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Detroit Files for Bankruptcy — By MONICA DAVEY and MARY WILLIAMS WALSH — DETROIT — Detroit, the cradle of America's automobile industry and once the nation's fourth-most-populous city, has filed for bankruptcy, an official said Thursday afternoon, the largest American city ever to take such a course.
Discussion:
Wonkblog, The Week, New Republic, The Verge, Outside the Beltway and The Reaction
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Detroit files largest municipal bankruptcy case in U.S. history — DetroitThe city of Detroit filed the largest municipal bankruptcy case in U.S. history Thursday afternoon, culminating a decades-long slide that transformed the nation's iconic industrial town into a model of urban decline crippled …
Discussion:
UrbanGrounds, The Moderate Voice, Vox Popoli and The PJ Tatler


Detroit Files Biggest U.S. Municipal Bankruptcy — Emergency Manager Orr Seeks to Liquidate Assets to Satisfy Creditors — The city of Detroit filed for federal bankruptcy protection on Thursday afternoon, making the automobile capital and onetime music powerhouse the country's largest-ever municipal bankruptcy case.
Discussion:
Law Blog and The Hinterland Gazette


Detroit files for bankruptcy protection
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and PolicyMic

Obama to Detroit: Drop Dead
Discussion:
Hot Air, Wall Street Journal and Ed Driscoll


House Republicans Cave On Marriage Fight — “[T]he House now seeks leave to withdraw as a party defendant.” House Republicans stop defending statutes similar to the Defense of Marriage Act that ban recognition of same-sex couples' marriages. — Via: J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Discussion:
BuzzFeed, The Moderate Voice, ThinkProgress, The Plum Line, Yahoo! News, PoliticusUSA, Taylor Marsh, Advocate, LGBTQ Nation, Poliglot, Joe. My. God., SCOTUSblog, Truth Wins Out and Daily Kos

Justice Department places ‘hold’ on Trayvon Martin trial evidence, including George Zimmerman's gun - which Florida law says must be returned to him — The U.S. Department of Justice, overseen by Attorney General Eric Holder, has ordered the Sanford, Florida police department to keep possession …
Discussion:
protein wisdom, Pat Dollard and The PJ Tatler
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Senate confirms Thomas Perez as labor secretary — Thomas Perez on Capitol Hill in April 2013. (Molly Riley/AP) — The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Thomas E. Perez as labor secretary, making him the latest of President Obama's nominees to earn confirmation after senators reached a deal to avert changing the chamber's rules.
Discussion:
Heritage Action for America and ImmigrationProf Blog
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Senate confirms Thomas E. Perez as Labor secretary
Discussion:
Reuters, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Daily Kos

Senate votes to end debate on McCarthy's nomination to lead EPA
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Politico, CNN and Washington Monthly


Planned Parenthood To Close Three Texas Clinics — Planned Parenthood on Wednesday informed staff at three of its facilities in Texas that they would be closing, according to people familiar with the decision. — The three clinics are located in Bryan, Huntsville and Lufkin, Texas.
Discussion:
LifeNews.com, The PJ Tatler, ThinkProgress, Weasel Zippers, msnbc.com, Daily Kos, The Raw Story, National Review and Shakesville


Republicans eye ‘Obamacare’ as new focus of fiscal debate — (Reuters) - Growing numbers of Republicans in Congress are setting their sights on a new target in looming fiscal showdowns this autumn over government funding and the debt limit: “Obamacare.” — Several Republicans are pledging …
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Ted Cruz is a legitimate 2016 threat
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Washington Monthly, Hullabaloo and Shakesville

Testy Meeting Among Senate GOP on ‘Nuclear Option’ Deal
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The Hill, WHAS, Taegan Goddard's …, Firedoglake, Washington Monthly, The Huffington Post, Booman Tribune and Alan Colmes' Liberaland


Back in Black - New York Versus Texas — Rick Perry tries luring New York businesses to Texas, but Lewis Black is none too impressed with the Lone Star State. (06:36)
Discussion:
The Raw Story, Taylor Marsh, Mediaite, Above the Law, Trail Blazers Blog and Daily Kos


