The Commentariat -- April 30, 2015

Internal links removed.

CW: As promised, another day of goofing off here on my part. Do check out Jon Stewart's interview of Judith Miller, which Victoria D. linked today.

Jonathan Weisman of the New York Times: "Shinzo Abe, in the first address by a Japanese prime minister to a joint meeting of Congress, praised his nation's 'quantum leap' in economic reforms but offered no specific concessions as he appealed to skeptical lawmakers to back a far-reaching Pacific trade accord. Mr. Abe faced a Congress deeply divided by President Obama's drive to obtain fast-track negotiating authority to complete the Trans-Pacific Partnership with Japan and 10 other nations on the Pacific Rim. Lawmakers in both parties have questioned Mr. Abe's ability to open his nation's agriculture and auto markets to American products, one of the biggest questions that remain in the trade talks." ...

... CW: Apparently, Abe's address made Speaker Boehner very, very sad:

Rebecca Shabad of the Hill: "Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a joint House-Senate budget that aims to torpedo ObamaCare while balancing the federal books within 10 years. The release of the blueprint sets up a vote in the House on Friday, with the Senate expected to follow suit next week." ...

... Robert Greenstein of the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities: "The budget conference agreement, if adopted by Congress, will represent one of the most radical budget plans that lawmakers have adopted since they created the modern budget process in 1974. That's no exaggeration. If they follow this plan, lawmakers would eviscerate substantial parts of the federal government -- including parts that have previously enjoyed bipartisan support -- and they also would violate the clear intent of the 2011 Budget Control Act (BCA). Consider this: More than doubling the sequestration cuts.... Radically shrinking much of government.... Using a blatant gimmick to increase defense spending.... Magic asterisk.... Robin Hood in reverse."

Amy Howe of ScotusBlog: "In the past few years, the Roberts Court has been very supportive of the freedom of speech.... But today an unusual coalition of five Justices -- Chief Justice John Roberts and the Court's four more liberal Justices -- agreed on one kind of speech that the government can ban: personal solicitations of campaign funds by people running for judgeships .... in Williams-Yulee v. The Florida Bar. ...

... Rick Hasen: "This is a case which makes it much more likely that limits on money and speech in judicial elections will be upheld.... This is a HUGE win for those who support reasonable limits on judicial elections -- and getting Roberts on this side of the issue is surprising, welcome, and momentous.... Justice Kennedy's dissent [is] not only a dissent to this case, but a defense of his decision in Citizens United." ...

... Gail Collins: "The reform community was thrilled. This is how low our expectations for clean elections have dropped, people.... Antonin Scalia ... found the whole idea of restricting judges' ability to hit up trial lawyers for money a 'wildly disproportionate restriction' upon judicial candidates' right of free speech.... Chief Justice Roberts provided the swing vote on the decision, an irony not lost on pretty much anybody. It's been Roberts who's led the court in castrating limits on the role of big money in other elections. The difference in this case, he explained, is that 'judges are not politicians.' While Roberts thinks his own profession needs to appear impartial and above the fray, he appears to feel that there's no need whatsoever for the public to believe that candidates for, say, president of the United States, aren't being swayed by rich donors."

Lyle Denniston of ScotusBlog: "What appears to be a clear majority of the Court has grown frustrated with the repeated constitutional assaults on the death penalty, especially since that penalty is still constitutionally permitted. That frustration almost boiled over as the Court heard the case of Glossip v. Gross." ...

... Ed Pilkington of the Guardian: "Anger spilled from the nine justices from both sides of the court's ideological divide. The more conservative wing vented their disapproval at those they called 'abolitionists' who they accused of trying to overturn the death penalty by stealth, while the more liberal judges attacked states such as Oklahoma for using a new drug protocol that had left prisoners 'writhing in pain' in executions that took up to two hours to complete.... 'If there's no method of executing a person that does not cause pain, that may show the death penalty is not consistent with the eighth amendment,' [Justice Breyer] said."

June's gonna be a nice time for a gay wedding. -- Jon Stewart

... CW: Also, too, it was pretty clever of the states opposing marriage equality to choose a gay man to argue their case. (Yeah, I know he's married to a woman & has five children for added window-dressing. But he is still gay-gay-gay-diddy-gay.) Please, Supremes, free John Birch Bursch. (But make him pay child support.) ...

