Good morning! Here are some of the stories we’re reading as we get ready for the holiday…
Connecting some dots –> At Colorlines, Imara Jones argues that economic damage from the government shutdown is spurring more retailers than ever to move Black Friday into Thursday. ALSO: At US News & World Report, Susan Milligan calls for people to not shop on Thursday, even if the deals are enticing. ALSO, TOO: The manager of an Indiana Pizza Hut claims he was fired for refusing to open his store on Thanksgiving. He called the move “immoral,” according to Dave Edwards at The Raw Story.
“Inconsistent” –> Glenn Greenwald, Ryan Grim and Ryan Gallagher report for HuffPo that the NSA sought to discredit Muslim “radicalizers” by catching them viewing sexually explicit content online or doing other things that might appear to be inconsistent with their religious teachings.
Union busters busted –> The Nation’s Lee Fang exposes a former Wal-Mart exec behind a “shadowy smear campaign” targeting Black Friday activists.
Subprime on four wheels? –> David Dayen reports for Salon that the next subprime crisis may be an auto loan bubble.
Can corporations pray? –> Elizabeth Wydra, chief counsel for the Constitutional Accountability Center, writes at CNN that religious liberties are for people, not businesses, as the Supreme Court takes up a suit against Obamacare’s contraception mandate. ALSO: David Badash reports for The New Civil Rights Movement that an atheist group is suing the government over what it claims to be preferential treatment of religious orgs by the IRS.
Pushing back? –> Obama admin set to issue rules that might rein in dark money groups’ massive political spending, according to Ben Goad and Bernie Becker in The Hill.
Not feeling war-ish –> Americans back Iran deal by a two-to-one margin, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos’ Poll. ALSO: TNR’s John Judis says the “neocons are losing.”
Must confer some sort of evolutionary advantage –> MoJo’s Chris Mooney with seven reasons why it’s easier for people to believe in God than evolution.
Natives are restless –> At TPM, Daniel Strauss notes that almost all primary challenges against Senate incumbents are on the GOP side this cycle.
Silent but not so deadly –> Oklahoma City man finds a suspicious burrito in a thermos, brings it to police, causes a minor bomb scare. Via: ABC News.
