Top Items:
Joshua Green / Businessweek:
The Supreme Court's Voting Rights Decision Is a Poison Chalice for the GOP — This morning, the Supreme Court struck down a core part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, “a landmark law that opened the polls to millions of southern blacks,” as Bloomberg's Greg Stohr put it.
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Todd J. Gillman / Trail Blazers Blog:
Texas voter ID law “will take effect immediately,” says Attorney General Greg Abbott — update: The Texas DPS will start issuing voter IDs on Thursday. More below — WASHINGTON — The implications of today's landmark ruling could be swift and stunning.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Talking Points Memo, Outside the Beltway, CBS DC, WDAM-TV, The BRAD BLOG, Off the Kuff, Whiskey Fire, American Prospect, Daily Kos, Wonkblog, The Daily Banter, dallasmorningviewsblog …, msnbc.com, Taegan Goddard's …, Guardian, The Gateway Pundit, BobCesca.com, New York Times and Washington Times
New York Times:
An Assault on the Voting Rights Act — The conservative majority on the Roberts Court issued another damaging and intellectually dishonest ruling on Tuesday. It eviscerated enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, in which Congress kept the promise of a vote for every citizen.
Discussion:
Commentary Magazine, PostPartisan, FiveThirtyEight, First Read and msnbc.com
Ilya Shapiro / Bloomberg:
Jim Crow Is Dead. Long Live the Constitution. — In striking down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, the U.S. Supreme Court has restored a measure of constitutional order. Based on 40-year-old voting data that doesn't reflect current political conditions, this provision subjected …
Andrew Cohen / The Atlantic Online:
On Voting Rights, A Decision As Lamentable as Plessy or Dred Scott
On Voting Rights, A Decision As Lamentable as Plessy or Dred Scott
Ashley Killough / CNN:
Rep. John Lewis: Supreme Court put a ‘dagger’ in Voting Rights Act
Rep. John Lewis: Supreme Court put a ‘dagger’ in Voting Rights Act
Discussion:
Politico, Philly.com and The Hill
Matt Vasilogambros / NationalJournal.com:
That Was Quick: Texas Moves Forward With Voter ID Law After Supreme Court Ruling
That Was Quick: Texas Moves Forward With Voter ID Law After Supreme Court Ruling
Richard L. Hasen / New York Times:
The Chief Justice's Long Game
The Chief Justice's Long Game
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Hill, ACS Blog and addictinginfo.org
Emily Schultheis / Politico:
SCOTUS ruling sets stage for voter ID battle
SCOTUS ruling sets stage for voter ID battle
Discussion:
Raleigh News & Observer, msnbc.com and The Hill
Ryan J. Reilly / The Huffington Post:
Harsh Texas Voter ID Law ‘Immediately’ Takes Effect After Voting Rights Act Ruling
Harsh Texas Voter ID Law ‘Immediately’ Takes Effect After Voting Rights Act Ruling
Discussion:
dallasmorningviewsblog …, TechCrunch, Rare, How Appealing and The Daily Banter
Heather Gerken / Slate:
Goodbye to the Crown Jewel of the Civil Rights Movement
Goodbye to the Crown Jewel of the Civil Rights Movement
Discussion:
Balkinization, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and New York Times
Austin American-Statesman:
Screaming protest disrupts vote on abortion bill — Sen. Wendy Davis, speaking to a large and adoring crowd gathered outside the Senate door, thanked her supporters. — “Today was democracy in action,” she told the crowd. “You all are the voices we were speaking for from the floor.”
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New York Times:
Texas Vote Passing Abortion Bill Is Rendered Moot — AUSTIN, Tex. — Hours after claiming that they successfully passed some of the toughest abortion restrictions in the country, Republican lawmakers reversed course on Wednesday and said a disputed late-night vote on the bill …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Hot Air, Prairie Weather, ThinkProgress and The Reaction
The Texas Tribune:
Liveblog: Senators Trying to Determine if Abortion Bill Passed … Updated: — Texas senators are trying to get to the bottom of whether Republicans successfully pushed through a vote on Senate Bill 5, the omnibus abortion restriction bill, ahead of their midnight deadline.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Guardian, Business Insider, New York Times and skippy the bush kangaroo
Becca Aaronson / The Texas Tribune:
Led by Davis, Democrats Defeat Abortion Legislation … The nation watched on Tuesday — and into Wednesday — as Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis and hundreds of impassioned reproductive rights advocates stalled proceedings and ultimately defeated controversial abortion legislation in a storm …
Discussion:
Politico, New York Times, Taegan Goddard's …, Gawker, The Raw Story, The Week and No More Mister Nice Blog, more at Mediagazer »
Ed Payne / CNN:
Texas abortion bill dies as confusion marks end of session
Texas abortion bill dies as confusion marks end of session
Discussion:
Associated Press, Fox News, Taylor Marsh, SQUATLO RANT, Hullabaloo and Washington Post
Associated Press:
Filibuster broken against abortion bill
Filibuster broken against abortion bill
Discussion:
The Daily Banter, Off the Kuff and Yahoo! News
Josh Voorhees / Slate:
Watch as a State Senator Wages an Epic Filibuster to Block Sweeping New Abortion Restrictions
Watch as a State Senator Wages an Epic Filibuster to Block Sweeping New Abortion Restrictions
Discussion:
Gawker, The Agonist, ThinkProgress and Taylor Marsh
Christy Hoppe / Trail Blazers Blog:
After 12.5 hour filibuster, Senate Bill 5 is dead
After 12.5 hour filibuster, Senate Bill 5 is dead
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Obsidian Wings, PoliticusUSA and Shakesville
Aaron Bycoffe / The Huffington Post:
Live Results: Massachusetts Senate Special Election — Massachusetts is holding a special election to fill the seat previously held by John Kerry, who left to become secretary of state. U.S. Rep. , a Democrat, is running against Republican , a private equity executive and former Navy SEAL.
