Top Items:
Lyle Denniston / SCOTUSblog:
Argument recap: DOMA is in trouble (FINAL UPDATE) — Analysis — If the Supreme Court can find its way through a dense procedural thicket, and confront the constitutionality of the federal law that defined marriage as limited to a man and a woman, that law may be gone, after a seventeen-year existence.
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Washington Wire:
Live Blog: Supreme Court Weighs Gay Marriage, Day 2 — The Supreme Court Wednesday is hearing arguments on the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act, completing a two-day exploration of gay marriage after arguments Tuesday that showed the justices divided over how far the rights of gays and lesbians should extend.
Discussion:
National Review, Bloomberg, Reuters, Hot Air, CNN, Politico, ThinkProgress, emptywheel, Business Insider, Taylor Marsh and Towleroad News #gay
New York Times:
Justices Seem Set to End U.S. Ban on Benefits to Gay Spouses — WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court appeared ready on Wednesday to strike down a central part of a federal law that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman as a majority of the justices expressed reservations about the Defense …
Politico:
Elena Kagan's DOMA ‘gotcha’ moment — Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan caught the attorney defending the Defense of Marriage Act in a rare “gotcha” moment — in the eyes of many in the audience — at the high court on Wednesday. — In discussing the origins of the law, Paul Clement …
Rob Christensen / Raleigh News & Observer:
U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan declares her support for gay marriage — Sen. Kay Hagan said Wednesday that she supported the right of gay people to marry, saying “we should not tell people who they can love or who they can marry.” — Hagan, one of the few Democratic senators who had not previously come …
Discussion:
Roll Call, The Impolitic, ThinkProgress, The Hill, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, Politico and The Hinterland Gazette
Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
Defense Of Marriage Act Takes A Beating At Supreme Court — A majority of the Supreme Court justices delivered a beating to the Defense of Marriage Act during oral arguments Wednesday, signaling a positive outcome for marriage equality. — The four liberal-leaning justices …
Discussion:
The National Memo, American Spectator, The Hinterland Gazette and The Maddow Blog
Ricochet Conversations Feed:
Troy Senik, Ed. : The Gay Marriage Fight that Should Unify the Right
Troy Senik, Ed. : The Gay Marriage Fight that Should Unify the Right
Discussion:
RedState, Advocate and Questions and Observations
Sarah Kliff / Wonkblog:
Planned Parenthood's president thinks abortion is headed back to the Supreme Court
Planned Parenthood's president thinks abortion is headed back to the Supreme Court
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Associated Press, Taking Note and ThinkProgress
David Martosko / Daily Mail:
PUNCHES fly as gay marriage advocates and opponents clash outside Supreme Court while landmark case is heard inside
PUNCHES fly as gay marriage advocates and opponents clash outside Supreme Court while landmark case is heard inside
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Joe. My. God. and Jammie Wearing Fools
Reuters:
Supreme Court conservatives target Obama on marriage law
Supreme Court conservatives target Obama on marriage law
Discussion:
Guardian, Mediaite, Business Insider and Politico
Tom Goldstein / SCOTUSblog:
The relationship between DOMA and Proposition 8
The relationship between DOMA and Proposition 8
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Angry Bear, BuzzFeed, AMERICAblog and ProfessorBainbridge.com
Jack Mirkinson / The Huffington Post:
Bill O'Reilly: Gay Marriage Foes Can Only ‘Thump The Bible’ In Their Arguments (VIDEO)
Bill O'Reilly: Gay Marriage Foes Can Only ‘Thump The Bible’ In Their Arguments (VIDEO)
Discussion:
The Dish, Hullabaloo, Trail Blazers Blog and Unqualified Offerings
Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
Courting Cowardice — As the arguments unfurled in Tuesday's case …
Courting Cowardice — As the arguments unfurled in Tuesday's case …
Discussion:
Brilliant at Breakfast, JustOneMinute, the daily howler, Balloon Juice, Capital New York and FiveThirtyEight
Nelson Lund / Wall Street Journal:
A Social Experiment Without Science Behind It
A Social Experiment Without Science Behind It
Discussion:
National Review, www.frcblog.com, Betsy's Page, Instapundit, Pundit & Pundette and Power Line
Sam Baker / The Hill:
Supreme Court seems open to killing Defense of Marriage Act
Supreme Court seems open to killing Defense of Marriage Act
Discussion:
Politico
Sabrina Siddiqui / The Huffington Post:
Gay Marriage Rights: The 10 Democratic Senators Who Still Say No
Gay Marriage Rights: The 10 Democratic Senators Who Still Say No
Discussion:
Roll Call, Washington Wire, Taylor Marsh, Swampland, Associated Press, Mother Jones, Salon, Firedoglake and emptywheel
Chris Cillizza / Post Politics:
Ashley Judd is not running for Senate — Update: Ashley Judd has announced via Twitter that she will not run for Senate. “After serious and thorough contemplation, I realize that my responsibilities & energy at this time need to be focused on my family,” she wrote.
