Cheat Sheet - ‘Oops!’ Perry Crashes and Burns at GOP Debate

Today: Good Riddance, Joe Paterno, Alabama County Files for Bankruptcy, Debate Crowd Boos Cain Question November 10, 2011 DONE 1. Rick Perry Crashes and Burns There was only one story from last night's GOP presidential debate, writes The Daily Beast's Mark McKinnon: the political suicide of Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Mitt Romney had a good night, and Cain mostly deflected sexual-harassment questions. But when Perry said he'd cut three government agencies—and couldn't remember the third one, coming up short with a sorry "oops" —he became a dead man walking. Plus, Howard Kurtz, Michelle Cottle, and more Daily Beast contributors weigh in, and watch video of the best debate moments. Read it at The Daily Beast SCANDAL 2. Penn State Students Riot at Paterno Ouster Thousands of students at Penn State rioted Wednesday night after the university fired football coach Joe Paterno and school president Graham B. Spanier. The mob flipped over a news van, tore down two lampposts, and threw rocks and cans; police responded with riot gear and tear gas. The attack on the news van demonstrated the protesters' belief that Paterno was the victim of a media campaign. Earlier in the day, Paterno had said he would retire at the end of the season, but the school's trustees chose to remove him immediately. The Daily Beast's Buzz Bissinger on Paterno's shameful behavior—and why the whole college football system is rotten. Read it at The Daily Beast BROKE 3. Alabama County Files for Bankruptcy Not all debt crises are going down in Europe: Jefferson County in Alabama has filed for bankruptcy, making it the largest municipality to do so in U.S. history. The county—which was the subject of a long Rolling Stone article by Matt Taibbi in 2011—owes more than $3 billion on a sewer deal. Several officials have already gone to prison on corruption charges stemming from the deal. When Taibbi visited Jefferson County, he spoke with families whose sewer bills rose 400 percent in just a few years. "Birmingham's mayor was convicted of fraud and money-laundering for taking bribes funneled to him by Wall Street bankers — everything from Rolex watches to Ferragamo suits to cash," Taibbi wrote. "But those who greenlighted the bribes and profited most from the scam remain largely untouched." Read it at The Wall Street Journal 2012 4. Debate Crowd Boos Cain Question Herman Cain didn't even need Rick Perry's gaffe to take attention off him: The crowd at Wednesday's GOP debate in Michigan was firmly in his corner, booing when the moderator asked him if, in the wake of sexual harassment allegations, he had the character to be president. Cain then attacked the "unfounded accusations" and "character assassination." The crowd booed again when the moderators asked Mitt Romney if, as a former CEO, he'd have fired Herman Cain over the charges. Republican voters apparently agree with the debate crowd: Another Rasmussen poll of Florida shows Cain leading Romney, 30 to 24. Read it at The Hill INVESTIGATION 5. Air Force Dumped Remains in Landfill The Washington Post reports that the Dover Air Force Base mortuary dumped the remains of dead troops in a landfill in Virginia. The mortuary, under investigation for mishandling body parts, is the main entry point for soldiers' remains, and used the landfill from 2003 to 2008, the Air Force told the Post. Since 2008, remains have been buried at sea. Only body parts that were not identified, or were later found after wars, were disposed of using the process. The parts were reportedly cremated and incinerated, and then sent to the landfill. On Tuesday the Dover mortuary said it had lost a soldier's ankle and mishandled other body parts. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that there may be more accountability and that there is "no excuse" for an incident like this to occur. Read it at Washington Post GRILLING James Murdoch Returns to Parliament Will face questioning on Thursday. EURO CRISIS Italy Isn't the Tipping Point Nation's economy doesn't matter that much. MIRACULOUS New Photos of Gabby Giffords' Recovery Congresswoman to appear on People cover, ABC News. CRIME Washington Nationals Catcher Kidnapped Baseball player taken from Venezuela home. HOLLYWOOD Brian Grazer to Take Over Oscars After Brett Ratner, Eddie Murphy pushed aside. 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. Good Riddance, Joe Paterno by Buzz Bissinger Murdoch Back in the Dock by William Underhill Prince William Saves the Day by Tom Sykes

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