I'm back. Did I miss anything? Here's today's Morning EDition, reflecting, I'm sure, my attempt to play catch-up on the stuff I missed while I was off. Apologies in advance!
TODAY
- We are one week from the Aug. 2 deadline; keeping in mind we've already blown through the timeframe the president said was necessary to allow for time to write the legislation.
- Pres. Obama addresses the National Council of La Raza on immigration.
- House Republicans meet early this afternoon; House Democrats, late this afternoon.
BUDGET
- Sadly, we know the way out. And it's easy.
- A new debt-ceiling primer.
- Why do Dems want to kill this issue, and GOP keep it alive...when it hurts GOP and helps Dems?
- Even if a deal gets done, it's hard to see how the legislation gets written and passed in time.
- White House official gives 50-50 odds of a deal to prevent default.
- Pres. Obama cancels fundraising appearances to deal with debt impasse.
- White House allies warn that tossing Medicare overboard in Ahab-like pursuit of independents will end badly.
- Is David Plouffe the Ahab?
- Krugman also sends up the warning flare on Medicare.
- Dionne makes the point that voters won't care about the debt if the jobs still aren't there.
- Turns out House GOP Leader Eric Cantor's (R-VA) opposition to a short-term debt-ceiling hike was itself short-term.
- And Cantor's not the only one.
- Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner doesn't like the short-term approach, either.
- Everyone used to like short-term debt-ceiling hikes.
- Why is the White House so worried about carrying debt-ceiling uncertainty? The markets don't seem to be. Except when they are.
- But Wall St. is prepping for a possible default.
- Sec. of State Hillary Clinton assures our creditors everything's just dandy.
- Sen. Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) caves on revenues.
- Or is Reid just revealing the GOP's true priorities?
- GOP doesn't know what to make of Reid's deal, either.
- Speaker Boehner (R-OH) puts it all on red.
- Except Boehner and Obama are still passing notes.
- And Boehner has a plan! Whew!
- A handy summary of Dem caves and GOP digging deeper.
- British Business Secretary says American "nutters" are threatening the global economy.
- Analysis: Standard & Poor's hands the political keys to the GOP.
- The GOP started it.
CLASS WARFARE
- Obama's comptroller of the currency sticks up for risk and complexity in our banking system. Hurrah!
- States raise revenue by raising fees and fines, disproportionately targeting the less well-off.
- More than one in four young male veterans is out of work.
- Boehner reaped big bucks from Wall Street as he shielded Wall Street from new rules.
- Means-testing Medicare? It's a marginal tax increase.
- Big business rejects Obama's charm offensive. Shocker.
- Some of the rise in corporate profits has come from overseas.
- Court gives US Chamber of Commerce a win, with ruling that limits shareholders' ability to elect board members. (I wrote about this here.)
- VIDEO: NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg says the US is very low-tax compared to other countries.
BROKEN GOVERNMENT
- Light bulbs: The Sequel.
- Today's GOP is beholden to a political force...that isn't a political force any more.
- VIDEO: Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) conveniently forgets GOP union-bashing as a cause of the FAA shutdown.
- VIDEO: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) says it would be a good idea for someone to primary Obama.
TERRORISM
- Yglesias says Norway shows us that "fixing" "failed states" is no cure for terrorism.
- Norway shooter drew on American anti-Muslim bloggers.
- Right-wing pundits first blamed Muslims.
- Approximately one million ways a single right-wing Washington Post writer got Norway wrrong.
- In Europe, nationalist/separatist attacks outnumber Islamist ones.
GAY RIGHTS
- Gay New Yorkers get gay married.
2012
- Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) hits back at Tim Pawlenty, claiming "little daylight" between him and Obama.
MITT ROMNEY
- WSJ looks at Romney's record, finds weak job creation and--surprise!--a hike in taxes on business!
MURDOCH
- The FBI gets to work on assessing whether News Corp. broke US laws.
- Murdoch newspaper staff told to preserve documents.
(What I'm reading: Greg Sargent's Plum Line, Think Progress, Matt Yglesias, Talking Points Memo, TPMDC, Taegan Goddard's Political Wire, the Washington Monthly, CNN's PoliticalTicker, the National Journal, Ezra Klein, Politico's Playbook and Huddle, Dave Weigel, Wonkette, Firedoglake, the NYT Caucus, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars. What my iPod has me listening to: Sinnerman by Nina Simone.)
Follow Senior Producer Jonathan Larsen (@jtlarsen) on Twitter