The Cheat Sheet

Frontpage: Tuesday, June 12th

1. Justice Department to Sue Florida: The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division plans to sue Florida because the state’s efforts to purge voters from its rolls violate federal law, it says.

2. Thousands Join Anti-Putin Rally: Tens of thousands of Russians on Tuesday protested Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite his government’s efforts a day before to quell the demonstration by raiding the homes of prominent protest leaders.

3. Pakistan Panel: Haqqai ‘Not Loyal’: A three-member judicial panel in Pakistan found that former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. Husain Haqqani was behind a memo sent to U.S. officials that sought their help in averting a military coup in Islamabad, according to reports out of Pakistan.

4. Bryson to Take Medical Leave: A Commerce Department memo revealed Monday night that Secretary John Bryson would take a medical leave of absence effective immediately following car crashes he was involved in Sunday.

5. L.A. Kings Win Stanley Cup: There’s a first time for everything. The Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup for the first time in the franchise’s 45-year history Monday night in Game 6 of the finals against the New Jersey Devils.

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Photo via picturedept:

The Invisible Book 2013

Horses Think Press is launching artist Justin James Reed’s invisible book 2013 tomorrow June 12th, from 8 - 10 pm at Grand Billiard. The photographs are printed using a type of ultraviolet ink that can only be viewed with a special UV light (each copy comes with the flashlight.)

Frontpage: Monday, June 11th

1. European Stocks Rise: European stocks took a turn for the better early Monday as markets breathed a sigh of relief after Spain accepted a bailout offer over the weekend.

2. GOP Hammers Obama on Leaks: Republican leaders had their sights trained on the Obama administration Sunday as the White House went into crisis mode over a series of media leaks.

3. Sandusky Sex-Abuse Trial Begins: Controversy is sure to return to Happy Valley as former Nittany Lions football coach Jerry Sandusky goes on trial Monday on 52 charges of sexual abuse.

4. ‘Porgy’ Wins Best Musical Revival: There was no acting on stage for the cast and production team of Porgy and Bess as the show won the Tony Award Sunday night for best musical revival.

5. Hundreds Evacuated in Colorado, NM: Communities in New Mexico and Colorado continued evacuations Monday as wildfires spread through forested areas of the states.

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Photo by AP

Syria’s Grief

Over the past two weeks, four massacres of civilians have been reported—most recently, at al-Qubeir, in the Homs district, where U.N. observers arrived on June 8 to investigate the deaths of 78 people. The monitors were greeted by the smell of rotting flesh and charred bodies. “I have not seen anything like this since Bosnia,” said one monitor. (The regime denied responsibility for the attack.)

-Katie Becker

Frontpage: Thursday, June 7th

1. U.N. to Discuss Syria Massacre: Following reports of a fresh massacre by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, U.N. special envoy Kofi Annan will meet Thursday with the Security Council and the General Assembly about the growing crackdown in Syria
2. Panetta: ‘Reaching Limits of Patience’:The U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday that the U.S. is “reaching limits of patience as far as Pakistan is concerned.”
3. China Cuts Interest Rates: China’s central bank announced a rate cut Thursday that will trim a quarter of a percent off its rate for deposits and loans.
4. Testing Could Spot Disorders in Fetuses: A team of researchers revealed that testing for 3,500 genetic disorders an unborn child could carry can be discovered by taking a blood sample of a woman 18 weeks pregnant and a swab of saliva from the father.
5. Romney Campaign Misspells Reagan: Mitt Romney’s campaign misspelled the name of one of the Republican party’s most-revered figures, Ronald Reagan.

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Photo by Andy Manis / AP Photo

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, center, holds his first cabinet meeting at the state Capitol on Wednesday after he beat Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in a recall election.

Frontpage: Wednesday, June 6th

1. Walker Wins Recall in WI: As numbers continue to be tallied, Gov. Scott Walker has been declared the projected winner in the Wisconsin recall election Tuesday night, beating out Democratic challenger Tom Barrett, whom he had defeated in the 2010 race.
2. Greece: We’re Almost Broke: Greek officials said on Wednesday that despite the most recent bailout, they could run out of money as soon as July—shortly after the country’s pivotal elections.
3. NATO Strike Kills Afghan Civilians: A local Afghan official said Wednesday that 17 civilians were killed in a NATO airstrike, although NATO officials said there were only two light injuries to civilians. The airstrike also reportedly killed six Taliban fighters.
4. Clinton Backs Bush Tax-Cut Expansion: As if Democrats didn’t have a bad enough night, Bill Clinton gave the party some more headaches. The former president said on Tuesday he supports the extension of his successor’s tax cuts—a major break from President Obama’s position.
5. Egyptian Protestors Return: Egyptian protesters returned to Tahrir Square on Tuesday night to protest the presidential candidacy of Ahmed Shafiq, former president Hosni Mubarak’s appointed prime minister during last year’s military crackdown.

