Election Filing Deadline Preview & Open Thread

Election Filing Deadline Preview & Open Thread

The deadline for candidates to file is 12 noon Tuesday. Parties can fill slots on the ballot moving forward, and candidates can withdraw, but anyone who does not file by the deadline cannot get on the ballot w/o party support. Questions answered: 1. Yes, the fearsome duo of Carl Smink and Rose Izzo will lead the mighty Republican ticket into battle this fall. Izzo filed on Thursday, July 3. 2. Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf will run for reelection. Not that it was ever in doubt, but he has now filed. Unanswered Questions: 1. Will State Auditor Tom Wagner file for reelection?

Late Night Video — John Oliver Fixes the Flaw in Climate Change Journalism

Climate change is always reported as two opposing views -- one side who *believes* and the other side that *does not believe*. Treating a science topic (it isn't a *belief* topic) as though it was a political topic is one of the worst journalistic offences we are subject to, and we are subject to quite a few of them throughout the day. John Oliver takes note that this topic is always addressed as one for and one against, as though there was an equal amount of scientific evidence that climate change does not happen. He brilliantly works at a fairer debate -- one that weights the conversation towards the evidence -- hilarious:
Thursday Open Thread [7.3.14]

Thursday Open Thread [7.3.14]

The U.S. economy added 288,000 jobs in June, surprising some economists who only expected 215k. The economy has now added more than 200,000 jobs a month for five straight months, the best stretch since January 2000. The unemployment rate also dropped to 6.1%, the lowest it's been since September 2008.
Also encouraging: Job gains for April and May were revised up by a total 29,000. April's increase was revised to 304,000 from 282,000 and May's to 224,000 from 217,000. April's total marks the first time monthly job gains topped 300,000 since January 2012. Payroll additions have averaged 272,000 the past three months and 231,000 for the year, vs. 194,000 in 2013. Bob Baur, chief global economist of Principal Global Investors, says accelerating job growth is feeding into a virtuous cycle, in which stronger payroll gains lead to higher consumer spending and further employment advances.
‘Bulo’s Fave New Tunes: June, 2014

‘Bulo’s Fave New Tunes: June, 2014

Great stuff last month. If you're not at least sampling some of this, you're missing out. Trust me, if you don't like one, you just might like the next. No way they ALL suck, even for the narrow-minded (*cough, Jason 330, cough*)....
Wednesday Open Thread [7.2.14]

Wednesday Open Thread [7.2.14]

Sorry for being absent the last two days. Came down with what I think is walking pneumonia. Boy does that knock you on your ass. So today here is some poll numbers: LOUISIANA--SENATOR--Public Policy Polling: Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) 47, Bill Cassidy (R) 47. That is the polling on a stand alone runoff race between Landrieu and Cassidy. Remember, Louisiana law is, shall we say, strange. They hold an open all party primary on the general election date in November, and if no candidate gets over 50%, then the top two finishers compete in a December runoff. The polling on the November open primary is as follows: Landrieu leads with 44%, followed by Cassidy at 27%, Rob Maness (R) at 8%, and Paul Hollis (R) at 5%. MICHIGAN--GOVERNOR--Public Policy Polling: Gov. Rick Snyder (R) 40, Mark Schauer (D) 40. This is a big improvement for Schauer, since he was down 10 points in April and by four points in December.