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Obama Defers to Bush, for Now, on Gaza Crisis — WASHINGTON — When President-elect Barack Obama went to Israel in July — to the very town, in fact, whose repeated shelling culminated in this weekend's new fighting in Gaza — he all but endorsed the punishing Israeli attacks now unfolding.
Discussion:
The Politico, Time, D-Day, The Huffington Post, Commentary, TIME.com, Jules Crittenden, Washington Post, Abu Aardvark, CNN, TalkLeft, Wake up America, Tikun Olam and The Huffington Post
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Israeli Aircraft Continue Raids on Gaza; Arab Anger Rises — The Israeli army said some areas around Gaza had been declared a “closed military zone,” a move which some analysts depicted as a potential precursor to a ground offensive. Above, tanks near the Gaza border. More Photos >
Discussion:
Townhall.com, Telegraph, Guardian, Change.org's Blog Network, PBD, Los Angeles Times, danieldrezner.com and ATTACKERMAN

The Juicebox Mafia on Gaza — The Juicebox Mafia is working shifts on the Gaza crisis. Matthew Yglesias writes something dumb enough that it needs no elaboration: … Spencer Ackerman, who becomes very Jewish when it comes time to condemn Israel:

Food and Medical Supplies Grow Scarce in the Gaza Strip
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Little Green Footballs, Los Angeles Times, BBC, Matthew Yglesias and HelloTxt Status Manager

Israeli Ground Forces Enter Gaza …
Discussion:
Haaretz, Time, Ynetnews, Associated Press, Jerusalem Post, Israel Matzav, A Blog For All and Maggie's Farm

IAF uses new US-supplied smart bomb
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Haaretz, english.pnn.ps, Israpundit, The Muqata, Guardian, Mere Rhetoric and Commentary

RNC members call unprecedented special meeting — For the first time in party history, members of the Republican National Committee have called their own unscheduled meeting without the aid of the Washington-based party apparatus. — Organized by North Dakota Republican Party chairman Gary Emineth …
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My Response to the Mean-Spirited “Barack the Magic Negro” — The sending of a Christmas greeting by Chip Saltsman to the members of the Republican National Committee that includes a recording of the so-called parody, “Barack the Magic Negro” is not only offensive, it is shocking and saddening in the extreme.
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, Jezebel, The Strata-Sphere, Political Punch, JammieWearingFool and TMZ.com


As if Things Weren't Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S. — In Moscow, Igor Panarin's Forecasts Are All the Rage; America ‘Disintegrates’ in 2010 — MOSCOW — For a decade, Russian academic Igor Panarin has been predicting the U.S. will fall apart in 2010.
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TV News Winds Down Operations on Iraq War — Quietly, as the United States presidential election and its aftermath have dominated the news, America's three broadcast network news divisions have stopped sending full-time correspondents to Iraq. — “The war has gone on longer than a lot …
Discussion:
BLACKFIVE, The Raw Story, D-Day, American Power, Gawker, Think Progress, Michael Calderone's Blogs, Newshoggers.com, Hot Air and INSTAPUTZ
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Study: ‘Virginity pledges’ are ineffective — Youths who promise abstinence are also less likely to use protection — Teenagers who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are just as likely to have premarital sex as those who do not promise abstinence and are significantly less likely …


Under Bush, OSHA Mired in Inaction — In early 2001, an epidemiologist at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration sought to publish a special bulletin warning dental technicians that they could be exposed to dangerous beryllium alloys while grinding fillings.


Veterans of '90s Bailout Hope for Profit in New One — WASHINGTON — A tight-knit group of former senior government officials who were central players in the savings and loan bailout of the 1990s are seeking to capitalize on the latest economic meltdown, enjoying a surge in new business …
Discussion:
The New Republic, Fact-esque, theheretik.us, TPMMuckraker, Marginal Revolution, Prairie Weather and TPMCafe


The Weekend That Wall Street Died — Ties That Long United Strongest Firms Unraveled as Lehman Sank Toward Failure — With his investment bank facing a near-certain failure, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.'s chief executive officer, Richard Fuld Jr., placed yet another phone call to the man he thought could save him.

Fifty Herbert Hoovers — No modern American president would repeat the fiscal mistake of 1932, in which the federal government tried to balance its budget in the face of a severe recession. The Obama administration will put deficit concerns on hold while it fights the economic crisis.

Humbled By Our Ignorance — It's the end of an era. We know that 2008, much like 1932 or 1980, marks a dividing line for the American economy and society. But what lies on the other side is hazy at best. The great lesson of the past year is how little we understand and can control the economy.
Discussion:
Greg's Opinion


An NPR Reporter Becomes the News — In September, Ketzel Levine, a senior correspondent for National Public Radio, came up with an idea for a series about how Americans were handling economic pressure. Called “American Moxie: How We Get By,” it began in early December.


Hawaiian ‘shaka’ greeting comes natural to Obama — KAILUA, HI - Barack Obama may be the first U.S. president who can successfully pull off the shaka, a Hawaiian greeting Hawaiians say has various meanings, from “hang loose” and “cool” to “thanks.” — The hand gesture, also a common greeting …