Top Items:
Guardian:
Yahoo webcam images from millions of users intercepted by GCHQ — • Optic Nerve program collected Yahoo webcam images in bulk — • 1.8m users targeted by UK agency in six-month period alone — • Yahoo: ‘A whole new level of violation of our users’ privacy'
Discussion:
Engadget, BBC, Hit & Run, Gawker, The Verge, Shakesville, TechCrunch, Gizmodo, Mashable, susiemadrak.com, emptywheel, The Agonist and Eschaton
Fernanda Santos / New York Times:
Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill on Refusal of Service to Gays — PHOENIX — Ending a day that cast a glaring national spotlight on Arizona, the state's Republican governor, Jan Brewer, decided late Wednesday to veto a bill that would have given business owners the right to refuse service to gays and lesbians on religious grounds.
RELATED:
Rich Lowry / Politico:
Brewer's Foolish Veto — In addition to the federal government, 18 states have such statutes and about a dozen other states interpret their state constitutions as extending the same protections, according to the letter. The statutes, the scholars write, “say that before government can burden …
Discussion:
Hinterland Gazette and alicublog
Don Banks / Sports Illustrated:
Source: NFL begins exploring Super Bowl XLIX relocation options
Source: NFL begins exploring Super Bowl XLIX relocation options
Discussion:
Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, Los Angeles Times, Guardian, Deadspin, The Raw Story, ProFootballTalk, CBS Detroit, Taylor Marsh, Daily Kos, Hot Air and NFL.com
Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:
IT'S DEAD: Brewer Vetoes Anti-Gay Bill
IT'S DEAD: Brewer Vetoes Anti-Gay Bill
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, CNN, Democratic Strategist, Firedoglake, Hinterland Gazette and The Reaction
Bradley A. Smith / Wall Street Journal:
Bradley A. Smith: Connecting the Dots in the IRS Scandal — The ‘smoking gun’ in the targeting of conservative groups has been hiding in plain sight. — The mainstream press has justified its lack of coverage over the Internal Revenue Service targeting of conservative groups because there's been no …
Discussion:
Power Line, Betsy's Page, Center for Competitive … and Jammie Wearing Fools
Cameron Joseph / The Hill:
Cruz won't promise to stay out of primaries — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Thursday didn't rule out involvement in GOP primaries this year against incumbent Republican senators. — Cruz said he had made no “ironclad promise” to stay out of the primaries. — “What I have said is that I'm likely …
Discussion:
Politico
RELATED:
Tal Kopan / Politico:
Ted Cruz: GOP's 2014 on track to be 2010
Robert Costa / Post Politics:
Rand Paul: McConnell is no Arlen Specter
Rand Paul: McConnell is no Arlen Specter
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
Greg Gilman / The Wrap:
Paula Deen Compares Her Struggles to ‘That Black’ Openly Gay NFL Prospect Michael Sam — The celebrity chef also expressed a newfound “empathy” for other controversial public figures such as “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson — Paula Deen's $100 million empire crumbled last year …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, People.com, E! Online, The Huffington Post, The Raw Story, Gawker, Colorlines, Hinterland Gazette, Shakesville, Mediaite, ABC News and Joe. My. God.
Zack Ford / ThinkProgress:
Mississippi Scraps Discriminatory ‘Religious Freedom’ Provisions Following Backlash In Arizona — On January 31, the Mississippi Senate unanimously passed SB 2681, a bill that adds “In God We Trust” to the state seal. It also contained language just like that in Arizona's freshly-vetoed bill …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, CNN, Towleroad News #gay, LGBTQ Nation, ACLU of Mississippi and WABE 90.1 FM
RELATED:
CBS News:
Most Americans disappointed in Obama's presidency, poll says — Shares - — Amid continued pessimism about the economy and direction of the country, 59 percent of Americans say they are disappointed in Mr. Obama's presidency (including 37 percent who are very disappointed); 40 percent are satisfied.
