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First Read's Morning Clips

A roundup of the most important political stories of the day

OBAMA AGENDA: Across the pond…

Britain will vote later today on its involvement in US-led attacks on ISIS in Iraq. The BBC reports that David Cameron told Parliament that ISIS is a threat to "the streets of Britain."

The Wall Street Journal reports that Turkey is weighing taking on a greater role in the anti-terrorism campaign as U.S. and Arab officials push for more aid from Ankara.

The New York Times asks if the U.S. can strike ISIS in Syria without aiding President Bashar al-Assad.

Yesterday, from the New York Times: "American intelligence agencies believe they have identified the Islamic State militant who appeared on two videotapes in which American journalists were beheaded, the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, said Thursday, but he declined to name the man while agents from the United States and Britain were searching for him."

U.S. officials acknowledged that they don't know details about when or where Khorasan would attempt to carry out attacks in the west, notes the AP.

The Washington Post previews the coming confirmation fight over Holder's successor. Said Ted Cruz: "Allowing Democratic senators, many of whom will likely have just been defeated at the polls, to confirm Holder’s successor would be an abuse of power that should not be countenanced."

Some Republicans were less than cordial in their goodbyes to the departing Attorney General, writes one of us(!)

NBC's Andrew Rafferty reviews Eric Holder's legacy.

Another story we're watching, via the Denver Post: "Hundreds of high schoolers across the county have hit the streets protesting a proposed curriculum committee that would call for promoting "positive aspects" of U.S. history and avoiding or condoning "civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law." They're also upset about an evaluation-based system for awarding raises to educators."

OFF TO THE RACES: Forcing Paul Ryan’s hand

Paul Ryan will get a challenge for the gavel of the House Ways and Means Committee, writes the Washington Post's Robert Costa. Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas says he's in. MORE: “Ryan, who is considering a 2016 presidential bid, is widely seen as the strongest candidate for the position. But concerns about whether he would be fully committed to committee work as he simultaneously considers a bid for the White House have been voiced privately by some of his colleagues.”

The AP's Steve Peoples previews the Values Voter Summit in Washington D.C.

Is Carly Fiorina toying with a 2016 bid? She tells National Journal: “"People ask me that a lot, so if you get asked that a lot you have to think about it—you have to consider it.” (Folks would take a Fiorina bid more seriously if she hadn’t got blown out in the 2010 California Senate race -- in such a GOP year.)

COLORADO: A new ad from Cory Gardner takes aim at the long political history of the Udalls - and Democrats aren't pleased.

The Hill writes that Democrats are worried that the "war on women" argument is falling flat in the Senate race.

KANSAS: The Big Payback: POLITICO reports that Milton Wolf might endorse Greg Orman over Pat Roberts.

MSNBC's Kasie Hunt reports on how Pat Roberts is caught between dueling views of the government shutdown as surrogates flock to boost him in Kansas.

KENTUCKY: Alison Lundergan Grimes told a radio host that she wants to close the gun show loophole, a major piece of Obama’s gun control plan. From the AP: “’I believe it is worth having the discussion to actually work to close the gun show loophole that we see,’ Grimes told Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio in a lengthy interview broadcast throughout the state. ‘You shouldn't have different standards when you go to a gun store versus gun shows.’”

LOUISIANA: Sarah Palin will stump for Republican Rob Maness, who’s running third in the Senate race.

MISSISSIPPI: This is still going on?????... “Attorneys for Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran are asking the state Supreme Court to throw out a rival's attempt to overturn the senator's Republican primary victory,” writes the Clarion-Ledger. “Cochran's team filed documents late Wednesday with the court asserting that a circuit judge correctly dismissed a lawsuit by state Sen. Chris McDaniel. In their own filing, Cochran's attorneys denied the arguments raised by McDaniel.”

NORTH CAROLINA: Roll Call writes that education is becoming a top issue in the North Carolina Senate race.

TEXAS: Ouch. The San Antonio Express-News won’t endorse in the race for ag commish, citing candidates “so poor they don't merit an endorsement.”

PROGRAMMING NOTES.

*** Friday’s “News Nation with Tamron Hall” line-up: NBC’s Tamron Hall interviews Dave Zirin, Sports Editor for The Nation, on the new report about the Ray Rice elevator video, Larry Hannan, court reporter for the Florida Times-Union on the retrial of Michael Dunn, Hugh Evans, CEO of The Global Poverty Project, and Iyanla Vanzant, spiritual life coach and host of “Iyanla: Fix My Life” on OWN.

*** Friday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews Admiral James Stavridis, Caterpillar SVP Kathryn Karol, UN Foundation Pres. & CEO Kathy Calvin, the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza, USA Today’s Susan Page and NBC’s Chuck Todd, Billy Neely and Keir Simmons.