Top Items:
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
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 …
U.S. News:
Texas abortion bill fails to pass after epic filibuster — A bill that opponents claimed would virtually ban abortion in Texas failed to pass late Tuesday after lawmakers missed a deadline by just minutes. — There were chaotic scenes after a filibuster attempt fell just short and protesters cheered …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Maddow Blog, CNN, Hit & Run, The Fix, National Review, BizPac Review, The Gateway Pundit, Guardian, Balloon Juice and The Week
Ed Payne / CNN:
Texas abortion bill dies as confusion marks end of session — (CNN) — The Texas legislature's special session ended in chaos and confusion early Wednesday, when a marathon filibuster failed — but so did a Republican effort to pass a bill that would have greatly restricted abortions in the state.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Althouse, The Reaction, Taylor Marsh, SQUATLO RANT, Hullabaloo, New York Times and Washington Post
Fox News:
Texas abortion bill falls after dispute over vote — Texas' lieutenant governor acknowledged early Wednesday that Republicans missed their deadline to pass new abortion restrictions after protesters screamed down lawmakers as the final 15 minutes passed before the special legislative session's deadline.
Discussion:
Rare, Infowars, The Raw Story and Hit & Run
The Texas Tribune:
Liveblog: Senators Trying to Determine if Abortion Bill Passed
Liveblog: Senators Trying to Determine if Abortion Bill Passed
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Guardian, Business Insider and skippy the bush kangaroo
Associated Press:
Filibuster broken against abortion bill
Filibuster broken against abortion bill
Discussion:
The Daily Banter, Off the Kuff and Yahoo! News
Associated Press:
Texas abortion bill falls after challenge
Texas abortion bill falls after challenge
Discussion:
Patterico's Pontifications, ABC News and The Huffington Post
Christy Hoppe / Trail Blazers Blog:
After 12 1/2-hour filibuster, Senate Bill 5 is dead
After 12 1/2-hour filibuster, Senate Bill 5 is dead
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Obsidian Wings, PoliticusUSA and Shakesville
Richard L. Hasen / New York Times:
The Chief Justice's Long Game — IN an opinion brimming with a self-confidence that he hides behind a cloak of judicial minimalism, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing for a conservative Supreme Court majority in Shelby County v. Holder, cripples Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.
Discussion:
The Hill, Balkinization, News Desk, Prairie Weather, ACS Blog and addictinginfo.org
RELATED:
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 …
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, Associated Press, FiveThirtyEight, Right Wing News and msnbc.com
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.
Richard A. Posner / Slate:
Supreme Court 2013: The Year in Review
Supreme Court 2013: The Year in Review
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Plum Line and American Prospect
Bill Barrow / Associated Press:
Republicans Across The South Promise Quick Action After SCOTUS Ruling
Republicans Across The South Promise Quick Action After SCOTUS Ruling
Discussion:
The Maddow Blog
Jonathan Allen / Politico:
Obama confronts Bush court on voting, gay rights cases
Obama confronts Bush court on voting, gay rights cases
Discussion:
CNN, Philly.com and The Hill
Todd J. Gillman / Trail Blazers Blog:
Texas voter ID law “will take effect immediately,” says Attorney General Greg Abbott
Texas voter ID law “will take effect immediately,” says Attorney General Greg Abbott
Discussion:
NationalJournal.com, Talking Points Memo, Washington Examiner, CBS DC, WDAM-TV, The BRAD BLOG, Outside the Beltway, Off the Kuff, Whiskey Fire, Daily Kos, Wonkblog, alicublog, The Daily Banter, dallasmorningviewsblog …, msnbc.com, ThinkProgress, Libertarian Republican, The Maddow Blog, Taegan Goddard's …, Guardian, The Gateway Pundit, New York Times and BobCesca.com
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
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
Stephen L. Carter / Bloomberg:
The Supreme Court Matters Less Than You Think
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
RELATED:
Alexandra Jaffe / Ballot Box:
Markey tops Gomez for Senate seat
Markey tops Gomez for Senate seat
Discussion:
Politico, ViralRead, CNN and Outside the Beltway
Alex Berenson / New York Times:
Snowden, Through the Eyes of a Spy Novelist — FOR a spy novelist like me, the Edward J. Snowden story has everything. A man driven by ego and idealism — can anyone ever distinguish the two? — leaves his job and his beautiful girlfriend behind. He must tell the world the Panopticon has arrived.
Discussion:
Yahoo! News
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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
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 …
RELATED:
Michael Howard Saul / Metropolis:
Weiner Leads Democrats in Race for NYC Mayor: Poll
Weiner Leads Democrats in Race for NYC Mayor: Poll
Discussion:
BuzzFeed, Yahoo! News, msnbc.com, addictinginfo.org, Taylor Marsh, CNN and Conservatives4Palin
Alison Rourke / Guardian:
Julia Gillard ousted as Australia prime minister — Julia Gillard confirms she will not contest next parliamentary elections after losing Labor party leadership ballot to Kevin Rudd — Australia's first female prime minister, Julia Gillard, has been sacked by her party just months …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
RELATED:
Emma Griffiths / ABC:
Kevin Rudd defeats Julia Gillard 57-45 in Labor leadership ballot, paving way for a return to PM
Kevin Rudd defeats Julia Gillard 57-45 in Labor leadership ballot, paving way for a return to PM
Discussion:
Via Meadia and Infowars
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, Fox News, Taegan Goddard's …, Hot Air and Associated Press
CNN:
‘Crossfire’ coming back to CNN — Washington (CNN) - An institution is coming back to CNN. — “Crossfire,” the long-running political debate show that aired on CNN from 1982-2005, is getting a reboot, the news network announced Wednesday. Four new hosts - two on the left, and two on the right - will debut the program this fall.
Discussion:
Libertarian Republican and Business Insider
Andrew Branca / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
Zimmerman Trial Day 2 - Analysis of State's Witnesses — Today can only be characterized as an utter debacle for the prosecution in Florida v. Zimmerman. Besides the testimony of a couple of highly professional law enforcement witnesses, the testimony of the the other State witnesses ranged …
Discussion:
Power Line and Instapundit
CNN:
Player taken into custody — North Attleborough, Massachusetts (CNN) — New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was arrested and booked at a police station in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, on Wednesday morning. — He will be taken to Attleboro District Court, where he will be arraigned.
Fox News:
IRS credit cards used for wine, pornography, IG report says — WASHINGTON - Another government watchdog report has flagged inappropriate behavior at the IRS, this time claiming government credit cards were used to make questionable purchases on items ranging from wine to online pornography.
Discussion:
Libertarian Republican