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Photo via shortformblog:

R.I.P. Ray Bradbury: The “Fahrenheit 451” author, who wrote numerous other literary classics in his day, died Wednesday at 91. ”If I had to make any statement, it would be how much I love and miss him, and I look forward to hearing everyone’s memories about him,” Danny Karapetian, Bradbury’s son, said to io9. Sad news. 

Frontpage: Tuesday, June 5th

1. CIA Targeted Major Al Qaeda Leader: A CIA drone strike in Pakistan targeted al Qaeda’s second in command, Abu Yahia al-Libi, on Monday, though it was not clear if he was actually killed. Al-Libi took over as al Qaeda’s second-in-command after Osama bin Laden was killed and he reportedly runs day-to-day operations in Pakistan. U.S. officials said that the drone strike killed five people and that they were “optimistic” that al-Libi was one of them. 
2. Wisconsin Recall in ‘Dead Heat’: Political eyes will all be focused on Wisconsin Tuesday as voters go to the polls to decide whether to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Walker’s challenger, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, said the race is a “dead heat,” as most polls showed Walker has a narrow lead over his 2010 challenger.
3. Merkel: Need ‘More Europe’: German Chancellor Angela Merkel indicated on Monday that she will accept a grand bargain to give more support to some of the euro zone’s most troubled countries in exchange for more control over Europe’s spending. 
4. Thousands Line Up for Jubilee: Thousands lined the streets of London on Tuesday for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, as she rode in a carriage to St. Paul’s Cathedral, where the Archbishop of Canterbury led a Service of Thanksgiving to her. 
5. Clinton: Romney Would Be ‘Calamitous’: Former President Bill Clinton set the record straight on Monday night. After the Democrat praised Mitt Romney’s business record last week, calling it “sterling,” Clinton said at an Obama fundraiser in New York that a Romney presidency “would be in my opinion calamitous for our country and the world.” 

Photo via picturedept:

Diamond Jubliee Fashion

The Daily Beast has continuing coverage of the celebrations including a gallery of Jubliee fashion.

SEE GALLERY

Frontpage: Monday, June 4th

1. Romney’s Getting More Popular: Mitt Romney is becoming a lot more popular lately—but he’s still not as well liked as President Obama. A new CNN/ORC International poll finds that Romney has gone from 34 percent favorability in February to 48 percent.
2. US Defense Cuts Coming: A plan heavily favored by Republican leaders to cut 8 percent of the Pentagon’s budget effective Jan. 2 now has them scrambling to undo their own handiwork. The effects on the military as a result of the 10-year, $600 billion round of cuts remain unclear, but Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and other legislators have said that the belt-tightening measures, which would rein the defense budget back down to its 2007 level, would force the armed services to make choices that would affect local communities. “The soft underbelly that I’m trying to exploit is, what does this mean to your state?” Graham told reporters.
3. Europe Ponders ‘Fiscal Union’: Hard times bring people together. That idea may be put to the test in Europe, as leaders in euro countries contemplate a transnational finance ministry—once thought a pipe dream—as stocks slipped for the fourth day in a row Monday.
4. Car Bomb in Iraq Kills 18: Iraq’s Shiite religious-affairs office was the target of a brutal car-bomb attack Monday that claimed 18 lives and left dozens wounded. The explosion in the city’s capital came at about 11 a.m. local time and damaged surrounding buildings.
5. More Deaths Feared in Nigeria Crash: A plane crash that claimed the lives of all 153 passengers Sunday outside a Nigerian airport may have caused deaths on the ground as well, rescue workers said Monday. “The fear is that since it happened in a residential area, there may have been many people killed,” said National Emergency Management Agency spokesman Yushau Shuaib. 

