama embarks on the final two years of his presidency, White House officials said Thursday. She replaces veteran Democratic media strategist Jennifer Palmieri, who is leaving the White House to join Hillary Rodham Clinton's likely presidential campaign. Psaki will step into her new role April 1. In a statement, Obama embraced Palmieri as a 'good friend' and praised her as a 'brilliant and effective communications director and trusted adviser.'"

Peter Whoriskey of the Washington Post: "A new report by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which convenes every five years, says that ... the American diet is having devastating effects: about two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. And maybe worse, about half of American adults - about 117 million people - have preventable chronic diseases related to poor diet and physical inactivity, the group said."

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Obama on Thursday offered a hearty White House embrace to his friend and former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, who is running for re-election as mayor [of Chicago] and faces voters next week."

Richard Wolf of USA Today writes a straight report that suggests the plaintiffs in King v. Burwell have a weak -- or nonexistent -- case. Lovely to see this POV get coverage in a medium that gets to people not into Washington's weeds. ...

... Ian Millhiser of Think Progress: "Though the lawyers seeking to gut Obamacare are telling the justices that it will be no big deal if they support this effort [by ruling for the plaintiffs in King v. Burwell], because the states can step into the gap and restore what the justices took away, these lawyers' key allies are already making plans to ensure that the states will do nothing of the sort."

Eric Posner in Slate explains, in detail, why Judge Andrew "Hanen, in seeking to restrain the supposedly out-of-control executive branch, exceeded his own authority [re: possible (or probable) future actions of immigration officials]. The deeper problem with Judge Hanen's reasoning is that, as he explicitly acknowledges, the president really does have the constitutional authority to decide to go after violent felons and leave everyone else alone. That is what presidents have done for decades."

Tim Egan: "So long as judges do their dirty work, Republicans don't have a problem with politicizing the judiciary."

Monty Python Comes to Capitol Hill. Fernando Espuelas of Univision, in the Hill, takes down John Boehner. "... both maneuvers -- the attempt at mass deportations by national security crisis and killing ObamaCare by causing a global financial collapse -- share a basic similarity: Republicans have threatened with different versions of Armageddon if they can't get their way." Espuelas provides a lovely list of Boehner's screw-ups.

     ... Comedy & Consequences. CW: I have to admit that last fall, I did not predict that Republican "control" of Congress would turn out to be such a circus. I thought they would knuckle down & pass a bill a week for Obama to veto. Instead, it's all been slapstick, with consequences.

Rudy Denies Dogwhistles, Says Contempt Meant for Obama's Mother, Grandparents. Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York on Thursday defended his assertion that President Obama did not love America, and said that his criticism of Mr. Obama's upbringing should not be considered racist because the president was raised by 'a white mother.'" Unfuckingbelievable. ...

... ** Paul Waldman: In a Fox "News" segment, Giuliani "clarified" his remarks of Wednesday night. "He's not questioning Obama's patriotism, he's just saying he doesn't love America. Got it -- thanks for clearing that up. I'm not saying Rudy is foolish and immoral, I'm just saying he's a cretinous dirtbag. So no offense." Read the whole post.

The Clown Car Continues Down the Road to Absurdity. Matthew Daly of the AP: Republican Congressmen are "outraged" that President Obama is designating three national monuments "under the 1906 Antiquities Act, which grants presidents broad authority to protect historic or ecologically significant sites without congressional approval.... Obama should 'cut it out,' said Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo. 'He is not king. No more acting like King Barack.' Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., said he was outraged by what he called 'a top-down, big-government land grab by the president that disenfranchises the concerned citizens in the Browns Canyon region' in central Colorado...." ...

... Charles Pierce republishes portions of Daly's report: "This has been a paid political announcement from the Committee To Stop Electing Morons."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd.

Bull O'Reilly. David Corn & Daniel Schulman of Mother Jones: "Bill O'Reilly has his own Brian Williams problem.... For years, O'Reilly has recounted dramatic stories about his own war reporting that don't withstand scrutiny -- even claiming he acted heroically in a war zone that he apparently never set foot in.... Fox News and O'Reilly did not respond to multiple requests for comment." Corn & Schulman cite several instances of Bull O'Reilly's tall tales. CW: I'll bet you're shocked. ...

I was not on the Falkland Islands and I never said I was. I was in Buenos Aires... In Buenos Aires we were in a combat situation after the Argentines surrendered. -- Bill O'Reilly, Thursday

... Dylan Byers of Politico: "Bill O'Reilly says a new Mother Jones report alleging that the Fox News host made false claims about his Falklands War experience is 'a piece of garbage' and that its principal author, David Corn, is 'a liar.' In a telephone interview with the On Media blog, O'Reilly called Corn a 'despicable guttersnipe' who has been trying to take him down 'for years.' 'It's a hit piece,' O'Reilly said. 'Everything I said about what I reported in South and Central America is true. Everything.'" ...

... Dylan Byers: "David Corn, the lead author of a new report alleging that Bill O'Reilly lied about his Falklands War experience, says the Fox News anchor is hiding behind name calling and refusing to account for legitimate discrepancies in his statements." ...

... It's an MSNBC Plot! Lisa de Moraes of Deadspin: "The bigger picture is this political outfit Mother Jones,' O'Reilly said. '[post author] David Corn works for MSNBC,' he said of Corn, who is a contributor for that cable news network. 'We're killing them in the ratings. We're taking millions of dollars away from them; any damage they can do to me damages the Fox News Channel. Damage the tentpole, damage the main guy -- everybody knows this.'" ...

... This is super-enjoyable (but please read Corn & Schulman's article, because there's plenty more where this comes from):

... Digby explains O'Reilly's confusion. She is just not taking this seriously.