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Business Insider, The Gateway Pundit, Yahoo! News, Daily Kos, Mediaite and The Spectacle Blog
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Boston Globe:
RECENT MASSACHUSETTS SENATE ELECTIONS — Massachusetts has had five US Senate elections in the last seven years, more than any other state. — Year Results — Democrat Elizabeth Warren polled strongly in heavily Democratic greater Boston, and in cities statewide, to defeat incumbent Republican Scott Brown 54 to 46 percent.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, ThinkProgress, ABC News and Michelle Malkin
Alexandra Jaffe / Ballot Box:
Markey tops Gomez for Senate seat
Markey tops Gomez for Senate seat
Discussion:
Politico, ViralRead, Outside the Beltway and CNN
Eli Lake / The Daily Beast:
Greenwald: Snowden's Files Are Out There if ‘Anything Happens’ to Him — Snowden has shared encoded copies of all the documents he took so that they won't disappear if he does, Glenn Greenwald tells Eli Lake. — As the U.S. government presses Moscow to extradite former National Security …
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Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed:
Exclusive: Documents Illuminate Ecuador's Spying Practices
Exclusive: Documents Illuminate Ecuador's Spying Practices
Discussion:
Business Insider and Agence France Presse
The White House:
Remarks by the President on Climate Change — Washington, D.C. — THE PRESIDENT: Thank you! (Applause.) Thank you, Georgetown! Thank you so much. Everybody, please be seated. And my first announcement today is that you should all take off your jackets. (Laughter.) I'm going to do the same.
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Jon Schuppe / nbcnewyork.com:
Anthony Weiner Surges to Lead in Democratic Mayoral Race: NBC NY/WSJ/Marist Poll — The poll finds Weiner with 25 percent and Quinn with 20 percent among registered Democrats — Democratic mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner has surged ahead of his opponents in a new NBC 4 New York/Wall Street Journal poll …
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Michael Howard Saul / Metropolis:
Weiner Leads Democrats in Race for NYC Mayor: Poll … Former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner leads City Council Speaker Christine Quinn in the race for New York City's Democratic mayoral nomination for the first time, snatching the frontrunner mantle as the contest heads into the final months before the primary …
Discussion:
BuzzFeed, Yahoo! News, msnbc.com, addictinginfo.org, CNN, Taylor Marsh and Conservatives4Palin
Associated Press:
IRS workers bought porn, wine using agency credit cards: watchdog — Employees of the federal agency used credit cards to make $108 million in purchases in 2010 and 2011, says Treasury inspector general. While the majority were legitimate, inadequate controls led to inappropriate purchases.
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Taegan Goddard's … and Associated Press
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Alyssa Brown / Gallup:
Americans Reject Size Limit on Soft Drinks in Restaurants — Democrats slightly more likely than Republicans to favor this proposal — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans, by 69% to 30%, say they would vote against a law that limits the size of soft drinks and other sugary beverages served in restaurants to no more than 16 ounces.
Discussion:
Politico and Weekly Standard
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Passion fades for President Obama among Democrats — A majority of Americans regard President Obama favorably, but his numbers have softened considerably among his fellow Democrats, according to new polling conducted by the Washington Post and ABC News. — Obama's favorability stands at 53 percent …
Discussion:
ABC News, Taegan Goddard's …, Fox News, The Week and Hot Air
Toddstarnes / Fox News:
DOJ Defunds Youth Programs that Reference God — A Louisiana lawman is livid over the federal government's decision to cut off funds for two programs to help troubled young people, all, he says, because he refused to sign a pledge to bar prayer or any mention of God at their meetings.
Discussion:
Right Wing News, BizPac Review and Weasel Zippers