Cheat Sheet - Stop Blaming Obama for the Sequester

February 19, 2013 BRIGHT IDEA 1. Who's to Blame for the Sequester? Conservatives keep reminding everyone that the sequester was Obama's idea. But, says Michael Tomasky, that doesn't mean he's to blame for the current crisis. Read it at The Daily Beast MISTAKE 2. Pistorius Thought She Was a Robber 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 vulernable 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 DID I DO THAT? 3. Fuel Leak Caused Triumph Fire The Coast Guard says the cause of the engine fire that rendered the Carnival cruise liner powerless for five days was a leak in a fuel oil line that dripped on a hot surface. Teresa Hatfield, head of the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Casualty Investigation Team, said that the flames were a complete accident that occurred when the oil hit an extremely hot surface below. Although the cause of the fire is now confirmed, the final report on the incident may not be released for as long as six months. Meanwhile, Carnival has already been hit with its first lawsuit—a passenger who claims to have waded through human feces during the five days of wretched conditions. Read it at NBC News LUCY IN THE SKY 4. $50M in Diamonds Stolen Oceans 14 may have just found its new plot line. Brussels police are on the hunt Tuesday for eight men who allegedly stole an estimated $50 million in diamonds from Brussels International Airport Monday night. The men pulled off the scheme by forming a hole in the perimeter of the security fence. Spokeswoman Anja Bijnens said they were armed and masked when they drove onto the tarmac and nabbed the millions' worth of diamonds from a plane bound for Switzerland. The men allegedly used two different vehicles to pull off the stunt, one of which was found burned out nearby the airport following the incident. Read it at The Guardian EXCLUSIVE 5. Boeing's Dashed Flight Plan Before an emergency landing took the Dreamliner out of the sky, Boeing had been lobbying regulators to approve the plane for longer, riskier flights over open water. Clive Irving reports. Read it at The Daily Beast Newtown Lanza Motivated by Norway Shooter Who killed 77 in 2011. DEADLY WRECK Bloody Helicopter Crash Rocks Yemen At least five killed as rescue efforts ongoing. M-CHAT? NOPE Microsoft Launches Attack on Gmail $30M "marketing blitz" aims to win over email users. BEAST LOVER 'Lassie' and 'Flipper' Trainer Dies Pat Derby was 69. ROYALLY SMITTEN Pippa 'Happy' With New Boyfriend Nico Jackson is a 35-year-old stockbroker. 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. 'Downton' Ladies vs. 'Girls' Girls It's posh vs presh as the ladies from Sunday night's hottest TV shows—Downton Abbey and Girls—face off. What does the Dowager Countess think of Hannah Horvath? Would Lady Edith really take advice from Shoshanna? See how this meeting of Downton and downtown ends up. More Videos 'Jeopardy!' Teen Champ Goes Viral by Ramin Setoodeh The Anti-Christie by David Freedlander Lakers in Crisis by Allison Samuels

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