Ahiza Garcia of TPM: "Fox host Lisa 'Kennedy' Montgomery suggested getting rid of the nation's public schools during a discussion on Thursday's 'Outnumbered.' 'There really shouldn't be public schools, should there?' Kennedy said. 'I mean we should really go to a system where parents of every stripe have a choice, have a say in the kind of education their kids get because, when we have centralized, bureaucratic education doctrines and dogmas like [AP US history], that's exactly what happens.'" (See also Beyond the Beltway below.)

Brendan James of TPM: "Tucker Carlson, the editor-in-chief of the conservative news site The Daily Caller, told TPM on Thursday that a 'hungover' editor was to blame for a headline on the site's 'Guns and Gear' section that included the phrase 'Kill All The Jews.' The post, originally headlined, 'Kill All The Jews And When That Is Done Kill Those That Refused To Defend Them,' was published on Tuesday."

Margaret Sullivan, the New York Times' public editor backs Times reporter James Risen's "epic rant" (via Twitter) against the Obama administration & Eric Holder in particular. ...

     ... CW: I'd like to see Risen go into an "epic rant" against the guy whose reporting ruined the life of Wen Ho Lee. Oh, wait, that was Risen.

Presidential Race

Paul Krugman: "Scott Walker ... on Wednesday, he did what, these days, any ambitious Republican must, and pledged allegiance to charlatans and cranks.... [An economic] doctrine that even Republican economists consider dangerous nonsense has become party orthodoxy.... Across the board, the modern American right seems to have abandoned the idea that there is an objective reality out there.... Along with this denial of reality comes an absence of personal accountability."

Maggie Haberman & Nicholas Confessore of the New York Times: "As a half-dozen other candidates aggressively raise money and chase endorsements in Iowa and New Hampshire, friends and detractors alike say [New Jersey Gov. Chris] Christie's view of his status and pre-eminence within the Republican field is increasingly at odds with the picture outside his inner circle.... Friends say Mr. Christie is both understaffed and too controlling. They also say he is convinced that his raw talent and charisma can overcome the political obstacles in his way.... The governor and his advisers have dismissed some defections with an air of almost imperious unconcern.... Mr. Christie has also alienated onetime supporters by seeming to take them for granted, [former New Jersey Gov. Tom] Kean said...." ...

     ... CW: I believe the New York Times just implied Chris Christie is insane. ...

... Matea Gold & Robert Costa of the Washington Post focus on the big donor shift from Christie to Jeb, & don't hint Christie is insane, as do the Times reporters.

Gene Robinson: "Jeb Bush's highly anticipated speech on foreign policy reminded me of the joke in which two senior citizens complain about a restaurant. 'Terrible food at that place,' says one. 'Yes,' says the other, 'and such small portions!'"

Catherine Thompson of TPM: "Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) said on Thursday he won't comment on whether President Barack Obama 'loves America,' but he'll certainly tell you that he loves America. CNBC's Becky Quick asked Walker on Thursday morning to respond to a report that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) dissed the President at a private dinner, which the governor also attended." ...

... Ben Brody of Bloomberg Politics: "Scott Walker's new specialty: punting." ...

... Hunter of Daily Kos: "As with each of the questions Walker valiantly hurls himself off balconies to avoid, this isn't a particularly challenging one. Asking someone if they think the president of the United States loves America is a throwaway question." ...

... Scottie Finds Another Kook to Hang With. James Hohmann of Politico: "Scott Walker met with Donald Trump in Trump Tower for 45 minutes on Thursday. Trump told Politico that Wisconsin's Republican governor requested the meeting, and that it was an 'enjoyable' discussion...." ...

... Jonathan Chait: "When Rudy Giuliani, speaking at a Scott Walker event last night, declared, 'I do not believe that the president loves America,' it might have been mildly uncomfortable for Walker, who may or may not want his campaign message to be defined by xenophobic racist dog whistles.... The figure most discomfited by this turn of events was not Walker but Bobby Jindal, a rival candidate. Racially tinged dog whistles are Jindal’s thing.... So Jindal released a statement to the media that he would not condemn Giuliani's statement. Nobody even asked him...."

Jennifer Epstein of Bloomberg Politics: "Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will address a major United Nations gathering on women's rights next month, just as the Clinton Foundation releases a major report on women and girls more than a year in the making. Clinton is scheduled to be the keynote speaker on March 10 at the Women's Empowerment Principles gathering in New York."

Nate Cohn of the New York Times: "... there is no equivalence between Mrs. Clinton's strength [in 2008] and now. She was never inevitable eight years ago. If a candidate has ever been inevitable -- for the nomination -- it is Mrs. Clinton today.... No candidate, excluding incumbent presidents, has ever fared so well in the early primary polls as Mrs. Clinton. She holds about 60 percent of the vote of Democratic voters, a tally dwarfing the 40 percent she held this time in the last election cycle." ...

... Ron Fornier of the National Journal: "This is sleazy and stupid. Just as Hillary Clinton is getting ready to run for president again, her family's charitable foundation secretly lifted a ban on accepting money from foreign governments. The Wall Street Journal discovered the ethical breach during a search of donations of more than $50,000 posted on the foundation's online database. 'Recent donors include the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Australia, Germany, and a Canadian government agency promoting the Keystone XL Pipline,' reported James V. Grimaldi and Rebecca Ballhaus." ...

... CW: Fornier is stupid & sleazy himself, but I think he's right on this. ...

... Update. Gabriel Debenedetti of Politico: "The Clinton Foundation will reconsider its policy of accepting new donations from foreign governments if Hillary Clinton runs for president as expected, the organization said on Thursday after two days of controversy over its funding from international sources."

Beyond the Beltway

Mark Berman of the Washington Post: Under a judge's order, "a clerk in Texas issued a marriage license to a same-sex couple from Austin on Thursday, granting what is thought to be the first such legal license issued in the state since voters banned gay marriage a decade ago. In response, the state's attorney general asked the Texas Supreme Court to halt any same-sex marriage activity, and the court issued an emergency stay on Thursday afternoon. The Texas attorney general also declared the historic marriage license void on Thursday." ...