RELATED:
Nathaniel Rich / New York Times:
The Mammoth Cometh — The first time Ben Novak saw a passenger pigeon, he fell to his knees and remained in that position, speechless, for 20 minutes. He was 16. At 13, Novak vowed to devote his life to resurrecting extinct animals. At 14, he saw a photograph of a passenger pigeon in an Audubon Society book and “fell in love.”
Discussion:
Althouse and Marginal REVOLUTION
Alessandra Prentice / Reuters:
Ukraine leader warns Russia after armed men seize government HQ in Crimea — (Reuters) - Armed men seized the regional government headquarters and parliament in Ukraine's Crimea on Thursday and raised the Russian flag, alarming Kiev's new rulers, who urged Moscow not to abuse its navy base rights …
Discussion:
BBC, The Gateway Pundit and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
RELATED:
John Cheves / Lexington Herald-Leader:
Judge: Final order requiring Ky. to recognize same-sex marriages expected Thursday — LOUISVILLE — A federal judge said Wednesday afternoon that he would issue a final order within 24 hours requiring Kentucky to immediately recognize same-sex marriages performed outside the state.
Discussion:
Towleroad News #gay and Joe. My. God.
RELATED:
Manny Fernandez / New York Times:
Federal Judge Strikes Down Texas' Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
Federal Judge Strikes Down Texas' Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
Discussion:
Washington Post, Yahoo! News, Daily Kos, Vox Popoli, ACS Blog and Post Politics
Alan I. Abramowitz / Sabato's Crystal Ball:
Generic Ballot Model Shows Senate Control at Tipping Point — Look for more partisan conflict and polarization in new Senate — Crystal Ball Senior Columnist Alan Abramowitz's discussion of his Senate elections model not only confirms how close we expect the 2014 Senate campaign will be …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Political Insider blog and The Plum Line
Sabrina Tavernise / New York Times:
New F.D.A. Nutrition Labels Would Make ‘Serving Sizes’ Reflect Actual Servings — WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration for the first time in two decades will propose major changes to nutrition labels on food packages, putting calorie counts in large type and adjusting portion sizes to reflect how much Americans actually eat.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Reuters, Politico, NPR, CNN, The Daily Caller, The Verge, Business Insider and Gizmodo
Peter Beinart / The Atlantic Online:
Was Bush Really a Champion of Democracy? — For five years now, it's happened again and again. A dictatorship somewhere wobbles, protesters crowd the streets, and the Obama administration strikes a careful tone, urging respect for human rights while trying to safeguard various American interests.
NorthJersey.com:
GWB Scandal: Release of previously redacted messages reveals new information — The private messages that linked Governor Christie's office to lane closures at the George Washington Bridge also contain jokes about causing “traffic problems” at the home of a New Jersey rabbi associated …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Daily Kos
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Republicans flip-flop on ‘judicial activism’ — There was a time not too long ago when Republicans decried “activist judges.” Now they're lamenting that judges are not being activist enough. — “Unfortunately, the courts have been reluctant to exercise their constitutionally conferred power …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, JONATHAN TURLEY and The Moderate Voice
Brent Budowsky / The Hill:
Bill Clinton's rescue ride — Springtime is coming, baseball teams have reassembled for training, Robert Redford is back on cable playing Roy Hobbs in “The Natural” and Bill Clinton has begun his ride to rescue Democrats in the 2014 midterm elections. — In politics, the trick …
Discussion:
CANNONFIRE
Charles M. Blow / New York Times:
No Country for Old Mores — Arizona's S.B. 1062, part of the conservative “Jim Queer” crusade to use religious liberty as means of codifying discrimination against people for their sexual identities, once again places conservatives on the wrong side of history and further marginalizes …
Discussion:
The Federalist and Public Religion Research …
RELATED:
Paul Steinhauser / CNN:
Clinton: Voters under ‘assault’ — Washington (CNN) - The Democratic Party is showcasing former President Bill Clinton to help launch a new program to expand voters' access to polls. — An announcement Thursday by the Democratic National Committee comes as the party committee kicks off …
Discussion:
Politico