memeorandum: US nearly detonated atomic bomb over North Carolina - secret document (Ed Pilkington/Guardian)

12:25 PM ET, September 21, 2013

Top Items:

Declassified document: US narrowly escaped nuclear blast in 1961 H-bomb accident — LONDON — A U.S. hydrogen bomb nearly detonated on the nation's east coast, with a single switch averting a blast which would have been 260 times more powerful than the device that flattened Hiroshima, a newly published book says.

Ed Pilkington / Guardian:

US nearly detonated atomic bomb over North Carolina - secret document — Exclusive: Journalist uses Freedom of Information Act to disclose 1961 accident in which one switch averted catastrophe — A secret document, published in declassified form for the first time by the Guardian today …

Discussion: Joe. My. God., Hot Air, National Updates, Sister Toldjah and NPR

BBC:

US plane in 1961 ‘nuclear bomb near-miss’ — A four-megaton nuclear bomb was one switch away from exploding over the US in 1961, a newly declassified US document confirms. — Two bombs were on board a B-52 plane that went into an uncontrolled spin over North Carolina - both bombs fell and one began the detonation process.

Discussion: Making Light

Guardian:
Goldsboro revisited: account of hydrogen bomb near-disaster over North Carolina - declassified document

Discussion: Gawker and U.S. News

Politico:

Obama calls Boehner, rules out debt negotiations — President Barack Obama is once again warning House Republicans that he will not negotiate over a debt-ceiling increase, even as the U.S. government moves closer to its borrowing limit. — Obama called Speaker John Boehner Friday night to reiterate his hard-line stance.

Discussion: Pirate's Cove and White House Dossier

Steve Benen / The Rachel Maddow Show:

Elections used to have consequences — If you listen to congressional Republicans defend their shutdown scheme and crusade to destroy the federal health care system, they'll routinely use the same phrase. The “American people,” the GOP claims, are on their side.

Discussion: Althouse, The Impolitic and The Plum Line

Joe Picard / The Hill: Obama calls Boehner, says he won't negotiate on debt ceiling

Adam Aigner-Treworgy / CNN:
Obama: ‘We are not some banana republic’

Discussion: Politico

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
House Bill Links Health Care Law and Budget Plan

Discussion: CNN, Voices, Gothamist, The Plum Line, Wall Street Journal, The Week, The Huffington Post, The Reaction and Washington Times

CNN:

At least 20 killed when gunmen attack Nairobi shopping mall, Red Cross says — (CNN) — Gunmen attacked an upscale shopping mall in the Kenyan capital on Saturday, leading to a fierce gunbattle with police and leaving at least 20 people dead, the Kenyan Red Cross said.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Gawker, The PJ Tatler, The Jawa Report, Guardian, BBC and National Updates

Jason Straziuso / Associated Press:

Gunmen Open Fire at Nairobi's Most Upscale Mall — Gunmen threw grenades and opened fire Saturday at Nairobi's most upscale mall, witnesses and police said. — Large pockets of people trapped in the mall came streaming out over the course of an hour. At least a half dozen were bloodied and were grabbed by first responders.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Jihad Watch

Chet / NorthDecoder.com:

(ND-ALL) Congressman Kevin Cramer To People Who Can't Find Jobs or Aren't Able To Work: Don't Eat — Earlier today, a constituent of North Dakota Congressman Kevin Cramer posted a comment on Cramer's Facebook wall. The constituent apparently wanted to make sure that …

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Igor Bobic / Talking Points Memo:
GOP Rep. Quotes Bible On Food Stamps: ‘If Anyone Is Not Willing To Work, Let Him Not Eat’

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Avik Roy / National Review:

Myths of the Obamacare Shutdown Soap Opera — There are a number of misperceptions of the internecine dispute taking place among conservatives, and within the Republican Party, around the effort by some to use the continuing resolution and the possibility of a government shutdown, to attempt to defund Obamacare.

Discussion: Power Line and Weekly Standard

Niels Lesniewski / Roll Call:

Filibuster the House CR? Cruz, Other Conservatives Say ‘Yes’ (Updated) — Sen. Ted Cruz said Friday that Republican senators should, in effect, filibuster the House-passed continuing resolution in the Senate. — The Texas Republican is calling on his colleagues to oppose limiting debate on it …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Conservative Intelligence …, The PJ Tatler, Senate Conservatives Fund, Booman Tribune, The Monkey Cage, The World's Greatest …, Campaign for America's Future, Hot Air and TheBlaze.com

Jake Miller / CBS News:
House passes bill funding government, defunding Obamacare

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Informed Comment, NBCNews, USA Today, msnbc.com, The Daily Beast, Borowitz Report, The Reaction, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and The Moderate Voice

Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:
John Boehner is being even more irresponsible than Ted Cruz

Discussion: p m carpenter's commentary, NBCNews, Washington Post, Speaker.gov, The Plum Line and Hullabaloo

Jake Tapper / The Lead with Jake Tapper:
GOP congressman: Senators will ‘find Jesus’ and defund Obamacare

Discussion: Conservative Intelligence …, Hot Air, National Review and Talking Points Memo

Tom Jackman / Washington Post:

Rollie Chance, misidentified as Navy Yard shooter, demands media accountability — Rollie Chance was home in Stafford, about 40 miles south of Washington, when he began watching the news about the shootings at the Washington Navy Yard Monday morning. A retired Navy lieutenant …

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Bloomberg:
Company Behind Snowden Check Also Vetted D.C. Shooter

Discussion: Power Line and National Review

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
Rollie Chance, Wrongly Suspected Navy Yard Shooter: I Thought ‘This Must Be A Joke’

Discussion: Hot Air, CNN and Talking Points Memo, more at Mediagazer »

Ray Takeyh / Los Angeles Times:

A kinder, gentler Iran? — Its new president, Hassan Rouhani, speaks softly but still carries a big stick. — Iranian President Hasan Rouhani speaks during an interview with state television in Tehran, Iran. (Rouzbeh Jadidoleslam / AP / September 10, 2013)

Discussion: Power Line

Julian Pecquet / The Hill:
Obama to make case at UN on Syria

Discussion: Politico

Mollie Hemingway / The Federalist:

What Your Neighborhood List-Serv Tells You About The Demise of America — I read the subject line for the latest message on my neighborhood listserv with interest: “Kids Cutting Grass?” — A few years ago I'd used a post with a similar headline to find someone to do some yard work.

Discussion: Hot Air

Sarah Kliff / Wonkblog:

A guide to freaking out about the newest Obamacare glitch — Welcome to Health Reform Watch, Sarah Kliff's regular look at how the Affordable Care Act is changing the American health-care system — and being changed by it. You can reach Sarah with questions, comments and suggestions here.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Hot Air, Wall Street Journal and Hit & Run

TIME:
Spread Your Legs for Uncle Sam

Discussion: The Raw Story, No More Mister Nice Blog, Guardian and Crooks and Liars

Ginger Gibson / Politico:

Darrell Issa to travel to Libya — Darrell Issa is scheduled to travel to Libya next week as part of his investigation into the attack last year on the Benghazi consulate, according to documents obtained by POLITICO. — The California Republican, who chairs the House Oversight …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, ThinkProgress, Moe Lane and Talking Points Memo