memeorandum: Lies, damned lies, statistics and polls (Donna Brazile/CNN)

3:20 PM ET, July 4, 2014

Top Items:

Liz Kreutz / ABC News:

Hillary Clinton Says She's Donated All University Speaking Fees — Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at the Edmund Fusco Contemporary Issues Forum at the University of Connecticut, April 23, 2014, in Storrs, Conn. — Hillary Clinton continued to justify …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, CNN, Washington Post and Taegan Goddard's …

Maggie Haberman / Politico:

What we've learned from Hillary Clinton's book tour — From endless coverage of “dead broke” to flagging sales of her new book, Hillary Clinton has had a rough couple of weeks. — But Clinton has nevertheless accomplished much of what she set out to do with the rollout of “Hard Choices,” her memoir of her time as secretary of state.

Phoebe Greenwood / Guardian:

Edward Snowden should have right to legal defence in US, says Hillary Clinton — Former secretary of state tells Guardian that NSA whistleblower should return to US if he is serious in engaging in debate — Hillary Clinton has said Edward Snowden should be entitled to both a legal …

Discussion: Politico and CNN

Associated Press:

Conservative activist Richard Mellon Scaife dies at 82 — PITTSBURGH — Richard Mellon Scaife, the billionaire heir to the Mellon banking and oil fortune and a newspaper publisher who funded libertarian and conservative causes and various projects to discredit President Bill Clinton, has died.

Discussion: Firedoglake

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:

Callers Use C-SPAN Civil Rights Discussion To Complain About White Oppression (VIDEO) — When C-SPAN invited viewers on Thursday to offer their thoughts on the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, a handful of individuals used the opportunity to lament white oppression.

Discussion: Liberaland, Mediaite and The Raw Story

Bill Scher / The Week:

How Obama's immigration push could hand the House to Democrats — Even if Republicans seize the Senate — A return to this? — Everyone assumes that Republicans will easily hold the House in November. The dominant storyline among the chattering classes centers instead on the possibility …

Discussion: Roll Call, CNN and Eclectablog

Lynn Vavreck / New York Times:

A Survey Says: Younger Americans Are Less Patriotic. At Least, in Some Ways. — Younger Americans Are Less Patriotic. At Least, in Some Ways. — Mario Tama/Getty Images — They are less devoted to symbols of the nation, like the flag. But they are supportive of ideals like democracy and equality.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Outside the Beltway

link.springer.com:

Dietary greenhouse gas emissions of meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians and vegans in the UK — Abstract — The production of animal-based foods is associated with higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than plant-based foods. The objective of this study was to estimate the difference …

Discussion: The Raw Story and Canada Blog …

Jonathan Topaz / Politico:

President Obama on Tim Howard: Defense job filled — President Barack Obama on Friday gave a shout-out to the Team USA World Cup soccer team in his weekly address. — “I want to begin today by saying a special word to the U.S. men's soccer team, who represented America so well the past few weeks,” Obama said.

Discussion: Guardian, Bleacher Report and Truth Revolt

Chris Edelson / The Hill:

Boehner lawsuit likely to miss mark with focus on Obama's domestic actions — Last week, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced plans for Congress to sue President Obama over unspecified failures to “faithfully execute the laws of our country.” Boehner suggested that the president is acting like …

Ryan Lovelace / National Review:

Have the Feds Dumped the Phrase ‘Unaccompanied Alien Children’? — Word is spreading that federal officials may have banned the phrase “Unaccompanied Alien Children” from the federal lexicon because the term “alien” inappropriately identifies the illegal-immigrant children flooding across the border.

Discussion: Fox News

Reihan Salam / Slate:

Is America in danger of fracturing into two countries, one secular, one religious? — It's Independence Day weekend, which means that it is time for barbecues, illegal fireworks, and gratuitous displays of nationalism. This year, I'm planning to get matching bald eagle tattoos on my biceps.

Discussion: Hot Air

Adam Liptak / New York Times:

Birth Control Order Deepens Divide Among Justices — WASHINGTON — In a decision that drew an unusually fierce dissent from the three female justices, the Supreme Court sided Thursday with religiously affiliated nonprofit groups in a clash between religious freedom and women's rights.