memeorandum: Nearly half of Obamacare exchanges are struggling over their future (Washington Post)

1:15 PM ET, May 2, 2015

Top Items:

Kate Zernike / New York Times:

U.S. Indictment Details Plotting in New Jersey Bridge Scandal — Bill Baroni, Bridget Anne Kelly and David Wildstein waited for the first day of school. — They held off on telling people so their secret would not get out. — They steered cars to a cash lane, to make drivers sweat even more.

Discussion: Hot Air

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

Jeb's secret Jersey mission — The Bush campaign goes behind enemy lines to pick off Chris Christie's supporters. — Jeb Bush is quietly waging a behind-the-scenes offensive to pick off disillusioned home-state supporters of Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor whose presidential prospects have dimmed in recent months.

Discussion: Political Wire

New York Times:

Governor Christie's People — No matter how Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey spins the George Washington Bridge scandal as he eyes a run for president, one thing should be clear: These are his people, charged with a conspiracy to exact revenge against a local mayor by closing lanes to one of the world's busiest bridges.

Discussion: Daily Kos, Washington Post, Gothamist, Liberaland, Bloomberg Business and Talking Points Memo

Harry Enten / FiveThirtyEight:

Chris Christie's Access Lanes To The GOP Nomination Are Closed — We may be about to find out whether a politician can have a negative chance of winning a presidential nomination. On Friday, two people, including a former member of Chris Christie's staff, were indicted in Bridgegate …

Discussion: The Reaction, New York Times, New Jersey Online, USA Today, Washington Post, The Atlantic, PoliticusUSA, New Jersey News …, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos and TalkLeft

Paul Schwartzman / Washington Post:

A look at the six Baltimore police officers charged in the Gray case — The six officers accused in the death of Freddie Gray face a litany of charges that include second-degree depraved-heart murder, involuntary manslaughter, false imprisonment and misconduct in office.

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Daily Caller, Power Line, Crime and Consequences Blog and Althouse

Doug Donovan / Baltimore Sun:
FOP calls on prosecutor to recuse herself, defends officers

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Marilyn Mosby, Prosecutor in Freddie Gray Case, Seen as Tough on Police Misconduct

Cbssonia / CBS Baltimore:
Celebrations Begin In Baltimore As Some React To Officers' Charges

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Mashable, Business Insider and The Gateway Pundit

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

Another attack on Scott Walker boomerangs — It seems that attacks on Scott Walker seem to boomerang and simply add to his political persona of being a regular guy. — Did you hear the one about how Scott Walker never graduated college? #Fail. — The latest attack on Walker is that he has …

Discussion: Althouse and The Daily Caller

Damien Gayle / Guardian:

Election 2015: Top Labour figures question Miliband's SNP stance — Growing number of senior politicians say Labour leader cannot deny himself chance of being prime minister by refusing to talk to SNP — Senior Labour politicians have expressed reservations about Ed Miliband flatly ruling …

FOX 26 News:

Wayne County Assist. Prosecutor resigns after controversial Facebook post — A Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor who ignited a firestorm on Facebook and online Thursday after a controversial post has resigned, FOX 2 has learned. — The Wayne County's Prosecutor's Office announced Friday …

Discussion: Mediaite and Daily Kos

Elspeth Reeve / The New Republic:

Why Do So Many People Hate the Sound of Hillary Clinton's Voice? — You hear a boring political speech. A linguist hears fascinating identity politics. — You know Hillary Clinton's voice, right? I mean, you know it. It's just so loud and annoying. Or maybe it's like a nagging wife.

Discussion: The PJ Tatler

New York Times:

Dean Skelos, New York Senate Leader, and His Son Are Said to Face Arrest Next Week — Dean G. Skelos, the leader of the New York State Senate, and his son are expected to be arrested on federal corruption charges next week, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Discussion: Gothamist

Washington Post:

Nearly half of Obamacare exchanges are struggling over their future — Nearly half of the 17 insurance marketplaces set up by the states and the District under President Obama's health law are struggling financially, presenting state officials with an unexpected and serious challenge five years …

Discussion: Hot Air and Clayton Cramer

Dean Baker / Center for Economic and Policy Research:

David Brooks and the Federal Government's $14,000 Per Year Per Poor Person — In the United States it's considered fine to just make crap up when talking about the government, especially when it comes to programs for poor people. That is why Ronald Reagan ran around the country telling people …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Booman Tribune, Salon, Washington Monthly, Jezebel and driftglass