• 1

  4 hours ago

  Romney: I’m “Only Chance” to Defeat Obama

  

  AP
  Mitt Romney told a Detroit crowd Friday that he was the “only” candidate who could unseat President Barack Obama. "I not only think I have the best chance - I think I have the only chance," Romney told members of the Detroit Economic Club on the field of a largely empty football stadium. The former Massachusetts governor laid out his economic vision as a Mitchell/Rosetta Stone poll showed him leading rival Rick Santorum 36 percent to 33 percent ahead of Michigan’s Tuesday primary, Reuters reported. Get More at MSNBC
• 2

  3 hours ago

  Feds Subpoena Penn State Records for Sandusky Case

  
  Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed records from Penn State University as part of a new criminal probe into whether top school officials participated in a cover up for Jerry Sandusky, the accused child-sex abuser and fallen football coach, sources said. An investigation into whether school board members made payments to third parties related to a possible cover-up is also underway. The subpoena requires the University to hand over internal e-mails and computer files from three former top Penn State officials, who left the school after the scandal occurred. Records from The Second Mile, a charity for troubled children founded by Sandusky, are also being subpoenaed. All records must be turned over to authorities by Feb. 29. Get More at MSNBC
• 3

  48 minutes ago

  Red Cross Begins Rescue Mission in Homs

  

  AP
  The Syrian Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross began evacuating wounded and sick women and children Friday from the Baba Amr district of Homs—the flashpoint of a violent crackdown that has killed more than 7,000, by some estimates, since uprisings began a year ago. According to The Associated Press, seven people have been removed from Baba Amr and taken to a nearby hospital, though it's not clear if foreign journalists wounded in the attacks that killed correspondent Marie Colvin and photographer Remi Ochlik are among those who have been evacuated. The Red Cross has requested a daily two-hour cease-fire to allow medical supplies in and the ill and wounded out, though the Syrian government, according to the Los Angeles Times, has not responded to the request. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at a meeting in London Friday, that Bashar al-Assad's crackdown would hit a "breaking point." Get More at MSNBC
• 4

  Feb 24, 10:42AM

  Obama’s Standing Improves in Battlegrounds

  

  AP
  President Obama’s re-election chances are looking better than they were in November, according to NBC’s First Read team. Obama’s approval ratings have improved along with the economy and labor market, while the GOP race has turned nasty. Romney, in particular, is struggling to connect with working-class whites. According to the latest edition of NBC’s presidential battleground map based on polling and conversations with operatives, the Electoral College scorecard has gone from 196 D vs. 195 R (with 147 toss-up electoral votes) back in November to 222 D vs. 197 R with (119 toss-up). NBC now puts Michigan and Wisconsin in the Lean Dem camp instead of Toss-up. New Hampshire went from Lean GOP to Toss-up; Iowa from Toss-up to Lean GOP. Get More at MSNBC
• 5

  2 hours ago

  Rutgers Dorm Spying Trial Begins With Questions of Intent

  

  NBCNewYork
  The trial of a former Rutgers student accused of spying on his roommate's intimate encounters with another man began in New Jersey Friday. Prosecutors argued that Dharun Ravi had malicious intent when he rigged his computer to spy on Tyler Clementi, who killed himself days after the spying occurred. Ravi, who declined a plea deal that would have him deported to his native India, is charged with invasion of privacy and bias intimidation—a hate crime that could send him to prison for 10 years. Prosecutors claim that his dislike toward gays led him to bully his roommate. Defense attorneys argued that, while Ravi acted foolishly, he did not commit a crime and was neither anti-gay nor homophobic. The case, built around themes of cyber bullying, homophobia and suicide, garnered national attention and is being closely watched. Get More at MSNBC
• 6

  15 minutes ago

  Controversy Over Voter ID Laws Pushes On

  

  Getty Images
  A controversial voter-ID law moved to the Virginia state Senate Friday after its passage in the Republican-controlled House in early February. The bill—one of many around the country that has sparked an outcry among civil rights activists—would require voters to present a legitimate photo ID before casting their ballots. Proponents claim that the new requirement would prevent fraud at the polls, while others argue that it would discriminate against those who could not afford the fees or produce the documents required to secure identification cards. The issue has become more urgent as the November presidential elections approach. The American Civil Liberties Union compared the proposed requirements to Jim Crow-era laws on Thursday, while the South Carolina State Election Commission debunked claims that 950 dead people had cast ballots in the state. Get More at MSNBC
• 7

  Feb 24, 09:51AM

  12 Die in Afghan Quran-Burning Protests

  
  Violent protests over the burning of copies of the Quran at a NATO base continued to erupt across Afghanistan Friday, despite a written apology from President Obama. Seven people were killed and 50 wounded in the western province of Herat, while two were killed in Khost in the east, where an estimated 4,000 people were marching toward the governor’s compound, MSNBC reported. Three people were killed in earlier protests. NATO's top military commander in Afghanistan, U.S. Gen. John Allen, called for Afghans to be patient while an investigation into the burning of the holy books continued. On Thursday, two U.S. soldiers were shot dead by a man wearing an Afghan soldier’s uniform during a protest. Obama delivered his apology in a letter to Afghan President Hamid Karzai the same day. Get More at MSNBC
• 8

  4 hours ago

  UN: “Serious Concerns” Over Iran’s Nuke Program

  

  AP
  A new quarterly report by the United Nation’s nuclear agency warns of “serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program." Iran has boosted production of higher-grade enriched uranium over the last four months and has failed to explain why some uranium metal has gone missing, the confidential report said. Iran’s weak explanation about a quantity of missing uranium metal has failed to convince Western countries, as officials believed the missing amount could be used for arms. Gas prices in the U.S. have recently jumped to record highs, in part because of the geopolitical tension surrounding Iran’s nuclear program. Iran insists it is not interested in nuclear weapons. Get More at MSNBC
• 9

  3 hours ago

    I guess we had a hard time finding a large enough place to meet and this ... certainly is   — Mitt Romney joking to the 1,200 people who showed up to hear him speak at a 65,000-seat stadium in Detroit.
• 10

  6 hours ago

  Specter: There Was No Deal for Santorum Support

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• 11

  Feb 24, 08:46AM

  Palin at Wit's End Before Resigning as Gov., Emails Show

  

  AP
  "I can't take it anymore," former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin wrote in an email just a few months before she quit in 2009, complaining she had been made a lame duck leader, the last batch of her emails show. The Associated Press was apparently the only news organization alerted to the release, although many others had requested them. A spokeswoman for the current governor said she would investigate why MSNBC was not alerted. The emails from Palin's last year as governor show her working relationships with state lawmakers falling apart, as she felt groundless ethics probes had been launched and complaints about her performance lodged just to hamper her administration. Palin also fumed about how national media treated her family after she joined the 2008 GOP presidential ticket. Get More at MSNBC
• 12

  6 hours ago

  Bill Maher Pledges $1M to Pro-Obama Super PAC

  

  Roger Williams
  Funnyman Bill Maher pledged a $1 million donation Thursday to the super PAC supporting President Barack Obama’s reelection. Maher said on the Yahoo! comedy series CrazyStupidPolitics that his donation came despite Priorities USA Action's “very unfortunate tongue-twister name.” The HBO “Real Time” host often aims his jokes at Republicans and now becomes the second comedian after Stephen Colbert to get involved with super PACS this election cycle. In making his pledge, Maher said having Obama reelected president over any of the GOP candidates would be “worth a million dollars.” Get More at MSNBC