Debating, Yet Again, the Worth of Law School — In the debate over whether law schools are worth what they cost students, sober analysis often seems to give way to angry rhetoric. — The heated response to the recently released paper titled “The Economic Value of a Law Degree,” …
Discussion:
The Volokh Conspiracy, Discourse.net, Brian Leiter's Law …, Above the Law and Balkinization
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Brian Tamanaha Says We Should Look at the Below Average Outcomes (And We Did)
Discussion:
Wonkblog, Discourse.net, Balkinization, Inside Higher Ed, TaxProf Blog and Law Librarian Blog


Former editor of Rand Paul's Neo-Confederate staffer talks about the Southern Avenger — Jack Hunter asked me to delete columns — Long before last's week Washington Free Beacon story kicked up a two-day media storm, Jack Hunter knew that the Republican establishment was working …
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Yahoo! News, The Raw Story, Weekly Standard and The Reality-Based Community


Pete King Says He's ‘Certainly’ Looking at Running for President — Pete King. (Photo: Getty) — Late last night, Newxmax reported that Long Island GOP Congressman Pete King, not widely considered one of the top contenders for the White House for 2016, was nevertheless looking at running for president, citing anonymous sources.
Discussion:
Yahoo! News and Post Politics
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President Peter King? New York Republican Considering Run for White House
Discussion:
NewsMax.com, Hot Air, Politico and Ballot Box


Gunman Near White House “Was Only Going to Fire a Couple of Shots” — A man who displayed a loaded weapon at a U.S. Secret Service police booth outside the White House told officers, “I was only going to fire a couple of shots if no one confronted me,” according to court documents.
Discussion:
The Hill and The Raw Story


Have You Heard the One About President Joe Biden? — That's No Joke. Consider: He is the most quietly effective politician in D.C. (Don't laugh.) The “Most Influential Vice President in History.” (Seriously, stop laughing.) One of our nation's most senior statesmen. (Look it up!)
Discussion:
msnbc.com, The Fix, TheBlaze.com, Yahoo! News, Weasel Zippers, The Reliable Source, Politico, ABC News and CNN


Liz Cheney for Senate — Vicious, cynical and talented Liz Cheney is perfect — Liz Cheney, the infamous political operative and daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, announced last night that she is running for Senate. After careful consideration, I believe this is welcome news …
Discussion:
Daily Kos, ThinkProgress, The Week and New York Magazine

Obama May Cancel Moscow Trip as Tensions Build Over Leaker — WASHINGTON — President Obama may cancel a scheduled trip to Moscow to meet with President Vladimir V. Putin in September as the standoff over the fate of Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor seeking asylum there …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Right Turn, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, Guardian, The Week, New Republic and Lawfare

Valet parked cars searched under TSA regulations — Rochester, N.Y. — She says she had no warning that someone was going to search her car after she left to catch her flight. So the woman contacted News10NBC. — We found out it happened to her because she valet parked her car.
Discussion:
Hit & Run, National Review, Boing Boing and VodkaPundit


Texas Legislators File Radical ‘Fetal Heartbeat’ Bill To Ban Abortion After Just Six Weeks — On Thursday, three Texas Republicans filed a measure that would criminalize abortion services after a fetal heartbeat can be detected — which typically occurs around six weeks of pregnancy, before many women even know they're pregnant.
Discussion:
The Raw Story

Congressman: Benghazi Survivors Forced to Sign Non-Disclosure Agreements — Congressman Frank Wolf, a Republican from Virginia, said today on the House floor that survivors of the Benghazi terror attack have been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements: — “On Tuesday I raised the question …
Discussion:
protein wisdom, Sister Toldjah, Wizbang, The Daily Caller, BizPac Review, The PJ Tatler and Hot Air


Immigration reform's dog days — The White House and its immigration reform allies are banking on the August recess as their next — and possibly last — major opportunity to compel House Republicans to act. — With the issue stalled in the House, the monthlong congressional break …
Discussion:
The Hugh Hewitt Show and The Plum Line
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Republicans, White House in Talks Toward Big Fiscal Deal
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Firedoglake, Hullabaloo, Yahoo! News, The Hill, Washington Wire, Crooks and Liars, ABC News, Booman Tribune, susiemadrak.com and The Reaction

The Obamacare provision that terrifies insurers — President Obama is set to speak this morning about how the health-care law is cutting premiums for millions of Americans. His remarks will focus on a small Affordable Care Act provision known to health wonks as the “medical loss ratio.”
Discussion:
The Fix, Post Politics, Daily Kos and Wonkblog