Cheat Sheet - Mark Sanford’s Second Chance

Today: Report: 20 Algerian Hostages Escape , Activists: 106 Killed in Syria , Pew Poll: Abortion Not Critical January 17, 2013 HE'S BACK 1. Second Chance for Sanford He was Tea Party before there was a Tea Party, a rising GOP governor with White House buzz. An extramarital scandal ended all that—or did it? Mark Sanford talks to The Daily Beast's John Avlon about running for his old House seat and how he got his ex-wife's blessing. Read it at The Daily Beast STANDOFF 2. Report: 20 Algerian Hostages Escape An Algerian official said Thursday that 20 hostages—including some Americans—had escaped from a gas facility where al Qaeda militants have taken dozens of foreign nationals hostage. Algerian troops surrounded the facility on Thursday, one day after the militants seized it. British Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed at least one British worker had died, but said that "a number of British nationals are being held," while U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also could not confirm the exact number of Americans involved. The kidnappers took over the facility Wednesday after killing a British worker and an Algerian. Some 30 Algerian workers escaped Thursday, the Associated Press reported. The militants have reportedly demanded an end to the French-led military invasion of Mali, among other things. Read it at BBC News CRISIS 3. Activists: 106 Killed in Syria More than 100 people, including women and children, were reportedly killed in a horrific attack in Homs, Syria, on Thursday, according to the antigovernment activist group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The number killed has not been independently verified due to reporting restrictions. The 106 victims were either burned in their homes or individually shot or stabbed when forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad attacked an impoverished part of the city. An estimated 60,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising against Assad began in March 2011. Read it at Reuters SORRY, SANTORUM 4. Pew Poll: Abortion Not Critical So why exactly is everyone fighting about abortion again? A Pew poll released Wednesday found that not only do a majority of Americans want to keep abortion legal, but also that just 44 percent of those under 30 even knew the landmark Roe v. Wade case dealt with right to terminate a pregnancy. As the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that decriminalized abortion approaches, the poll found that 63 percent of respondents said they did not want the court to overturn the decision—a number unchanged from 10 or even 20 years ago, despite numerous efforts by many states to limit abortion rights. In fact, the poll found that a majority, 53 percent, of those surveyed said that "abortion is not that important compared to other issues." Read it at Los Angeles Times GREAT EXPECTATIONS 5. What Obama Should Say on Monday Crafting an inaugural in an age of cheap partisanship is no easy task. The Daily Beast's Paul Begala on how the president can rise to the challenge. Read it at The Daily Beast FAREWELL, HILLARY Kerry's Confirmation Scheduled Will start Jan. 24. HOLY MOLY Notre Dame Star: Victim of 'Sick Joke' Manti Te'o's girlfriend doesn't exist. NEXT ON OPRAH Armstrong 'Left It All on the Table' Reportedly teared up during Winfrey interview. NO SECOND ACT Judges: Tiffany Six Can't Be Teacher Ex–porn star found "unfit to teach." OBIT Conrad Bain Dies at 89 Star of "Diff'rent Strokes." GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET Culture Beast Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. These Are Real NRA Ads Seriously. We didn't edit or doctor them. They speak for themselves. More Videos Christie Counters Obama on Guns by Andrew Romano When's the Last Time You Were Poked? by Lizzie Crocker James Deen: My Lindsay Lohan Experience by Marlow Stern

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