Subject: Daily News Clips 4/8/14
From: "Sam Losow" <[email-masked]>
To: "undisclosed-recipients:"
Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2014 10:41:30 -0400

*National News:*

*UConn beats Kentucky for the men's NCAA basketball crown*
The University of Connecticut basketball team, led by seasoned star guard
Shabazz Napier, defeated the freshmen-led Kentucky Wildcats 60-54 to win
the NCAA men's basketball
championship<http://theweek.com/article/index/259533/speedreads-uconn-beats-kentucky-to-claim-the-ncaa-mens-title>
Monday
night. The difference came at the free-throw line, where UConn went 10 for
10, and Kentucky was 13 for 24. The win -- the Huskies' fourth championship
since 1999 -- came a year after an academic ban kept the team out of the
tournament. [*CNN*<http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/07/us/ncaa-basketball-championship/index.html?hpt=hp_t2>
]

..........................................................................................

*Senate approves restoring benefits for the long-term unemployed*
Senate Democrats, with help from six Republicans, pushed through a bill on
Monday seeking torestore expired jobless
benefits<http://theweek.com/article/index/259536/speedreads-the-senate-passed-its-bipartisan-unemployment-benefits-bill-sending-it-to-a-wary-house>
for
2.4 million Americans unemployed for six months or more. President Obama
has called on the GOP-led House to approve the bill, too. It has faced firm
opposition in the House, although Republicans are facing increasing
pressure to pass relief for the unemployed ahead of November's midterm
elections. [*Reuters*<http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/07/us-usa-senate-unemployment-idUSBREA361YI20140407>
]

..........................................................................................

*Pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine declare independence*
Pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine declared independence from Kiev
on Monday, and called on Russian President Vladimir
Putin<http://theweek.com/article/index/258997/speedreads-putin-calls-obama-to-discuss-ukraine>
to
send in troops. Ukraine's acting prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, called
the move, along with pro-Russia demonstrators' seizure of government
buildings in three cities, part of a Russian bid to ignite "division and
destruction" to justify invading. Ukraine said Tuesday it had retaken one
of the buildings. [*The New York
Times*<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/08/world/europe/russia-crimea-ukraine-unrest.html?hp>
, *BBC News* <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26934190>]

..........................................................................................

*Justices won't help photographer accused of anti-gay discrimination*
The Supreme Court on Monday turned down an appeal from a New Mexico
photographer who refused to shoot pictures at a lesbian couple's wedding.
The photographer, Elaine Huguenin, was charged with violating the state's
anti-discrimination law after refusing to shoot the wedding because it
would violate her religious beliefs. The high court's refusal to hear the
appeal marked a significant victory for gay marriage advocates. [*Los
Angeles Times*<http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-supreme-court-photographer-gays-20140404,0,126351.story>
]

..........................................................................................

*Germany reaches a deal on returning art looted by Nazis*
The German government announced a deal Monday that could lead to the return
of works of art -- including some by Picasso, Chagall, and Gauguin -- that
were wrongfully taken from Jewish owners. The agreement calls for a year of
investigation to determine which of the works seized in 2012 from the
apartment of Cornelius Gurlitton, the son of a Nazi-era art dealer, are of
questionable provenance and therefore eligible for possible restitution. [*The
New York Times*<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/08/arts/design/germany-announces-deal-on-art-looted-by-nazis.html?hp&_r=0>
]

..........................................................................................
Obama Announces Grants to Schools to Integrate Work
Experiences<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/08/us/politics/obama-announces-grants-to-schools-to-integrate-work-experiences.html?ref=us>
WASHINGTON -- President Obama traveled to a high school in the Washington
suburbs on Monday to announce the winners of $107 million in grants
intended to update curriculums to better integrate work experiences and
real-world learning opportunities.

"We want to invest in your future," Mr. Obama told students at Bladensburg
High School in Maryland, one of the winners. "Your potential for success is
so high as long as you stay focused," he added. "As long as you're clear
about your goals, you're going to succeed."

..........................................................................................
Fearing Punishment for Bad
Genes<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/08/science/fearing-punishment-for-bad-genes.html?ref=science>
About 700,000 Americans have had their DNA sequenced, in full or in part,
and the number is rising rapidly as costs plummet -- to $1,000 or less for a
full genome, down from more than $1 million less than a decade ago.

But many people are avoiding the tests because of a major omission in the
2008 federal law that bars employers and health insurers from seeking the
results of genetic testing.

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, known as GINA, does not
apply to three types of insurance -- life, disability and long-term care --
that are especially important to people who may have serious inherited
diseases. Sponsors of the act say that they were well aware of the
omission, but that after a 14-year effort to write and pass the law, they
had to settle for what they could get.

That leaves many patients who may be at risk for inherited diseases fearful
that a positive result could be used against them.

*2016 Presidential News:*

Kristol: 'No way' Jeb Bush is
nominee<http://www.politico.com/story/2014/04/bill-kristol-jeb-bush-2016-elections-105470.html?hp=l1>
Bill Kristol is willing to put money -- a lot of it -- on former Florida Gov.
Jeb Bush not becoming the Republican presidential nominee in 2016.

"I think there's no way there will be a Bush-Clinton race in 2016," the
conservative commentator said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Tuesday. "I will
buy all of you dinner. ... This could be expensive in New York, I guess. I'm
willing to go out on a limb."

Kristol said Republican primary voters will not choose someone in 2016 "who
was last in office a decade ago," like the former Republican governor.

"He's a good man; he hasn't been involved in any of the fights of the
[President Barack] Obama years," Kristol said. "Republicans are kind of
worked up about Obamacare, about the federal policy failures, that like
someone who is either engaged in those fights in Washington or a governor
who's governed successfully in real time. i.e., now, so a Scott Walker or a
Mike Pence, or a Ted Cruz or a Marco Rubio or a Paul Ryan."

..........................................................................................
Why immigration (probably) won't sink Marco Rubio in
2016<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/04/08/why-immigration-probably-wont-sink-marco-rubio-in-2016/>
Yes, you read that right. Rubio, who helped spearhead a sweeping reform
package and subsequently saw his stock fall with the conservative base. The
Republican who put lots of energy behind a bill that has gone nowhere in
the GOP-controlled House.

The reason why immigration probably won't doom Rubio's chances has less to
do with him than it does with the field of Republicans he'd likely face if
he makes a White House bid. Most of the biggest-name prospects for 2016 are
not in an ideal position to attack Rubio from the right on immigration
because of their own positions.

"Right now the only weakness that sticks out on Rubio if he runs is [the]
immigration situation. By the time voters are through evaluating all the
Republican candidates on the issue, he may not likely stick out as much
because most of them will have to politically defend themselves on it,"
said veteran Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, who thinks the GOP should
pursue immigration reform.

..........................................................................................
Rand's Paul foreign policy views are not like the other potential 2016
candidates. Does it
matter?<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/04/08/what-role-will-foreign-policy-play-in-the-2016-election-and-what-does-that-mean-for-rand-paul/>
There are considerable challenges in breaking with the Republican Party on
foreign policy, something Rand Paul is well aware of thanks to his family's
history.

Ron Paul is one of the most ideologically consistent politicians in the
United States, and most of his policy ideas can end with, "because it would
shrink government." On foreign policy, Ron Paul thinks the United States
spends an inordinate amount. The best way to trim the budget is by stopping
interventions and slashing foreign aid. While many of his fellow
Republicans also advocate for a smaller government, the savings usually
stop at America's shore. Paul Ryan's latest budget plan calls for extensive
domestic savings, but a still-robust budget for the Pentagon.