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Photo: Spectators watch the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames. Hundreds of rowboats, barges and steamers filled the river as Queen Elizabeth II sailed through London. (John Stillwell, AFP/Getty Images.) More Photos of the Day

Frontpage: Thursday, May 31st

1. Syria Releases 500 Prisoners: The Syrian government released 500 political prisoners on Thursday, as shelling was reported in Houla, the site a deadly massacre less than a week ago.
2. Ireland Votes on EU Treaty: Ireland went to the polls Thursday to vote on the European Union’s fiscal pact, the only country of the 25 pro-pact nations that has put the treaty to a vote among its people. The treaty needs to be approved by 12 of the 17 Euro Zone nations to ratify it, so the outcome of the vote could be meaningless for the Euro Zone, but if Ireland rejects the pact, the country could be barred from emergency EU funding when its current bailout package expires in 2013. 
3. Suspect Kills Self in Seattle: The suspect in two Seattle shootings that left five dead fatally shot himself after a standoff with police Wednesday afternoon. Five other people died in the pair of shootings for which police believe the suspect was responsible. The shooter killed four people and wounded one other at a café in the university district in the north part of the city. 
4. Obama, Romney Tied in Key States: The general election is off to a close start, with Mitt Romney and Barack Obama virtually tied in Colorado, Iowa and Nevada—three battleground states. According to a new NBC News/Marist poll, President Obama is leading in Colorado among independents, women and voters under 45, while Romney is the favorite among male voters and those over the age of 45.  
5. Minister Testifies in Leveson Inquiry: Things are not looking so good for Jeremy Hunt. The embattled culture minister testified Thursday before the Leveson Inquiry about his role in Rupert Murdoch’s controversial—and doomed—bid to take over the British broadcaster BSkyB. Hunt had been the minister responsible for overseeing the regulatory process behind News Corp.’s BSkyB takeover and had the final say in approving the deal.

Photo via newsweek:

“At poolside Marilyn took off her blue bathrobe, hiding her body as she slid into the water. A few moments later, when she raised herself from the water, I could see that her panties were gone. She’d done it! And she was having a lot of fun.”

[Text excerpted from Marilyn & Me: A Photographer’s Memories (Nan A. Talese / Doubleday). Photo by Lawrence Schiller. More here.]

Frontpage: Wednesday, May 30th 

1. Andy Coulson Detained for Perjury: Andy Coulson, the former editor of News of the World and Prime Minister David Cameron’s former press secretary, was detained Wednesday in connection to a perjury inquiry. 
2. Charles Taylor Gets 50 Years: The International Criminal Court at The Hague on Wednesday sentenced former Liberian President Charles Taylor to 50 years in prison for aiding and abetting rebels in neighboring Sierra Leone in return for blood diamonds. In the ruling, presiding Judge Richard Lussaick said Taylor is “in a class of his own” when compared with others convicted by the United Nations–backed court. 
3. Russia, China Oppose Syria Action: Russia and China both opposed a United Nations–sponsored intervention on Wednesday, one day after special envoy Kofi Annan returned from Damascus and said that Syria is at a “tipping point.” Russia’s deputy foreign minister said Wednesday that the country is “categorically against” foreign intervention in Syria and that any new steps by the Security Council—on which both Russia and China hold important veto power—would be “premature.”
4. Britain Clears Assange Extradition: A British high court ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be extradited to Sweden, where he faces sexual-abuse allegations. The British government is expected to announce an extradition within 10 days, and on the appointed date, Assange will be handed over to Swedish authorities. 
5. Trump Steals Romney’s Spotlight: Donald Trump sure knows how to crash a party. The real-estate mogul grabbed headlines Tuesday after arguing with Wolf Blitzer—and then appeared at a Las Vegas fundraiser Tuesday with Mitt Romney, who had just clinched the Republican nomination. Romney thanked Trump for use of his Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, and said he “appreciated” Trump’s help. 

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Photo via picturedept:

Photo of the Day: May 29, 2012

Hats off Sailors
Graduation ceremonies at the U.S. Naval Academy.

PHOTO OF THE DAY ARCHIVE

Frontpage: Tuesday, May 29th 

1. Syrian Diplomats Expelled: Kofi Annan began negotiations in Syria on Monday in an effort to save his peace plan, while Russia, one of Syria’s allies, said the government should take most of the blame for the violence in Houla. Meanwhile Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Britain, and Italy all announced Tuesday that they would expel all Syrian diplomats immediately, a move coordinated with the U.S.’s hardline action.
2. 5.8 Quake Shakes Italy: A 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit northern Italy early Tuesday morning, killing at least 15 people and injuring another 200. The quake is the second to hit the region in nine days, after 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck on May 20 and left seven people dead and destroyed hundreds of buildings. 
3. Facebook Stock Falls to New Low: What’s worse than your stock tumbling after going public? Your stock tumbling some more. Facebook shares slid another 5 percent Tuesday, dropping the social network’s value about 21 percent since going public on May 18. Shares are now hovering around $30. 
4. Suu Kyi Makes Thailand Trip: Despite tensions with Burmese President Thein Sein, Democratic leader and activist Aung Sung Suu Kyi is making major strides in her new parliamentary role. The long-time political prisoner arrived in Thailand on Tuesday night—her first trip away from Burma in 24 years—where she is scheduled to meet with migrant workers, Burmese war refugees, and leaders at the World Economic Forum on East Asia. 
5. Al Qaeda’s No. 2 Afghan Killed: Al Qaeda’s second-highest leader in Afghanistan was killed by airstrikes carried out by NATO, the coalition confirmed on Tuesday. According to NATO, Sakhr al-Taifi was responsible for commanding foreign insurgents in Afghanistan and has also been credited with directing attacks against NATO and Afghan forces.

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Photo via picturedept:

Photo of the Day: May 28, 2012

Flood of Memories

A woman is reflected in the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski, AFP / Getty Images)

PHOTO OF THE DAY ARCHIVE

Frontpage: Friday, May 25th

1. Tony Blair to Testify Monday: Former British prime minister Tony Blair will testify Monday in Parliament’s Leveson Inquiry, the investigation into media ethics and standards at Rupert Murdoch’s News International. 
2. Morsi Leading Egypt Vote: Results of Egypt’s presidential elections are trickling in on Friday. The final results will not be released until Tuesday, but Egyptian newspapers say the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamad Morsi is emerging as the frontrunner. 
3. Patz Suspect Taken to Bellevue: Pedro Hernandez, the man who has been arrested in connection to the 1979 death of Etan Patz, was transferred Friday morning to Bellevue Hospital and has been placed under suicide watch. Hernandez had been scheduled to be arraigned on Friday morning—the 33rd anniversary of the day that Patz disappeared.
4. Spain’s Bankia Asks for $19B Bailout: Spanish lender Bankia will ask the country for a $19 billion bailout Friday, after it was partially nationalized and a new management team presents a restructuring plan. Bankia spells trouble for Spain’s already fragile economy, and loan losses from the 2008 property crash could make the country seek international aid. 
5. SpaceX’s Dragon Capsule Docks: The privately owned Dragon capsule has successfully docked at the International Space Station on Friday. This is the first time a private company has launched a spacecraft that has been snared by the robotic arm at the International Space Station. The unmanned craft, owned by the California-based SpaceX, was on track to deliver a half ton of supplies.

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Photo via discoverynews:

Station Crew Catches A Dragon by the Tail

After a painstakingly and careful approach to the space station, a cargo capsule built and operated by SpaceX, was captured by astronauts aboard the orbital outpost.

keep reading

WATCH IT ON NASA TV Live here

Frontpage: Thursday, May 24th

1. Inquiry Grills Murdoch Lobbyist: News Corp. lobbyist Frédéric Michel appeared before the Leveson Inquiry into the ethics of the British press on Thursday to answer allegations that he communicated with an adviser to the British culture minister, who was overseeing News Corp.’s $12 billion bid to take over the cable company BSkyB. Michel admitted to exchanging phone calls, texts, and email messages with Adam Smith, the government aide, though he denied knowledge that Smith was feeding his communications to the culture minister.
2. Egypt Votes for Second Day: Egyptians returned to the polls on Thursday for the second day of voting in the country’s first free election since ousting former President Hosni Mubarak last year. Lines at the polls were not as long as Wednesday, although Egyptian authorities proclaimed Thursday a holiday to allow public-sector employees access to vote.
3. Zimmerman Criticized Cops in 2011: George Zimmerman, the self-appointed neighborhood watch volunteer who has been charged with shooting and killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, apparently criticized Sanford police last year after he went on a 12-hour ride-along, according to recordings from an open city forum. “What I saw was disgusting,” Zimmerman told mayor-elect Jeff Triplett, who held the forum following a scandal that ousted former police chief Brian Tooley. 
4. Europe to Greece: Stay in the Euro: It’s been a tumultuous few weeks in Europe. And now that it looks like Greece might leave the euro zone, other European leaders are planning for what could be explosive markets to follow. Most countries agreed that they should issue bonds to help members in financial turmoil, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Greece would have to “uphold the commitments it has made.” 
5. Suspect Confesses to Strangling Etan Patz: A New Jersey man reportedly confessed to police that he strangled Etan Patz, the 6-year-old boy who disappeared in 1979, and hid his body in a box, officials told The New York Times on Thursday.

