Cheat Sheet - Edward Snowden and the Strongmen Who Love Him

Today: Snowden So Far a No-Show on Flight , Mandela Said to Be in Critical Condition , Texas Votes to Close Nearly All Abortion Clinics June 24, 2013 BFFS 1. Edward Snowden and the Strongmen Who Love Him The notorious leaker slams America for its lack of transparency and sham democracy—then takes shelter with our undemocratic enemies. The Daily Beast's Michael Moynihan on the leaker's fatal flaw. Plus, Stuart Stevens says it's time to treat WikiLeaks like the national-security threat it is, Anna Nemtsova reports from Russia on Snowden's Russia stop, and Eli Lake and Ben Jacobs track Snowden's moves. Read it at The Daily Beast FUGITIVE 2. Snowden So Far a No-Show on Flight Is he just wearing a mustache or hiding in the drink cart? NSA leaker Edward Snowden is so far a no-show on what Russian officials said would be his flight to Havana on Monday—which also happens to be packed with journalists. Russian officials say they had no legal authority to send Snowden back to the U.S., despite the fact that the U.S. has charged him with espionage. Sources close to the situation said Monday that the Chinese government itself made the final decision to allow Snowden to flee to Russia, where he arrived on Sunday and then headed to Ecuador's embassy, where he is seeking asylum. Ecuador's foreign minister said the government is "analyzing" Snowden's asylum request and no decision has been made yet. Read it at Guardian STILL AILING 3. Mandela Said to Be in Critical Condition Nelson Mandela has lapsed into critical condition, according to South African President Jacob Zuma. The former South African leader has been struggling to overcome a lung infection for the last two weeks at a Pretoria hospital. A government spokesman declined to give more information except to say that his condition is "worse than serious" and that he is "receiving intensive-care treatment." Mandela, who is 94 years old, has had a series of respiratory problems since contracting tuberculosis during his 27-year stint in prison for opposing apartheid. Read it at The Wall Street Journal LONE STAR RULES 4. Texas Votes to Close Nearly All Abortion Clinics The Texas House has passed a sweeping abortion bill that would ban the procedure after 20 weeks and would tighten restrictions on clinics so much that nearly all of them in the state would be forced to close. The bill passed 97-33 at 3:20 a.m. after 13.5 hours of debate, with 19 legislators not present—18 of whom are Democrats. Some in the crowd broke out in applause after the bill's passage, but they were drowned out by cries of "Shame." The bill still requires a final vote from the House later today before heading to the Senate, where Democrats have vowed to stop it by any means possible. Read it at Dallas Morning News POSTMORTEM 5. Matthew Weiner Talks 'Mad Men' Finale Mad Men's season finale offered upheaval in the lives of SC&P's employees. The Daily Beast's Jace Lacob speaks with creator Matthew Weiner about the finale and what's next. Warning: spoilers ahead! Read it at The Daily Beast 'SWEETEST COMEBACK' Twinkies Back on Shelves July 15 Box of 10 will cost $3.99. CIVIL RIGHTS Transgender Kid Wins Case Will be able to use girls' bathroom at school. DAREDEVIL Wallenda Completes Tightrope Walk Across Grand Canyon. AT THE MOVIES 'Monsters University' Wins Box Office Brings in $82 million. SAYING GOODBYE Funeral Date Set for James Gandolfini Will be June 27 in Manhattan. 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. Peggy Olson Grows Up She started 'Mad Men' apologizing every other word, but now, as this supercut from, well, 'The Cut' shows, Peggy Olson has glass ceiling shards scattered around her feet. Get ready for the Season Six finale by watching her evolution. More Videos This Is One Eerie TV Show by Jace Lacob The Trayvon Circus Begins by Mansfield Frazier The Queen Bee of Tuscany by Katie Baker

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