... Linda Greenhouse: U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli explains to the Supremes why "wait-and-see" is just another way of validating the "house-divided" status for gays which racial minorities enduring for generations under "de jure racial segregation" in some states.

Margaret Hartmann of New York: "Two nights after Baltimore was burned and looted by rioters, the city's curfew appears to be working. National Guardsmen and police in riot gear were stationed through the city once again, but at 10:00 p.m. only a few stragglers were still out. Members of the community were credited with helping clear the streets, averting clashes with police. 'We are very proud of what has happened here tonight. We are proud of our city,' said Congressman Elijah Cummings. Earlier on Wednesday evening, protesters across the country turned out by the thousands to express their outrage over the death of Freddie Gray, and other victims of police brutality. Massive demonstrations in Washington, D.C., Boston, and Minneapolis were peaceful, but a march in New York ended with the arrest of more than 60 protesters." ...

... Jason Molinet, et al., of the New York Daily News: "Protesters jammed Union Square and clashed with NYPD officers as they marched through the streets of New York City in solidarity with Baltimore activists Wednesday night, briefly shutting down the Holland Tunnel and snarling traffic along the West Side Highway - resulting in at least 100 arrests. What began as a small gathering at Union Square around 6 p.m. swelled to more than 1,000 people, many holding 'Justice 4 Freddie Gray' placards while chanting 'Black Lives Matter' and continued into the early hours Thursday." ...

... Today in Blame-the-Victim News. Peter Hermann of the Washington Post: "A prisoner sharing a police transport van with Freddie Gray told investigators that he could hear Gray 'banging against the walls' of the vehicle and believed that he 'was intentionally trying to injure himself,' according to a police document obtained by The Washington Post." CW: Will consume Fox "News" coverage for days. ...

... Adam Chandler of the Atlantic: "Jayne Miller, a reporter for WBAL-TV, disputed the prisoner's claims on Twitter. She argues that Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts told her the second prisoner in the police van said Gray had been 'mostly quiet' during the ride and there had been 'no evidence' of Gray banging his head against the van." ...

... In a discussion with Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC, Miller cites her own reporting that completely debunks the claim. "The second prisoner is ony in the van for the last five minutes of the ride..., a full 30 minutes after Gray was loaded in the van." ...

... Blame-the-Victim, Ctd. Mark Puente & Doug Donovan of the Baltimore Sun: "Online reports are swirling that Freddie Gray had spinal surgery shortly before he died in police custody, and had collected a payout in a settlement from a car accident. Those reports -- which raise questions about the injury that led to his death in April 19 --; point to Howard County court records as proof. But court records examined Wednesday by The Baltimore Sun show the case had nothing to do with a car accident or a spine injury. Instead, they are connected to a lawsuit alleging that Gray and his sister were injured by exposure to lead paint." ...

... Terrence McCoy of the Washington Post: "Before his controversial death earlier this month while in police custody..., the life of Freddie Gray was defined by failures in the classroom, run-ins with the law, and an inability to focus on anything for very long. Many of those problems began when he was a child and living in [a] house [with pealing lead paint], according to a 2008 lead poisoning lawsuit filed by Gray and his siblings against the property owner, which resulted in an undisclosed settlement.... Advocates and studies say [lead poisoning] can diminish cognitive function, increase aggression and ultimately exacerbate the cycle of poverty that is already exceedingly difficult to break.... The burden weighs heaviest on the poorestcommunities like the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood in West Baltimore that produced Freddie Gray." ...

... See Keith Howard's comment in today's thread. ...

... Charles Blow: "We can't roundly condemn violent revolt now while ignoring the violent revolts that have littered this country's history. We can't rush to label violent protesters as 'thugs' while reserving judgment about the violence of police killings until a full investigation has been completed and all the facts are in." Thanks to safari for the link.

