James Oliphant asks in the National Journal why Barack Obama won’t call the kids at the border “refugees.” It’s the same reason he has been so reluctant to make the case for these children who have run from the violence plaguing their countries. The answer is easy enough: the president is worried about appearing soft on illegal immigration, particularly as Congress considers the $3.7 billion he says he needs to address the crisis. But is that good enough? A lot of people don’t think so. Kevin Appleby, who oversees migration policy for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is one quoted by Oliphant. “Why is this administration jettisoning these kids and aligning itself with House Republicans?” he asked.
A Pew poll says that by a 53-39 margin, most people want to accelerate the process of dealing with the Central American children who have crossed the border, even if it means that some of those eligible for asylum would be deported.
Across the country, towns are fighting not to take in the children from the border. Via the New York Times.
Where the war on women is being fought with pie charts. It would all be different if only we’d leave them alone to bake the pies instead. Via the New Yorker.
Why poor schools can’t win on standardized testing: For one thing, they can’t afford the right books. Via the Atlantic.
Note to Bob Beauprez and his pal Mitt Romney: In a new study on the 47 percent, the so-called “takers” are just as likely to vote Republican as the so-called “makers.” Via the Washington Post.
Archie is dead, sort of. A hero, sort of. And not everyone is happy. The Guardian begins its story this way: “The long-running comic book character Archie Andrews, 74, died on Wednesday. He was shot at Pop Tate’s restaurant in Riverdale while protecting his friend Kevin Keller, a newly-elected senator and a campaigner for gay rights and gun control, from an assassin’s bullet.
He is survived by his wife, Veronica; his wife, Betty; and his teenage self, twice over, who lives on in two separate comic universes.”
El Paso County Assessor Mark Lowderman, who is running unopposed for the county treasurer’s job, was recently slapped with an order to pay a total of $14,580 by an administrative law judge who ruled that a mailer his office sent with public funds was intended to support his campaign. Administrative Law Judge Robert Spencer said Lowderman “authorized the expenditure of county funds to produce and distribute the May 2014 letter with the intent of benefitting his political campaign.” He was ordered to pay $7,290 in a campaign finance violation fine, with the remainder going to reimburse the county for the mailer, which went out to about 20,000 property owners notifying them that the homestead tax exemption would be in place next year. Lowderman told the Gazette he disagreed with the ruling and was looking in to appealing, but would pay the fine if he doesn’t appeal. Via the Gazette.
[This post has been updated.]
[Photo of border art by Nathan Gibbs via Flickr.]
