EDMONDS, Wash. — A number of Edmonds school kids were recently suspended for having Nerf guns at school. That’s not surprising considering the school’s “zero tolerance” policy on toy guns, but what is surprising is that the teacher allegedly told the kids it was okay to have the guns. Now the kids’ parents want to know why their children were punished if the teacher gave permission for the guns. The incident happened last Friday before class at Chase Lake Elementary School. A sixth grade boy brought a number of the guns, which shoot small foam projectiles, to school for a class probability project. The kids were going to shoot the guns 100 times to see what happens. The project was allegedly approved by the teacher. But the 12-year-old boys, being what they are, decided to “try out” the guns before the school doors opened. “So he took them out and of course — Nerf gun — they started testing how far they would shoot,” said parent Shannon Shumard. Neither Shumard’s sixth grade son nor her fourth grade daughter brought the Nerf guns to school, but because they participated, both were suspended for a day. Because of the suspensions, neither child will be able to take a high school algebra class or serve on the student council. “They are both very upset,” Shumard said. “I mean, it’s a day suspension, but it’s a permanent on their record.” http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Edmonds-students-suspended-for-using-Nerf-gun-at-school-210013811.html

Over 150 years ago, the women's suffrage movement began in America at the first Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. Since then, New York has been at the forefront of important social and legal movements that have advanced the equal treatment of all people. Over the years, however, New York has fallen behind in its role as a progressive leader on women's rights. The Women's Equality Act, which I will introduce today, is designed to address gender inequality in our communities, and to restore New York as a leader in women's rights. Fact: in New York, women earn 84 percent of what men earn, and over a lifetime will earn $500,000 less than men. In 2013 this is both inexcusable and absurd. The Women's Equality Act strengthens the law to ensure that women receive the wages they are entitled to, as well as provides for increased damages if a woman is not paid equally. Fact: women with children are less likely to be recommended for hire and promoted. The Act prohibits employers from denying work or promotions for employees simply based on whether or not they have children, as well as clarifies the obligations that employers have in making reasonable accommodations for pregnant women. And to make sure women are "made whole" if they are discriminated against, the Act provides attorneys' fees to women who prevail in employment discrimination cases where the discrimination was based on sex. Fact: not all women in New York can file sexual harassment claims against their employers. Women file the vast majority of sexual harassment complaints, yet those women who work for employers with fewer than 4 employees cannot file complaints because those businesses, which account for 60 percent of employers in New York, are exempt from the harassment law. The Act adopts a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment, and bans sexual harassment in all workplaces. Fact: female-headed households in New York account for the vast majority of those on public assistance. However, under current law, a landlord can turn away a tenant if he does not approve of the applicant's source of income. The Women's Equality Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on lawful source of income, aiding women who receive public assistance in finding safe and decent housing for their families. Fact: discrimination against victims of domestic violence is almost always discrimination against women. Of all victims of domestic violence, 85 percent are women, and about 1 in 4 women will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. A major problem for victims of domestic violence is that under current state law, they have no protection from discrimination in housing. The Women's Equality Act fixes that. In addition, the Act strengthens the laws surrounding the issuance of orders of protection, requiring in-court translation of orders of protection as well as the development of a pilot program to allow victims of domestic violence to remotely petition for, and receive, temporary orders of protection. Fact: protections for women and girls who fall victim to human trafficking can and should be strengthened. The Act builds on the State's already comprehensive laws by increasing penalties for human trafficking to deter perpetrators, making prosecution and enforcement more effective, and providing an affirmative defense in prostitution prosecutions that a defendant's participation was a result of having been a sex trafficking victim. These amendments will solidify New York's status as a leader among the states in protecting vulnerable individuals subject to exploitation. Fact: the Women's Equality Act protects a woman's right to choose as defined by the 1973 Supreme Court Ruling in Roe V. Wade. In 1970, New York was one of the first states to decriminalize abortion. Three years later, in Roe v. Wade, the United States Supreme Court held that the United States Constitution protects the right of a woman to choose to terminate her pregnancy prior to fetal viability or throughout pregnancy when it is necessary to preserve her life or health. This has been the nation's law established by the Supreme Court for the last 40 years. The law in New York, however, was not amended after Roe, making it outdated and inconsistent with federal law. The Women's Equality Act codifies in state law the reproductive rights afforded by Roe. At the same time, I support and respect religious freedom and therefore our bill does not change any existing state and federal laws that permit a health care provider from refraining from providing an abortion due to religious or moral beliefs. Contrary to the opposition's assertion, this language in no way expands abortion rights but only codifies federal law. This is important because the Supreme Court could change in compositions, or opinion, and New York works to protect women's right to choose. For too long New York's laws have not properly reflected women's rights. These are significant problems, and big issues to tackle. But in New York, that's what we have always done. And as long as I'm Governor, that's what we will continue to do. Join me in supporting the Women's Equality Act now, because another year is too long to wait.

LAS VEGAS, June 3 (Reuters) - The Nevada state legislature on Monday approved a bill establishing a system of state-regulated medical marijuana dispensaries. The measure, SB374, will now go to the desk of Governor Brian Sandoval for final approval. Sandoval has not yet said if he would sign it into law, although he has indicated that he would be open to allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to operate in the state. The use of medical marijuana is permitted under Nevada law, though without dispensaries patients prescribed it must grow the drug themselves or obtain it from a physician-approved caregiver. The bill could allow for up to 66 dispensaries to operate in the state based on population by county, with 40 of those slots available in Las Vegas. If Sandoval signs the bill, Nevada will become the 14th state to allow medical marijuana dispensaries to operate legally. The use of medical marijuana is legal in 19 states and the District of Columbia. (Reporting by Alexia Shurmur; Editing by Pravin Char)

BEIJING, June 4 (Reuters) - Pollution in China's vast countryside worsened further in 2012 as a result of the encroachment of industry and mining on farmland and an expansion of animal husbandry, the environment ministry said on Tuesday. Pollution has emerged as one of the biggest challenges facing China's ruling Communist Party and its newly appointed leaders, with the government acknowledging that poor air and water quality has become a major causes of unrest. The government is expected to unveil tough new measures to curb industrial emissions within the month, but the countryside could be an even harder challenge, with experts saying China's farms are now an even bigger source of pollution than the cities. "With industrialisation, urbanisation and the modernisation of agriculture, the situation for the rural environment has become grim," the Ministry of Environmental Protection said in its annual report for last year. "The stand out points are an increase in pressure from mining pollution ... and severe pollution from the raising of livestock and poultry." In its annual report, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said China continued to face grave pollution problems despite overall improvements in air and water quality in 2012. It described 2012 as a significant turning point after China's newly-appointed leadership vowed to build a "beautiful China" and address the consequences of three decades of untrammeled growth. But it noted that while overall environmental conditions did not worsen in 2012, "trends remained extremely serious". Air quality in cities remained "generally stable" in 2012, with emissions of sulphur dioxide - a pollutant caused mainly by coal burning - falling 4.52 percent to 21.18 million tonnes. The ministry did not provide data for PM2.5, or airborne particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres, a major health hazard caused by industrial coal burning and vehicle emissions. In January, PM2.5 levels in large parts of northern China, including the capital Beijing, triggered widespread public anger and forced the authorities to introduce emergency measures to thin traffic and shut down polluting industries. Wan Bentai, chief engineer with the environment ministry, told reporters last week that despite the January crisis, caused in part by "unique weather conditions", air quality in China had been improving steadily for at least a decade. "I can say as a matter of fact that Beijing's air quality is getting better and better - that is an objective fact," he said. The environment ministry said water quality also saw a slight improvement in 2012, with 68.9 percent of samples found to be suitable for human consumption, up from 61 percent in the previous year. It said 10.2 percent of sampled water was below grade V and unsuitable even for industry or irrigation, down from 13.7 percent in 2011. (Reporting by David Stanway; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Ron Popeski)

Kirby Dick, New York Times

Thomas Sowell, IBDOne of the many sad signs of our times is the way current immigration issues are discussed. A hundred years ago, the immigration controversies of that era were discussed in the context of innumerable facts about particular immigrant groups. Many of those facts were published in a huge, multi-volume 1911 study by a commission headed by Senator William P. Dillingham.That and other studies of the time presented hard data on such things as which groups' children were doing well in school and which were not; which groups had high crime rates or high rates of alcoholism, and which groups were...

Dana Milbank, Washington Post

Patrick Murray, CNN

Jonathan Tobin, CommentaryThe liberal line about the IRS and other administration scandals in the last week has been that even if there was some low-level wrongdoing, an American public that is worried about the economy isn't really interested in any of it. They are convinced that the only people willing to connect the dots between the demonization of the Tea Party by President Obama and the liberal press and the IRS's targeting of conservative groups are Republican partisans. As Seth wrote on Friday, Democratic complacence is based on the idea that Republicans are overreacting to the current scandals in...

Scott Conroy, RCPUntil now, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's political roadmap was relatively simple: coast to an easy re-election victory in November, then use the resulting capital to strengthen his second-term clout in the state and bolster his bona fides as a Republican who can win in a blue landscape. The latter, of course, would carry weight as he considers a 2016 presidential bid.But with the death of Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg, Christie's calculus has suddenly become far more complicated. Now he will be tasked with appointing an interim replacement to succeed the longest-serving...

Independent contractors are the quiet engine of our economy, providing nearly all of the net growth in U.S. employment over the last 30 years. Yet the economic survival of the 10.3 million people who choose to be their own bosses and grow their own businesses are being jeopardized by overwhelming regulations at the national and state level. It's My Business, a newly formed coalition of individuals and organizations who support the rights of independent contractors, is giving a voice to the millions of people who have chosen to be entrepreneurs and have the opportunity to build their own businesses. At a time when our nation's workforce is changing, we believe it is critical to raise awareness about the vital contribution independent contractors make to our economy and put a spotlight on the numerous legal and regulatory threats that are making it more difficult for them, and the businesses they support, to succeed. On the national front, the federal government has allocated $25 million for a joint IRS-Department of Labor initiative that is making it harder, if not illegal, for independent contractors and their clients to work together. Targeting mainly small businesses is a strategic decision because they are easier to prosecute than larger companies with more legal resources. In addition, federal agencies have joined forces with 11 states to jointly investigate and prosecute independent contracting arrangements. At the state level, more than half of the states have either approved or proposed new laws restricting independent contracting arrangements. Several other states have also formed statewide task forces to increase audits and prosecutions of independent contractors and their clients. These new regulatory actions are based largely on misinformation about the individuals who are willingly exercising their right to work for themselves. A U.S. government study shows that 82.3 percent of those who are self-employed prefer their jobs to working as salaried or hourly employees. The actions also ignore the vital role that independent contracting plays in the U.S. economy, creating new jobs and providing services more efficiently and effectively than would be possible under a different structure. Most importantly, adequate laws currently exist to deal with willful misclassification of workers. Throughout my career, I have been a staunch proponent for small businesses and entrepreneurs and I fought hard for their rights during my time serving Arkansas in the U.S. Senate. Their contributions to virtually every aspect of our economy simply cannot be overlooked. It's My Business is carrying that same torch today. We are committed to protecting the right of independent contractors to choose a way of life that works best for them, and the right of businessmen and women to pursue a business model that provides lifestyle flexibility for them and their families and creates jobs and competitiveness for America. But we can't do it alone. We are asking you to get engaged and take a stand, too. Tell your elected state and federal bureaucrats to stop their attacks on independent contractors. They are the embodiment of the entrepreneurial spirit in this country, not to mention a powerful engine driving our economic recovery. They deserve our protection. This country can't afford to let them down. Senator Blanche Lincoln, chairwoman of the It's My Business Coalition comprising individuals and organizations that support the 10.3 million independent contractors in the U.S., represented Arkansas in the United States Senate from 1999 to 2011 and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 1997.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government on Monday preliminarily designated at least three financial companies as having the potential to pose a grave threat to the financial system, the first time regulators have used post-financial crisis authority to crack down on companies that have previously escaped federal attention. AIG, the bailed-out insurance giant; Prudential Financial, the life insurer and asset manager; and GE Capital, the $530 billion lender responsible for a bulk of GE’s profit in recent years, all confirmed that the panel of regulators known as the Financial Stability Oversight Council has proposed to tag them as being so-called systemically important financial institutions, or SIFIs. The designation, if finalized, may not amount to much in the short term, analysts and officials have said, because the rules detailing heightened oversight and limits on activities that the selection entails are unfinished. But over time, the SIFI tag is likely to constrain the companies’ abilities to take excessive risk or otherwise engage in activities that may threaten the health of the nation’s financial system. The Federal Reserve would be responsible for policing the companies. The Fed and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. would be charged with forcing the companies to develop detailed plans -- called living wills -- that spell out how the companies would be wound down under the bankruptcy code should they near insolvency. Authorities “took another important step forward by exercising one of its principal authorities to protect taxpayers, reduce risk in the financial system, and promote financial stability,” said Jack Lew, treasury secretary. Regulators did not identify the companies or indicate the number that were selected. The companies now have 30 days to decide whether to contest the designation, and an additional 30 days to challenge the label in a hearing. After that, regulators have 60 days to come to a final determination. Officials said the designations represent an evolution in how authorities oversee the financial system. Instead of simply focusing on banks, for example, officials are now focusing on activities that businesses engage in. This should enable regulators to spot the buildup of risk in various pockets of the economic system that eluded them prior to the financial crisis. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), House Financial Services Committee chairman, criticized regulators for designating some companies as “too big to fail,” signaling to market participants that these companies would never be allowed to fail due to their importance. The SIFI designation is largely a response to the near-meltdowns of AIG and GE Capital during the financial crisis from 2007 to 2009. AIG required more than $180 billion in commitments from American taxpayers to protect it from insolvency after disastrous bets that homeowners wouldn’t default on their mortgages, while GE Capital heavily relied on government funding programs after losses raised questions over its viability. Both financial crisis developments, during the late summer and early autumn of 2008, surprised regulators and policymakers, who vowed never to be caught off guard again. The 2010 law overhauling financial regulation known as Dodd-Frank gave authorities the power to tag companies as systemic. But the panel charged with doing so, the Financial Stability Oversight Council, or FSOC, took roughly two years to get to this step. Treasury officials said they had hoped to name the companies last year. Much of the council’s time involved whittling down the list of potential SIFI companies. Regulators also have been preparing for possible challenges to the designations. All three preliminary designations were expected by analysts and market participants. The companies had said officials had been weighing slapping them with the systemic tag. Tim Geithner, former treasury secretary, had mentioned AIG and GE Capital as examples of the kinds of companies that one day would be known as SIFIs. Prudential said it is considering contesting the designation. Russell Wilkerson, GE Capital spokesman, said the company received the notice from FSOC and was reviewing the details. AIG said simply that it had received the notice. The restrictions that may be imposed on the companies include limits on their borrowings and dividends to shareholders. They also may have their pay schemes subject to government rules. The Fed is weighing how to apply to insurers and other non-bank financial companies the standards it has proposed for banks.

Jacob sits down with award-winning Canadian-born radio and television host George Stroumboulopous to discuss his upcoming weekly interview show on CNN. Here he talks about interviewing Sarah Palin.

Pre-storm calm? Barack Obama had a pretty bad month inside the Beltway, with Republicans on the warpath over multiple scandals. Outside Washington, Obama didn't have too bad a month at all, as his job approval ratings barely budged. While this calm may seem to indicate that the public has a much higher tolerance for what constitutes a "scandal" than congressional Republicans, there were indications at the end of the month that this may just be a calm before much stormier poll numbers for the president. But first, let's look back on last month. Here's the chart: [Click on graph to see larger-scale version.] May, 2013 In May, President Obama spent a lot of time in his "consoler in chief" role, attending to disasters and celebrating the return of the Jersey Shore after rebuilding from their own disaster. Usually, this provides a small amount of lift in public attitudes, because in the modern age presidents are called upon to express the nation's sadness and grief whenever disaster strikes. It's a pretty sympathetic role to play, in other words. Obama also may have benefited from the continuing good news on the economy, as unemployment numbers continue to sink and the stock market continues to soar. Congress made news, as a comprehensive immigration bill made it out of a Senate committee, but it still has a long way to go before becoming law. Countering these positive trends was, well, a whole bunch of stuff. Republicans kept pounding the Benghazi drum, but nobody paid a whole lot of attention. This was soon eclipsed by the IRS scandal and the AP/Fox News scandal, however. The Republicans latched onto the IRS mess, and the media latched onto the journalism/search warrant scandal, and between the two they sucked a lot of oxygen out of the political world last month. Throughout it all, Obama's poll numbers barely budged. He lost 0.3 percent to finish at 48.3 percent average monthly approval, and his monthly disapproval average rose one-tenth of a percent to end up at 46.9 percent. For a scandal-packed month, that's pretty good. In fact, for any month that's amazingly stable -- you'd have to go back to June of last year to find a month where Obama's numbers moved less.   Overall Trends The day-to-day trend for Obama, though, looks decidedly worse. Just going by the monthly numbers and Obama's resilience in the face of scandal might lead Obama fans to be fairly optimistic about next month. This would be a mistake. For the second half of May, Obama's numbers fluctuated from around 45 percent approval to a high of 53 percent in the polling. During the last few days of May, however, that 53 percent poll dropped off the rolling average, and Obama's poll numbers have already dropped significantly as a result. Obama hit both a daily low in approval for his second term and a daily high in disapproval on the last day of the month. His numbers fell "underwater" for the last three days of the month, ending with a daily average of 47.1 percent approval and 48.9 percent disapproval. That is a big difference from his monthly average, which means his numbers are going to start June on a low point. Which, in all likelihood, will mean a drop in his monthly numbers next month. So there are storm clouds on the horizon, no matter how calm things may have appeared in May. Obama won't have a whole lot to counter this negative trend, either. Unemployment numbers come out this Friday, which may at least stop the slide for Obama, but will likely not boost his approval back up much, if at all. The big political issue for June on the calendar (other than Republicans gleefully investigating everything they can throw at the president) is the Senate's floor debate over the immigration bill. You'd think this might help Obama, but it will likely only generally put Democrats in a good light with the public, and expose some bitter feelings from Republicans. President Obama is largely staying out of the immigration debate, because he knows full well that if he is seen as interfering in Congress on this issue, it will automatically mean no Republican will vote for whatever he supports (see: the past five years). The only way Obama would even interject himself into the debate (other than saying generic things from the sidelines) is if he issued a veto threat on some Republican amendment which would kill the purpose of the bill. There will be many of these proposed on the Senate floor, so we'll see whether any of them merit Obama entering into the fray. The safe bet is that he won't, however, in the hopes of the Senate passing a bill before Independence Day. So, barring unforeseen events, Obama may get a slight benefit from the background issues of the economy (especially if the unemployment number is good) and immigration, but it's doubtful that any of it will produce any sort of sudden surge in the polling. In fact, the safer bet is that Republicans are going to spend every waking moment on the scandals, which may have precisely the effect they wish: a drop in Obama's public approval.   [Obama Poll Watch Data:] Sources And Methodology ObamaPollWatch.com is an admittedly amateur effort, but we do try to stay professional when it comes to revealing our sources and methodology. All our source data comes from RealClearPolitics.com; specifically from their daily presidential approval ratings "poll of polls" graphic page. We take their daily numbers, log them, and then average each month's data into a single number -- which is then shown on our monthly charts here (a "poll of polls of polls," if you will...). You can read a much-more detailed explanation of our source data and methodology on our "About Obama Poll Watch" page, if you're interested. Questions or comments? Use the Email Chris page to drop me a private note.   Obama's Second Term Statistical Records MonthlyHighest Monthly Approval -- 1/13 -- 52.7%Lowest Monthly Approval -- 5/13 -- 48.3% Highest Monthly Disapproval -- 5/13 -- 46.9%Lowest Monthly Disapproval -- 1/13 -- 42.6% DailyHighest Daily Approval -- 1/31/13 -- 52.5%Lowest Daily Approval -- 5/31/13 -- 47.1% Highest Daily Disapproval -- 5/31/13 -- 48.9%Lowest Daily Disapproval -- 2/24/13 -- 42.3%   Obama's Second Term Raw Monthly Data [All-time high in bold, all-time low underlined.] Month -- (Approval / Disapproval / Undecided)05/13 -- 48.3 / 46.9 / 4.804/13 -- 48.6 / 46.8 / 4.603/13 -- 48.5 / 46.3 / 5.202/13 -- 51.1 / 43.0 / 5.901/13 -- 52.7 / 42.6 / 4.7   Second Term Column Archives [Apr 13], [Mar 13], [Feb 13], [Jan 13]   First Term Data To save space, the only data and statistics listed above are from Obama's second term. If you'd like to see the data and stats from Obama's first term, including a list of links to the full archives of the Obama Poll Watch column for the first term, we've set up an Obama Poll Watch First Term Data page, for those still interested.   Chris Weigant blogs at: Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigantBecome a fan of Chris on Huffington PostFull archives of OPW columns: ObamaPollWatch.com  

She's leaving. That's a fact.

WASHINGTON -- Jill Kelley, the Tampa, Fla., socialite whose FBI complaint about threatening emails set off the investigation that exposed CIA Director David Petraeus' extramarital affair and led to his resignation, sued the FBI and the Defense Department on Monday for what she claims was a breach of her privacy. The suit, filed in federal court in Washington, alleges that FBI agents and Defense Department employees disclosed Kelley's identity to outside parties, including the news media, and violated her privacy while investigating Petraeus' extramarital relationship with Paula Broadwell, the author of a Petraeus biography. Kelley, who frequently hosted Petraeus and his wife at parties, complained to the FBI that Broadwell had sent her threatening emails, and had viewed Kelley as a potential competitor for Petreaus' affections. The FBI later dropped the investigation without charges. The lawsuit, filed by Kelley and her husband, surgeon Scott Kelley, seeks unspecified monetary damages, a formal apology, and an accounting of the information the FBI and Defense Department gathered about them. The complaint details how the Kelleys' lives were turned upside down once their names were publicly linked to the Petraeus scandal. Click here to read the complaint. In addition to the nonstop media attention, the revelation that Jill Kelley had communicated on a regular basis with both Petraeus and Gen. John Allen led to suggestions she may have had romantic relationships with the commanders. Allen abruptly retired after the disclosure. "There was no legally acceptable reason for the government to disclose confidential information about the Kelleys and thereby make them part of the public scandal," the lawsuit says. Details about the Kelleys' personal lives and their financial difficulties was widely reported. "Mrs. Kelley’s reputation is indelibly tainted," the complaint says. "She is consistently referred to as the 'center' of the 'sex scandal' and is often portrayed as the woman who brought down two American generals. As a result, she -- the victim and a participant in none of the bad acts in the sex scandal -- has shouldered the blame as the villain in the generals’ downfall." The suit describes damage to Jill Kelley's social reputation and connections to those in high places, which it claims were key to her earnings. The scandal caused the revocation of Jill Kelley's honorary consulship to South Korea, which "deprived her of significant social and financial networking, investment, and business fee finder opportunities, as well as the loss of the tax-free annual stipend for years," the suit says. Today, Jill Kelley "no longer receives prestigious invitations to the diplomatic and distinguished governmental functions." The complaint adds that "Dr. Kelley also suffered dramatic financial losses." The lawsuit is peppered with links to news articles about the Kelleys from late 2012. According to one, the Kelleys were considering legal action as far back as late November, when their attorney at the time, D.C. powerhouse litigator Abbe Lowell, released a slew of emails and phone records intended to prove that Jill Kelley did not exploit her friendship with Petraeus for financial gain. But now, six months later, the issue of potential overreach in a federal investigation has taken on a very different tenor in Washington, a fact likely not lost on Kelley and her attorneys. Public anger has erupted over news that the Department of Justice gathered journalists' phone and email records in leak investigations. This, combined with a scandal at the Internal Revenue Service over the targeting of tea party groups for special tax scrutiny, has put the Obama administration on defense. In the ensuing months, Jill Kelley has emerged as an advocate for greater Internet privacy and received an award from the Electronic Privacy Information Center on Monday. Jill Kelley said in a statement provided to The Huffington Post that her experience "made me an advocate for privacy rights for every American." She said she would continue to work to ensure that citizens would "not have their personal communications improperly and unreasonably searched by overreaching government or any other abuse of government powers." The Justice Department has 60 days to respond to the lawsuit.