Dana Milbank: "The Civil War era's 14th Amendment, granting automatic citizenship to any baby born on American soil, is a proud achievement of the Party of Lincoln. But now House Republicans are talking about abolishing birthright citizenship. A House Judiciary subcommittee took up the question Wednesday afternoon, prompted by legislation sponsored by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) and 22 other lawmakers that, after nearly 150 years, would end automatic citizenship." Read the whole column.

Donald McNeil of the New York Times: "Rubella, a disease with terrible consequences for unborn children, has finally been eliminated from the Americas, a scientific panel set up by global health authorities announced on Wednesday. The disease, also known as German measles, once infected millions of people in the Western Hemisphere. In a 1964-65 outbreak in the United States, 11,000 fetuses were miscarried, died in the womb or were aborted, and 20,000 babies were born with defects."

Nicholas Kulich & Nicola Clark of the New York Times: "The Federal Aviation Administration raised questions in 2010 about whether it should grant a pilot's license in the United States to Andreas Lubitz, who in March flew a Germanwings jetliner into a French mountainside, but was assured by his doctors in Germany that he had fully recovered from an episode of depression the year before, according to newly released documents.... The release of the information, in response to Freedom of Information Act requests from news organizations, helps to fill in gaps in the timeline of Mr. Lubitz's illness and treatment.... There is also evidence suggesting that Mr. Lubitz might have tried to mislead the F.A.A. about his treatment, initially marking 'no' in response to a question on whether he had ever been treated for mental disorders on a form dated June 2010. Referring to a question number on the form, the file notes, 'changed from N to Y.'"

Presidential Race

Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, announced Thursday that he was running for president as a Democrat, injecting a progressive voice into the contest and providing Hillary Rodham Clinton with her first official challenger for the party's nomination.... Mr. Sanders issued a statement to supporters that laid out his goals for reducing income inequality, addressing climate change and scaling back the influence of money in politics." ...

... Here's Sanders' interview with the AP's Dave Gram.

Mike McIntire & Jo Becker of the New York Times: "Aides to former President Bill Clinton helped start a Canadian charity that effectively shielded the identities of donors who gave more than $33 million that went to his foundation, despite a pledge of transparency when Hillary Rodham Clinton became secretary of state. The nonprofit, the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership (Canada), operates in parallel to a Clinton Foundation project called the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership, which is expressly named in an agreement Mrs. Clinton signed to make all donors public while she led the State Department. However, the foundation maintains that the Canadian partnership is not bound by that agreement and that under Canadian law contributors' names cannot be made public."

Amy Chozick & Michael Barbaro of the New York Times: "In an unusually impassioned speech, Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a pointed assessment of race in America on Wednesday, lamenting the recent deaths of young black men and calling for overhauling the 'out-of-balance' criminal justice system on display on the smoke-filled streets of Baltimore. In her first major policy speech since announcing her presidential run, Mrs. Clinton spoke forcefully about the damage done, ticking off the names of the unarmed African-American men who have died at the hands of white police officers in recent months." ...

... Video & the transcript of Clinton's speech is here. ...

... Elias Isquith of Salon: Aside from the fact that she failed to mention that her husband -- and Joe Biden -- "contributed to the mass incarceration she decried in her speech..., those who want to see criminal justice reform and inequality at the center of her campaign have reason to be optimistic.... She consistently tied ... policy tweaks to a broader theme of economic inequality, describing 'talk about smart policing and reforming the criminal justice system' as worthless unless paired with 'talk about what's needed to provide economic opportunity.'"

Frank Rich on various topics, beginning with Baltimore. Rich takes a moment to whack Li'l Randy: "Then we have Rand Paul, who in an interview with the conservative radio host Laura Ingraham yesterday, joked that he was 'glad the train didn't stop' in Baltimore when he passed through it this week. Remember Rand Paul? This is the one Republican presidential hopeful who has been making a point of reaching out to African-Americans. He doesn't seem to realize that not stopping in Baltimore is exactly the problem for him and his peers." ...

... Andrew Rosenthal of the New York Times: "Rand Paul, the Kentucky senator and political aspirant, for instance, chose an interview with the Republican radio host Laura Ingraham the other night to show that he has a) no taste, b) no sense of humor and c) nothing useful to add to the discussion of race.... Mr. Paul's witless joke demonstrates that he's simply not prepared to take on national leadership. Hiding in a moving rail car is not anything remotely like an adequate response to the Baltimore mess from someone who wants to be president."

