Cheat Sheet - Isn’t that Bush’s Plan on Immigration?

Today: Hagel Grilling Expected , Is There Still Room for Soledad O'Brien at CNN? , France Seeks Malian Peace Talks January 31, 2013 LOOK CLOSELY 1. It's W.'s Immigration Plan President Obama's immigration-reform package should seem awfully familiar—oh, right, it's pretty much the same plan that former president Bush once proposed. What's the difference? Democrats might actually vote for this one, writes The Daily Beast's John Avlon. Read it at The Daily Beast ALL OR NOTHING 2. Hagel Grilling Expected This sounds like a reality-show version of Capitol Hill. Chuck Hagel's critics are expected to grill him Thursday about his policies regarding the Middle East—and especially that vote against the Iraq War surge—at his confirmation hearing to become the next secretary of defense. Senators will be asking about, among other things, Hagel's comments about the "Jewish lobby," his 2011 statement that the Pentagon budget is "too bloated," his remark that a diplomatic colleague was "aggressively gay," and his vote against funding for the Iraq surge. A Republican, Hagel has already garnered the support of about a dozen Democrats—although seven Republicans say they will vote against him. Read it at The Hill WINNING? 3. Is Soledad O'Brien Out at CNN? It's the era of Jeff Zucker: Chris Cuomo's entrée into the network's morning slot sparks speculation over the fiery anchor's future at the network. The Daily Beast's Caitlin Dickson examines whether Soledad O'Brien will be the next one on the chopping block. Read it at The Daily Beast NEXT STEP 4. France Seeks Malian Peace Talks France on Wednesday called for peace talks between the Malian government and "legitimate representatives" of the al Qaeda–linked militants who had overrun large parts of the country before the French-led invasion. Earlier Wednesday, French troops seized control of Kidal, the last major holdout of the rebels. The militants had taken advantage of ethnic tensions between the northern and southern portions of Mali, leading a spokesman for the French foreign minister to insist that "only a north-south dialogue" will bring peace. But Mali's secular president, Dioncounda Traore, has insisted that he will speak only with secular groups in the north—and has refused to have a dialogue with anyone from the radical Islamists who seized control of the north last year. Read it at Al Jazeera English REVENGE 5. Chinese Hackers Target NY Times Since an October 25 story exposing the lucrative business dealings of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, The New York Times has been battling constant attacks from the country's hackers. The Times has been fending them off for four months with the help of security experts, who say the methods used by attackers are similar to those of the Chinese military in the past. They targeted the South Asia burea chief along with Shanghai bureau chief David Barboza, who wrote the report about Wen's family. "Computer-security experts found no evidence that sensitive emails or files from the reporting of our articles about the Wen family were accessed, downloaded, or copied," said executive editor Jill Abramson. Read it at The New York Times TIMETABLE Obama: Pass Immigration Reform by Summer Expects deal "within six months." ADIEU John Kerry Bids Farewell to Senate Gives tearful goodbye speech to "great institution." STANDOFF Ala. Hostage Situation Continues Man holds child for third day. STILL SHADY Menendez: I Reimbursed Donor Denies prostitution allegations. IT'S FANTASTIC Barbie Café Opens in Taiwan Decked out in pink. 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. Gore: U.S. Journalism 'Pathetic' On Climate Change On 'The Daily Show,' former vice president and environmentalist Al Gore defended his sale of Current TV to Al Jazeera, the news organization backed by oil-rich Qatar. Gore said that Al Jazeera has the 'highest-quality, most-extensive, best climate coverage of any network in the world.' More Videos How Obama Can Win on Guns by Eleanor Clift 'Best In Our City' Gunned Down by Michael Daly Tommy Mottola Tells All by Kevin Fallon

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