memeorandum: Democratic Elections Provide Silver Linings in a Cloudy World (Gerald F. Seib/Wall Street Journal)

7:50 AM ET, May 27, 2014

Top Items:

NIGERIAN DEFENSE CHIEF SAYS ABDUCTED GIRLS LOCATED — ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's military has located nearly 300 school girls abducted by Islamic extremists but fears using force to try to free them could get them killed, the country's chief of defense said Monday.

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Mediaite, Mashable, Gawker and Jezebel

Dana Ford / CNN:

Nigerian official: We know where abducted girls are — (CNN) — A top Nigerian military official believes he knows the whereabouts of girls kidnapped last month, but he says the nation's military will not use force to try to rescue them, a state news report said Monday. — “We want our girls back.

Discussion: Sic Semper Tyrannis

Agence France-Presse:
‘We know where missing girls are’: Nigeria's top military officer

Discussion: The Week

Kara Swisher / Re/code:

Rap Genius Co-Founder Moghadam Fired Over Tasteless Comments on Santa Barbara Shooting — Rap Genius co-founder Mahbod Moghadam has been fired from the annotation service after posting appalling comments on the memoir of mass murderer Elliot Rodger, who killed six people in a shooting spree earlier this week.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, I Acknowledge, Althouse, The Week, Mediaite, Gawker, The Raw Story and Mashable, more at Mediagazer »

Echidne / ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES:

The Day Of Retribution. On Elliot Rodger, the Butcher of Santa Barbara. — This post is about the slaughter carried out by Elliot Rodger in Santa Barbara. It is about violence, the hatred of women and the general hatred of humans. Consider carefully whether you wish to read it.

Discussion: I Acknowledge, Joe For America, we hunted the mammoth, Mediaite, emptywheel, The Raw Story and Return Of Kings

NY Daily News:
Lupica: Santa Barbara rampage shows it's too easy to get guns that make mass murder easier

Discussion: New York Times, Hot Air, Firedoglake and Washington Post

Jordan Sargent / Gawker:
Rap Genius Cofounder's Creepy Comments on Elliot Rodger's Memoir

Discussion: I Acknowledge, New York Times, The Verge, Canada Blog … and James Michael Sama

Joan Walsh / Salon:

GOP's post-Obama problem: Why they're lost without him — and with the electorate he helped create — The establishment vanquished the Tea Party by drinking its poison — but has no plan for life after this president — With the 2014 congressional primary season almost behind us …

Discussion: NewsBusters

Gerald F. Seib / Wall Street Journal:

Democratic Elections Provide Silver Linings in a Cloudy World — When President Barack Obama delivers a big foreign-policy address at West Point on Wednesday, he'll talk about the tensions and disputes that suddenly seem to be breaking out all around the globe.

Michael D. Shear / New York Times:

Colleges Rattled as Obama Seeks Rating System — WASHINGTON — The college presidents were appalled. Not only had President Obama called for a government rating system for their schools, but now one of his top education officials was actually suggesting it would be as easy as evaluating a kitchen appliance.

Discussion: Unfogged

Reuters:

Eurosceptic election surge gives EU a headache — (Reuters) - Stunning victories in European Parliament elections by nationalist, Eurosceptic parties from France and Britain left the European Union licking its wounds on Monday and facing a giant policy dilemma.

Discussion: VodkaPundit, BBC, Power Line, CNN, Outside the Beltway and Guardian

John Fund / National Review:
European Earthquake — The voters demonstrate their Euroskepticism …

Discussion: New York Times and Hot Air

Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Europe's Secret Success

Discussion: Marginal REVOLUTION and JustOneMinute

ThinkProgress:

Hours After UCSB Shooting, Man Allegedly Shot At Women For Refusing To Have Sex With Him — A California man allegedly fired his gun at three women Saturday morning who refused to have sex with him and his friends. — The women, estimated to be between about 18 and 19 years old …

Discussion: Jezebel and CNN

Greg Cotta / KTXL FOX40:
3 Women Refuse Sex, Suspect Fires Rounds

Discussion: The Raw Story

Toby Harnden / Real Clear Politics:

Greenwald's Finale: Naming Victims of Surveillance — The man who helped bring about the most significant leak in American intelligence history is to reveal names of US citizens targeted by their own government in what he promises will be the “biggest” revelation from nearly 2m classified files.

Discussion: Business Insider, CANNONFIRE and Little Green Footballs

Hadas Gold / Politico:

Veterans' groups rip Richard Burr over VA — Leading veterans groups are lashing out against Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) for an open letter he wrote scolding the organizations for not doing more to condemn Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki. — Calling Burr's letter a …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, VFW, RedState, New York Times and The World's Greatest …

CNN:

Biden: ‘Assume every microphone is on’ — (CNN) - Be wary of every microphone. — That was Vice President Joe Biden's advice Monday to a crowd at the kickoff for the Road 2 Recovery Memorial Challenge - where 200 cyclists, including injured veterans, ride 325 miles from Washington to Virginia Beach.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Politico and The Huffington Post