DailyNewsGems

Eye-Catchers of the Day: April 25, 2014

• NYT's: Caroline Kennedy  said  she would “absolutely” support Mrs. Clinton should she decide to run for president in 2016 http://goo.gl/BPd7pw

•  BBC: US Secretary of State John Kerry has accused Russia of "distraction, deception and destabilisation" in eastern Ukraine. http://goo.gl/S77mE2

• NPR: Retired Justice John Paul Stevens feels the federal government should legalize marijuana. "I really think that that's another instance of public opinion [that's] changed. And recognize that the distinction between marijuana and alcoholic beverages is really not much of a distinction. Alcohol, the prohibition against selling and dispensing alcoholic beverages has I think been generally, there's a general consensus that it was not worth the cost. And I think really in time that will be the general consensus with respect to this particular drug." http://goo.gl/nYXMzZ

•  WSJ: 5 QUESTIONS ABOUT FDA RULES ON E-CIGARETTES http://goo.gl/ttTN3o

•  WP: Netflix has reached an agreement with three cable companies that will allow U.S. subscribers to watch the streaming video service as though it were an ordinary cable channel.

``The deal will add Netflix as an app to certain set-top boxes nationwide on RCN, Grande Communications and Atlantic Broadband. It gives subscribers of those companies the ability to watch all the same Netflix content they would otherwise be able to get on their PCs, tablets and phones. Altogether, the agreement covers as many as 500,000 of the cable firms' existing subscribers — though that figure could grow as more customers sign up for the offering. ‘’ http://goo.gl/6zB2Yl

•  The Hill: Oregon is set to become the first state to drop its ObamaCare exchange and transition into the system managed by the federal government. http://goo.gl/ktBvmz

 This and STAT

• WSJ: District of Columbia is the nation’s most expensive place to live, followed by  Hawaii and  New York http://goo.gl/5Q463a

•   WP: 1.6 million Americans don’t have indoor plumbing. `` Counties containing Indian reservations have astonishingly high percentages of households without plumbing -- 14 percent of households in Shannon County, S.D., don't have full plumbing. In Apache County, Ariz., the rate is more than 17 percent. Sparsely-populated census areas in Alaska also have very high percentages. ''http://goo.gl/S4DyFC

•  ESPN: Kevin Durant was 0 for 8 from 3-point range, Thursday evening in the overtime loss to Memphis.

•  ESPN: This is the first time the Boston Red Sox committed 5 errors in a game vs the Yankees since September 8, 1978 (7 errors).

•  WP INFOGRAPH: Since 1950, more than 600 people have died in attempts to climb the peaks in the Himalayas. http://goo.gl/kBAuIv

•  Pew Research Center: 52 of the first 55 popes became saints during Catholicism’s first 500 years; Roughly 30% of all popes are saints. http://goo.gl/QfkJZX

•  WSJ: Almost 3 out of 5 Americans are worried about not having enough money for retirement: http://goo.gl/YsoiyL

•  Time Magazine: THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE http://goo.gl/Ckc35Y

Eye-Catchers of the Day: April 17, 2014

Published in the Wall Street Journal

• WSJ: Crisis in Ukraine Live Stream: Breaking: Ukraine Interior Minister: Three pro-Russian protesters killed, 13 wounded, 63 arrested in clash in eastern Ukraine http://goo.gl/lBW6Yt

•  Boston Globe: The 118th running of the Boston Marathon is expected to draw a crowd of 1 million spectators along the 26.2-mile route.

``There are 36,000 runners participating in Monday’s race, an increase of 9,000 competitors over last year and the second-largest field in the marathon’s history, said race director Dave McGillivray.;;

``About 3,500 uniformed and plainclothes officers to be stationed along Boston Marathon route. ''http://goo.gl/AYh2rr  

• USA Today: Heroin and other opiate addiction is now claiming more lives in many communities than violent crime and car crashes.

