Good morning — and Happy Friday! Here are some of the stories we’re reading on a busy news day…
Stat of the day: 43,900 — the number of TV spots six Koch brothers-backed dark money groups have run in support of Republican Senate candidates, according to an analysis by the Center for Public Integrity.
Major setback –> A federal appeals court withdrew an earlier 2-1 decision by a three-judge panel that sided with a lawsuit that could deprive millions of Obama care tax credits. The entire court will now hear the case. TNR’s Jonathan Cohn has the details.
“Reckless” –> A federal judge ruled that BP was guilty of gross negligence in the 2010 Gulf spill, writing that the firm’s employees “took risks that led to the largest environmental disaster in US history.” He also found TransOcean and Halliburton guilty of negligence. The ruling will lead to billions in additional fines, according to Bloomberg.
Still active –> Eric Holder said on Thursday that a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting death of Trayvon Martin is ongoing, and added that there have been some recent developments in the case. Benjamin Goad reports for The Hill that he didn’t specify what those developments might be. ALSO: At TNR, Franklin Foer argues that recent events in Ferguson illustrate that “the great and growing threat to liberty in this country comes from states and localities run amok,” and “only a strong federal government can stop them.” RELATED: The NYT has a city-by-city breakdown of the race gap in America’s police departments.
“Only the richest” –> Victoria Stilwell and Craig Torres report for Bloomberg that a new analysis by the Federal Reserve finds that “only the richest Americans enjoyed gains in income from the economic recovery during 2010-2013, as median earnings fell for all others.”
The good fight –> Dozens of people were arrested during a wave of fast-food strikes yesterday, including veteran Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore in Milwaukee. Daniel Strauss reports for TPM.
Return of the hawks –> Peter Beinart writes at The Atlantic that the beheadings of two American journalists at the hands of ISIS have shifted public sentiment from war weariness to a desire for revenge.
“Expands voting rights in a broad way” — So says Rick Hasen of a federal court ruling that restored early voting in Ohio. Hasen writes that it’s a significant case that could be taken up by the Supreme Court.
INVASION!!!!! –> Jon Stewart thinks Fox News’ coverage of the rise in child refugees from Central America may be just a bit over the top…
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