After the Flimflam

Paul Krugman writes for The New York Times: “It has been a big week for budget documents. In fact, members of Congress have presented not one but two full-fledged, serious proposals for spending and taxes over the next decade.”

North Dakota Poised To Enact Six-Week Abortion Ban, The Most Stringent Restriction In The Nation

Tara Culp-Ressler writes at ThinkProgress: “Not to be outdone by Arkansas lawmakers — who recently overrode their governor to impose a 12-week abortion ban, the strictest in the country — abortion opponents in North Dakota want to go even further.”

What about Rob Portman’s daughter?

Irina Carmon writes for Salon: “The analogies started rolling out minutes after Ohio publications went live with the news that Senator Rob Portman now supports marriage equality because of his gay son. ‘Rob Portman comes out as vegetarian after watching…

Pink Smoke Billows Over Vatican As Protestors Challenge Church’s Women Ordination Policy

Dominique Mosbergen writes for The Huffington Post: “As white smoke over the Sistine Chapel captured the world’s attention, smoke of another hue at the Vatican has gone largely unnoticed.”

Vatican’s pink smoke protesters want women priests

From CBC News: “Bursts of pink smoke filled the air in Rome today as Catholic women staged a protest calling for women’s equality in the church, while top Roman Catholic cardinals readied to elect the religion’s next pope.”