Beyond the Beltway

Emma Fitzsimmons of the New York Times: "The board of the [New York City] Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted on Wednesday to ban political advertising on New York City subways and buses to avoid the legal challenges it had faced after rejecting some ads with political messages.... The vote followed a lively debate over free speech as dissenting board members and advocacy groups argued that the transit system was a public space that should be a forum for debating political issues.... The change came a week after a federal judge ordered the authority to display an ad produced by a pro-Israel group that the authority argued could be interpreted as a call to violence."

News Lede

Guardian: "A Nasa spacecraft crashed into the planet Mercury on Thursday, ending its four-year mission to explore the planet by creating a new crater on its surface. Out of fuel after more than a decade in space, the robotic Messenger probe slammed into the planet at about 3.26pm ET, on the far side of Mercury and out of sight of telescopes."

The Commentariat -- April 29, 2015

Internal links removed.

CW: Another day I won't be able to keep up.

Washington Post reporters describe a calmer night in Baltimore Tuesday, as a 10 pm curfew went into effect & National Guard "dressed as if for combat and police in full riot gear patrolled the streets." ...

... Paul Kane of the Washington Post: "Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) delivered a sharply worded speech Tuesday calling for criminal justice reform and a robust jobs agenda in the wake of riots in Baltimore that followed the funeral of a resident who died while in police custody.... Reid decried the violence that has wracked Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray, 25 after suffering a severe spinal injury. But Reid was deeply critical of the police department's handling of its relations with poor inner city residents. 'Let's not pretend the system is fair, let's not pretend everything is OK,' the leader said." ...

... Michael Fletcher of the Washington Post: "It was only a matter of time before Baltimore exploded. In the more than three decades I have called this city home, Baltimore has been a combustible mix of poverty, crime, and hopelessness, uncomfortably juxtaposed against rich history, friendly people, venerable institutions and pockets of old-money affluence. The two Baltimores have mostly gone unreconciled. The violence that followed Freddie Gray's funeral Monday, with roaming gangs looting stores and igniting fires, demands that something be done." ...

... Bryce Covert of Think Progress on "the economic devastation fueling the anger in Baltimore."

... David Graham of the Atlantic: "This is the paradox at the heart of rioting in Baltimore. Protestors have been in the streets of Charm City for a week to demonstrate against violence by police officers. But when matters started to spin out of control Monday afternoon, the group dispatched to solve the problem was the police." Read the whole post. ...

... Ed Kilgore wonders aloud if Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) is the new Spiro Agnew. ...

... CW: If you missed President Obama's statement on Baltimore, embedded yesterday, & Ta-Nehisi Coates' post, linked yesterday, both are definitely worth your time.

Amy Howe of ScotusBlog analyzes the Supremes' Q&A in the hearing yesterday on the marriage equality case Obergefell v. Hodges. ...

... Lyle Denniston of ScotusBlog: "From worrying about casting aside a 'millennia' of cultural norm and habit about who can marry, to wondering about whether America has had enough time to debate the issue, to a somewhat testy defense of the dignity that gay and lesbian couples would have in marriage, [Justice] Kennedy appeared to have moved from hesitancy toward acceptance as the Court heard nearly two-and-a-half hours of argument in the cases that are known as Obergefell v. Hodges." ...

... Jeff Toobin of the New Yorker on "Justice Scalia's shameful joke," etc. "In questioning Bonauto, Scalia further established his reputation as the Fox News Justice, who appears to use conservative talking points to prepare for oral arguments." CW: It seems an anti-gay spectator -- who was removed from the courtroom for his outbursts -- acted as Scalia's very own Anger Translator. Hey, if Obama can have one, so can Nino. ...

... Andy Borowitz (satire): "As Justice Antonin Scalia weighed in on same-sex marriage at the United States Supreme Court on Tuesday, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg interrupted the proceedings by announcing, 'Someone wake me up when he stops talking.'"

... Joseph Landau in a New York Times op-ed: "... there are a number of institutional reasons Chief Justice Roberts might, and should, cast a vote for the freedom to marry." ...

