Cheat Sheet - GOP’s Toxic Ted Nugent Problem

Today: Tony Blair Says He Gave 'Informal Advice' to Rebekah Brooks , Taliban Civil War Looms as Peacemaker is Shot , EU to Meet on Ukraine Sanctions February 19, 2014 MADMEN 1. GOP Soul Searching Leads to … Ted Nugent A little free advice for Republicans like Texas's Greg Abbott: Quit sucking up to the freak-show, has-been rocker who calls President Obama a "subhuman mongrel" if you want to court minorities, writes Michelle Cottle. Abbott must have selective hearing to claim he's not aware of Nugent's numerous slanders. Read it at The Daily Beast BACKCHANNELS 2. Tony Blair Says He Gave Advice to Rebekah Brooks Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair tells Peter Jukes and Nico Hines he spoke to former News International executive Rebekah Brooks during 2011's phone-hacking scandal. Blair in a statement says he "informally advised" Brooks. A U.K. court heard Wednesday that Blair offered specific advice, such as creating an independent panel to "clear" her of alleged wrongdoing and accepting any "shortcomings" found by the panel. Read it at The Daily Beast SELF-DESTRUCTION 3. A Civil War Inside the Taliban? A Taliban minister tries to negotiate with the Afghan government, and ends up dead—maybe at the hands of his fellow militants. Is this a sign of civil war? Jacob Siegel and Sami Yousafzai report on the would-be peacemaker who was slain. Read it at The Daily Beast EMERGENCY 4. EU to Meet on Ukraine Sanctions With Ukrainian authorities saying 25 people have died and 240 have been injured since Tuesday, the European Union has decided to meet to issue a unified response. The 28-country bloc will meet Thursday in Brussels. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he expects the EU to adopt "targeted measures against those responsible for violence and use of excessive force." Travel bans against Ukrainian leadership, as well as freezing assets, could be on the table to persuade the government to compromise and curtail the nation's violence. Read it at Fox News NO SHAME 5. Pussy Riot Attacked in Sochi Apparently, Russia really doesn't care how it looks on the world stage. As six members of Pussy Riot attempted to perform in Sochi, Cossacks and other security officials moved in to attack them with what appeared to be pepper spray and horsewhips. The incident lasted less than three minutes, but one member, a man, was left with his face bleeding, claiming he was pushed to the ground. Yesterday, two former members of Pussy Riot were detained by Russian police, but ultimately released. Pussy Riot, Cossacks, arrests, and public whippings—it's getting harder to tell if this a theater of cruelty or just theater. Read it at Associated Press REWRITE FCC to Fix Net-Neutrality Rules Won't appeal court ruling. GREASE THE WHEELS Obama Cuts Continent Trade Blocks Ahead of Canada, Mexico summit. THE GERMAN WAY VW: Unionize U.S. Plant or Else Threatening to block further funding. WHERE THE LADIES AT? Women on Film Are Silent and Naked Compared to their male counterparts. DENIED Russia Knocked Out of Hockey Medal Quarterfinal loss to Finland. ARTnews An Illustrated Guide to the Mixed-Race, Tattooed Warriors Who Battled for Colonial Manhattan CNBC Big Labor's Mounting Feud with President Obama The Wrap The Oscars Endgame: Decoding the Final Ad Blitz 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. Kansas's Bruise Cruise by Brandy Zadrozny Obamacare Can Win on Specifics by Michael Tomasky How to Live Your New York Dream by Tim Teeman

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