     ... Update: Eva Moravec & Paul Weber of the AP: "Defying Texas' longstanding ban on gay marriage, a lesbian couple wed in Austin after being granted a marriage license on Thursday under a special court order because one of the women has cancer."

There is now 1 same-sex married couple in Texas for every 6.4 million uninsured Texans. Guess which "problem" the GOP is trying to solve.

— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) February 19, 2015

Tresa Baldas of the Detroit Free Press: A Detroit-area pediatrician refused to treat the daughter of a gay couple. "After 'much prayer,' [the doctor] decided that she couldn't treat their baby because they are lesbians.... Currently, 22 states have laws that prohibit doctors from discriminating against someone based on their sexual orientation. Michigan is not one of these states.... Attorney Dana Nessel, who is handling the Michigan same-sex marriage case that's about to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, believes the laws need to change. If not, she said, more families ... will be mistreated by the medical profession."

Tulsa World Editors: "Members of the Oklahoma Legislature shouldn't try to write school curriculum. It politicizes the classroom and leaves their own ignorance on the table. That's certainly what happened earlier this week when a state House committee OK'd a bill that would bar the use of state money to pay for Advance Placement U.S. history courses. Rep. Dan Fisher, R-Yukon, an ordained minister and a member of the Black Robe Regiment, says AP history should be kicked out of Oklahoma schools because it emphasizes 'what is bad about America' and omits 'American exceptionalism.' False and false. Rep. Fisher fails today's exam and so does the Common Education Committee, which approved his House Bill 1380 on a 11-4 vote." ...

     ... Via Charles Pierce: "Rep. Fisher is a preacher, and a member of something called the Black Robe Regiment, a gathering of hooting theocratic loons concerned about the increasing disinclination of our nation's youth to believe that the Constitution was written in golden ink by Jesus."

Ryan Parker & John Glionna of the Los Angeles Times: "The man suspected of fatally shooting a Las Vegas[, Nevada] woman after an apparent road rage incident last week has been taken into custody, police said." CW: Read the rest of the story. Both sides had guns & there was a shootout. It's the Wild West, coming to a neighborhood near you. See also Gail Collins' column, linked yesterday.

News Lede

New York Times: "European leaders agreed on Friday to extend Greece's bailout for four months after weeks of tense negotiations. The deal, reached at an emergency meeting of eurozone finance ministers here, paves the way for Greece to unlock further financial aid from a 240 billion euro, or $273 billion, bailout deal -- provided the country meets certain commitments laid out by its creditors."

The Commentariat -- Feb. 19, 2015

Internal links removed.

We must never accept the premise that they put forward because it is a lie. They are not religious leaders. They are terrorists. And we are not at war with Islam. We are at war with people who have perverted Islam. -- President Obama, Wednesday ...

... Julie Davis of the New York Times: "President Obama on Wednesday outlined his administration's efforts to counter what he calls 'violent extremism' in a speech to law enforcement, community and religious leaders gathered to discuss how to prevent groups like the Islamic State from recruiting disaffected young people to their ranks. The sessions on Wednesday -- part of a three-day meeting here -- focused on government-backed community pilot programs in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Los Angeles and Boston in which law enforcement and civic and religious leaders have worked together to counter extremist influences":

Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "President Obama on Wednesday appointed Joseph P. Clancy, who had guided the Secret Service on an interim basis for the last four and a half months, to be the agency's permanent director. In picking Mr. Clancy, a former head of Mr. Obama's security detail, the president rejected calls by critics on Capitol Hill and members of a special Department of Homeland Security panel, who said that a string of embarrassing personnel and security episodes had made it clear that the agency should be run by an outsider." ...

... The Washington Post story, by Carol Leonnig & David Nakamura, is here.

A few days ago, contributor JJG suggested the Department of Homeland Security, which is about to lose its funding because John Boehner, should be abolished anyway. Comes now Dara Lind of Vox: "... why does the department even exist? The answer is that it shouldn't, and it never should have. DHS was a mistake to begin with. Instead of solving the coordination problems it was supposed to solve, it simply duplicated efforts already happening in other federal departments. And attempts to control and distinguish the department have politicized it to the point where it can't function smoothly -- and might be threatening national security."

** Gail Collins raises the alarm about a Senate bill, introduced by the Other Senator from Texas, "that would allow people from states with lax gun laws to carry their concealed weapons all around the country." If you aren't sure why this isn't a lovely federalist, cooperative idea -- "like drivers' licenses,' as Sen. Cornyn puts it, allow Collins to explain. Here's an exemplary data point: "In 2007, The Sun Sentinel in Florida found that in a six-month period, more than 1,400 people who had pleaded guilty or no contest to felonies had been awarded concealed carry permits, along with 216 people with outstanding warrants, 28 people with active domestic violence injunctions against them, and six registered sex offenders."

Carol Morillo of the Washington Post: "The Obama administration on Wednesday accused the Israeli government of misleading the public over the Iran nuclear negotiations, using unusually blunt and terse language that once again highlighted the rift between the two sides." ...

... Harold Meyerson of the Washington Post: "... Israel's prime minister is aligning himself with one of America's two camps. It's not the camp that commands -- or even can command -- the support of most American Jews. That will pose a problem for Israel."

Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "Koch Industries, the conglomerate owned by the conservative Koch brothers, and the [Center for American Progress], a Washington-based liberal issues group, are coming together to back a new organization ... [which] plans a multimillion-dollar campaign on behalf of emerging proposals to reduce prison populations, overhaul sentencing, reduce recidivism and take on similar initiatives. Other groups from both the left and right -- the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans for Tax Reform, the Tea Party-oriented FreedomWorks -- are also part of the coalition, reflecting its unusually bipartisan approach.... Organizers of the advocacy campaign, which is to be announced on Thursday, consider it to be the largest national effort focused on the strained prison and justice system."

