Happy Friday morning! Almost made it to the weekend. Here’s some of the stuff we’re reading this morning at Moyers & Company…
Day 11…
- Nobody really knows what’s going on after a flurry of meetings yesterday. At WaPo, Lori Montgomery and Paul Kane report that Republicans and Democrats are talking about a short-term debt limit hike, but it’s unclear if Democrats will accept any bill that doesn’t re-open the government.
- Robert Costa reports for NRO that Paul Ryan has been working behind the scenes to get conservatives on board with his attempt to broaden the discussion to taxes and “entitlements.”
- At The National Journal, Tim Alberta reports that conservatives are divided over the idea of a short-term debt hike. NYT editorial board hates the idea.
- The House’s plan for a short-term debt hike has what some are calling a “poison pill” — a measure barring the Treasury from using “extraordinary measures” to avoid default.
- Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are mulling a different approach — opening the government and raising the debt ceiling in exchange for repeal of the medical device tax and some unspecified “pension reform,” reports Reuters.
- WaMo’s Ed Kilgore thinks a “Grand Bargain” is out of the question because Republicans won’t consider new revenues and Dems have consistently insisted they be part of any big budget deal.
- Yet another poll finds public approval of the GOP at a historic low, while Obamacare seems to be getting a mild boost. Benjy Sarlin runs down the latest at MSNBC.
- And at MoJo, Erika Eichelberger looks at who stands to profit if we do default.
Other news…
Watching you –> Jim Sensenbrenner authored the PATRIOT Act, and now he’s pushing a bill that would sharply curtail NSA’s data collection, reports Dan Roberts for The Guardian.
A telling vignette –> a 10-year veteran McDonald’s employee tells the company CEO that she can’t afford shoes, gets arrested.
Heroism and bad governance –> At TAP, Matt Bruenig considers what it says about our society that a hedge fund billionaire who campaigns against public pensions is stepping up to fund Headstart during the shutdown.
Talk about a safety net! –> Switzerland to vote on guaranteeing every adult a $2,800 monthly income, reports Josh Eidelson at Salon.
Regulators informed by media –> At Truthout, Mike Ludwig says that federal regulators had no idea companies were fracking in the waters off of California until activists and the media started asking why there had been no environmental review.
We’re not dumb –-> The Guardian’s Sadhbh Walshe says American kids aren’t inherently challenged when it comes to education — it’s the inequality that’s bringing down our scores.
Tribalism –> At The Atlantic, Conor Friedersdorf takes a shot at the conservative media for celebrating conflict with liberals above all else.
Barackalypse Now –> Doomsday preppers are sure the end is nigh, and the survivalist industry is raking in the loot, according to Tim Murphy at MoJo.
Talking-point goes down –> Slate’s Matt Yglesias looks at a new study and concludes that “business friendly” tax policies don’t help states’ economies.
I meant Elmore Hitler! –> An Arizona lawmaker called Obama “De (sic) Fuhrer,” and then went on at length about how Hitler began the Holocaust with a national healthcare system (no, really). A day later she released a statement claiming that she hadn’t compared the Democrat to Hitler at all — she had just used the German “for emphasis.”
Headline says it all –> Science Magazine: “Cyborg Cockroach Sparks Ethics Debate.”
What are you reading? Let us know in the comments!
