The Note’s Must-Reads for Friday, January 1, 2010
EmailThe Note’s Must-Reads are a round-up of today’s political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com
Compiled by ABC News Desk Assistants PETER MARTINEZ, KRISTEN RED-HORSE, CLAUDIA MORALES, JESSICA HOPPER and CARRIE HALPERIN
BOOKMARKS:
The Must-Reads Online: LINK
Top Line Webcast (12noon EST M-F): LINK
ABC News Politics: LINK
The Political Punch (Jake Tapper): LINK
George’s Bottom Line (George Stephanopoulos): LINK
Follow ABC News on Twitter: LINK
ABC News Mobile: LINK
ABC News app on your iPhone/iPod Touch: LINK
YEAR IN REVIEW:
Time’s Alex Altman: “TIME’s Top 10 News Stories of 2009″ LINK
HEALTH CARE:
The Washington Times’ Donald Lambro: “Dems brace for voter backlash on health” LINK
The Washington Post’s Meg Kinnard: “GOP attorneys general demand a change in Senate health-care bill” LINK
Newsweek’s Howard Fineman: “Obama’s Health-Care Gamble” LINK
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
The Boston Globe’s Political Intelligence: “Libertarians say Obama same as Bush” LINK
The Associated Press’ Philip Elliott and Calvin Woodward: “Obama begins new year with eye on intel” LINK
The Associated Press: “White House defends TSA nominee” LINK
The Washington Post’s Robert O’Harrow Jr.: “TSA nominee misled Congress about accessing confidential records” LINK
AIR SCARE / TERROR PLOT / SECURITY:
ABC News’ Rachel Martin and Devin Dwyer: “Terror Attempt a Referendum on Obama Security Policy” LINK
ABC News’ Jon Garcia: “Obama ‘Cleared the Decks’ for the Preliminary Terror Reports” LINK
Politico’s Staff: “Intel director: Al Qaeda ‘diminished’” LINK
Politico’s Mike Allen: “Intelligence claim draws fire” LINK
The Washington Times’ Joseph Weber: “Obama expects review of Christmas attack by Thursday night” LINK
The Associated Press’ Anne Flaherty: “CIA bombing raises question about safety protocols” LINK
The New York Times’ Peter Baker: “Obama Aide Gets Waiver to Investigate Airline Plot” LINK
The Washington Post’s Karen DeYoung: “Bombing Reports Start Trickling in to Obama” LINK
The Washington Post’s: British universities sometimes seen as breeding grounds for radical Islam LINK
The Washington Post’s Sudarsan Raghavan: “Investigators Scrutinize Yemeni American Cleric’s Ties to Plane Suspect” LINK
The Washington Post’s Kimberly Kindy: “Ex-Homeland Security Chief Head Said To Abuse Public Trust By Touting Body Scanners” LINK
Bloomberg’s Nicholas Johnston and Viola Gienger: “Obama Reviewing Initial Reports on Christmas Day Air Incident” LINK
The New York Times’ Peter Baker and Charlie Savage: “Terror Attempt May Hinder Plans to Close Guantanamo” LINK
FOREIGN AFFAIRS / CIA:
ABC News’ Mathew Cole, Nick Schifrin and Kirin Radia: “Suicide Bomber Was Invited Onto CIA Base, Wasn’t Searched” LINK
ABC News’ Jake Tapper: “As Part of Iraqi Reconciliation, U.S. Forces Release Head Of Shiite Extremist Group” LINK
ABC News’ Kirit Radia: “President Obama Letter to CIA Employees” LINK
Politico’s Jen Dimascio: “Napolitano on the hot seat, again” LINK
Time’s Bobby Ghosh: “The CIA Takes a Big Hit in the Afghan War” LINK
The Los Angeles Times’ Borzou Daragahi and Ramin Mostaghim: “Mousavi’s nephew had received threats, friends say” LINK
The New York Times’ Mark Mazzetti: “CIA Takes on Expanded Role on Front Lines” LINK
Bloomberg’s Viola Gienger: “CIA Workers Killed in Afghanistan as U.S. Steps Up Spying Role” LINK
BLACKWATER:
The Associated Press’ Matt Apuzzo: “Judge cites gov’t missteps, tosses Blackwater case” LINK
Politico’s Josh Gerstein: “Jude dismisses Blackwater case” <a href=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/31091.html
The Los Angeles Times' David G. Savage: "Judge throws out Blackwater guards' charges in Iraqi deaths" LINK
Bloomberg’s Karen Gullo: “Blackwater Guards Get Iraqi Death Charges Dismissed” LINK
The New York Times’ Charlie Savage: “Judge Drops Charges From Blackwater Deaths in Iraq” LINK
The Washington Post’s Del Quentin Wilber: “Charges Dismissed against Blackwater Guards in Iraq Deaths” LINK
DEMOCRATS/REPUBLICANS:
Politico’s Martin Kady ll: “GOP lawmakers stay vocal during break” LINK
The New York Daily News’ James Gordon Meek AND Stephanie Gaskell: “GOP poised for comeback in midterm elections” LINK
SUPREME COURT:
The New York Times’ Adam Liptak: “A Busy Year for Judiciary, Roberts Says” LINK
The Washington Post’s Robert Barnes: “Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts opts not to ask Congress to raise judicial salaries” LINK
OTHER:
The Hills’ Ben Geman: “Gore: Polluters like big tobacco” LINK
The New York Times’ Kirk Johnson: “Ruling by Montana Supreme Court Bolsters Physician-Assisted Suicide” LINK
ABC NEWS VIDEOS:
“The Conversation: Afghan Bombing” LINK
“Obama Underestimating War” LINK
“Sebelius Unveils H1N1 Ad for New Year’s Day” LINK
“Findings From Terror Report Expected” LINK
“CIA Workers Killed in Afghanistan” LINK
CPAC: Romney Struggles to Convince Voters 
Obama Backs Off Birth Control Battle?
I long for the original “Note” when it was just a narrative of the political news of the upcoming day, not a site with a bunch of bookmarks based on content. That’s why I stopped rreading it for at least a year.
If you get back to the basics maybe I’d return – your original site – “what’s going on today” – is still the best. The rest, and now you, want to be all things to everyone.
Just my opinion — and of half of the staff on the Hill. Check it out if you can.
Posted by: J. H. Noon an | January 1, 2010, 7:38 pm 7:38 pm
The morning Note — the narrative laying out the day — will be back tomorrow. We went dark for 10 days around the holidays, but we’re back as usual Monday-Friday starting Jan. 4.
Posted by: Rick Klein | January 3, 2010, 8:52 pm 8:52 pm