Good morning! Here are some of the stories we’re reading at Moyers & Company HQ as we get ourselves in gear…

Not the NSA! –> Charlie Savage reports for the NYT that the CIA is paying AT&T for its international call data.

No true Scotsman –> At The Nation, Michelle Goldberg marvels that anyone could believe Ken Cuccinelli lost in Virginia because he wasn’t conservative enough.

Death spirals are like death panels –> At WaPo’s Wonkblog, seven reasons why Obamacare isn’t facing a “death spiral.” ALSO: Tara Culp-Ressler notes for ThinkProgress that approval of the law appears to be ticking up slightly despite a ton of bad press. ALSO TOO: One group that strongly disapproves: Democratic senators up for re-election next year. Fifteen of them met with Obama yesterday to vent, according to Steven Dennis at Rollcall.

Offshored –> At TAP, Nathan McDermott looks at a new report which finds that a white collar no longer offers protection against your job being sent to China.

Onshored –> Mark Bittman writes in the NYT that the sale of Smithfield Foods to a Chinese pork giant will give China the meat while unloading the harms of pork production on the US.

Walmart’s worst nightmare –> Salon’s Josh Eidelson interviews a top Bangladeshi labor organizer who says her life is in danger.

Telling maps –> TNR’s Nora Caplan-Bricker with a map of the most and least energy-efficient states — and the classic red and blue state electoral map for reference.

Climate activism –> At Dissident Voice, Peter Rugh interviews Tim DeChristopher, the environmental activist who served time for disrupting a land auction in 2008.

That’s awfully civilized of us –> Molly Redden reports for MoJo that because many countries bar the sale of drugs for executions, states are experimenting with new mixes that could lead to drawn-out, painful deaths.

Whitewash –> At Truthdig, Robert Scheer on John Kerry’s lamentable statements about Middle East autocracies we call “allies.”

Correcting your morning reads — Yesterday we linked to a story about a massive island of floating refuse headed toward the West Coast. Today, we link to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s statement that it’s just not true.

Hey, Hillary, let’s talk… –> About poverty! Frances Fox-Piven and Fred Block with an open letter in Dissent.

Things… In… Space –> Sochi Olympic torch reaches space station in a Russian attempt at rebranding after controversies about its anti-LGBT law and allegations over migrant workers rounded up to build Olympic venues. Via: BBC.

Talk about entitlement! –> UK to set up pension plan for retired police dogs, according to the AP.

What else? Let us know in the comments!