Evan Perez & Alexandra Jaffe of CNN: "The Justice Department is preparing to bring a lawsuit against the Ferguson, Missouri, police department over a pattern of racially discriminatory tactics used by officers, if the police department does not agree to make changes on its own, sources tell CNN.... The Justice Department action would ask for court supervision of changes at the Ferguson Police Department to improve how police deal with the minority communities they are supposed to protect. [AG Eric] ​Holder hinted at plans to announce the outcome of the dual investigations during an appearance at the National Press Club on Tuesday."

Spencer Ackerman of the Guardian: "A Chicago detective who led one of the most shocking acts of torture ever conducted at Guantánamo Bay was responsible for implementing a disturbingly similar, years-long regime of brutality to elicit murder confessions from minority Americans.... Richard Zuley, a detective on Chicago's north side from 1977 to 2007, repeatedly engaged in methods of interrogation resulting in at least one wrongful conviction and subsequent cases more recently thrown into doubt following allegations of abuse.... Zuley's tactics ... would be supercharged at Guantánamo...."

Nicholas Kristof comes late to the party: Union "abuses are real. But, as unions wane in American life, it's also increasingly clear that they were doing a lot of good in sustaining middle class life -- especially the private-sector unions that are now dwindling. Most studies suggest that about one-fifth of the increase in economic inequality in America among men in recent decades is the result of the decline in unions. It may be more."

"Be Wary of Humanitarian Intervention." Joel Gillen of the New Repubic: "In the fourth anniversary of the February 17 revolution, the prospects for peace and stability in Libya seem more remote than ever. The beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by a local branch of the Islamic State (ISIS)-- to which Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi swiftly responded with airstrikes -- is the most recent example of the instability and complete lack of security that has followed the NATO-backed overthrow of former President Muammar Qaddafi. Jon Lee Anderson of The New Yorker, who visited Libya earlier this winter, has written that '[t]here is no overstating the chaos of post-Qaddafi Libya.' Indeed, many see the country as the world's next failed state. There are now effectively two competing governments in Libya."

"Opportunistic Activism." Jay Michaelson of the Daily Beast: Judge Andrew Hanen's 123-page temporary injunction against the Department of Homeland Security's new immigration policies is packed with right-wing talking points & rhetoric & its legal reasoning is "sketchy."

Linda Greenhouse writes a fairly fascinating column on the University of Texas affirmative action case which the Supremes may take up again, fascinating because she includes some insider insights, & valuable because, without saying so, she reminds us why diversity on the Court is essential. ...

... CW: And I have some news for that brat Amanda Fisher: life isn't always fair & usually doesn't present you with just what you want. Nearly everybody who has planned a college education has received a rejection letter -- I got more than one -- even though she may have the potential & prove to be a good university student. Get over it. Of course, this case, as Greenhouse points out, Fisher isn't even the prime move of the case brought in her name: she "is the recruited face of a powerful social movement that opposes affirmative action in college admissions." I don't know who the individuals in this "powerful social movement" are, but I know they're privileged white racists.

Capitalism Is Awesome, Ctd. Natasha Singer of the New York Times: "Would you pay an extra monthly fee just to avoid seeing some online ads based on your web browsing history? That's the premise behind a staggered-pricing option offered by AT&T's ultrafast fiber optic network, called GigaPower, which the company introduced in the Kansas City area on Monday."

Jonathan Chait: "... Stephen Moore, chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, mak[es] his case, such as it is, that Obamacare has failed to meet its cost targets. Perhaps the most revealing aspect of Moore's column is the fact that, five years after its passage, the chief economist of the most influential conservative think tank in the United States lacks even a passing familiarity with its fiscal objectives." However, Moore is pretty good at making up "facts."

Hand Signals of Truth. Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "President Barack Obama has moved beyond the 'terrorist fist jab' with another hand gesture that conservatives believe proves he is, in fact, a Muslim. Writing for The American Thinker website, the blogger and Islamophobic author F.W. Burleigh closely examines a photograph of Obama taken in August during a meeting with African dignitaries. 'It shows Barack Hussein Obama flashing the one-finger affirmation of Islamic faith to dozens of African delegates,' claims Burleigh...." ...

... Steve M. searches Google images & finds that secret Muslims have even infiltrated Right Wing World. Some top secret Muslims: Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Scott Walker. ...

... Speaking of Crackpots.... I do not believe, and I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I do not believe that the president loves America. He doesn't love you. And he doesn't love me. He wasn't brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country.... What's wrong with this man that he can't stand up and say there's a part of Islam that's sick? ... I've never felt [love] from him. I felt that from [George] W. [Bush]. I felt that from [Bill] Clinton. I felt that from every American president, including ones I disagreed with, including [Jimmy] Carter. I don't feel that from President Obama. -- Rudy Giuliani, Wednesday

Rudy has been watching the hand signals. -- Constant Weader

This code-word racist crap is all they have now, and it's all they ever had against him in the first place. It's also why they lost. -- Zandar, in Balloon Juice

Giuliani used to be a respected figure in this country and now he's just another embarrassing right wing freakshow like Ted Nugent or one of those Duck Dynasty guys. -- digby ...

... Scott Shane of the New York Times: "Obama aides say there is a strategic logic to his vocabulary: Labeling noxious beliefs and mass murder as 'Islamic' would play right into the hands of terrorists who claim that the United States is at war with Islam itself. The last thing the president should do, they say, is imply that the United States lumps the world's 1.5 billion Muslims with vicious terrorist groups. But Mr. Obama's verbal tactics have become a target for a growing chorus of critics who believe the evasive language is a sign that he is failing to look squarely at the threat from militant Islam." CW Note: "evasive language." Scott?

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Ed Kilgore: "Politico makes case for just declaring Jeb Bush president right now." ...

