Religious liberty
In North Carolina, they a passed law saying that government officials could refuse to marry same-sex couples if it offended their religious sensibilities. Same-sex marriage has been legal in North Carolina since a court ruling last October. The governor vetoed the bill, but the Senate has overridden the veto, and the vote in the House is expected to be close. The governor vetoed the bill saying North Carolina is “a state of laws.” We’ll see. Via Amy Davidson in The New Yorker.
Closing the gap
If you’re surprised by the level of populist campaigning you’re hearing in the early going of the 2016 presidential parade, from both parties, you haven’t been reading the polls. In this New York Times/CBS News poll, six in 10 Americans say that the government should do something urgently to address income inequality. Eight in 10 Democrats say that, and a third of Republicans. Half of Republicans and two-thirds of independents expect the issue to be central to the campaign next year.
For or against
We know what happens if the Supreme Court rules against Obamacare: Chaos follows. But what if the Supreme Court rules for Obamacare? The National Journal tries to answer the question.
Blow up
The Clinton background briefing – meant to make nice with the unhappy reporters stuck covering the Clinton beat — blew up spectacularly. Joan Walsh, who was there, writes in Salon that, looking back, it was all inevitable.
Glass houses
Interview a journalist and see how quickly he/she demands to go “on background” or “off the record.” Reporters may live in glass houses, but it doesn’t seem to stop them from throwing stones. Via the Washington Post.
Strike a pose
George Will says Bernie Sanders can call himself a socialist, but we all know better. He’s just another liberal Democrat. Via the Washington Post.
Trading places
Hotline’s GOP presidential rankings: Jeb Bush can’t be No. 1 at this point. So Scott Walker takes over. But, as you might guess, the race remains wide open.
Liberal agenda
A liberal professor’s confession: His liberal students terrify him. Via Vox.
Photo credit: Bosc d’Anjou, Creative Commons, Flickr.
