Can Obama Speak to History?: “He’s never given himself a phrase or sentence to wield in the crunch, conveying an idea that’s simple and yet profound enough to embed itself in the public’s mind, and that truly defines his political vision.” [The New Yorker]
President Obama, accompanied by Vice President Biden, and children who wrote the president about gun violence following last month's shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., signs executive orders to reduce gun violence on Wednesday. From left are: Biden Hinna Zeejah, 8, and Nadia Zeejah, Hinna’s mother, Taejah Goode, 10, and Kimberly Graves, Taejah’s mother, Julia Stokes, 11, and Dr. Theophil Stokes, Julia’s father, and Grant Fritz, 8, (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
[Washington Post]
Democrats Offer Slate of Bills to Reduce ‘Big Money’ Influence Over Elections: “The Fair Elections Now Act, H.R. 269, would provide public financing of congressional campaigns, and create a 5-to-1 federal match for donations under $100 to grassroots campaigns.” [The Hill]
Millionaire Freshmen Make Congress Even Wealthier: “While they may be worth significantly more than most Americans, the incoming freshmen are on par with their colleagues in Congress. All 535 members of Congress have a median estimated net worth of about $966,000, according to CRP data.” [Open Secrets]
Is PTSD Contagious? “It’s rampant among returning vets—and now their spouses and kids are starting to show the same symptoms.” [Mother Jones]
How 19-year-Old Activist Zack Kopplin is Making Life Hell for Louisiana’s Creationists: “For Zack Kopplin, it all started back in 2008 with the passing of the Louisiana Science Education Act. The bill made it considerably easier for teachers to introduce creationist textbooks into the classroom. Outraged, he wrote a research paper about it for a high school English class. Nearly five years later, the 19-year-old Kopplin has become one of the fiercest — and most feared — advocates for education reform in Louisiana.” [io9]
