Cheat Sheet - What Romney's 'Very Poor' Gaffe Reveals

Today: Pakistan Denies Taliban Accusations, Don Cornelius Found Dead, Nevada Tea Party Falling Apart February 01, 2012 FREUDIAN SLIP 1. What Romney's 'Very Poor' Gaffe Reveals The candidate's quote about not being concerned for 'the very poor' is an instant-classic campaign fumble, but what's most interesting about it is what it tells us about his desperate attempt to appeal to the middle class, says The Daily Beast's John Avlon. Read it at The Daily Beast CAHOOTS 2. Pakistan Denies Taliban Accusations A classified NATO report obtained by the BBC, based on thousands of interrogations, concludes that the Taliban has widespread support among the Afghan people and is being directly assisted by Pakistan's intelligence service. Pakistan's foreign minister strongely rejected the report, while a senior security official in Islamabad said the report came was the result of Western troops losing ground in Afghanistan. The NATO report is based on 27,000 interrogations of more than 4,000 captured Taliban and al Qaeda members as well as civilians. One senior al Qaeda detainee says, "The Taliban are not Islam. The Taliban are Islamabad." The report also says that the Taliban is increasingly popular in Afghanistan. Read it at BBC TRAGIC 3. Don Cornelius Found Dead Don Cornelius, the creator of television's Soul Train, was found dead Wednesday morning in an apparent suicide, police said. Police discovered his body around 4 a.m. with a gunshot wound to the head, which they believe was self-inflicted. He was 75. Cornelius hosted Soul Train from when it debuted in 1971 until 1993; the show ceased running in 2006. During Cornelius's divorce proceedings in 2009, he told a judge he was suffering from significant health issues and wanted to "finalize this divorce before I die." Read it at TMZ CHAOS 4. Nevada Tea Party Falling Apart The GOP presidential race is headed to Nevada, where the facts on the ground may be troubling for candidates like Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum hoping to capitalize on Tea Party support. Since the 2010 midterm elections, Nevada's Tea Party has all but fallen apart, demoralized and scattered by the loss of its champion, Sharron Angle, to embattled Democratic Sen. Harry Reid. Tea Party activists say their movement has been undone by internal squabbles, and they've all but given up on impacting the primary. "They don't even make an effort to coordinate with us anymore," one activist said. A pro-Gingrich super-PAC operative added, "Conservatives in this state just can't figure out how to row in the same direction." Read it at Buzzfeed DISASTER 5. Oil Spills From Italy Shipwreck The tragedy of the Costa Concordia shipwreck on the coast of Giglio, Italy, just keeps getting bleaker. On Tuesday, authorities called off the search for survivors after raising the body count to 17. On Wednesday, they announced that oil is now leaking from the wreck, spreading out into a thin film on the region's pristine and sensitive waters. The ship holds 500,000 gallons of fuel and other pollutants that authorities fear could wreak ecological havoc on an area that is the home of dolphins, whales, and other animals. Salvage workers are hoping to pump the remaining fuel from the ship, but suspended the effort Wednesday on account of bad weather. Read it at NPR CREDIT SUISSE Ex-Credit Suisse Trader Pleads Guilty To conspiracy and fraud charges. FALLING OUT Cancer Group Cuts Planned Parenthood Funds Critics blame pressure from conservatives. BRUTAL Syrian Defector Describes Atrocities Forced to shoot and torture protesters. OOPS FBI Raids Wrong Apartment Sawed down door, held innocent woman at gunpoint. FOOD FIGHT Has Top Chef Gone Bland? Why the Texas version is so unappetizing. 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. Iran's Changing Calculus: Will It Strike Inside the United States? by Eli Lake Romney's Most Awkward Moments: I'm Not Concerned About the Poor and More (VIDEO) by The Daily Beast Video Beware the Facebook Hype: Investors Encourage Company's Insane IPO by Dan Lyons

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