Top Items:


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.
RELATED:


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.

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, msnbc.com and The Caucus


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 …

Rep. John Lewis: Supreme Court put a ‘dagger’ in Voting Rights Act
Discussion:
Politico, Philly.com and The Hill


That Was Quick: Texas Moves Forward With Voter ID Law After Supreme Court Ruling

On Voting Rights, A Decision As Lamentable as Plessy or Dred Scott
Discussion:
SCOTUSblog, Washington Free Beacon, CANNONFIRE, Viking Pundit, msnbc.com, NewsBusters, The Raw Story, Politico, Mother Jones, Hot Air and Outside the Beltway

The Chief Justice's Long Game
Discussion:
The Hill, ACS Blog and addictinginfo.org

Harsh Texas Voter ID Law ‘Immediately’ Takes Effect After Voting Rights Act Ruling
Discussion:
dallasmorningviewsblog …, TechCrunch, Rare and The Daily Banter

Goodbye to the Crown Jewel of the Civil Rights Movement
Discussion:
Balkinization, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and New York Times


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.”
RELATED:


Texas Vote Passing Abortion Bill Is Rendered Moot
Discussion:
Associated Press, Hot Air, Prairie Weather and ThinkProgress

Led by Davis, Democrats Defeat Abortion Legislation
Discussion:
Politico, New York Times, Taegan Goddard's …, Gawker and The Week

Filibuster broken against abortion bill
Discussion:
Off the Kuff, The Daily Banter and Yahoo! News

Liveblog: Senators Trying to Determine if Abortion Bill Passed
Discussion:
Guardian, Business Insider and skippy the bush kangaroo

Watch as a State Senator Wages an Epic Filibuster to Block Sweeping New Abortion Restrictions
Discussion:
Gawker, The Agonist, ThinkProgress and Taylor Marsh

Texas abortion bill dies as confusion marks end of session
Discussion:
Associated Press, Fox News, SQUATLO RANT, Hullabaloo, New York Times and Washington Post

After 12.5 hour filibuster, Senate Bill 5 is dead
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Obsidian Wings, PoliticusUSA and Shakesville

Texas abortion bill falls after challenge
Discussion:
Rare, ABC News and The Huffington Post


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 …
RELATED:


Exclusive: Documents Illuminate Ecuador's Spying Practices
Discussion:
Business Insider and Agence France Presse


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:
The Gateway Pundit, Business Insider, Yahoo! News, Daily Kos, Mediaite and The Spectacle Blog
RELATED:

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:
ABC News and Michelle Malkin

Markey tops Gomez for Senate seat — Democrat Edward Markey defeated Republican Gabriel Gomez in the Massachusetts special Senate election, confirming consistent polling that had shown him ahead and calming Democratic fears of another special election upset.
Discussion:
Politico, ViralRead, Outside the Beltway and CNN

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.
RELATED:


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:


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


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
RELATED:

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


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

5 Senators Who Support Immigration Bill Don't Know Answer to Key Question About It — Obamacare poses a tricky problem for supporters of the Senate's comprehensive immigration reform bill. It would be too politically toxic to give illegal immigrants amnesty and taxpayer subsidies under Obamacare …
Discussion:
The Heritage Foundation, Washington Examiner, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers and Washington Free Beacon

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, Weasel Zippers and BizPac Review


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 ahead …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway