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Court Overturns DOMA, Sidesteps Broad Gay Marriage Ruling … The Supreme Court issued rulings on two highly-anticipated cases on gay marriage today. By 5-4, it ruled the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman, is unconstitutional.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, his vorpal sword, Applesauce, Poynter, Taylor Marsh, RYOT News, Crooks and Liars and The Hinterland Gazette
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Supreme Court Strikes Down Law Denying U.S. Benefits to Gay Spouses — WASHINGTON — In a pair of major victories for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that married same-sex couples were entitled to federal benefits and, by declining to decide a case from California …


Supreme Court delivers wins for gay marriage movement — (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Wednesday handed a significant victory to gay rights advocates by recognizing that married gay men and women are eligible for federal benefits and paving the way for same-sex marriage in California.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice and Outside the Beltway

Supreme Court DOMA Decision Rules Federal Same-Sex Marriage Ban Unconstitutional — WASHINGTON — The Defense of Marriage Act, the law barring the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages legalized by the states, is unconstitutional, the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday by a 5-4 vote.
Discussion:
The Daily Banter, addictinginfo.org and NewsHounds blog

Live Analysis of the Supreme Court Decisions on Gay Marriage
Discussion:
JohnShore.com

Supreme Court Set to Rule on Gay Marriage
Discussion:
Washington Wire, Weekly Standard, Law Blog, The Reaction and Talking Points Memo


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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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:
The Lede, Associated Press, ThinkProgress, Hot Air and Prairie Weather


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 …


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, CNN, The Maddow Blog, News Desk, Hit & Run, Guardian, BizPac Review, National Review, The Fix, msnbc.com and Balloon Juice


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, addictinginfo.org, The Reaction, Althouse, Rare, SQUATLO RANT, Hullabaloo and Washington Post


TEXAS ABORTION BILL FALLS AFTER CHALLENGE
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Raw Story, ABC News, addictinginfo.org, Rare, Infowars and Boing Boing

Liveblog: Senators Trying to Determine if Abortion Bill Passed
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Guardian, Gawker, New York Times, Business Insider, Firedoglake and skippy the bush kangaroo

Obama account tweets support for Texas abortion rights filibuster
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Gawker and Shakesville

Texas Abortion Bill Filibustered By State Senator Wendy Davis Is Dead
Discussion:
Wonkblog, Slate, PoliticusUSA, The Raw Story and The Agonist


Republicans Across The South Promise Quick Action After SCOTUS Ruling — ATLANTA (AP) — Across the South, Republicans are working to take advantage of a new political landscape after a divided U.S. Supreme Court freed all or part of 15 states, many of them in the old Confederacy …
Discussion:
Associated Press and The Maddow Blog
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The Chief Justice's Long Game
Discussion:
The Hill, Balkinization, Prairie Weather, ACS Blog and Taegan Goddard's …

An Assault on the Voting Rights Act
Discussion:
PostPartisan, FiveThirtyEight, First Read, New Republic, msnbc.com and Right Wing News


The Supreme Court's Voting Rights Decision Is a Poison Chalice for the GOP
Discussion:
The White House, Washington Monthly, New York Times, ABC News, The Texas Observer, The Huffington Post, Bloomberg, BuzzFeed, Off the Kuff, NationalJournal.com, Wonkblog, Daily Kos, SCOTUSblog, Hot Air, CANNONFIRE, Yahoo! News, No More Mister Nice Blog, Libertarian Republican and The Dish

Supreme Court 2013: The Year in Review
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money, American Prospect and The Plum Line

President Obama confronts George W. Bush court on voting, gay rights cases
Discussion:
CNN, Commentary Magazine, Associated Press and Philly.com

Supreme Court ruling sets stage for voter ID battle
Discussion:
Raleigh News & Observer, msnbc.com and The Hill


Aaron Hernandez arrested — NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. — Aaron Hernandez was arrested Wednesday morning, more than a week after an acquaintance of the New England Patriots tight end was found dead in an industrial park near his house. — The Bristol County District Attorney's office released …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and Outside the Beltway
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‘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:
Politico, Libertarian Republican and Business Insider
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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:
Samizdata, Libertarian Republican and Outside the Beltway
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Kevin Rudd defeats Julia Gillard 57-45 in Labor leadership ballot, paving way for a return to PM
Discussion:
The Week, New York Times, Via Meadia, BBC and Infowars


How Edith Windsor Learned She Won — Everyone at the apartment of Roberta Kaplan, the lawyer who argued Edith Windsor's successful challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act, exploded in screams and sobs when the ruling came down. Kaplan called her mother and said, “Total victory, Mom: it couldn't be better.”
Discussion:
The Dish and Towleroad News #gay


This Is Not About Edward Snowden — When Edward Snowden leaked classified information about U.S. intelligence programs this month, he became both a criminal and, many would say, a conscientious citizen. His quest to evade American authorities now risks making him a distraction.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice and War Is A Crime .org


National Income and Product Accounts Gross Domestic Product, 1st quarter 2013 (third estimate); Corporate Profits, 1st quarter 2013 (revised estimate) — Real gross domestic product — the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, ThinkProgress, Calculated Risk, Business Insider, The Maddow Blog and Rare