Good morning — and a happy 74th birthday to Chuck Norris! Here are some of the stories we’re reading as we get up to speed for the new week…
Blocked –> Katherine Haddon reports for AFP that Russia sunk three of its ships to block Ukraine’s navy from entering a lake off of the Black Sea. Via: Yahoo News.
Midterm preview –> Slate’s Dave Weigel writes that there’s a lot more at stake than a single House seat in a special Congressional election that will be held in Florida tomorrow.
Rare defeat –> The NSA suffered one last week when a federal surveillance court ruled that it couldn’t hang onto phone records beyond a five-year limit. Brendan Sasso reports for The National Journal.
Chilling #Longread –> Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza didn’t leave behind many answers about what motivated him. But as Andrew Solomon writes in The New Yorker, his father, Peter, is searching for some sort of understanding.
CPAC –> Rick Santorum said that it would be much easier for Republicans to enact unpopular policies if they learned to talk in a more inclusive way — like Pope Francis. Dave Neiwert with the story for Crooks and Liars. ALSO: In the mood for a satisfying rant? Esquire’s Charles Pierce watched Sarah Palin’s speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, and he is appalled.
Losing sleep for climate action –> Senate Democrats plan to hold an all-night talkathon to raise awareness of climate change, reports Susan Davis for USA Today.
Yutes –> Jesse Holland reports for the AP on a new study by Pew that finds millennials are “skipping church, marriage and political affiliations.” AND: At NY Mag, Jonathan Chait notes that they are a very liberal generation, and predicts they’ll change the face of our politics. BUT: Salon’s Alex Pareene points out that they share the same racial divide as older voters, with white millenials holding far more conservative views than other groups.
Fracked –> New controversy arises in the midwest over the extraction of sand for fracking. Richard Mertens reports for the Christian Science Monitor.
Fat pills –> In the NYT, Pagan Kennedy looks at new research that suggests our liberal use of antibiotics may play a role in our obesity epidemic.
Actually, it was Wall Street –> At TNR, Dean Starkman punctures the “big lie” that we were all responsible for the 2008 crash.
That hippetty-hop music –> MoJo’s Lauren Williams reports that amateur rappers’ violent lyrics are regularly used against them in criminal cases, and the Supreme Court will soon determine whether that’s prejudicial.
Not just the GOP’s civil war –> At Truthout, Herbert Gans argues that the US is in the midst of a bloodless political conflict with far-reaching effects on our society.
Everyone lived! –> A low-flying pilot and a descending parachutist collided in midair on Saturday, sending both crashing to the ground. Miraculously, neither was seriously injured. A photographer caught the incident on camera. Via: ABC News/ Yahoo News.