Photo via picturedept:

Jon Lowenstein

Photographer Jon Lowenstein took this wonderful photo of last weekend’s anti-NATO demonstrations in Chicago. Lowenstein, who recently received a Guggenheim fellowship, has spent a decade photographing the people and neighborhoods in the South Side of Chicago. Last month, on assignment for Newsweek/Daily Beast, he photographed South Side neighborhoods hit by a dramatic rise in crime and gang violence. View that work here. And you can see many more of Jon’s photographs here.

Frontpage: Wednesday, May 23rd

1. Hollande, Merkel Showdown Expected: European leaders will meet Wednesday for the first summit since the French and Greek elections, amid the backdrop of the possible looming economic crisis. At nearly all the previous summits, German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with former French president Nicolas Sarkozy beforehand to create a united strategy—but Sarkozy’s successor, François Hollande, will meet with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in Paris ahead of the summit.
2. Pakistani Doctor Gets 33 Years: A Pakistani doctor who reportedly ran a fake vaccination campaign that helped the U.S. capture Osama bin Laden has been sentenced to at least 33 years in prison, a Pakistani local government official said Wednesday. 
3. News of the World Former Top Editor Hacked: Apparently hacking at News of the World was so rampant, not even its top editor was safe from being tapped. Scotland Yard is investigating the alleged hacking in 2006 of former NotW editor Andy Coulson’s voice messages to an aide of former home secretary Charles Clarke.
4. Iran Nuke Talks Begin in Baghdad: The U.S. and five nations resumed negotiations about Iran’s suspected nuclear program at a conference in Baghdad on Wednesday—a meeting that came just one day after Tehran indicated willingness to allow international inspections of its secret military facilities.
5. Investors Sue Facebook, Zuckerberg: Facebook shareholders filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Facebook, its chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, and several banks led by Morgan Stanley for hiding weakened growth forecasts for the social network ahead of its initial public offering. The suit alleges that the company and the banks tried conceal that there was a “severe and pronounced reduction” in Facebook’s revenue-growth forecasts just ahead of the social network going public.

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Photo: The Man Who Would Lead Egypt: Abdul Moneim Aboul Fotouh. Above, Fotouh arrives in Oussim to give a campaign speech. (Moises Saman / Magnum for Newsweek) Full slideshow. 

Frontpage: Monday, May 21st

1. Obama’s Super PAC Slumps: Priorities USA Action, the largest pro-Obama super PAC, is trailing GOP political action committees as the two sides prepare for the first general election in which they are likely to play a major role. Priorities USA Action raised $1.6 million in April, $3 million less than what Restore Our Future, a PAC that supports presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney, drew in over the same period.
2. Protesters to Hit Chicago: Chicago police clashed with demonstrators Sunday, but protesters say they’ll be back on the streets Monday as leaders from the 28 NATO countries meet. At least 45 people were arrested Sunday, and four officers were taken to the hospital, including one who was stabbed in the leg, according to Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy.
3. Probe Targets DSK Rape Allegations: Thoroughly disgraced French politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn may have been involved in rape, said a French prosecutor who’s opening a preliminary investigation into the allegations. The prosecutor is responding to requests by judges in Lille, France, to look more closely into allegations of sexual crimes after probing a prostitution ring in the city.
4. Bombing in Yemen Kills 90: A suicide bomber reportedly disguised as a soldier struck in Yemen on Monday, killing at least 90 and perhaps as many as 100 people. A group with ties to al Qaeda has climb responsibility for the bombing that struck a group of soldiers gathered near the presidential palace in the capital.
5. Facebook Shares Dive: After a tepid reception last week, the blue-and-white juggernaut continued to make a disappointing showing on the market Monday, diving 12 percent in the first half hour of trading. 

Photo via picturedept:

Photo of the Day: May 20, 2012

Gay Group Leader Beaten in Ukraine

Unidentified men beat Svyatoslav Sheremet, head of the advocacy group Gay Forum of Ukraine, as he met with members of the media in Kiev to announce that a scheduled gay-pride parade was cancelled. The attackers ran off when they realized members of the media were documenting the attack.

PHOTO OF THE DAY ARCHIVE