... Adam Liptak writes quite a good analysis of why Roberts might join in a 6-3 decision in favor of marriage equality. And kudos to Eric Segall, who foresaw Roberts' line of reasoning.

... The AP provides some "quotables" from the hearing, including the crucial one Liptak cites.

** Robert Reich in the American Prospect: "The key to understanding the rise in inequality isn't technology or globalization. It's the power of the moneyed interests to shape the underlying rules of the market."

Marie's Sports News. Richard Rubin of Bloomberg: "The National Football League's central office will become a taxable entity, ending its tax-exempt status in a move with minimal financial effect and significant symbolic value. Commissioner Roger Goodell informed team owners and members of the U.S. Congress of the decision in letters dated Tuesday, saying he was eliminating a 'distraction.'... The league's decision pre-empts a move to revoke the tax break that had been led by former Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma. That effort has gained some momentum in recent years, but not enough to pass either the House or the Senate. The NFL's action removes a point of leverage for Congress in its continuing inquiries into the league's handling of concussions and domestic violence."

Presidential Race

Dan Balz & Robert Costa of the Washington Post: "Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will announce a White House bid Thursday, two people with knowledge of the rollout confirmed Tuesday, setting up a vocal challenge to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton from the left."

Jonathan Allen of Vox: "The size and scope of the symbiotic relationship between the Clintons and their donors is striking. At least 181 companies, individuals, and foreign governments that have given to the Clinton Foundation also lobbied the State Department when Hillary Clinton ran the place, according to a Vox analysis of foundation records and federal lobbying disclosures.... That's not illegal, but it is scandalous." ...

... Andrew Kaczynski of BuzzFeed remembers back when Bill Clinton took what the Senate -- then under GOP control -- determined were unlawful campaign contributions from foreign entities. "The DNC eventually also was fined $115,000 [by the FED] and the Clinton-Gore campaign $2,000. The Senate also report notes 'the Democratic National Committee was ultimately forced to return $2,825,600 in illegal or improper donations.'" ...

... Anne Gearan of the Washington Post: "Hillary Rodham Clinton took to Twitter on Tuesday to make her first direct comments on the same-sex marriage issues now before the Supreme Court -- just as the justices were about to begin hearing the case.... Her tweet made clear that the newly announced Democratic presidential candidate is highlighting same-sex marriage as a defining issue. She is also drawing a clear distinction with Republican candidates who have said they oppose gay marriage:

     CW Note: not a real tweet; for some reason the embed code didn't work, so I hadda take a picture.

Nate Silver & Harry Enten of 538: "Jeb Bush is expected to declare a fundraising total in the 'high tens of millions of dollars,' The New York Times reported on Monday.... But money is unlikely to be Bush's problem in this campaign, and cash may be a less valuable resource than ... the support of influential Republicans, like current senators and governors.... Historically, these endorsements have been the best proxy for support in the 'invisible primary' and a leading indicator for which candidates may emerge victorious through the rough-and-tumble nomination race. So far, Bush has won very few endorsements."

Brendan James of TPM: "Presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) weighed in on the turmoil in Baltimore on Tuesday, standing with police and blaming the violence on a lack of morals in America.'"I came through the train on Baltimore (sic) last night, I'm glad the train didn't stop,' he said, laughing, during an interview with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham. Railing against what he repeatedly called 'thuggery and thievery' in the streets of Baltimore, Paul told Ingraham that talking about 'root causes' was not appropriate in the middle of a riot. 'The police have to do what they have to do, and I am very sympathetic to the plight of the police in this,' he said." ...

... CW: Very thoughtful, Randy. But wouldn't your cogent analysis that the riots were the result of "the breakdown of the family structure, the lack of fathers, the lack of a moral code in our society" constitute your lame idea of "root causes"? P.S. Readers may want to allow themselves the indulgence of comparing the current President's extemporaneous remarks (linked yesterday) with this presidential hopeful's. ...

... Hunter of Daily Kos: "As an aside, we weren't able to find any scheduled trains between New York and Washington that do not have a stop in Baltimore. But perhaps we missed one." CW: Yeah, you did, Hunter: the Rand Paul Express. It never stops at Reality. ...