Discussion:
Roll Call, Weasel Zippers and Mediaite
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Manu Raju / Politico:
Obama, Republican senators set second date — President Barack Obama will continue his congressional charm offensive at a second dinner with Senate Republicans next month. — The April 10 dinner will include a dozen GOP members invited by Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Republican aides said Wednesday.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Post Politics
Ben Goad / The Hill:
Obama moves rule to tighten background checks on gun buys
Obama moves rule to tighten background checks on gun buys
Discussion:
protein wisdom, The PJ Tatler, The Maddow Blog, The Hill and Fox News
Reid J. Epstein / Politico:
Has Washington waited too long?
Has Washington waited too long?
Discussion:
CNN, The Week, Extrano's Alley, a gun blog and First Read
Reuters:
‘Rude’ lawmaker Louie Gohmert pulls rank on cops over parking ticket — A Texas Republican congressman got into a late-night verbal altercation with U.S. Park Police officers earlier this month, pulling rank in an attempt to get out of a parking ticket near the Lincoln Memorial.
Discussion:
The Maddow Blog, The Raw Story, Trail Blazers Blog, Juanita Jean's, Daily Kos and Zandar Versus The Stupid
Renee Dudley / Bloomberg:
Customers Flee Wal-Mart Empty Shelves for Target, Costco — Margaret Hancock has long considered the local Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) superstore her one- stop shopping destination. No longer. — During recent visits, the retired accountant from Newark, Delaware, says she failed to find …
Discussion:
Via Meadia and TIME
Darren DaRonco / Arizona Daily Star:
Ex-Tucson mayoral hopeful McClusky plans free shotguns for high-crime areas — Tucson residents living in crime-ridden areas could soon receive free shotguns. — Operating on the premise an armed neighborhood is a safer neighborhood, a group led by former mayoral candidate Shaun McClusky …
Discussion:
The Raw Story and Alan Colmes' Liberaland
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Rebecca Leber / ThinkProgress:
Arizona Group Will Give Away Loaded Shotguns To ‘Take Back’ City From Criminals
Arizona Group Will Give Away Loaded Shotguns To ‘Take Back’ City From Criminals
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Daily Kos
David Edwards / The Raw Story:
Idaho teacher investigated for saying ‘vagina’ during biology lesson — A high school science teacher in Idaho is under investigation by the state's professional standards commission because he reportedly used the word “vagina” during a biology lesson. — Tim McDaniel, who teaches 10th grade science …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress
Washington Post:
CIA director faces a quandary over clandestine service appointment — As John Brennan moved into the CIA director's office this month, another high-level transition was taking place down the hall. — A week earlier, a woman had been placed in charge of the CIA's clandestine service for the first time in the agency's history.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Booman Tribune, Business Insider, Washington Monthly and Boing Boing
Paul Krugman:
Poland Is Not Yet Lost — But its leaders remain determined to give disaster a chance. — Poland is one of Europe's relative success stories. It avoided the severe slump that afflicted much of the European periphery, then had a fairly strong recovery: — As you can see …
Discussion:
Wonkblog, The Week, TheMoneyIllusion and National Review
RELATED:
Jan Cienski / Financial Times:
Poland opens way to euro referendum
Poland opens way to euro referendum
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Paul Krugman
CBS News:
Poll: 80% of Americans unhappy with Washington — The Sequester — Americans continue to believe the sequester cuts will be bad for the country (41 percent) in the long run, and just 28 percent expect their effect to be good for the country. However, the view that sequester will have no impact …
Discussion:
The National Memo, The Hill, Politico, First Read and National Review
RELATED:
Ekropp / George Foster Peabody Awards:
72nd Annual Peabody Awards Winners Announced — ATHENS, Georgia - Thirty-nine recipients of the 72nd Annual Peabody Awards were announced today by the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. The winners, chosen by the Peabody board as the best …
Discussion:
SCOTUSblog, Media Decoder, Poynter and The Volokh Conspiracy, more at Mediagazer »
Josh Margolin / New York Post:
Oops, TSA guy goes spray-zy! — A bumbling TSA agent “playing around” with a pepper-spray container at Kennedy Airport fired the caustic liquid at five fellow screeners yesterday, sending all six to the hospital, a source told The Post. — The agent, Chris Yves Dabel …
Discussion:
Gothamist and The Daily Caller
Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:
Local Airport Closures Cause GOPers Sequestration Anxiety — We've noted previously that outside Washington D.C. — where politicians and reporters obsess endlessly over inconsequential but high-valence things like White House tours and Easter egg hunts — sequestration is beginning to cause real harm, and political pain.
Discussion:
Daily Kos, St. Augustine Record, The Plum Line, The Maddow Blog and DownWithTyranny!
Talking Points Memo:
Lawyers Say Colorado Theater Shooting Suspect To Plead Guilty To Avoid Death Penalty — DENVER (AP) — Lawyers for Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes said Wednesday he would plead guilty and serve the rest of his life in prison to avoid the death penalty.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway