memeorandum: Hollande denounces ‘homophobic’ violence (The Local)

9:25 AM ET, April 18, 2013

Top Items:

EMS Director Says 60 To 70 Dead In West Explosion — West EMS Director Dr. George Smith says as many as 60 or 70 people died and hundreds were injured Wednesday night in a fertilizer plant explosion in West. — A rescuer earlier said he knew of five deaths.

Selwyn Crawford / Dallas Morning News:

Live video: Explosion, injuries reported at fertilizer plant near Waco in West, Texas — A massive explosion at a fertilizer plant rocked the town of West, north of Waco, causing multiple injuries and leaving people trapped and buildings on fire. — Firefighters were reported among …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, Chicago Boyz, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Moderate Voice, The Agonist and AMERICAblog

Lateef Mungin / CNN:

Explosion hits fertilizer plant north of Waco, Texas — Are you there? Please send photos and videos to iReport, but please stay safe. — (CNN) — An explosion ripped through a fertilizer plant Wednesday night in the area of West, Texas, sending a massive fireball into the sky and causing dozens of injuries, officials said.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Booman Tribune, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Crooks and Liars

Washington Post:

Fertilizer plant explosion injures at least 160 in central Texas; 5 to 15 feared dead — A massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in central Texas Wednesday night left more than 160 people wounded and killed an estimated five to 15 people, officials said, likely including firefighters …

Discussion: Restoring Liberty and Outside the Beltway

Randy Lee Loftis / Dallas Morning News:

West fertilizer plant said in report that it presented no risk — The fertilizer plant that exploded Wednesday night in West, Texas, reported to the Environmental Protection Agency and local public safety officials that it presented no risk of fire or explosion, documents show.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Macleans.ca and Quartz

Lateef Mungin / CNN:
Deadly blast rattles Texas town

Discussion: Business Insider

Waco Tribune-Herald:
UPDATED: Fatalities confirmed in West plant explosion

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, Gawker and Los Angeles Times

BuzzFeed:
Massive Explosion In Texas Injures More Than 100, Leads To Evacuations

Discussion: Joe. My. God., Mediaite and U.S. News

Gabrielle Giffords / New York Times:

A Senate in the Gun Lobby's Grip — SENATORS say they fear the N.R.A. and the gun lobby. But I think that fear must be nothing compared to the fear the first graders in Sandy Hook Elementary School felt as their lives ended in a hail of bullets. The fear that those children who survived …

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senate rejects background checks on gun purchases in 54-46 vote

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Morning Read, CNN, The Impolitic, Hit & Run, The PJ Tatler, Zandar Versus The Stupid, The Lonely Conservative, Outside the Beltway and Whiskey Fire

John Hinderaker / Power Line:
A Lame Duck Squawks, But Why?

Discussion: Washington Times

Jacob Sullum / Hit & Run:
Obama Responds to His Gun Control Defeat With Self-Righteous Solipsism

Discussion: Power Line, Betsy's Page, White House.gov Blog and Instapundit

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Gun Control Effort Had No Real Chance, Despite Pleas

Discussion: The Maddow Blog

Ron Fournier / NationalJournal.com:
At Pivotal Point in Presidency, Obama Routed on Gun Control

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Roll Call, National Review, The Michael Bane Blog, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Hot Air and Instapundit

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
Senate Blocks Drive for Gun Control

Discussion: Politico, BOR, The Agonist, CNN, msnbc.com and Post Politics

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Open thread: Senate gun-control vote-a-rama; Update: Toomey/Manchin fails, 54/46; Update …

Discussion: USA Today, New York Times, Mediaite and Patterico's Pontifications

Boston Globe:

Authorities have clear video images of two suspects in Boston Marathon bombings, official says — Authorities have clear video images of two separate suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings carrying black bags at each explosion site and are planning to release the images today in an appeal …

Discussion: The Hill, msnbc.com, CBS Boston and The Boston Marathon

CNN:

Hillary Clinton reacts to Boston bombing — (CNN) - Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paid tribute Wednesday to those who ran to help victims of the Boston Marathon bombing earlier this week. In a speech at a Global Fund for Women anniversary gala in New York City, Clinton said such spirit of …

Discussion: Politico, The Hill and Taylor Marsh

Los Angeles Times:
Videos point to 2 suspects in Boston Marathon bombing

Discussion: Daily Mail and Weasel Zippers

FBI:
No Arrest Made in Bombing Investigation

Daily Mail: Boston bomber is caught on camera: FBI reveals store footage shows 'dark-skinned man …

New York Times:
Suspicions in Boston Attack Turn to Man Seen in Videos

Discussion: NewsBusters, Poynter and Yahoo! News

The Boston Globe:
Image shows suspect carrying, perhaps dropping, black bag

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Associated Press, Weasel Zippers, American Power, Talking Points Memo, The Reaction, CNN, The Week and The Hill

U.S. News:

Feds arrest suspect in ricin-positive letters sent to Obama, senator — The ricin-laced letters sent to President Obama and Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker were both postmarked April 8 and sent from Memphis, Tenn., signed “I am KC and I approve this message.” A third letter went to Michigan Sen. Carl Levin.

Discussion: New York Times, Outside the Beltway, Business Insider, The Hinterland Gazette, CANNONFIRE, Mediaite, The Week, Twitchy and Towleroad News #gay

Jason Howerton / TheBlaze.com:

MIND-BOGGLING DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT RICIN LETTER SUSPECT: 'I'M ON THE HIDDEN FRONT LINES OF A SECRET WAR' — Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, of Tupelo, Miss., has been arrested in connection with ricin letters that were sent to both Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and President Barack Obama," The New York Times reports.

Discussion: New York Times, Fox News, Ed Driscoll, No More Mister Nice Blog, Restoring Liberty, BuzzFeed, Patterico's Pontifications, The Jawa Report, Mediaite and The PJ Tatler

Lady Liberty 1885:

Paul Kevin Curtis and the Ricin Letters — NOTE: This post was embargoed by LL1885 pending confirmation of the suspect's identity. We did not want to get the wrong guy. It was written at 2:16 pm EST and held until now. Paul Kevin Curtis Arrested for Ricin Letters My co-blogger …

Discussion: Clarion-Ledger, The Week, Weasel Zippers and Doug Ross

Jason Zengerle / New York Magazine:

How Savvy Jenny Sanford Sabotaged Ex-Husband Mark's Political Comeback — Obama Delivers Emotional Condemnation of Senate Republicans After Gun-Control Defeat — A couple of months ago, when I was reporting a feature on Mark Sanford's political comeback and the ongoing soap opera between …

Discussion: Power Line, The Hinterland Gazette, Right Turn, Balloon Juice, U.S. News, Washington Wire and Towleroad News #gay

Washington Post:
GOP abandons Mark Sanford; ex-wife says sons ‘upset’ over encounter with former mistress

Discussion: Post Politics, Washington Monthly, Dependable Renegade, The Greenroom and msnbc.com

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
Republicans pull plug on Mark Sanford

Jordy Yager / The Hill:

Lawyer up, Issa warns CIA staff — In separate letters to the legal offices of the CIA, State Department and Defense Department, Issa said some witnesses on the issue might need lawyers, if their agencies decide to retaliate against them for their testimony.

Discussion: Hot Air

Sharyl Attkisson / CBS News:
House investigators talking to new Benghazi whistleblowers

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

The Local:

Hollande denounces ‘homophobic’ violence — President François Hollande has denounced “homophobic” acts as protests against the bill once again boiled over on Wednesday night. The French parliament just days away from the crucial and final vote on whether to legalise gay marriage.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Joe. My. God. and Towleroad News #gay

Ryan Grim / The Huffington Post:

Patricia Maisch, Hero Of Tucson, Escorted Out Of Capitol For Shaming Senate — WASHINGTON — Patricia Maisch, a hero of the Tucson shooting that left six dead and another 13 wounded, including former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), was escorted by police out of the Capitol Wednesday …

Discussion: Daily Kos, Mediaite, ThinkProgress and The Raw Story

Robert Stanton / Houston Chronicle:

Humble first-grader says teacher sent kids out, fondled her — A first-grade teacher at an Humble prep school cited her racial prejudice against black students in denying allegations that she fondled a girl in her classroom last month, according to court records.

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, Zandar Versus The Stupid, The Daily Caller and Alan Colmes' Liberaland