Cheat Sheet - The Childless Movement Spells Disaster for America

Today: Gen. John Allen, Caught Up in David Petraeus Scandal, Is Bypassing NATO Post and Retiring , SCOTUS to Revisit Campaign Finance , Pistorius Charged With Murder February 19, 2013 TROUBLE AHEAD 1. Where Have All the Babies Gone? Squeezed by the economy and increasing career demands, more and more Americans are remaining childless by choice. But what makes sense for the individual may spell disaster for the country as a whole. Read it at The Daily Beast Calling It Quits 2. General John Allen to Retire So he won't be NATO's supreme commander. Gen. John Allen officially plans to retire instead of moving forward with his nomination for the prestigious position, according to a White House statement released Tuesday. The general cited the need to care for his wife, Kathy, who suffers from a combination of chronic health problems, in his request for retirement, which President Obama said he accepted. Most recently, Gen. Allen was in the headlines for his email correspondence with Jill Kelley, a player in the David Petraeus affair. Read it at The Daily Beast Money Talks 3. SCOTUS to Revisit Campaign Finance Get ready for Citizens United: Part Two. The Supreme Court has decided to hear a case challenging limits on campaign donations to political candidates. Currently individuals can contribute up to $46,200 to political candidates and $70,800 to political committees, but Alabama businessman Shaun McCutcheon says that those caps violate the First Amendment. A Washington federal court rejected McCutcheon's challenge, but the Supreme Court is expected to rule on it before July 2014. Read it at The Wall Street Journal MISTAKE 4. Pistorius Charged With Murder Prosecutors in South Africa charged Olympian Oscar Pistorius with premeditated murder on Tuesday, claiming that he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through the door of his bathroom where she was taking cover after a fight. Pistorius said that he shot her thinking she was a robber, and that he felt vulnernable because he didn't have his prosthetic legs on. After shooting, he then put on his legs, bashed the door in with a cricket bat, and ran downstairs with Steenkamp as she died in his arms. Head prosecutor Gerrie Nel quickly dismantled the argument. "It was all part of the preplanning. Why would a burglar lock himself inside the bathroom?" he asked. Pistorius, who began Tuesday's hearing straight-faced, allegedly broke down as the prosecution continued, wiping away tears as he sobbed in the courtroom. Read it at Associated Press cyber warfare 5. China Hacking Critical U.S. Infrastructure Attention Tom Clancy. An investigation by the security firm Mandiant found that many of the attacks on American corporations and government agencies are coming from a clandestine People's Liberation Army base on the outskirts of Shanghai. The group is known as the "Comment Crew" for the hidden notes it embeds into Web pages. Perhaps the most alarming part of the report is that the group, no longer focused on stealing intellectual property from corporations and military contractors, has been trying to gain access to critical infrastructure, hacking a company that designs software for oil pipelines and power grids. Read it at The New York Times Pennies from Heaven Russians Sell Meteorite Pieces Dig in the Siberian snow to find them. RAMPAGE Three Killed in O.C. Carjacking Spree Including the shooter. FIRST LOOK Photo: Obama's Speech Edits Released by Pete Souza, chief White House photographer. Supplies Office Max and Office Depot to Merge Tried to join forces in 1997. classy Wesleyan Students Kicked Out of Museum For doing drugs, having sex, climbing dinosaurs. 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. Mobama: Bangs Are 'My Midlife Crisis' 'I couldn't get a sports car, they won't let me bungee jump, so instead I cut my bangs.' That's Michelle Obama on why she chose her new do, in an interview with Rachael Ray that airs Wednesday. More Videos I Wore Mantyhose by Jacob Tomsky The GOP Needs to Get Gay by Peter Beinart James Deen on Making 'The Canyons' by James Deen

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