``Between 2009 and 2013, according to the assessment produced by the government's National Drug Intelligence Center, heroin seizures increased 87%. The average size of those seizures increased 81% during the same time. ''http://goo.gl/Y7IJrU

• WP: Extensive repairs have begun on the corrosion dotting the cast-iron dome that has stood atop the U.S. Capitol since the Civil War. The building will be closed to the public until April 28 to allow preparatory work, but it will be open for the entire two-year process, which will cost about $60 million. The Post outlines renovation details. http://goo.gl/9k7Hmg

 This and STAT

•  WSJ: Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer's compensation fell from $36.6 million in 2012 to $26.9 million last year.
•  USA Today INFOGRAPH: The USA's busiest national parks: http://goo.gl/FoWQ7D
•  International Center for Journalists: 2013's top social media tools for journalists. http://goo.gl/oBmD1a
•  Yahoo News: Countdown: The 13 Worst Tweets of All Time http://goo.gl/vNOQHN
•  ESPN: Kevin Durant joins Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan as only players to lead NBA in points in 5 straight seasons.
•  Forbes Magazine: Have your accounts been hacked? These sites will let you know. http://goo.gl/vJ4roO

Eye-Catchers of the Day: April 17, 2014

Published in the Wall Streat Journal

• WSJ: Crisis in Ukraine Live Stream: Breaking: Ukraine Interior Minister: Three pro-Russian protesters killed, 13 wounded, 63 arrested in clash in eastern Ukraine http://goo.gl/lBW6Yt

•  Boston Globe: The 118th running of the Boston Marathon is expected to draw a crowd of 1 million spectators along the 26.2-mile route.

``There are 36,000 runners participating in Monday’s race, an increase of 9,000 competitors over last year and the second-largest field in the marathon’s history, said race director Dave McGillivray.;;

``About 3,500 uniformed and plainclothes officers to be stationed along Boston Marathon route. ''http://goo.gl/AYh2rr  

• USA Today: Heroin and other opiate addiction is now claiming more lives in many communities than violent crime and car crashes.

``Between 2009 and 2013, according to the assessment produced by the government's National Drug Intelligence Center, heroin seizures increased 87%. The average size of those seizures increased 81% during the same time. ''http://goo.gl/Y7IJrU

• WP: Extensive repairs have begun on the corrosion dotting the cast-iron dome that has stood atop the U.S. Capitol since the Civil War. The building will be closed to the public until April 28 to allow preparatory work, but it will be open for the entire two-year process, which will cost about $60 million. The Postoutlines renovation details. http://goo.gl/9k7Hmg

 This and STAT

•  WSJ: Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer's compensation fell from $36.6 million in 2012 to $26.9 million last year.
•  USA Today INFOGRAPH: The USA's busiest national parks: http://goo.gl/FoWQ7D
•  International Center for Journalists: 2013's top social media tools for journalists. http://goo.gl/oBmD1a
•  Yahoo News: Countdown: The 13 Worst Tweets of All Time http://goo.gl/vNOQHN
•  ESPN: Kevin Durant joins Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan as only players to lead NBA in points in 5 straight seasons.
•  Forbes Magazine: Have your accounts been hacked? These sites will let you know. http://goo.gl/vJ4roO

Eye-Catchers of the Day: April 16, 2014

Published in the Boston Globe.

• Boston Globe Special Section: Boston Marathon bombings — One year later http://goo.gl/ksfjMZ

• BBC: Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Ukraine is "on the verge of civil war" after Kiev sent in troops against pro-Russia separatists. Mr. Putin, in a phone call to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, described the move as a "sharp escalation". http://goo.gl/jrPIzX

•  NYT's: The New York Police Department has eliminated a secret program that embeds plainclothes detectives into Muslim neighborhoods to eavesdrop on conversations and build dossiers on where people ate, prayed and shopped.

