The morning NOW: 7/30/13

Wherein we quibble about beginnings, middles and ends

We begin with this gem from today’s  with Anthony Weiner, which typifies the dignity and poise with which he has handled this entire affair.

At a certain point, if the answer isn’t “no”, isn’t it just better to just say “yes”? But then, what would people like me do with our time.

Joining Alex today:
Ari Berman, Contributing Writer, The Nation (@AriBerman)
Melissa Harris-Perry, msnbc Host, “Melissa Harris Perry” (@mharrisperry)
Sam Stein, Political Editor and White House Correspondent, The Huffington Post/msnbc contributor (@samsteinhp)
Mark Leibovich, Chief National Correspondent, The New York Times Magazine (@markleibovich)

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

As his middle-class jobs tour continues, today President Obama will be visiting the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Chattanooga, TN to discuss proposals to jumpstart private sector job growth. Unsurprisingly, not everyone is thrilled about his choice of venue, particularly booksellers and publishers, who see it as evidence that the administration is “in the tank” for Amazon. For it’s part, the White House calls the facility “a perfect example of the company that is investing in American workers and creating good, high-wage jobs,” and is proposing a “grand bargain” on jobs that would reduce corporate taxes in exchange for a Republican commitment to invest in middle-class jobs (Good luck with that!). Are corporate tax cuts the sort of job creating shot-in-the-arm the country needs, and is there any chance of actually making a deal? If you’re reading this, you probably know the answer to that one.

Within hours of the Supreme Court’s decimation of the Voting Rights Act, states like Texas and North Carolina were already hard at work enacting voter suppression identification laws that had previously been determined to impose “strict, unforgiving burdens on the poor and racial minorities…” The recently passed North Carolina law ensures electoral integrity by doing away with frivolities like Sunday voting, extending voting hours to accommodate long lines…you know, things that actually make it easier to vote. North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory did not do much to quell concerns when he conceded at a press conference Friday that he had not even read the bill he would proceed to sign into law. The DOJ has announced it will be challenging voting rights cases around the country, but with 23 states with Republican dominance in the legislature and the governor’s office, have the die been cast?

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

And your daily dose of Weiner. It can’t go on forever. Right?

It all happens at 12pm ET.