Navigate to News section

Sundown: Senator Carl Levin to Call It Quits

Plus the State Department postpones honor for Egyptian anti-Semite

by
Adam Chandler
March 07, 2013
CIA Director John Brennan.(Getty)
CIA Director John Brennan.(Getty)

• Michigan Senator Carl Levin, the highly influential chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has announced his retirement following the end of his term. The 78-year-old Levin has been in the Senate since 1979. [Politico]

• Jeffrey Goldberg reports on a controversy involving First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry who had planned to honor Samira Ibrahim, an Egyptian woman who fought bravely against virginity tests, but also said some pretty nasty things about Jews and Americans on Twitter. It’s been announced the honor is being delayed until she is further vetted. [Atlantic]

• Ohio has made an unprecedented purchase of $42 million in Israel bonds. [JTA]

• Despite the 13-hour filibuster against him by Senator Rand Paul, John Brennan was confirmed as head of the CIA earlier today by the Senate. [NYT]

• Mandy Patinkin thinks that the hit Showtime series ‘Homeland’ can create Middle East peace. Jewcy has the report on his plan. [Jewcy]

Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.