In today’s news, President Obama plans to address the nation about the deficit on Wednesday which will keep the subject front and center. In other eye-popping news, everyone’s favorite “Runaway General” McChrystal makes a comeback to public life by leading an initiative that will help the president and Mrs. Obama support military families, meanwhile Tim Pawlenty’s aggressive targeting of potential young voters gets a boost as he hires 28-year-old Nick Ayers for the big job of managing his campaign.
Elsewhere, Facebook is headed to China (will they experience the same political woes that Google did?), Natalie Portman goes un-vegan, Charl Schwartzel out-puts Tiger et al. to win the Masters, and Rhianna finds another famous collaborator after last week’s American Country Music Awards in Britney Spears.
CRUCIAL:
Obama Puts Taxes on Table, http://on.wsj.com/erKwmz
President Obama will speak about the deficit on Wednesday, after remaining quiet for some time. He plans to lay out his goals of increasing taxes for the wealthy, reducing defense spending, and cutting from both Medicare and Medicaid.
McChrystal to Lead Program for Military Families, http://nyti.ms/gwVziq
Obama asked General Stanley A. McChrystal to oversee the support for military families initiative, despite the fact that the General was forced to retire after Rolling Stone “quoted his subordinates as disparaging senior civilian leaders.” The goal of the program is to support our forces who have voluntarily fought during the last decade of war.
Police Detain Women Protesting on First Day of French Islamic Veil Ban, http://wapo.st/efgoEu
After the law banning the niqab, a veil worn by a small group of Muslim women that reveals only their eyes, took affect in France today many women came out in protest, and some were taken by the police for participating in an unauthorized protest. Veiled women can be charged up to $215, and people who force women to wear the veil will pay a much heftier fee.
Facebook Goes to China: A Test of Zuckerberg’s Values, http://bit.ly/gjsIg9
Zuckerberg has made a deal with China’s largest search engine to develop a a website that will meet censorship laws in China. A number of problems exist with the creation, such as who will monitor posts and status updates, how this will be handled remains to be seen.
Tim Pawlenty Taps Nick Ayers as Campaign Manager, http://bit.ly/gp6Y4w
Tim Pawlenty hired a 28 year old with an impressive resume to be the campaign manager for his presidential exploratory committee. Nick Ayers served as the executive director of RGA at age 24.
Nial Ferguson on when social media goes bad: http://bit.ly/hftKsV
Andrew Brandt highlights the NFL courtroom showdown: http://huff.to/g1naXi
CULTURAL:
Pregnant Natalie Portman quits being vegan: http://bit.ly/hHIcPf
Queens of Pop Britney and Rihanna team up: http://bit.ly/i4HbEL
Jersey Short casts gets huge pay raise for Season 4: http://bit.ly/fzl6x7
NJ Nets fined $50,000 for Jay-Z’s mishap: http://on.mtv.com/fuNOck
Taylor Lautner talks Twihard tattoos: http://on.mtv.com/fPvQbN
Charl Schwartzel trounces Tiger to win Masters: http://ti.me/dPXTsz
Albums art meets book covers: http://bit.ly/i3sg3K