Presidential Race

Mistakes Were Made. Jonathan Martin of the New York Times: "Jeb Bush pointedly sought to distance himself from his brother's presidency on Wednesday, declaring himself 'my own man' and acknowledging that 'there were mistakes made in Iraq' even as he used his first major foreign affairs speech to call for an assertive American presence that recalled President George W. Bush's approach to international relations." ...

... Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "If Bush's goal is to present himself as his 'own man,' that list of advisers undermines the point somewhat: 19 of the 21 people on it worked in the administrations of his father or brother":

... OR, as Igor Volsky of Think Progress puts it, "The Same People Who Lied To You About Iraq Are Now In Charge Of Jeb Bush’s Foreign Policy."

... Rosie Gray of BuzzFeed sums up the speech: "His prescription: Hit ISIS, arm the Ukrainians, keep NSA surveillance, chuck the original justification for getting into Iraq in 2003. Broad strokes, but few details." ...

... Accidentally Forgets, Criticizes Brother's Foreign Policy. Igor Volsky: "During a wide-ranging speech on foreign policy matters at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs on Wednesday, Bush criticized the Obama administration for staking out a negotiating position that, he claimed, would endanger Israel and the world by merely managing the Iranian nuclear program rather than eliminating it altogether.... But 'managing' Iran's nuclear capabilities, as Bush puts it, isn't a position that originated in the Obama administration. As the New York Times points out, George W. Bush officials eventually conceded during his presidency that 'there was no way to reach a deal without Iran retaining at least a face-saving amount of enrichment capability.'" ...

... Another Way to Explain Jeb's Iran Gaffe. The more I get into this stuff, there's some things you just go, you know, "holy schnikes." This is, like, serious stuff. -- Jeb Bush, on Iran policy

I see Bump left Chris Farley out of his chart there of Bush foreign policy advisors. -- Constant Weader

... Zack Beauchamp of Vox found six more "cringeworthy moments" in Jeb's speech. CW: Yo, Jeb, if you're confusing Iran with Iraq maybe your 20 excellent advisors aren't so excellent. ...

... A Chip Off the Old Blockhead. Dana Milbank: "Try though he did to differentiate himself from George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, John Ellis Bush's delivery gave him away." ...

... Tom McCarthy of the Guardian: "Former Florida governor Jeb Bush delivered a full-throated defense of government surveillance programs on Wednesday, expressing a resounding faith in techniques pioneered by his brother, George W Bush, and staking out a position in sharp contrast with other prospective 2016 presidential candidates."

Paul Waldman on Bill & Hillary Clinton & that '60s thing: "The divides we have now are still between the squares and the cool kids, the buzzcuts and the longhairs, the upright and the pot smokers and, perhaps most importantly, the group that looked on in disgust and envy at the other group that was getting laid and having all the fun." ...

... Larry Mishel of the New Republic, however, is more concerned with HRC & that '90s thing: namely, Robert Rubin & Co., & their stale -- and discredited -- idea, which they're pushing anew, that technological change is what led to income inequality & the one-&-only way to reduce the gap is education. CW: It should be obvious that the Rubin prescription is designed to make Rubin & his Wall Street buddies feel good: see, wealth & income inequality is not the result of high-earner greed but of poor workers' failure to get a proper education.

Beyond the Beltway

Natasha Korecki & Jon Seidel of the Chicago Sun-Times: "... Gov. Bruce Rauner finally laid his cards on the table Wednesday, calling for a staggering $6.7 billion in cuts to Illinois' budget. The Republican governor's first proposed budget called for slashing money for human services, including $1.5 billion in Medicaid funding, $82 million in mental-health services and the elimination of a slew of programs for those living with special needs." ...

... Max Brown of the Sun-Times: "Everywhere you look, Rauner's budget looks to reduce spending in ways that will likely cause harm to real people rather than just 'trimming the fat,' as many would prefer to imagine."

Oregonian: "Kate Brown became Oregon's 38th governor Wednesday morning."

... Greedy Girl. Nigel Jaquiss of the Willamette (Washington) Weekly: "... before Kitzhaber's resignation and the investigations, Hayes had even grander plans for herself -- in terms of influence and money -- for the governor's final term in office. Newly obtained emails reveal Hayes told Kitzhaber in late 2013 that she wanted to further leverage her access to his office into 'lucrative work,' including an official state position, paid speaking appearances and book contracts. The first lady proposed her expansive plans to Kitzhaber, even as the governor's staff searched for ways to narrow Hayes' official role and make sure she wasn't violating state ethics laws." ...

... Laura Gunderson of the Oregonian: "Former Oregon first lady Cylvia Hayes plans to go to court to block a state order requiring her to turn over emails related to her public service." ...

... CW: It's always about money or sex. Sometimes it's about money AND sex.

Sarah Kaplan of the Washington Post: "A Washington state florist who refused to provide flower arrangements for a gay wedding 'because of [her] relationship with Jesus' violated the state's anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws, a judge ruled Wednesday. 'Religious motivation does not excuse compliance with the law,' Benton County Superior Court Judge Alexander C. Ekstrom said in his 60-page opinion."

Gene Robinson in the Daily Beast: Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback "wants to fire all the gays." Brownback has rescinded an executive order, put in place by former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), which protected LGBT state workers.

News Lede

Guardian: "A polar vortex may deliver the coldest weather in 20 years to the United States on Friday, as the weather system yet again sends a high-pressured shot of arctic air into the the country, threatening dangerous conditions and record-breaking temperatures."

Los Angeles Times: "The manufacturer of the medical scopes at the center of a deadly bacterial outbreak at UCLA Medical Center is under investigation by federal officials for possible violations of laws that ban improper payments to doctors and other customers. Olympus Corp. of Americas, the U.S. subsidiary of the Japanese manufacturer, said earlier this month that the Justice Department had been investigating its medical business since November 2011." ...