 ``The goal was to identify the mundane locations where a would-be terrorist could blend into society. Plainclothes detectives looked for “hot spots” of radicalization that might give the police an early warning about terrorist plots. The squad, which typically consisted of about a dozen members, focused on 28 “ancestries of interest.”

 ``After years of collecting information, however, the police acknowledged that it never generated a lead. Since The Associated Press published documents describing the program in 2011, Muslims and civil rights groups have called for its closing. ‘’ http://goo.gl/CxVSIh

•  McClatchy-Marist Poll. Hillary Clinton is well ahead of every potential Republican rival, according to a new McClatchy-Marist Poll.

“Hillary Clinton is jogging around the track by herself as far as the Democratic field is concerned. Republicans are all in the starting blocks,” said Lee Miringoff, the director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion in New York, which conducted the poll last week. '' http://goo.gl/d3IYP3

 This and STAT

• The Hamilton Project: In the three years (2005-2007) before the Great Recession, Germany raised an average of 36 percent of its GDP in taxes, while the United States raised just 28 percent, above only South Korea, Turkey, Chile and Mexico. On average, other OECD countries raised 34 percent of GDP in taxes each year. http://goo.gl/SX7piv
•  Brookings Institution Interactive Map: Property Taxes in Your County. Tax rates and home values at the county level nationwide. http://goo.gl/2ea8nU
•  ESPN: Miguel Cabrera batted .357 through the first 10 games last season. This season? Batting .225 (9-40).
•  FiveThirtyEight: In Fresno, Calif., the average annual wage for library workers is $79,780. Nationally, the average librarian earns $55,370 per year and has a master’s degree. http://goo.gl/QcAlJJ
•  USA Today INFOGRAPH: The average U.S. tax refund is $2,800. http://goo.gl/OGqvtG
•   ESPN: MAPOGRAPHIC: 25 Highest Paid Athletes in the World: http://goo.gl/Nd9f26
•  Center for Responsive Politics: Google spent $15.8 million on lobbying in 2013, making it the fifth-largest corporate spender in Washington, D.C. http://goo.gl/n0NTm7

Pulitzer Buzz? The New York Times Wins 2

The 2014 Pulitzer Prize winners will be announced today at 3:00 p.m. EST. http://goo.gl/qrAAAH

I tried to pick up some buzz as to who the big winners were; but unfortunately, all is quiet on the Western front. Where is the NSA eavesdropping program when you really need them?

Best I could learn is that The New York Times came away with 2 Pulitzers this year; the specific recipients are a bit blurred-so I’ll hold my fire. The only other piece of information I picked up from an editor-was that ``The Washington Post did very well this year.’’ Unfortunately, I couldn’t confirm a specific number from Jeff Bezos new prized possession.

I wish I had more to share.

Congratulations! to all the recipients

Bill Lucey

[email protected]

April 14, 2014

Eye-Catchers of the Day: April 14, 2014

 

Prescription Kids - A Denver Post Special Report

• About 4,300 of Colorado's 16,800 foster children — more than a quarter — were prescribed psychotropics in 2012, according to a University of Colorado analysis released to The Denver Post under open-records laws. ``Among teens in foster care’’, the Post reports, ``37 percent were prescribed psychotropic drugs.’’

``Critics counter that few studies have examined side effects on children, and that the drugs have been linked to weight gain, diabetes and growth of breasts in boys. Foster parents and therapists say heavily medicated children are detached from reality — as though "walking in a cloud."

