Cheat Sheet - We’re All Joe McCarthy Now

Today: Libyan Government Turns to Ansar Al-Sharia Militia for Crime-Fighting Help , Hot Air Balloon Crash Kills 18 , Central U.S. Slammed by Storm February 26, 2013 RED-SCARE NATION 1. We're All Joe McCarthy Now Liberals at the Huffington Post and MSNBC have called Texas Sen. Ted Cruz a "Joe McCarthy" for his attacks on Chuck Hagel. But as Hagel finally moves to confirmation today, it's clear that the pundits' hysterical accusations are no better than Cruz's outlandish comments, writes The Daily Beast's Michael Moynihan. Will the Cold War ever end? Read it at The Daily Beast LIBYA 2. Assassins on the Payroll Libya has tapped local militias—including the one blamed for the attack on the U.S. consulate—to patrol Tripoli and Benghazi amidst a spiraling crime wave, reports The Daily Beast's Jamie Dettmer. Read it at The Daily Beast NIGHTMARE 3. Hot Air Balloon Crash Kills 18 Eighteen foreign tourists were killed Tuesday when a hot-air balloon exploded and crashed in a sugar-cane field near the ancient city of Luxor. Another three were injured. According to Egyptian officials, the balloon caught fire, causing the explosion and the balloon to plunge at least 1,000 feet from the sky. A Hong Kong official said nine of the passengers were residents of their city, but did not clarify if all nine were killed. French officials confirmed that French nationals were on board. An Egyptian official said the casualties also included British and Japanese tourists. Read it at Associated Press DIG OUT 4. Central U.S. Slammed by Storm A huge storm that slammed the Texas Panhandle on Monday and moved north on Tuesday is already being blamed for two deaths—and it's showing no signs of stopping. In Oklahoma, one man was killed after his roof collapsed under 15 inches of snow. The storm also killed a motorist in eastern Texas, where some areas saw record accumulations of snow. Hurricane-force winds also whipped Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, knocking out power to thousands. Fueled by a low-pressure system, the storm didn't just dump snow: it also caused thunderstorms, and tornado watches were issued in Arkansas and Louisiana. It gets worse: up to 15 inches of snow were expected in Missouri, which was slammed by a blizzard just five days ago. Read it at Associated Press ABOUT-FACE 5. 75 Major GOPers Back Gay Marriage What is going on in the Republican Party? In a major departure from the national party's stance—and even from past statements by the candidates—at least 75 Republicans signed a legal brief on Monday that says gay people have the constitutional right to marry. The brief will be submitted to a California court this week as part of a suit against the state's controversial Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot measure that outlawed gay marriage. Among the signatures were 2012 Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, former California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman—who campaigned for Proposition 8 during her run—and several high-profile officials from the Bush and Reagan White Houses—although prominent pro-gay-marriage Republicans Laura Bush and Dick Cheney had not signed yet. Read it at The New York Times CEASEFIRE?! Rocket From Gaza Explodes in Israel First since November truce. INSIDE North Korea Expanding Gulags According to satellite images. GAMBLE Gingrich Backer Sues WSJ Sheldon Adelson doesn't like being called "foul-mouthed." RIGHT TO BARE ARMS Iran Covers Up Michelle Obama In her Best Picture presentation. THAT'S THE WAY LOVE GOES Janet Jackson Secretly Married To Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana. 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. We Miss You, Glenn Beck Nobody talks before they think quite like you. So with news that you're trying to come back to cable, we couldn't help but spice up our lives with a little Beck-spiracies. More Videos Christopher Hitchens: A Nasty Piece of Work by James Kirchick America's Homegrown Terrorists by Eli Lake Bang With Friends: Not Just About Sex by Anna Klassen

ABOUT US | CONTACT US | SUBSCRIBE Copyright 2013 The Newsweek/Daily Beast Company LLC 555 W. 18th Street , New York NY 10011 Privacy Policy

If you are on a mobile device or cannot view the images in this message, click here to view this email in your Web browser. To ensure delivery of these emails, please add thedailybeast@e2.thedailybeast.com to your address book. If you have changed your mind and no longer wish to receive these emails, or think you have received this message in error, you can safely unsubscribe here.