The Morning Read: Thursday, January 18, 2007

Barack Obama dispatched fund-raiser Jenny Yeager to raise money in New York.

Howard Kurtz said Dick Morris was "flat -out wrong" in his criticism of Obama yesterday.

Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel is having a fund-raiser for Obama.

Despite all the attention, the race is still between Hillary and everybody else, according to this piece in the Wall Street Journal [subscription].

A sneak peak at a poll of independent voters in New Hampshire indicates that John McCain's support "has collapsed."

Eliot Spitzer returned $110,000 to a casino developer.

Spitzer is expected to name Richard Daines as the state's health commissioner.

NARAL will take aim at Republican state Senate candidate Maureen O'Connell.

Critics wonder whether the mayor's proposed changes to the public school system are a sign of success or failure. Whatever it is, it's risky, says David Herszenhorn.

Here's more information about the 13 people running for the one open City Council seat in Brooklyn.

Errol Louis continues the fight against the N-word.

Con Ed could have handled last year's blackout better, according to a new report.

Tom Suozzi apologized for using lights and sirens to get to a meeting in Nassau.

And it's your First Amendment right to jump off the Empire State Building. With a parachute.