Best of the Week – Happy Friday! It's time for a re-cap of some of this week's highlights:
- Our pundits skillfully covered this eventful week of global elections: William Bauer live blogged the French elections, George Mesthos provided high-quality reporting on Greece's parliamentary election, and Nada Zohdy successfully live blogged the Egyptian presidential debate.
- Alex Marin's story on the First Amendment and Facebook "Like" button got retweeted by WikiLeaks (1.5 million followers!); Cameron English's obesity article got retweeted by Reason (85K followers); and Stephen Robert Moorse's article on non-profit newspapers is getting reprinted in Editor & Publisher magazine.
US judge: Facebook 'like' button is not protected by 1st amendment policymic.com/articles/8013/… take action: wlfriends.org
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) May 8, 2012 - Two pundits published thoughtful, conversation-starting articles which got shared and debated widely: Jordan Wolf wrote, "Does Facebook Make You Lonely? The Science Behind Online Conversation" and Cady McClain published, "How '50 Shades of Grey and Violent Porn Might Be Perverting Women's Sexual Identity."
PolicyMic on Facebook (beta) – We’re super excited to announce PolicyMic for Facebook (beta) – Our app that allows users to read, comment, and Mic all from the comfort of Facebook. As PolicyMic becomes the place for millennials to read and discuss the news, we want to continue to be where millennials are. Check it out and share it – the more your friends use it, the more our PolicyMic articles will go viral.
Feedback – How can we make the app better? For the beta version, we focused on our core features, but what else should we add or change?
Driving the Day – On Thursday, J.P. Morgan announced a surprise $2 billion trading loss, which has triggered a selloff in the banking sector on Friday morning. WSJ reports: "The losses stemmed from wagers gone wrong in the bank's Chief Investment Office, which manages risk ... The bank, betting on a continued economic recovery with a complex web of trades tied to the values of corporate bonds, was hit hard when prices moved against it starting last month ... [CEO Jamie Dimon] called the mistake 'egregious, self-inflicted."
Time Magazine sparked controversy with its latest cover depicting a mom breastfeeding her 3-year-old son. Los Angeles-based stay-at-home mother Jamie Lynne Grumet was photographed with her son for the issue that tackles attachment parenting. Grumet told Time that her mother breastfed her until she was 6, and that she posed for the cover because she wants to make extended breastfeeding publicly acceptable.
MTV launched their young voter’s strategy on Thursday. Their message to the 2012 candidates: We don’t care where you stand on issues. We just want you to tell voters where you stand. According to Gallup, only 60% of those 18-29 are registered to vote.
Hot Debate – On Thursday, the Washington Post published an article charging that Mitt Romney led a group of peers in bullying a gay student while attending Cranbrook high school, a prestigious boarding school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Romney responded in a Fox News interview saying he didn't remember the incident, but apologized for pranks that "might have gone too far." Should we pay attention to this story? Can this be chalked up to youthful bad judgment, or does it suggest a cold intolerance lying beneath? Jordan Eipper leads the discussion here.
Top Stories – Stories from the Battlefield: Four Iraq War Veterans Share Their Stories (Felicia Reid) – Few Americans know the men and women who are defending their country. But these brave Americans exist — with names, faces, and realities.
Millennials as Parents: The Changing Dynamics of Mother-Daughter Relationships (Annie Ferrer) – A recent conversation about modern-day parenting, coupled with Mother's Day this Sunday, led me to wonder how 20-something women imagine themselves as soon-to-be parents.
Mother's Day 2012: 13 Moms Tell You What They Really Want (Don't Mess Up!) (Elena Sheppard) – She gave you life, she gave you love, she taught you everything she knows ... now, what in the world do you get her for Mother's Day?
Who Said Snacking Isn't Healthy? 6 Healthy Eating Tips to Stay Fit (Ralph Bouquet) – Snacks drive the trends in U.S. overeating, but here are six ways to make healthier food decisions.
Experts – In his article, "How NOT to Write About Iran," Iran expert Joe Sarkisian blames the media for sensational and inaccurate reporting on the Iranian nuclear issue.
* Also read libertarian expert Robert Taylor's article, "Double Agent Plot Shows Everything That's Wrong With the CIA."
Friday Fun – How Clooney's $15 million Obama campaign fundraiser went down (Washington Post); The Hipster Hunt [Video]; How Tupperware almost didn't happen (Gizmodo); Interactive Hillary Clinton timeline (NY Times).
Inside Washington – Obama's same-sex marriage announcement may carry risks for Tim Kaine in Virginia. Washington Post reports,"Obama's announcement ... puts Timothy M. Kaine — a close friend and political ally — in a delicate position as he runs in a marquee Senate race in a swing state. Kaine, the former Democratic National Committee chairman, is locked in a heated race to replace retiring Sen. James Webb (D) ... In a state that is split on the subject — and could be key to Obama’s reelection hopes — Kaine has struck something of a middle ground on gay marriage."
What We’re Reading – Bristol Palin: "Hail to the Chiefs: Malia and Sasha Obama" (Patheos); How venture capital is broken (Reuters); Race to fix broken standardized exams (Washington Post); 40% of young adults think birth control 'doesn't matter' (GOOD); Unpaid internships: valuable or a sign of society's decline (The Atlantic)?