... Washington Post: "California public health authorities are tracking down 179 patients who may have been exposed to a 'superbug' bacteria at Ronald Reagan Medical Center at the University of California at Los Angeles after two people died following infection from contaminated medical scopes. Seven patients may have been infected with the drug-resistant superbug called CRE, or Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae, during 'complex endoscopic procedures' to diagnose and treat diseases in the pancreas between October and January at the hospital, UCLA's Health System said Wednesday...."

New York Times: "Greece on Thursday requested a six-month extension of the country's loan agreement with its European creditors. But Germany immediately indicated that it did not find the proposal acceptable. The head of the Eurogroup, the group of eurozone finance ministers, scheduled a Friday afternoon meeting in Brussels to consider the proposal, as Athens sought to break a deadlock in debt talks amid fears of Greek insolvency."

The Commentariat -- Feb. 18, 2015

Internal links removed.

Michael Shear & Ashley Parker of the New York Times: "Just one day before undocumented immigrants were set to begin applying for work permits and legal protections, the administration announced on Tuesday that it would delay carrying out President Obama's executive actions on immigration, saying a federal judge's last-minute ruling had tied the White House's hands. Jeh C. Johnson, the Homeland Security secretary, vowed to appeal the court ruling...." ...

... David Nakamura & Juiet Eilperin of the Washington Post: "The effects of [District Judge Andrew] Hanen's procedural ruling rippled through Washington and underscored a broader challenge to the president as he seeks to solidify the legacy of his administration. Along with the immigration action, the fate of two of Obama's other signature initiatives -- a landmark health-care law and a series of aggressive executive actions on climate change -- now rests in the hands of federal judges. It is a daunting prospect for a president in the final two years of his tenure...." ...

... Kate Linthicum of the Los Angeles Times: "A large crowd of pro-immigrant activists and politicians gathered Tuesday outside L.A. City Hall to send a message to the Texas judge who one day earlier ordered a stop to President Obama's executive actions on immigration. 'Shame on you!' the protesters shouted in unison. 'Shame on you!'" ...

... Alan Yuhas of the Guardian: "A Texas judge's freeze on Barack Obama's plan to shield millions of immigrants from deportation likely won't last long, legal experts say, meaning Republicans who oppose the executive action will have to look away from the courts for help.... Few disagree that the president has the authority to defer deportations, even among those inclined to condemn Obama&'s decisions.... The 'narrow' scope of Hanen's ruling means the Obama administration may not have to rely on another round of judicial boxing to begin giving young migrants quasi-legal status. ...

... Lyle Denniston of ScotusBlog, however, seems to suggest Judge Hanen's ruling is strong on the merits. ...

... AND Dara Lind of Vox sees this ruling as Hanen's opening salvo: "... while the rhetoric of this opinion is often fiery, the actual legal scope of the ruling -- the part that matters going forward -- is much more limited. That's because this is the very beginning of a very, very long court battle, and everyone involved in the case understands that. From now on, the ruling stopping the deferred action programs will move up through the courts while Judge Hanen continues to consider the underlying questions." ...

... Josh Gerstein (one of a few reliably accurate, nonpartisan Politico reporters): "The current dispute could wind up at the high court on an emergency basis within days, but administration officials were not specific about whether they will immediately demand that Obama's immigration actions be allowed to resume." ...

... Stephen Legomsky provides quite a good explanation of the legal issue. CW: I found the whole "PBS News Hour" segment helpful:

The Contenders.... Brian Beutler of the New Republic: "... even if the legal challenge ends up bailing out Republicans this time around, the dynamics that brought the party to this brink will persist. The DHS funding impasse is symptomatic of tendencies in the Republican congressional majorities that presage more shutdown threats, debt limit fights, and other high-wire acts. These are precisely the kinds of reckless legislative politics party leaders hoped to avoid. Writing at Forbes, budget veteran Stan Collender argues that the incompatible imperatives facing Republican congressmen and Republican senators has transformed an executive-legislative branch showdown into an intraparty war." ...

... Jonathan Chait: "Poll Confirms the Republican Immigration Shutdown Plan Is Their Worst Idea Ever. (Subhead on the front-page link: "John Boehner dials political suicide hotline.") ...

... Charles Pierce: "Once we all calm down again, if that ever happens, we can look seriously at whether DHS is worth it. But, as long as it is, and as long as the country feels it's necessary -- and the country will feel that way as long as politicians gin up the fear the way they do -- then it should be funded without these kind of shenanigans. The country is smarter than John Boehner -- and I include the country's rocks as well as its people." ...

... The New York Times Editors get to the crux of the problem: "However the appellate courts come down on the case, Mr. Obama is finding himself once again dealing with a familiar sort of Republican intransigence. With his humane and realistic immigration policy, he is trying to tackle a huge and long-running national problem: what to do with more than 11 million undocumented people who are living, working and raising families here, when the government cannot possibly apprehend or deport all of them. To the contrary, bringing some of these people out of the shadows of illegality would be an economic boon, as noted by the 12 states and more than 30 cities around the country (including Brownsville, Tex.) that are defending Mr. Obama's actions. On immigration, the Republicans seem to want only to savage the president's efforts to address a pressing nationwide crisis, just as they have on health care reform. They are good at unleashing rage against Mr. Obama's supposed lawlessness, but they have no meaningful solutions of their own."

Lydia Wheeler of the Hill: "Attorney General Eric Holder called Tuesday for a national moratorium on the death penalty until the Supreme Court weighs in on the issue later this year. Holder went on to say he disagrees with Justice Antonin Scalia, who has said the U.S. has never executed an innocent person."

Missy Ryan of the Washington Post: "The Obama administration will permit the widespread export of armed drones for the first time, a step toward providing allied nations with weapons that have become a cornerstone of U.S. counterterrorism strategy but whose remotely controlled power to kill is intensely controversial. The new policy, announced Tuesday after a long internal review, is a significant step for U.S.arms policy as allied nations from Italy to Turkey to the Persian Gulf region clamor for the aircraft."

