Good morning — and happy Friday! Today marks a tragic moment in our history — it’s the 46th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
McCutcheon…
- Andy Kroll reports for MoJo that McCutcheon will likely kill campaign finance limits in eleven states and the District of Columbia.
- In the NYT, Adam Liptak writes that the breadth of the decision suggests that the court isn’t done unraveling federal regulations on campaign cash.
- Peter Olsen-Phillips reports for the Sunlight Foundation’s blog that the three Democratic appointees to the FEC say their Republican counterparts are blocking the enforcement of what remains of our regulatory system — and any new disclosure rules.
- At The Atlantic, Peter Beinart argues that the decision may come back to haunt Republicans by further entrenching their reputation as servants of the rich.
- Paul Waldman looks at campaign finance regulations in other wealthy countries for TAP.
- And in case you’re feeling depressed about it all, here’s Jon Stewart shredding the decision.
Spooks –> Members of the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to make that report on CIA torture under Bush — a report that the CIA has been desperate to keep under wraps — public. Greg Miller and Adam Goldman report for WaPo.
Ryan’s roadmap to another crash –> The Nation’s George Zornick points out how Paul Ryan’s budget plan would increase the risk of another financial meltdown.
Speaking of Wall Street –>At AlterNet, Marshall Auerback looks at the “high-tech ripoff” of high frequency trading.
We’re! Number!… 70? –> Nick Kristof looks at the Social Progress Index and finds that despite its wealth, the US “ranks 70th in health, 69th in ecosystem sustainability, 39th in basic education, 34th in access to water and sanitation and 31st in personal safety.”
Death penalty –> At Truthout, Thom Hartmann asks whether GM should get the death penalty for keeping its cars on the road with a faulty ignition switch that resulted in at least 13 deaths — a switch that costs just 57 cents.
Two Americas –> According to the Urban Institute, states that expanded Medicaid through the ACA have seen their uninsured populations fall by four points, to 12.4 percent. Those that refused the expansion reduced their rate of uninsured by one and a half points, to 18.1 percent.
A really bad week –> TNR’s Alec MacGillis: “This Is What Life in a Plutocracy Looks Like”
Sexual orientation –> A federal judge has ruled that existing civil rights law may protect gays and lesbians from employment discrimination — a position courts haven’t taken in the past. Chris Geidner reports for BuzzFeed.
Out of touch Dems –> Rep. James Moran (D-VA) complained that he and his colleagues “can’t even afford to live decently in Washington” on their measly $174,000 salaries, reports Caitlin MacNeal for TPM. And David Sirota catches a senior aide to NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo saying that people making $500,000 a year are merely “upper middle class.”
The final frontier –> Scientists think they’ve discovered a lake of warm water beneath the icy surface of one of Saturn’s moons. Kenneth Chang reports for the NYT.
Headline of the day –> “Rogue alcoholic court reporter kept writing ‘I hate my job’.”
