memeorandum: Pope's activism sets stage for awkward visit to Capitol Hill (Devin Henry/The Hill)

9:55 AM ET, June 29, 2015

Top Items:

Sen. Rand Paul / TIME:

Rand Paul: Government Should Get Out of the Marriage Business Altogether — Paul is the junior U.S. Senator for Kentucky. — While I disagree with Supreme Court's redefinition of marriage, I believe that all Americans have the right to contract. — The Constitution is silent on the question …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Politico, Bloomberg Business, Real Clear Politics, The Week, Vox Popoli, Instapundit and PinkNews

Peter Nicholas / Wall Street Journal:

Will He Run? Biden Speculation Mounts — Both sons urged the vice president to enter 2016 presidential race, but so far a bid doesn't seem imminent — When deciding whether to run for office, Vice President Joe Biden has made it a practice to seek his family's counsel.

Discussion: Politico, Philly.com, Washington Post and Moe Lane

Juan Williams / The Hill:

The pollution of politics — When President Obama lobbied for fast-track authority on his trade bill he asked House Democrats to “play it straight.” Capitol Hill Republicans reacted by saying to Congressional Democrats, “We told you so. ” — Their argument is that this president is an intellectual bully.

Michael Falcone / ABC News:
The Note: What The GOP Is Saying About SCOTUS

Discussion: Associated Press and The Hill

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton:

Attorney General Paxton: Religious Liberties of Texas Public Officials Remain Constitutionally Protected After Obergefell v. Hodges — Attorney General Ken Paxton today made the following statement and issued an opinion in response to questions about the impact of Obergefell v. Hodges, the case that redefined marriage:

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Dallas Morning News, Trail Blazers Blog, Towleroad, TFN Insider, Outside the Beltway, Washington Post, Hinterland Gazette, Mashable, Politico and Wall Street Journal

Austin American-Statesman:

Texas AG: County clerks can refuse gay couples — County clerks can refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples based on religious objections to gay marriage, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Sunday. — Paxton noted that clerks who refuse to issue licenses can expect to be sued …

Discussion: Business Insider, The Huffington Post, The Last Tradition, Walid Shoebat and Daily Kos

Alexa Ura / The Texas Tribune:
Paxton: Clerks Don't Have to Issue Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

Discussion: Reuters, Political Wire, San Antonio Current, Off the Kuff and The Week

New York Times:

Puerto Rico's Governor Says Island's Debts Are ‘Not Payable’ — Puerto Rico's governor, saying he needs to pull the island out of a “death spiral,” has concluded that the commonwealth cannot pay its roughly $72 billion in debts, an admission that will probably have wide-reaching financial repercussions.

Discussion: Politico, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Bloomberg View, The Last Tradition, NBC News, Reuters, Bloomberg Business and The Week

Washington Post:

Jeb Bush dogged by decades of questions about business deals — In early 1989, seven weeks after his father moved into the White House, Jeb Bush took a trip to Nigeria. — Nearly 100,000 Nigerians turned out to see him over four days as he accompanied the executives of a Florida company …

Discussion: The Week

Mark Oppenheimer / TIME:

Now's the Time To End Tax Exemptions for Religious Institutions — Mark Oppenheimer writes the biweekly “Beliefs” column for The New York Times and is editor-at-large for Tablet. He also reports for The Atlantic, The Nation, This American Life, and elsewhere.

Discussion: The Federalist and RedState

Karl Rove / Medium:

A Time for Setting the Record Straight — I'm surprised Senator Ted Cruz criticizes me in his new book, particularly since I have been promoting it on my website, Rove.com, since April. Regardless, my recollection of the phone call he references from six years ago (2009) differs from his reported account.

Discussion: Trail Blazers Blog, Politico, BREITBART.COM, Washington Post and Cruz for President

New York Times:

David Sweat, Escaped New York Convict, Is Shot and Captured as Hunt Ends — CONSTABLE, N.Y. — David Sweat, the remaining prison escapee on the run in northern New York, was shot by a state trooper and taken into custody on Sunday after a 23-day manhunt that began with an improbable escape …

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, ABC News, The Daily Caller, The Week, Washington Post, Blazing Cat Fur, Refinery29 and Althouse

CNN:
Malone, New York (CNN)[Breaking news, posted at 4:03 p.m. ET]

Discussion: NBC News, CBS New York, Hinterland Gazette, Daily Mail, LiberalAmerica.org, Scared Monkeys and The Moderate Voice

Stephen Rex Brown / New York Daily News:

Subway vigilante Bernie Goetz fighting the possible eviction of his pet squirrel — Notorious subway vigilante Bernhard Goetz is going nuts over the possible eviction of his beloved three-legged squirrel. — The eccentric gunman's pet, named Glinda's Sister, has had a rear leg amputated, and the other is paralyzed.

Peter Spence / Telegraph:

The world is defenceless against the next financial crisis, warns BIS — Monetary policymakers have run out of room to fight the next crisis with interest rates unable to go lower, the BIS warns — The world will be unable to fight the next global financial crash as central banks have used …

New York Times:
Greece Will Close Banks to Stem Flood of Withdrawals

Discussion: Washington Post, Reuters, The Week, The Daily Caller, The Atlantic, NPR, Slantpoint, Outside the Beltway and BBC

Devin Henry / The Hill:

Pope's activism sets stage for awkward visit to Capitol Hill — Congressional Republicans say they are ready to welcome Pope Francis to Capitol Hill this fall — even if he uses part of his speech to challenge them on issues like climate change or income inequality.

Discussion: Washington Post

Gil Ronen / Reuters:

Report: Powers Give in - No Inspection of Iran's Nuke Facilities — P5+1 cave in to Iranian demands and will not insist on inspections of nuclear installations, says Channel 1. — Iranian FM Javad Zarif (R) at press conference announcing nuclear deal — The P5+1 countries led …

Discussion: Hot Air, Power Line, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and The Gateway Pundit