... Vanessa Williams of the Washington Post documents how Sen. Randy said different things about criminal justice than does Presidential Candidate Randy. After all, GOP voters are old white people who think there is no racial bias in our criminal justice system. Ergo, the New Rand Paul Express.

The Commentariat -- April 28, 2015

Defunct videos removed.

NEW. Nick Gass of Politico: "President Barack Obama on Tuesday said the violence that consumed Baltimore overnight was a product of a 'slow-rolling crisis' of policing issues, and that Americans need to get serious about the underlying problem of impoverished communities. 'We as a country have to do some soul searching,' he said in a press conference in the Rose Garden." ...

... Sorry about the Fox "Newsiness" of this, but you will want to hear President Obama's remarks on the situation in Baltimore:

NEW. Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "Thanks to protests last week, the public now knows that some of the workers serving meals to U.S. Senate's members, staff and visitors are paid barely enough to scrape by. Many rely on government benefits like food stamps, and at least one of them -- 63-year-old Charles Gladden -- is homeless, spending his nights outside a downtown Metro station. Responding to the protests, eight Democratic senators, led by Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), plus Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), on Monday called for better wages and benefits for the Senate's own contract workers, some of whom make less than $10 an hour. They wrote to Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, which oversees Capitol campus matters, telling him a new $10.10 wage baseline supported by President Obama is only a start."

Adam Liptak & Michael Shear of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court on Tuesday seemed deeply divided about one of the great civil rights issues of the age: whether the Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. The justices appeared to clash over not only what is the right answer but also over how to reach it. The questioning illuminated their conflicting views on history, tradition, biology, constitutional interpretation, the democratic process and the role of the courts in prodding social change."

... NEW. Noah Feldman in Bloomberg: "No one really believes that Tuesday's oral argument in the gay-marriage case, Obergefell v. Hodges, is an occasion for the justices to make up their minds about how they're going to vote. Rather, it's an exercise in making certain points, not so much to their colleagues as to the public. According to reports from the first section of the questioning, the justices had some messages they want you to hear." ...

... ScotusBlog: "On Tuesday the [Supreme] Court will hear oral argument in Obergefell v. Hodges, which is consolidated with three other cases, on the questions of whether the Fourteenth Amendment requires that states grant and/or recognize same-sex marriages. [ScotusBlog] will be live-blogging updates from the oral argument at this link beginning at 10:45 a.m." ...

     ... "Kennedy multiple times talked about marriage being the same for 'millenia.' He said he 'kept coming back' to that thought. #ReutersSCOTUS ...

     ... "Bonauto closed her argument with a neat turn of phrase. The Court had said that the question is 'who decides' whether same sex marriage will be lawful: the courts or the states? She responded that the choice is not between the Court and the state, but instead whether the individual can decide who to marry, or whether the government will decide for him.... One very interesting aspect of the early argument was that it was primarily a set of questions about what 'marriage' means as an institution, and accordingly, whether it is 'irrational' or 'invidious discrimination' to exclude gays and lesbians." ...

     ... "Ultimately, Justice Scalia seemed satisfied that a minister could refuse to perform those weddings.... Justice Ginsburg spoke of how it was recent changes to the institution of marriage that made it appropriate for gay and lesbian couples -- in particular, it becoming an egalitarian institution rather than one dominated by the male partners who determined where and how the couple would live.... The petrs had said they were looking to 'join the institution of marriage.' The chief [Roberts] objected that perhaps they were not looking to redefine it, not join it. And he emphasized that he had looked up all the definitions he could find, and it was always a man and a woman."

... ** UPDATE: The audio is here. ...

... Here's the New York Times' liveblog of the hearing. ...

... The New York Times story, by Adam Liptak, is here. ...

... John Culhane in Politico Magazine: "There's no real case against gay marriage" so "opponents rely on dubious warnings of social Armageddon." ...

... Emily Bazelon & Adam Liptak discuss the case in the New York Times Magazine. ...

... Garrett Epps of the Atlantic: "... whatever happens with the Court in June, the struggle for gay and lesbian rights -- even for basic humanity -- will go on. A good Supreme Court opinion could make it less divisive. In constitutional law, the reasons for a decision matter as much as the decision itself." ...