Julie Davis of the New York Times: "President Obama on Wednesday will outline his administration's efforts to counter what he calls 'violent extremism' in a speech to law enforcement, community and religious leaders gathered to discuss how to prevent groups like the Islamic State from recruiting disaffected young people to their ranks. The White House said the plans were a vital nonmilitary way to counter extremism of all kinds, a task that has taken on greater urgency after the terrorist attacks in Paris and Copenhagen." ...

... President Obama, in a Los Angeles Times op-ed, on the fight to stop ISIS & other violent extremists by winning over "hearts & minds." What can you do to join the battle? Don't be a hateful, ignorant dick. (Paraphrase.) ...

... Your Fake Controversy of the Day. Matt Wilstein of Mediaite: "'We cannot kill our way out of this war,' State Department spokesperson Marie Harf told MSNBC's Chris Matthews 'We need in the medium to longer term to go after the root causes that leads people to join these groups, whether it's a lack of opportunity for jobs.' Ever since, she has been getting hammered by conservatives on Twitter and elsewhere across the web. Tonight, she joined Wolf Blitzer on CNN's The Situation Room and attempted to clarify her point." ...

... Steve M. responds.

Sarah Ferris of the Hill: "This year's ObamaCare enrollment officially beat expectations with at least 11.4 million Americans signing up in the second year, the White House announced late Tuesday." ...

... Jason Millman of the Washington Post: "Up to 6 million Americans are expected to pay a penalty for not having [health insurance] coverage in 2014, according to recent Obama administration projections. The 2014 penalty for this tax season is $95, or 1 percent of family income -- purposefully on the weaker side to let people adjust to this new coverage scheme. Most of the uninsured won't actually face the penalty because they'll qualify for an exemption, either related to their inability to afford coverage or some other hardship. But it's likely that a lot of people who will have to pay don't know it yet.... Nearly half of uninsured Americans weren't aware of the penalty, and almost as many don't realize the law offers financial help to purchase coverage, according to a Harris Poll survey in the fall."

Ryan Cooper of the Week: "Congressional restrictions on presidential power are only as good as Congress' willingness to act when the restrictions are breached. And right now there is approximately zero reason to think that Congress gives a crap about illegal war.... Obama is basically asking for the authority to start war against anyone who's watched an Islamic State video. Indeed, the main axis of debate is whether the proposed authority is broad enough. Except for Sen. Rand Paul, Republicans are basically fine with Obama being able to make war wherever he wants."

Nicholas Bagley, the Incidental Economist, suggests what the Supreme Court should do to clear up the standing issue in King v. Burwell. Bagley writes that "the Court can't just ignore standing. Without standing, the federal courts lack jurisdiction -- the power -- to resolve the dispute. That's why the courts must consider standing on their own, whether or not any party has objected."

Batsheva Sobelman of the Los Angeles Times: "In a scathing report with potential political and criminal repercussions, Israel's state comptroller sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday for excessive spending of public funds in his official and private residences. The highly anticipated report, which came just four weeks before Israeli elections, faulted Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, for using public funds to spend lavishly on a variety of personal goods and services, including cleaning, clothing, water and grooming, between 2009 and 2012.... In addition, the report pointed to improprieties in management of finances, human resources and external contractors." ...

... Alexandra Jaffe of CNN: "A large majority of Americans believe that Republican congressional leaders should not have invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to Congress without consulting the White House, according to a new CNN/ORC survey.... Even Republicans are split on whether it was a good idea for leadership to invite Netanyahu without alerting the White House, with a slight majority --52% -- backing the move. Just 14% of Democrats say it was the right thing to do, and just over a third of independents support the move."

Hadas Gold of Politico: "Attorney General Eric Holder criticized Fox News on Tuesday for its obsession with the administration's characterization of the Islamic State."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Evan McMurry of Mediaite: "Adding to the list of 'things Obama has been called in the past week,' which already included the Antichrist, the Seventh King, and a rape suspect, we now have 'assclown.' Kevin Cusick, a sports producer for the Pioneer Press, apologized Monday for using the term to refer to President Barack Obama in a slideshow that included Obama's selfie-stick moment from a BuzzFeed video.... 'After further review, it's a poor choice of word,' Cusick told local news station KMSP."

CW: If you're a little unsure of how perverted the right wing is, here's a helpful benchmark: they give prizes for hate speech. Paul Bond of the Hollywood Reporter: "Fourteen months after he sparked a major controversy for making remarks widely perceived as anti-gay, Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson has been named the recipient of a free-speech award from Citizens United, an organization routinely disparaged by Hollywood liberals. Robertson will receive the 'Andrew Breitbart Defender of the First Amendment Award' at this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, which is better known as CPAC and is one of the biggest annual events for prominent movers and shakers on the right."

Presidential Race

Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Martin of the New York Times: "Hillary Rodham Clinton held a private, one-on-one meeting with Senator Elizabeth Warren in December at Mrs. Clinton's Washington home, a move by the Democrats' leading contender in 2016 to cultivate the increasingly influential senator and leader of the party's economic populist movement. The two met at Whitehaven, the Clintons' Northwest Washington home, without aides and at Mrs. Clinton's invitation. Mrs. Clinton solicited policy ideas and suggestions from Ms. Warren, according to a Democrat briefed on the meeting, who called it 'cordial and productive.'" ...

... Hanna Rosin of the Atlantic: "When the 2016 presidential campaign was just a glimmer in the distance, at least a dozen conservative organizations had already dedicated themselves to Hillary Clinton's defeat. They are a combination of opposition-research shops, media outlets, and grass-roots activist groups. A couple have stationed staff in Little Rock to rifle through files in search of something new -- or even something old that can be framed in a newly relevant way.... If she runs for president ... Hillary Clinton will face something more like a vast right-wing conglomerate. This time around, the groups will be well funded, solidly professional, and thoroughly integrated into the party establishment."

