Cheat Sheet - Pentagon’s Ex-Boss Drops a Bomb on Obama

Today: Is This the Beginning of the End for Chris Christie? , Greek Terrorist Escapes , Al Qaeda Tries to Stop Infighting January 08, 2014 LIT CRIT 1. The Juiciest Bits From Robert Gates's New Memoir The former Secretary of Defense under Bush and Obama uses a lot of fighting words in his new memoir, Duty. Gates was lukewarm on Obama, loved Bush, hated Joe Biden—and felt threatened by David Petraeus. The Daily Beast's William O'Connor speed reads Duty to find the most explosive revelations. Read it at The Daily Beast CORRUPTION 2. Christie Aides Punished Political Rivals New emails showing that Chris Christie's appointees shutdown lanes of the George Washington Bridge to punish a political rival may cripple the governor's White House ambitions. After Christie's office claimed that the bridge lanes were closed due to a traffic study, subpoenaed documents were released Wednesday showing that the act was really designed to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey for refusing to back Christie's reelection last year. The Daily Beast's Jamelle Bouie considers whether "Bridgegate" marks the beginning of the end of Christie's political career. Read it at The Daily Beast LEGAL LIMBO 3. Utah Gov.: Gay Marriages On Hold Here's another headache for newlyweds. Utah Gov. Bob Herbert told state agencies Tuesday not to recognize same-sex marriages that took place in the two weeks after a federal judge overturned the state's ban on them. On Monday, the Supreme Court issued a stay that "effectively puts on hold the decision of the district court," Herbert's chief of staff wrote. The process of people "availing themselves of state services related to same-sex martial status" is also on hold until a final court decision is issued.  Read it at Buzzfeed HARMONY 4. Al Qaeda Tries to Stop Infighting An affiliate of al Qaeda in Syria, the Nusra Front, proposed a cease-fire and the establishment of an Islamic court to resolve disputes and end infighting between rebel groups seeking to topple the Assad regime. Recent battles between rebel forces and al Qaeda affiliates have led to over 270 people killed in four days according to estimates. Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the head of the Nusra Front, released a statement online Tuesday, saying, "The whole battlefield, including the foreign and local fighters, will pay the price of losing a great jihad because the regime will rebound when it was so close to vanishing." Read it at The New York Times BALL ROLLING 5. Ready for Hillary Raises $4M This might make a decision easier. The pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC Ready for Hillary has raised $4 million, $2.75 million since July 1, it announced on Tuesday night.  Over 25,000 people contributed in the past six months, with an average of $82. The group has focused on building a grassroots network for Clinton if she decides to run for president in 2016, a decision she is expected to make later this year. Read it at USA Today MANHUNT Greek Terrorist Escapes Disappeared on furlough. TRAGEDY U.S. Navy Helicopter Crashes Off Virginia coast. GO AWAY Rodman Sings to Kim Jong-Un For his birthday HONORED BAFTA Nominations: 'Gravity' Beats Out British Favorite '12 Years a Slave' Don't bet against Chiwetel Ejiofor for Best Actor. CONGRATULATIONS Lily Tomlin Weds Longtime Partner After four decades together. 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. Roger Ailes's Pearl Harbor by Lloyd Grove Congress Delays Arms to Iraq by Josh Rogin Why We Binge-Watch TV by Kevin Fallon

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