... Lydia Wheeler of the Hill: "Religious leaders are calling on members of the Supreme Court's liberal wing to recuse themselves from the blockbuster gay marriage case that the court will begin considering on Tuesday. Standing on the steps of the Supreme Court, Scott Lively, president of Abiding Truth Ministries, told reporters he's filing a motion with the Supreme Court calling for the recusal of Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan." ...

... Liz Goodwin of Yahoo! News: "Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the 82-year-old leader of the Supreme Court's minority liberal wing, has cast aside her usual restraint in the past months and left little doubt where she stands on the upcoming gay marriage case." ...

... See also Presidential Race below.

Sari Horwitz of the Washington Post: "After months of delay by the Senate, Loretta E. Lynch was sworn in Monday morning as the 83rd attorney general, the first African American woman to serve as the nation's top law enforcement official. With her husband at her side, along with her 83-year-old father, Lynch repeated the oath of office to Vice President Biden during a ceremony at the Justice Department."

... Kendall Breitman & Jennifer Shutt of Politico: "Loretta Lynch barely had the chance to settle into her new office at the Justice Department before she was asked to take up a racially and politically charged topic: the violent and escalating riots in Baltimore. 'I condemn,' the new attorney general said in a statement Monday night, 'the senseless acts of violence by some individuals in Baltimore that have resulted in harm to law enforcement officers, destruction of property and a shattering of the peace in the city of Baltimore. Those who commit violent actions, ostensibly in protest of the death of Freddie Gray, do a disservice to his family, to his loved ones, and to legitimate peaceful protestors who are working to improve their community for all its residents.'" ...

... David McCabe of the Hill: "The Department of Justice will send two officials to Baltimore amid clashes in the city between police and citizens, new Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Monday night. Vanita Gupta, who head's the Civil Rights Division, and Director of Community Oriented Policing Services Ronald Davis 'will be traveling to Baltimore to meet with faith and community leaders, as well as city officials,' Lynch said in a statement." ...

... NEW. Ta-Nehisi Coates of the Atlantic: Many of "the people now calling for nonviolence ... are charged with enforcing the very policies that led to Gray's death, and yet they can offer no rational justification for Gray's death and so they appeal for calm.... When nonviolence begins halfway through the war with the aggressor calling time out, it exposes itself as a ruse."

Burgess Everett of Politico: "Democrats are demanding that Republicans help them rebuff hot button amendments to a bipartisan nuclear review bill. But GOP leaders, on the eve of the first potential votes on the measure, have refused to commit to working in tandem, according to sources in both parties. The bill, which enjoys broad bipartisan support, would allow Congress to review and potentially reject a nuclear agreement with Iran. Democrats want assurances from Republican leaders that GOP amendments requiring Iran to recognize the state of Israel or demanding the release of Americans held by Tehran will be defeated resoundingly with no votes from both sides."

Adam Behsudi of Politico: "Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will get the royal treatment this week during his U.S. visit: an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn; an Oval Office meeting and press conference with President Barack Obama; a State Department lunch with Vice President Joe Biden; and Secretary of State John Kerry and, last but not least, a state dinner with nearly 300 guests. But behind the scenes, White House officials are working feverishly to unsnag a trade deal with Japan and 10 other Asia-Pacific countries that would be the largest such agreement in history. The two major hold-ups: rice and cars."

** Truth through Comedy. Ezra Klein of Vox: "The joke of President Obama's performance [at the White House Correspondents dinner] on Saturday was that he wasn't joking."

** Coral Davenport & Laurie Goodstein of the New York Times: "... as [Pope] Francis prepares to deliver what is likely to be a highly influential encyclical this summer on environmental degradation and the effects of human-caused climate change on the poor, he is alarming some conservatives [link fixed] in the United States.... Top Vatican officials will hold a summit meeting Tuesday to build momentum for a campaign by Francis to urge world leaders to enact a sweeping United Nations climate change accord in Paris in December. The accord would for the first time commit every nation to enact tough new laws to cut the emissions that cause global warming." CW: Pretty enjoyable to read how "alarmed" the deniers are.