``They also contend that the use of the drugs has been fueled by pharmaceutical firms pursuing big profits with the help of willing doctors. '' http://goo.gl/ZT2EEY

•  WSJ: Stay at home Moms on the rise. In 2012, 29% of all mothers with children under age 18 stayed at home, a figure that has steadily risen since 1999 when 23% of mothers were stay-at-home, the Pew Research Center reported Tuesday http://goo.gl/0ttC6x

•  The Hill: Senate Republicans cite the danger of  “Bush fatigue” should the GOP throw their support behind Jeb Bush for the 2016 Republican nomination. ``Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), in particular, said Bush fatigue would be something to grapple with if he were the nominee, but that it wouldn’t necessarily sink Jeb’s campaign. ''http://goo.gl/JnlW5R

•  NYT's: It appears that few of the young people who voted for Barack Obama have been inspired enough to run for office themselves, The New York Times reports.  Far more have joined the high-paid consultant ranks. Unlike other charismatic leaders like John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, Mr. Obama has so far had little influence ushering in a new class of office seekers, remarkable considering he came to Washington encouraging the spirit of volunteerism and community activism. http://goo.gl/0dCqgK

•  Gallup Poll: Currently, 43% approve and 54% disapprove of the law, commonly known as "Obamacare." The approval figure is a bit higher than Gallup's estimates since last November, but disapproval is essentially unchanged. http://goo.gl/cDF8b6

 This and STAT

•  Cool Tool: Twopcharts, tracking Twitter users by language and by city, For example, 44% of the 974 million existing Twitter accounts have never sent a tweet. http://goo.gl/yPHIc0
•  CNN Money: How Washington spends your taxes. http://goo.gl/cX9eHf
•  WSJ INFOGRAPHIC: Latin America and the Caribbean have 13 of the top 20 homicide rates in the world. http://goo.gl/qhSYxp  
•  The Indiana Pacers win on Sunday was only their 9th in their last 22 games.
•  Forbes Magazine: Only 72% of top entrepreneurs graduated from college.
•  Forbes Magazine: The average monthly car lease payment is $420

Eye-Catchers of the Day: April 10, 2014

• AP Special Report: In a multipart package of stories, photos, graphics and video, The Associated Press examined the personal and financial toll of heroin addiction and efforts to address the growing national concern. Among the findings: The number of heroin users in the U.S. rose to 669,000 in 2012, with the greatest increases among those 18 to 25. First-time users nearly doubled in a six-year period ending in 2012, from 90,000 to 156,000. Numerous states are reporting rising use, overdose deaths or treatment admissions related to heroin. In Ohio, heroin-related overdoses killed 195 people last year in the Cleveland area, shattering the previous record, while in Connecticut, 10,183 people were admitted for treatment for heroin last year at licensed programs, up from 8,954 in 2012 and the highest total in eight years. http://goo.gl/x2pIrg

•  WP: Of the 2.6 million service members dispatched to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, more than half say their physical or mental health is worse than before they deployed, according to a poll conducted by The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation. But most of those health problems are not the result of gunshots, grenades and roadside bombs: Almost eight in 10 of those reporting health problems - about 1 million of them - say they were not seriously injured in combat. Their wounds are predominantly derived from the turmoil and piercing physical challenges of modern war, the cost of dressing with a bulky armored vest and extra clips of ammunition, the failure to provide basic safety gear, the mistakes that occur when imposing vehicles are driven by sleep-deprived troops, the eardrum-rattling blasts of gunfire and artillery. During the entire Iraq war, which stretched for almost nine years, the military conducted more medical evacuations by air for troops who had non-hostile wounds than those injured in combat. The Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts witnessed thousands of troops who survived roadside bomb blasts, suffering moderate brain injuries that could cause long-term health consequences. http://goo.gl/Bs1Q6n

•  WSJ: As housing costs have spiraled out of control, thousands of people in Silicon Valley struggling to afford a place to live have resorted to sleeping in their own car; but many communities are passing ordinances, prohibiting people from sleeping in their car, because they pose a nuisance to the community.

``The San Jose/Santa Clara County region's homeless population—about 7,600 on any given night, the fifth-highest among major metro areas—edged up in 2013, even as the number of homeless nationwide dropped, according to U.S. data. About 46% of the homeless here are living on the streets for the first time, while 48% previously rented or owned a home, according to a county survey. An ordinance passed by Palo Alto last year would punish people cited for living in a vehicle with as much as a $1,000 fine or six months in jail.''

