memeorandum: African Lion Kisses, Hugs Woman Who Saved It (WKMG-TV)

1:00 PM ET, January 13, 2007

Top Items:

Expert Admits "Big Error" In Duke Case — (CBS) The forensic expert hired by the prosecutor in the Duke rape case says he made a "big error" in judgment by not stating in his report that the only DNA he found on the accuser was from several men who were not on the Duke lacrosse team.

Discussion: Fox News, The Volokh Conspiracy, Scared Monkeys, JustOneMinute, Ace of Spades HQ, Durham-in-Wonderland, A Blog For All and Blue Crab Boulevard

New York Times:

Prosecutor Asks to Exit Duke Case — The district attorney in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case asked the state attorney general on Friday to take over the troubled prosecution, saying he faced a conflict of interest because of ethics charges filed against him by the state bar, officials involved in the case said.

Discussion: Althouse

Raleigh News & Observer:

Nifong asks to be removed from case — THE LATEST: Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong has asked to be removed from the Duke University lacrosse case. — Nifong made the request in a letter delivered to the office of N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper. — The attorney general's office could take over the case.

Discussion: Durham-in-Wonderland, Outside The Beltway, ABCNEWS and LieStoppers

Duff Wilson / New York Times:

Prosecutor Asks State to Take Over Duke Case — The district attorney has asked the state attorney general to take over prosecution of the sexual offense and kidnapping case against three Duke University lacrosse players, an official involved in the case said today.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Durham-in-Wonderland, Abovethelaw.com, thephink.com and Patterico's Pontifications

Associated Press:
Duke prof. quits committees in protest

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, Done With Mirrors, protein wisdom and QandO

BBC:

Last Somali Islamist base 'falls' — Somali government troops backed by Ethiopian soldiers have captured the last stronghold of the Union of Islamic Courts, the defence minister says. — Col Barre Aden Shire said the town of Ras Kamboni, in south-eastern Somalia, fell after several days of fighting.

Discussion: ThreatsWatch

Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters:

Final Islamist Collapse In Somalia (Updated) — The final organized base of the Union of Islamic Courts fell to Ethiopian and Somali forces last night, completing the lightning rout of what had been an ascendant radical Islamist force. Ras Kamboni had been the last organized redoubt for the UIC …

Andrew England / Financial Times: Somalia strike 'missed al-Qaeda targets'

Jonathan Karl / ABCNEWS:

EXCLUSIVE: Hillary Clinton Calls Situation in Iraq 'Heartbreaking' — Senator Spoke Out Against the President's Policy in Iraq — In an exclusive interview with ABC News in Baghdad, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., called the situation in Iraq "heartbreaking" and said she doubts Congress …

Discussion: The Swamp and Balloon Juice

Neil A. Lewis / New York Times:

Official Attacks Top Law Firms Over Detainees — The senior Pentagon official in charge of military detainees suspected of terrorism said in an interview this week that he was dismayed that lawyers at many of the nation's top firms were representing prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba …

Discussion: Prairie Weather, Talking Points Memo, Abovethelaw.com, The Belgravia Dispatch, the talking dog and Law Blog

Robert B. Reich / American Prospect:

Bad-Faith Negotiation — What's missing from the Democrats' new bill on bargaining prescription drug prices. — House Democrats are pushing a bill to require Medicare to negotiate drug prices. So far, so good. But in what appears to be a bow to the political clout of Big Pharma …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias

Greg Mankiw / Greg Mankiw's Blog:
Dingell vs CBO

Discussion: Angry Bear and Redstate

New York Times:

Bush Authorized Iranians' Arrest in Iraq, Rice Says — A recent series of American raids against Iranians in Iraq was authorized under an order that President Bush decided to issue several months ago to undertake a broad military offensive against Iranian operatives in the country, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday.

Discussion: PoliBlog (TM), Larisa Alexandrovna's …, Prairie Weather, FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog, BAGnewsNotes, The Reaction, AMERICAblog, Bark Bark Woof Woof, jules crittenden, The Agonist, Unfogged, Washington Post and New York Post

Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:

Rod Dreher: "Hadn't the hippies tried to tell my generation this"? — (updated below) — Rod Dreher is as conservative as it gets — a contributor to National Review and the Corner, a current columnist for The Dallas Morning News, a self-described "practicing Christian and political conservative."

Discussion: The Mahablog and Matthew Yglesias

Curt / Flopping Aces:

The Latest & Greatest On Jamil Hussein — I decided to step away a bit, but not completely, on the Jamil Hussein story and get back to the crux of the story. The whole thing has become convoluted and twisted to the point where people are not sure which way is up so I figured a little history …

Discussion: Democracy Project, Michelle Malkin, Ace of Spades HQ, The Jawa Report and Confederate Yankee

New York Times:

Passing Exchange Becomes Political Flashpoint — A passing exchange during a Senate hearing on Thursday turned into a political flashpoint overnight as Senator Barbara Boxer, the California Democrat, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accused one another of insensitivity in comments about motherhood and the war in Iraq.

Discussion: Althouse, Feministing, The Carpetbagger Report and Norwegianity

Brad / The BRAD BLOG:
White House Made No Casualty Estimates for 'Surge' Plan According to Rice Admission!

Discussion: The Xsociate Files, The Right Angle and jules crittenden

Opinion Journal:

The Berger Files — The case of the purloined archives gets stranger all the time. — The more we learn about Sandy Berger's brilliant career as a document thief, the clearer it becomes that there is plenty we still don't know and may never learn. On Tuesday, the House Government Reform …

Discussion: Blue Crab Boulevard

Dan / Riehl World View:

Controversial Dem Manufactured White House Quotes — Updated at Bottom! — A newly-elected Democrat Congressman who first drew heat for insulting First Lady Laura Bush is now battling with the White House over allegedly insulting confrontations with Karl Rove, Vice President Dick Cheney, and President and Mrs. Bush.

Discussion: Lakeshore Laments and Kung Fu Quip

WKMG-TV:

African Lion Kisses, Hugs Woman Who Saved It — People Shocked To See Affection Between Pair — People in Cali, Colombia, are shocked to see the bond between a large African lion and a woman who saved it from abuse, involving long, affectionate kisses and hugs between the pair.

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, Kesher Talk, NewsBusters.org and Tennessee Guerilla Women