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Driftglass on David Brooks, counterculture hero, featuring more on the Club You Are Not In. A very enjoyable way to be reminded that these people are here to annoy us at best or ruin us at worst, as they pat each other on the ass for their cunning deeds.

Presidential Race

Ryan Lizza has a long piece in the New Yorker on Elizabeth Warren as a "virtual candidate." CW: I'd call it "Stalking Hillary." Lizza always provides an enjoyable read packed with stuff you didn't know. ...

... Gabriel Debenedetti of Politico: Hillary Clinton is promising to beef up the local Democratic party in New Hampshire & Iowa.

Matea Gold & Ed O'Keefe of the Washington Post: "Never have so many candidates entered a White House contest boosted by such huge sums. The financial arms race could fuel a protracted primary season similar to the one in 2012 -- exactly what party leaders were hoping to avoid.... The political money boom is being driven largely by super PACs, which can collect unlimited donations from individuals and corporations. The groups are supposed to operate independently from the candidates they support, but in this race they are functioning as de facto arms of the campaigns." ...

Adam Nagourney of the New York Times: "Republican presidential candidates are struggling to adjust to a rapidly changing legal, political and cultural landscape this primary season, as the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments Tuesday on whether same-sex marriage is a constitutionally protected right. Once a winning primary issue as well as a powerful wedge issue wielded against Democrats, opposing same-sex marriage has grown far more complicated for Republicans. While it could offer conservative candidates a way to break through a crowded primary field, it looms as a liability with general election voters, particularly independent ones...." ...

... Brian Tashman of Right Wing Watch: "While his campaign touts his outreach to gay Republicans, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio told David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network this weekend that anyone who believes that gay people have a constitutional right to marriage have a 'ridiculous and absurd reading of the U.S. Constitution.'"

Walker Worried the Stupid Will Show. Patrick Healy & Nicholas Confessore of the New York Times: "Advisers said [Scott] Walker ... is devoting considerable time ... to addressing a weakness that could derail him with a single gaffe no matter how much some donors love him: his lack of depth on issues facing a president, especially national security. He is attending near daily policy briefings...."

Evan McMurry of Mediaite: "Senator and 2016 GOP candidate Rand Paul (R-KY), who has made hay of his opposition to the use of drone against American citizens in the past, defended President Barack Obama on Fox & Friends Monday morning over the January drone strike that killed two hostages." CW: You read that right.

Beyond the Beltway

Zoe Sullivan of the Guardian: "The Kenosha[, Wisconsin,] Professional Police Association (KPPA) posted a billboard thanking the community for its support. Some residents question the message behind the ad. It features Pablo Torres, a young officer who shot two people within a 10-day period in March." CW: If the Guardian's characterizations of the shooting deaths is accurate, both sound avoidable.

News Ledes

CNN: "A U.S.-flagged ship was recently intercepted by an Iran Revolutionary Guard naval patrol, the U.S. Navy revealed to CNN Tuesday. The incident occurred on Friday when four Iranian naval vessels surrounded the U.S.-flagged Maersk Kensington in the Strait of Hormuz. The episode came ahead of an encounter Tuesday in which Iran Revolutionary Guard patrol boats fired shots at a commercial cargo ship and then intercepted the vessel, the Marshall Islands-flagged M/V Maersk Tigris, which was also crossing the Strait of Hormuz. At this point, no U.S. military action is expected on the ship that was seized Tuesday aside from monitoring the situation."

TMZ: "Joni Mitchell is unconscious in a hospital, unable to respond to anyone, with no immediate prospects for getting better."

Washington Post: "Violence swept through pockets of a low-income section of West Baltimore on Monday afternoon as scores of rioters heaved bottles and rocks at riot-gear-clad police, set police cars on fire, and looted a pharmacy, a mall and other businesses. At least 15 officers were injured." ...

... The Post has live updates here. The Baltimore Sun's liveblog is here.

New York Times: "Two days after Nepal's worst earthquake in 80 years, the official death toll rose to more than 4,000, and humanitarian aid was starting to flow to the capital. Katmandu's airport had been so overloaded by aid and passenger planes that incoming flights sat for hours on the runway."