``Homeless advocates say cities should do more to aid homeless people, rather than prosecute them. Maria Foscarinis, executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, said that as homelessness increased during the recession, there has been a boost in "laws that criminalize it," such as bans on camping in public places and restrictions on sitting and lying on sidewalks.’’ http://goo.gl/R8tiz9

•  Talking Points Memo:  According to a new Suffolk University poll of Iowa voters released Wednesday, just 9.63 percent of those surveyed think Vice President Joe Biden would be their first choice if the Democratic Caucus for President were held today. By contrast, Hillary Clinton got 62.96 percent of those surveyed and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Ma) came next with 11.85 percent of those surveyed. http://goo.gl/jn5sho

• NYT's: Who decides who gets inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?  ``After 30 years of pop music splintering into ever more genres, the choices are no longer so evident, a situation that has led to an increasingly intense generational and stylistic debate about the selections and the process.'' http://goo.gl/hwWrAC

 

 This and STAT

• WSJ INFOGRAPH: Nearly 40% of U.S. households now have no landline phone, and there are more wireless devices than people. http://goo.gl/NDXnYX
•  Brigham and Women's Hospital: Last-Minute Tips for Marathon Runners: http://goo.gl/B1mIk7
•  Pew Research: 20% of children live in a household with a married stay-at-home mother and her working husband. The share of mothers who do not work outside the home rose to 29% in 2012, up from a modern-era low of 23% in 1999, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of government data. The broad category of “stay-at-home” mothers includes not only mothers who say they are at home in order to care for their families, but also those who are at home because they are unable to find work, are disabled or are enrolled in school. http://goo.gl/dZmcn7
•  Cool Tool: Census Reporter: http://goo.gl/iJz2X5
• Forbes Magazine: 61% of American teens own an iPhone, up from 55% in the fall of 2013.
• Market Watch: 34% of couples spend over $20,000 on nuptials.
•  Frontline INFOGRAPH: The federal prison population grew nearly 800% in 30 yrs. http://goo.gl/7tSfCA
•  Economy Watch INFOGRAPH: 10 Jobs With Surprisingly Good Pay. http://goo.gl/Y3mJrr
•  Forbes Magazine: 51% of Americans ages 55 to 64 don't have wills.

 

Eye-Catchers of the Day: April 7, 2014

PHOTO CREDIT: Times-Picayune

 

Reporter Rebecca Catalanello and photojournalist Kathleen Flynn of The Times-Picayune spent Dec. 4 to 7, 2013, in Shreveport La., with Jennifer Halter and several other women as they set out for the Bienville Parish Sheriff's Office, where Halter made a police report, alleging child sexual abuse that she says occurred some 25 years ago, while she was a teenage resident at New Bethany Home for Girls in Arcadia, La.

 The material gathered for this Picayune exclusive stem from a combination of firsthand observations, interviews, court documents, and archived news reports.

`` Halter did not know then that for years children had been running away from New Bethany and making reports to police about physical violence. She did not know that in the mid-1970s, a teenager named Joanna Wright believed she had developed a consensual relationship with Ford, 31 years her senior, and would later tell police he had raped her. She had no idea that just a few years before, between 1982 and 1984, a 14-year-old named Simone Jones was doing her chores, feeding a horse in the pasture when she says Ford approached her, asked her if she was a pure lady, reached into her uniform culottes, unbuttoned his coveralls and then forced her to perform oral sex. She too would give her statement to investigators three decades later.''