Over his three presidential campaigns, Paul's stubbornly libertarian
foreign policy lens defined his campaign -- and his supporters. Although
Paul always rounded up a merry band of young libertarians to support his
campaigns, the major donors, strategists and pundits in the Republican
Party never took him too seriously, although his strengths as a candidate
became more notable each time he tried. The rest of the political
establishment never took him very seriously either. Here's a graph of news
coverage of the 2012 presidential con
*Opinion:*
Republicans are realizing that Jeb Bush is their only option in
2016<http://theweek.com/article/index/259530/republicans-are-realizing-that-jeb-bush-is-their-only-option-in-2016>

What a difference a couple of months can make. Roughly a week into the
first bona fide Jeb Bush presidential boomlet, the man who once flatly
denied any intention of running has been remarkably busy. He teamed up
with<http://www.politico.com/story/2014/04/jeb-bush-bobby-jindal-republicans-ad-105358.html>
Louisiana
Gov. (and presidential aspirant) Bobby Jindal on a video to promote a new
project (NewRepublican.org) that will shape a positive message for the GOP
going into the midterms and beyond. He attended a private
dinner<http://www.cbsnews.com/news/2016-will-chris-christies-pain-be-jeb-bushs-gain/>
with
Republican mega-donor (and Israel superhawk) Sheldon Adelson in his
airplane hangar. He did a sit-down
interview<http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/07/jeb-bush-says-decision-on-2016-run-coming-before-year-end-says-illegal/>
on *Fox News Sunday*. And he was at the center of a celebration of the 25th
anniversary of his father's presidency, which featured a who's-who line-up
of establishment Republicans openly
urging<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/07/us/politics/jeb-bush-outlines-campaign-strategy-should-he-choose-to-run.html?hpw&rref=us&_r=0>
the
former Florida governor to run.

All of this activity, meanwhile, is generating its own media buzz. In the
past few days alone, George F. Will penned a
column<http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-f-will-the-gop-faithful-should-give-jeb-bush-a-hearing/2014/04/02/c29a66f2-b9be-11e3-96ae-f2c36d2b1245_story.html>
urging
Republicans to give Jeb a closer look, and the *Washington Post*'s Philip
Rucker and Robert Costa
reported<http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/influential-republicans-working-to-draft-jeb-bush-into-2016-presidential-race/2014/03/29/11e33b06-b5f2-11e3-8cb6-284052554d74_story.html>
that
top Republicans are working to draft Jeb into the race. (One of their
sources predicted that the "vast majority" of Mitt Romney's top 100 donors
would fall in behind Jeb if he runs.)

*DE News:*

*Markell 'willing to discuss' softer pot penalties*
Gov. Jack Markell, who signed legislation in 2011 legalizing marijuana for
medical purposes before delaying the program's launch, is "willing to
discuss" changes that would reduce penalties for the possession of small
amounts of marijuana, according to a spokesman for the governor.

Markell has said he would not support a move toward full legalization of
the drug, like in Colorado in Washington, absent further studies about the
consequences of legalization.

"The Governor has supported making marijuana available for medical purposes
and DHSS expects to license a dispensary that can open in Delaware this
year," Markell spokesman Jonathon Dworkin said in a statement. "The
Governor is willing to discuss changing the penalty for possession of small
amounts of marijuana from jail sentences to just fines, but he would not
support full legalization at this time without further studies and evidence
of its consequences."

More than two-thirds of Delawareans surveyed last month by Public Policy
Pollingsupported the removal of criminal penalties for possessing an ounce
or less of marijuana, making it punishable by a $100 fine and no jail time.
Under current law, possession of marijuana is a Class B misdemeanor
punishable by up to six months in jail and up to $1,150 in fines.

The poll was commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy
group. Another pro-legalization group, Delaware NORML, the National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, organized lobbying efforts
in Legislative Hall on Thursday, bringing advocates to meet with lawmakers.

In last month's poll, support for reducing penalties for pot possession was
found across party lines and age groups. Eighty percent of Democrats
supported it; as did 51 percent of Republicans. Public Policy Polling
surveyed 951 Delaware voters on March 18 and 19. The margin of error was
3.2 percent.

More than 60 percent of Democrats polled supported regulating and taxing
marijuana like alcohol. Republicans opposed the idea by a similar margin.
Younger Delawareans were more likely to support the idea.

"The era of criminalizing people for marijuana possession is over," Robert
Capecchi, deputy director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy
Project, said in a statement. "Nobody should face life-altering criminal
penalties and time in jail simply for possessing a small amount of a
substance that is less harmful than alcohol."

-- 
Sam Losow
*Finance Assistant*
Beau Biden, DE Attorney General
Office: (302) 295-8340
Cell: (202) 821-3399
[email-masked]