Jeremy Peters of the New York Times: "Senator Rand Paul is eyeing April 7 as the day he will announce his plans to run for president, people close to him said, a step that would position him ahead of his potential Republican rivals as a declared candidate and allow him to begin raising money directly for his campaign 10 months before the Iowa caucuses."

Sahil Kapur of TPM: Jeb Bush makes a "mysterious" response to the judge's order on the ACA. But since he won't state any actual policy positions, he relies that handy fallback position: blame Obama! ...

... Catalina Camia of USA Today has a preview of Bush's foreign policy speech, scheduled for later today. Totally surprising nub of it: Obama & Clinton don't know what they're doing. ...

... Ed O'Keefe of the Washington Post: "Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who is considering a 2016 presidential campaign, is seeking to distinguish his views on foreign policy from those of his father and brother, two former presidents. But he's getting most of his ideas from nearly two dozen people, most of whom previously worked for George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush." ...

... "Jeb Bush & the Ghost of W." Steve Kornacki of MSNBC: "The model for Jeb Bush’s campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination is obvious: his brother.... But there are already signs that what worked so brilliantly for W may be futile for Jeb. The former Florida governor faces fiercer competition on his right and far stiffer resistance from the base; the mood of the party is far less pragmatic today; and even an obscenely fat bank account may not be enough to save him." ...

... Fred Flintstone for President. Jonathan Chait: " as part of his plan to win the Republican nomination, [Jeb Bush] is ... eschewing all foods unavailable to his caveman ancestors. In fact, the Paleo diet is pure pseudoscience.... The whole appeal of the Paleo diet is a primal fantasy that appeals to men enchanted with some vision of primitive brute strength. All this is to say that perhaps Jeb Bush will fit into the Republican primary just fine."

Senate Race

Marc Caputo in Politico: "Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the Democratic National Committee chairwoman, is strongly considering a bid for U.S. Senate, calculating that having Hillary Clinton at the top of the 2016 ticket would help lift her candidacy in a year-of-the-woman campaign. Driving Wasserman Schultz's interest: the increasing likelihood that Sen. Marco Rubio will run for the White House and that he ultimately won't seek reelection in 2016, Democratic insiders familiar with her thinking say."

Beyond the Beltway

Driftglass on Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (RKoch): "And so, one hire at a time, one policy decree at a time, our new governor works the Koch Brothers's playbook, line by line."

Judd Legum of Think Progress: "An Oklahoma bill banning Advanced Placement U.S. History would also require schools to instruct students in a long list of 'foundational documents,' including the Ten Commandments, two sermons and three speeches by Ronald Reagan.... [The] bill was approved by the Education committee on an 11-4 vote." ...

... Margaret Hartmann of New York has more.

Emily Le Coz of the Jackson, Mississippi, Courier-Ledger: "State Rep. Gene Alday, R-Walls, publicly apologized Tuesday for controversial statements he made in a Clarion-Ledger article that had sparked outrage among legislators. Addressing the House of Representatives, Alday acknowledged he made a mistake without repeating his original comments.... The comments in question refer to African-Americans in his hometown of Walls.... Alday, 57, told Clarion-Ledger investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell that he comes 'from a town where all the blacks are getting food stamps and what I call "welfare crazy checks." They don't work.' He also said that when he went to the emergency room one time, 'I liked to died. I laid in there for hours because they (blacks) were in there being treated for gunshots.' Alday later said the statements, which were published Sunday, appeared out of context and didn't accurately portray his feelings. He denied being racist and said he has supported civil rights." CW: Yes, because proper context would have rendered such remarks acceptable.

Hudson Hongo of Gawker: "Krispy Kreme's whimsical spelling has long straddled the line between 'friendly Southern grandma' and 'racist country grandpa,' but this week a UK branch of the donut chain accidentally went full hoods and crosses with an ad promoting 'KKK Wednesdays.' Apparently short for "Krispy Kreme Klub Wednesdays," the store responsible for the sign says they didn't realize the initials had already been taken another, more famous KKK.... On Tuesday, Krispy Kreme finally recognized their food-grade fuck up, removing the sign and issuing a formal apology." CW: The could make special donuts topped with cute little white icing hoods. Idiots.

News Ledes

Washington Post: "The coldest air of the season is surging south this week, leading up to what could be historic cold for parts of the eastern United States. Thursday and Friday's polar outbreak could set all-time February low records from Tennessee to Virginia." ...

... The Weather Channel describes the systems & how they likely will affect portions of the U.S.

Washington Post: "Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called Wednesday for an international peacekeeping mission in his nation's war-torn east, a stark admission that his nation can no longer fend off pro-Russian rebels after a major battlefield defeat. Any international force on the ground would harden the battle lines after 10 months of fighting, forcing Ukraine to give up for now its attempts to reunify the nation. But it would also halt Russian-backed rebels from pushing onward toward Kiev." ...

... New York Times: "President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine said on Wednesday that Ukrainian forces were withdrawing from the embattled town of Debaltseve, a strategically important transportation hub where intense fighting has raged in recent days despite a cease-fire agreement signed last week." ...

... Guardian: "The US has accused Russia of violating the ceasefire in Ukraine, amid reports that some Ukrainian troops are pulling out of the key strategic rail hub of Debaltseve. The US joined other UN security council members in lining up to pour scorn on a resolution drafted by Moscow approving the truce. Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN, said it was 'ironic to say the least' that Russia produced the motion at the same time as it was 'backing an all-out assault' in Ukraine despite the ceasefire."

New York Times: "Local prosecutors in Switzerland conducted a search of the offices of HSBC's Swiss private bank in Geneva on Wednesday as part of a new investigation into potential money laundering. The Geneva prosecutor's office said in a statement on Wednesday that it had opened a criminal inquiry into possible aggravated money laundering against HSBC Private Bank (Suisse), but it did not provide additional details."

Guardian: "Police in Paris and London have launched investigations after Chelsea supporters were filmed singing a racist chant and preventing a black man from boarding the Paris métro."