``At the time, I thought I was the only one," Halter said. "Each day that went by, the worse it got and the more it got easier for me to accept what was happening and allowing it and not fighting and giving in." http://goo.gl/Wa801X

****

• AP: KIEV, Ukraine —Throngs of pro-Russian demonstrators stormed government buildings Sunday in several major cities in eastern Ukraine, where secessionist sentiment has sparked frequent protests since Ukraine’s Russia-friendly president was ousted in February. Ukraine’s interim authorities accuse Moscow of trying to sow instability with baseless charges the interim government is infringing on the rights of the ethnic Russian population. Russia, meanwhile, has moved large contingents of troops to areas near the Ukrainian border, with many speculating that unrest in eastern Ukraine could be used as a ruse for a Russian invasion. http://goo.gl/c8OrcF

•  WSJ: WASHINGTON—More than two dozen Democrats are fighting the Obama administration over planned cuts to private plans offered in Medicare, tied in part to the 2010 health overhaul, carrying with it the potential of dividing the party on health care with the fast approaching midterm elections.

  ``On Friday’’, the Journal reports, ``22 House Democrats joined seven Republicans in a letter urging Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius not to reduce rates in 2015, citing "an outcry of concern from our constituents who rely on this program." A bipartisan group of senators sent an earlier letter to the administration expressing similar concerns.’’

  ``About 30% of Medicare beneficiaries use Medicare Advantage instead of the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program, partly because the private plans can offer lower out-of-pocket costs and sometimes give extra benefits.’’ http://goo.gl/SSLZqg

•  L.A. Times: Ten things to know about your lost baggage. The total number of lost delayed or damaged bags by airlines around the world dropped 17% in 2013 to nearly 22 million; in 2013, airlines took an average of 36 hours to return delayed bags to their owners. http://goo.gl/lnzWpU

•  The Boston Globe: The crippling high cost of college tuition has spawned a new concept: a three-year bachelor degree, as a few dozen schools around the country, including Wesleyan University, a private liberal arts college in Middletown, Connecticut, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Lesley University have embraced the phenomenon. Nineteen private, nonprofit colleges have debuted three-year degrees since 2009, according to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities; and the association’s president, David L. Warren, said he expected the new model to continue to grow in the coming years. http://goo.gl/uCRGna

       USA Today: America's thinnest (and fattest) cities http://goo.gl/L4Vdne

 

  This and STAT

• ESPN: Kevin Durant now has 25 plus points for the 41st straight game, passing Michael Jordan's previous mark of 40 straight (1986-87).
•  The Boston Red Sox were not swept in a home series all season in 2013, but got swept by Brewers over weekend
•  WSJ INFOGRAPH: Since 2000, which jobs have thrived despite the great recession and which jobs have been lost? http://goo.gl/5YQL4G
•  Captain America' sets record as the biggest domestic April release with a $96.2 million debut at the box office:
•  By 2010, the number of computers on the Internet had surpassed the number of people on earth.

  

 

Eye-Catchers of the Day: April 4, 2014

PHOTO CREDIT:  CBS/"Late Show With David Letterman"

 

• L.A. Times: David Letterman retirement: Top 10 late-night moments. http://goo.gl/pGn1FT

•  WSJ: White House press secretary Jay Carney said Thursday that the White House objects to Samsung’s commercial use of the ``selfie’’,  which was snapped by David Ortiz while the president was honoring the World Series champion Red Sox on Tuesday. Ortiz has an endorsement deal with the South Korean multinational conglomerate company.  The highly publicized photo is similar to the ``selfie’’ comedian Ellen DeGeneres took with A-list celebrities,  while hosting the Oscars. Like Ortiz, DeGeneres has a deal with Samsung. http://goo.gl/fk4obY

•  Better Government Association: Over the past decade, the City of Chicago has spent more than $500 million on police-related settlements, judgments, legal fees and other costs –raising fresh concerns about the adequacy of training and oversight in the Chicago Police Department, according to a months-long review by the Better Government Association. BGA reports police misconduct-related costs is expected to keep rising, with nearly 500 lawsuits still pending. Most problematic, `criminal justice experts say, is that  new lawsuits will surely keep flooding court dockets, until the city addresses a so-called "code of silence" –`` where officers refuse to tell on each other for misbehavior – and a flawed disciplinary system that together allow misconduct to prosper.’’ http://goo.gl/9X01mw

• Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal forecast the economy added 200,000 jobs last month, up from 175,000 in February and much better than December’s meager gain of 84,000. The unemployment rate is expected to return to 6.6% after ticking up to 6.7% in February.  In addition to the raw numbers, The Wall Street Journal compiled 5 things to watch for in the March Jobs Report. http://goo.gl/HRGkQk

•  WP: A short history of the ups and downs of campaign finance reform, from George Washington trying to buy votes with punch and hard cider to the contentious McCutcheon v. FEC. decision recently handed down by the nation’s highest court. http://goo.gl/7tbP2u

•  2014 Forbes: Billionaire Facts & Figures: The combined wealth of 1,645 billionaires is $64.4 trillion, 100 billionaires fell from the list, notable first timers, include Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook) and Vince McMahon (WWE CEO) http://goo.gl/mI9D6q

 This and STAT

• WSJ: Social Network Activity: Mobile vs. Desktop-% OF TIME SPENT ON SOCIAL NETWORKS IN THE UNITED STATES, BY PLATFORM. http://goo.gl/VDObX3
•  Boston Globe INFOGRAPH: Preparing Fenway Park for the Regular Season: A Monster Task. http://goo.gl/2BKKxL
•  USA Today: Top 10 CEO's Pay and Realized Compensation. http://goo.gl/IVSgNC
•  SI PHOTO GALLERY: Top Selling Player Jerseys in 2013 http://goo.gl/ENXTK7

 

Eye-Catchers of the Day: April 3, 2014

Marcia Coyle of the National Law Journal breaks down the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 decision, striking down overall limits on political contributions.

 

 

• WSJ: Deadliest Mass Shootings: A Timeline http://goo.gl/cuFpzO

•  NYT's: The first open enrollment period for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act has just ended. The New York Times provides some preliminary answers in a Q & A about the law’s potential impact on the health care system. http://goo.gl/I53wHl

•  WSJ: The Subway sandwich chain is close to reaching a settlement with customers who accused the Doctor’s Associates Inc.-owned restaurant of misrepresenting the size of its “Footlong” sub.  http://goo.gl/XUaR1W  

• Pew Research Center: A national survey by the Pew Research Center found that 54% favor marijuana legalization, 42% are opposed.; while  76% of the public– including 69% of Republicans and 79% of Democrats – think that people convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana should not have to serve time in jail. http://goo.gl/EsLq5y  

•  The Republican National Committee’s (RNC) Site Selection Committee (SSC) voted to narrow the list of sites in contention for the 2016 Republican National Convention from eight to six cities. Cities moving on to the next round of consideration are Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, and Las Vegas. Columbus and Phoenix were dropped from consideration. http://goo.gl/Gyu5Ck

 This and STAT:

• World Bank: Traffic crashes and vehicle pollution kill 1.5 million people a year.
•  Blue Cross says "80-85″ % of newly enrolled individuals buying plans under Obamacare are paying their premiums
• Autism in the United States: Statistics and Warning Signs INFOGRAPH: http://goo.gl/7nMG55
•  BBC INFOGRAPH: Afghanistan: Before and after the Taliban-42% of the population is aged 0-14, 55 % of children under-five suffer from chronic malnutrition....'' http://goo.gl/HYUsr7   
•  Forbes Magazine: America's Richest Counties http://goo.gl/MncKjU

 Blurbs from the Ballpark

• Boston Globe: David Ortiz denies Samsung paid him to shoot a ``selfie'' with President Obama, http://goo.gl/KnTj9W
•  The Seattle Mariners have opened the season 3-0 for only the third time in franchise history.
•  ESPN: For the first time since 1965, both the Mets and Yankees have started the season 0-2
• Fox Sports: There were five walk-off wins in MLB Wednesday night; the last time there were 5 walkoff wins in a single day was September 10, 2011.