memeorandum: Andrew Getty's death does not appear to involve foul play, authorities say (Los Angeles Times)

1:00 PM ET, April 1, 2015

Top Items:

Alyssa Marino / ABC57 News:

RFRA: First Michiana business to publicly deny same-sex service — A small-town pizza shop is saying they agree with Governor Pence and the signing of the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act. — The O'Connor family, who owns Memories Pizza, says they have a right to believe in their religion and protect those ideals.

Tracy Walsh / Talking Points Memo:

David Letterman: ‘This Is Not The Indiana I Remember As A Kid’ (VIDEO) — Comedian and native Hoosier David Letterman during his show Tuesday night tore into Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) for signing the state's divisive Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law.

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Mediaite

Timothy P. Carney / Washington Examiner:

The Left wages total war; and then plays victim — On one side is the CEO of the world's largest company, the president of the United States and a growing chunk of the Fortune 500. On the other side is a solo wedding photographer in New Mexico, a 70-year-old grandma florist in Washington and a few bakers.

Discussion: The Federalist, The Anchoress, The Other McCain, alicublog, Hot Air and New York Times

Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly:

Want Some Cheese With That Whine, Conservatives? — If you want a good example of what cultural conservatives are telling themselves about the backlash over Indiana's (and probably Arkansas' before the week is out) “religious liberty” law, there's none better than the pity party Timothy Carney held …

Discussion: Washington Post, Booman Tribune and Talking Points Memo

Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo:

Indiana Pizzeria Vows To Never Deliver A Pizza To A Gay Wedding — A family that owns an Indiana pizzeria reportedly said Tuesday that the state's new “religious freedom” law protects their right to deny some service to gay couples. — Crystal O'Connor, whose family owns Memories Pizza in Walkerton …

Discussion: Raw Story

Michael Falcone / ABC News:

The Note: Obama's Latest Numbers … NOTABLES — A FLATTENED APPROVAL RATING IS SOFTENED BY SOME UNDERLYING GAINS for Barack Obama in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll — with no sign of tailwinds for the Republicans in Congress. After a 9-point jump in overall approval in January …

Discussion: San Diego Gay and Lesbian and Associated Press

Krishnadev Calamur / NPR:

Arkansas Governor Asks Lawmakers For Changes To ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill — Updated at 11:59 a.m. ET. — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he has asked the state's lawmakers for changes to the “religious freedom” bill passed Tuesday. — Critics of the measure say it allows businesses to refuse services to gays and lesbians.

Discussion: Washington Post, Business Insider, Politico, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, Human Rights Campaign Blog, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, NASCAR Talk and National Review

Politico:
Indiana law backs GOP hopefuls into a corner

Discussion: Bloomberg Business, Washington Post, Fox News, Daily Kos, Betsy's Page, Balloon Juice, Bloomberg View, The Huffington Post, National Review and New York Times

Mark Berman / Washington Post:
Arkansas lawmakers approve religious liberty bill despite firestorm over Indiana law

Discussion: New York Magazine, The Daily Banter, Hot Air, Slate, Alliance Defending …, Daily Mail, National Review, The Daily Caller, Shakesville, Cruz for President, Arkansas Online and New York Times

Dana Liebelson / The Huffington Post:
Arkansas Legislature Copies Indiana, Passes Controversial Religious Freedom Bill

Discussion: USA Today, CNN, New York Times, Common Dreams, Reuters, RedState, Outside the Beltway, Slate, Washington Post, Hit & Run, Business Insider, Daily Kos, UPI, BuzzFeed and Religion Clause

Danielle Kloap / Arkansas Online:
HB1228 passes House, heads to governor

Discussion: Poynter, Arkansas Online, Religion Clause and Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times

Frédéric Helbert / Le fil info Royal Blog de …:

EXCLUSIVE: THE FINAL MOMENTS BEFORE THE CRASH — A short video found on the site of the crash appears to confirm the data recovered from one of the two black boxes of the A320. — Paris Match and Bild obtained a video taken during the final seconds of the fated Germanwings flight 4U9525 …

Discussion: CNN, New York Times, Telegraph, RT, Mashable, Fox News Insider, Mediaite, The Week and CBS DC

Jason Horowitz / New York Times:

Scott Walker, Allergic to Dogs, May Run Against Political History — Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin and his wife, Tonette, had planned to spend a recent Friday night at the Nashua home of Jennifer Horn, the New Hampshire Republican chairwoman. — Then he heard about Al, the Horns' beloved Dalmatian-Catahoula Leopard mix.

Discussion: Greenville News, Hot Air, OnPolitics and New York Magazine

Bernie Becker / The Hill:

IRS chief to GOP: You can't abolish us — The IRS commissioner on Tuesday brushed aside GOP proposals to abolish his agency, insisting the U.S. would have to have a tax collector one way or another. — “You can call them something other than the IRS if that made you feel better,” …

Discussion: BizPac Review and The PJ Tatler

Bloomberg Business:

Obama's Next Move May Be Lifting U.S. Protection of Israel at UN — (Bloomberg) — While the world remains fixated on the negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, the Obama administration is facing another foreign policy showdown in the United Nations Security Council.

Maggie Haberman / New York Times:

Could Another Democrat Beat Hillary Clinton? Strategists Offer a Blueprint — She has been called inevitable. The can't-be-stopped candidate. Hillary Rodham Clinton is such an overwhelming favorite in presidential primary polls that most prominent Democrats are taking a pass on challenging her.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and The PJ Tatler

Eun Kyung Kim / Today:
Elizabeth Warren on 2016: 'I'm not going to run' — and Hillary Clinton deserves ‘a chance to decide’

Discussion: Business Insider, The Hill, Gawker, Taylor Marsh, The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway, New York Magazine, The Atlantic Online and The Reaction

Los Angeles Times:

Andrew Getty's death does not appear to involve foul play, authorities say — Authorities investigating the death of Andrew Getty, an heir to the Getty oil fortune, said a preliminary investigation suggests foul play was not involved. — The death appeared to be natural or an accident …

Discussion: KTLA, The Week, BuzzFeed, TMZ.com, Scared Monkeys, FOX40 and New York Magazine

Pew Internet:

U.S. Smartphone Use in 2015 — Key Themes of This Report — 10% of Americans own a smartphone but do not have broadband at home, and 15% own a smartphone but say that they have a limited number of options for going online other than their cell phone. Those with relatively low income …

Discussion: NPR, The Hill and Pew Research Center

Eli Lake / Bloomberg View:

Iran's Charmer in Chief Wins Again — Now is the time to praise Javad Zarif. Whatever you might think of Iran's foreign minister, he knows how to bargain. — With a final announcement due any moment from negotiations over Iran's nuclear program in Lausanne, Switzerland, Iran appears to be doing quite well for itself.

Discussion: Weekly Standard and Israel Matzav

New York Times:
Iran Nuclear Talks Extended to Wednesday, Negotiators Say

Discussion: Reuters, MintPress News, The Diplomat and The Week

Carol Morello / Washington Post:
Iran nuclear talks continue past self-imposed midnight deadline

Discussion: Power Line, New York Magazine, The Daily Caller and Strange Bedfellows

Coral Davenport / New York Times:

Obama's Strategy on Climate Change, Part of Global Deal, Is Revealed — WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday introduced President Obama's blueprint for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the United States by nearly a third over the next decade. — Mr. Obama's plan …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, RTCC, The Verge, New York Magazine and Medium