Cheat Sheet - OK, OK, Buzz Bissinger Has Linsanity

Today: Feds Arrest Man in Suicide-Bomb Plot, Congress Passes Payroll-Tax Cut, Syrian Violence Worse After U.N. Vote February 17, 2012 CONVERTED 1. OK, OK, So Jeremy Lin's On Fire The Knicks phenom is even making a believer of professional curmudgeon Buzz Bissinger. But come on, what's he really accomplished? Read it at The Daily Beast SNARED 2. Feds Arrest Man in Suicide-Bomb Plot The FBI and Capitol Police announced the arrest Friday of a man who was allegedly planning a suicide bombing on Capitol Hill. The arrest was "the culmination of a lengthy and extensive operation during which the individual was closely and carefully monitored," the Capitol Police said in a press release, but "at no time was the public or congressional community in any way in danger." The investigation, which reportedly included FBI agents who posed as al Qaeda operatives, ended when the suspect was snagged near the Labor Department with what officials say was a vest packed with faux explosives. Read it at The Washington Post THEY DID IT 3. Congress Passes Payroll-Tax Cut Just in time for the weekend, Congress can finally take a load off. The payroll-tax-cut extension was approved by the House and Senate on Friday, sending the $150 billion measure to President Obama, who is planning to sign off on it today. In addition to cutting taxes for workers, the agreement will extend unemployment benefits and avoid a cut in doctors' Medicare reimbursements through the end of the year. Even House Speaker John Boehner is relieved to have washed his hands clean of the debacle. "I support this measure and thank Chairman Camp and our conferees for all their efforts to resolve this issue in a constructive fashion," he said in a statement after the House passed the bill. Read it at The Washington Post ESCALATION 4. Syrian Violence Worse After U.N. Vote Violence has only escalated in Syria following the U.N. vote yesterday to back a plan calling for President Assad's resignation. One opposition group told the BBC that shelling in Homs was the heaviest it's been since troops stepped up their crack down nearly two weeks ago in attempt to break up the city's rebel-backed Free Syrian Army. Rebels have also reported bombardment in Damascus and Deraa. Of the 137 member nations that participated in yesterday's U.N. vote, Russia and China were among those that voted against the resolution, which called for Assad to hand over power to his deputy. The two countries had also vetoed a similar resolution two weeks ago. A senior Chinese envoy is scheduled to meet with President Assad, though the date of their meeting is not yet known. Read it at BBC CHA-CHING 5. Obama Raises $29M in January He's doing it without the help of his super PAC, so why not just get rid of it? President Obama raised $29.1 million for his campaign in January, putting him ahead of the pace that he set at the end of last year. The campaign announced the haul via Twitter on Friday morning, claiming that 98 percent of the donations were $250 or less. Obama has raised about $250 million for the 2012 election so far, and he averaged $23 million a month in the last quarter of 2011. All that money came before Obama announced this month that he would accept the support of shadowy super PACs that allow unlimited donations—do you really need to embrace that, Mr. President? Read it at Associated Press ANOTHER LOSS? Romney's Maine Victory at Risk Delayed county's votes could change the results. DISPATCHES Shadid's Book To Be Released Early New York Times reporter died Thursday in Syria. SCARY Avalanche Buries Dutch Prince In critical condition. NEW JERSEY Christie to Veto Gay Marriage Bill After it passed both houses of legislature. MAMA'S BOY Report: Colbert Stops Show for Mom The Colbert Report stopped production this week. 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 The Yes List Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. What's Really Causing Tourette's Symptoms at Le Roy High School? by Nancy Hass Contraception Wars and the Abortion Debate by Beast TV Oscar Predictions Gone Wild: Win Your Academy Awards Pool by Ramin Setoodeh, Peter Travers

ABOUT US | CONTACT US | SUBSCRIBE Copyright 2012 The Newsweek/Daily Beast Company LLC 555 W. 18th Street , New York NY 10011 Privacy Policy

If you are on a mobile device or cannot view the images in this message, click here to view this email in your Web browser. To ensure delivery of these emails, please add thedailybeast@e2.thedailybeast.com to your address book. If you have changed your mind and no longer wish to receive these emails, or think you have received this message in error, you can safely unsubscribe here.