Cheat Sheet - New Consumer Cop Targets Debt Collectors

Today: Mitt Romney on Mormon Baptisms of the Dead: 'I Haven't Recently', U.N. to Hold Symbolic Syria Vote, Santorum Backer: Aspirin Makes Fine Contraceptive February 16, 2012 WATCHDOG 1. Consumer Bureau Names First Targets The Obama administration's new consumer protection bureau has outlined its first targets for tougher oversight: large debt collectors and credit reporting companies, both of which have largely escaped federal scrutiny. The agency proposed a draft rule to begin oversight, which it hopes to finalize by July. Director Richard Cordray said the rule would treat debt collectors and credit reporting agencies the same way as banks. Read it at DealBook INTERVIEW 2. Romney on Baptizing the Dead As Jewish leaders decry the Mormon baptism of Simon Wiesenthal's relatives, how does Mitt Romney feel about the practice? When asked by Newsweek in 2007 if he has done baptisms for the dead—in which Mormons find the names of dead people of all faiths and baptize them, as an LDS representative says, to "open the door" to the highest heaven—he looked slightly startled and answered, "I have in my life, but I haven't recently." Read it at The Daily Beast DIPLOMACY 3. U.N. to Hold Symbolic Syria Vote It looks like Jay Carney was right to call Bashar al-Assad's promised referendum "laughable." A day after the Syrian president promised reform, his troops launched an attack on the cities of Deraa, Hama, injuring an estimated 50 people. Also on Thursday, Syrian forces reportedly arrested blogger Razan Ghazzawi, who is considered one of the icons of the uprising. Meanwhile, France says it is negotiating a new U.N. resolution with Russia that would create humanitarian corridors to bring aid to civilians. The U.N. General Assembly will vote Thursday on the symbolic resolution condeming Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown. Read it at Associated Press CLUELESS 4. Santorum Backer: Aspirin Makes Fine Contraceptive Foster Friess, Rick Santorum super PAC financier, doesn't understand all the fuss over contraception, when there are much more pressing issues like unemployment and terrorism at hand. "This contraception thing, my gosh, it's [so] inexpensive," he told Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC Thursday. "You know, back in my days, they'd use Bayer aspirin for contraception. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn't that costly." Taken aback, Mitchell quickly changed the subject.  Read it at The New Republic PAYDAY 5. Amanda Knox Sells Book for $4 Million Just four months ago, Amanda Knox was sitting in an Italian jail, convicted of murder. Now she's free, back in Seattle—and picking up a $4 million paycheck for her memoir, according to The New York Times. Publishing house HarperCollins won a fierce bidding war for her story, which is reported to start only with her arrest and imprisonment for Kercher's murder. (She's not expected to write about the night Kercher was killed.) Though Knox is a polarizing figure, her book is sure to gain attention, especially since new legal troubles have sprung up: Italian prosecutors recently appealed to have her conviction reinstated by the nation's highest court. Read it at The New York Times MAC LOVE Apple Unveils New Operating System Can sync your computer with your television. NEW GENERATION Kennedy Heir Kicks Off House Run Already has sizeable lead. ABORTION DEBATE OK Senate Passes Personhood Act Says life begins at conception. MYSTERIOUS Colbert Suspends Show for a Week For unexplained reasons. PICK-UP LINE Chris Brown: 'Promise I Won't Beat You' Woman claimed he tried it on her. 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. Mitt's Emotion Deficit by Michael Tomasky Whitney's Road to Ruin by The Daily Beast Little People, Big Controversy by Jace Lacob

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