Cheat Sheet - Hillary Was Skeptical of Deal for Bergdahl

Read This, Skip That .... June 04, 2014 FORESIGHT 1. Hillary Was Skeptical of Taliban Swap Hillary Clinton was personally involved in the debate surrounding a prisoner swap of five Taliban commanders for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in 2011 and 2012. Josh Rogin reports that Clinton not only was skeptical of the deal but also demanded tougher conditions than President Obama ended up settling for last week. Contrary to White House claims of not negotiating "directly" with the Taliban, the State Department, Defense Department, and White House officials met multiple times with Taliban leaders in 2011 and 2012. Read it at The Daily Beast IT GETS WORSE 2. Bieber Sings 'One Less Lonely N*gger' Justin Bieber's reprieve from seeming like a total racist was rather short-lived. There is allegedly a second video of the pop singer using racial slurs as a joke, this time as he sings "One Less Lonely N*gger," a parody of his song "One Less Lonely Girl." In the video, Bieber jokes about killing black people and joining the Ku Klux Klan. The video was first reported by the British tabloid The Sun, which has not posted the footage. The clip comes just days after Bieber apologized for another video, in which he tells a racist joke and uses the N-word. Read it at The Hollywood Reporter SAY WHAT? 3. Budget Office Can't Calculate Obamacare You had one job, Congressional Budget Office. The government's accountant said in a new report that it's no longer possible to assess the overall fiscal effect of the Affordable Care Act because it's not being implemented as it was written. When the law was enacted four years ago, a CBO estimate that it would reduce the deficit by $120 billion over the decade helped persuade Democrats to pass it. "The ACA's financing provisions were assumed to be effective so as to get a favorable score out of CBO upon enactment, but no one is keeping track of whether they're being enforced," said Charles Blahous, a public trustee for Social Security and Medicare. The CBO maintains the law will reduce budget deficits based on a 2012 analysis. On Wednesday, the Associated Press reported coverage for 2 million is in jeopardy thanks to "data discrepancies." Read it at Roll Call BAD TO WORSE 4. Sudan's Pregnant Death-Row 'Apostate' Meriam Ibrahim, a pregnant 27-year-old Christian, was sentenced to hang last week in Sudan for "apostasy." Meanwhile, the U.S. government has largely stood silent, even though Meriam's husband holds American citizenship. It turns out, reports Nina Shea, the State Department is demanding that her husband must first prove paternity of the children via DNA testing before they can be saved. Read it at The Daily Beast NO END IN SIGHT 5. The Sky Explodes Over Luhansk While Vladimir Putin visits Western Europe to thaw relations, and Obama continues to talk tough, eastern Ukraine is in flames, Anna Nemtsova reports. In the eastern city of Luhansk, armed separatists are calling on Russian military aid while vowing to "wipe the Ukrainian military off the face of the earth." In the face of airstrikes, rebels laid siege to and seized an interior ministry base. Read it at The Daily Beast REMEMBER 100,000 Mark Tiananmen in Hong Kong On 25th anniversary. LIVING HISTORY Hillary: I've 'Moved On' From Lewinsky After calling her a "narcissistic loony toon." GREAT IDEA Secret Service Wants a Sarcasm Detector To scan social media. IF YOU SAY SO Iran's Leader: U.S. Ruled Out Attack "Military option" off the table. BOOB TUBE Smartphones Are Replacing TVs Television apps explode. Esquire Why Therapy Could Be the Answer to Our Mental Health Crisis The Cut Somaly Mam & The Risks of Celebrity Philanthropy UsWeekly Keira Knightley on Being Called Anorexic, a Sh*t Actress, and Other Pleasantries 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. Secret KGB Torture House Opens Its Doors by Brandon Presser The New World of Anti-Aging Dentistry by Kent Sepkowitz Just Don't Call It an 'Abortion Comedy' by Caryn James

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