Three out of four doctors would prescribe marijuana to a patient who was experiencing pain from cancer, according to the results of a poll published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The poll included 1,446 votes from 56 states and 72 countries, though most responses came from North America. For the poll, doctors were presented with the case of a 68-year-old woman named Marilyn, who was experiencing symptoms from metastatic breast cancer. They were asked to vote on whether medical marijuana should be prescribed to her for these symptoms, and were also presented with two opinion pieces written for doctors both for and against medical marijuana. Researchers found from the results that "physicians in favor of medicinal marijuana often focused on [their] responsibility as caregivers to alleviate suffering," they wrote. "Many pointed out the known dangers of prescription narcotics, supported patient choice, or described personal experience with patients who benefited from the use of marijuana." Meanwhile, researchers noted that those who were against the use of medical marijuana said that there is not enough evidence to support its use, and they also raised concerns about dosages and side effects. "I think there's some context that needs to be considered," Dr. Bradley Flansbaum, one of the doctors who said he would prescribe marijuana to the theoretical patient, told HealthDay. "This was a woman with stage 4 cancer who wasn't responding to [anti-nausea medications]. I'm not saying let's legalize marijuana, but this is a woman at the end of her life, so what's the downside, given that there might be a benefit. In a different situation, medical marijuana might not be so well embraced." Marijuana use is illegal in the United States, but it is legal for medical purposes -- and with a prescription -- in 19 states, UPI reported. CBS News pointed out that it's been shown to help with pain, appetite and mood for medical use, but it is still not approved by the FDA.

Politicians mourned longtime New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg while journalists took extra care not to publish "FRANK LAUTENBERG DEAD AT XX." Al-Qaeda set up a complaints department but is still missing a social media editor to snazzy up its Twitter feed ("Salafist dog thinks it's people!"). And a report by the College Republican National Committee says the party needs to change its message but not its platform. Our advice to the GOP: Don't take branding advice from people who pair bow ties with lobster pants. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Monday, June 3rd, 2013: FARM BILL SECRETS! - Fifteen members of Congress or their spouses received $237,921 in federal farm subsidy payments last year, according to a new analysis of Agriculture Department data by the Environmental Working Group. The nonprofit advocacy group's latest survey comes as Congress begins to debate farm legislation that will reform the agriculture safety net -- and potentially reduce transparency in the government's support system for farmers, sparing lawmakers headlines about government help they receive. The House and Senate farm bill drafts eliminate most direct payments and instead boost subsidies for farmers to buy crop insurance policies that protect against losses from weather or price changes. Since the government divulges the names of people who get the payments but not the insurance subsidies, the Environmental Working Group's Scott Faber says the bills as they stand now would reduce government transparency. "Although much ballyhooed, the end of direct payments really heralds the replacement of an inequitable and transparent safety net with a more inequitable and less transparent safety net," Faber said. [HuffPost] Former North Carolina Rep. Brad Miller has joined the Center for American Progress as a senior fellow. "Miller will work closely with the housing finance and policy team on foreclosure prevention, neighborhood stabilization, and housing-finance reform, as well as on broader financial-services issues and systemic risk concerns," the organization said in a release. [CAP] Our thoughts are with the DCCC's Jesse Ferguson, who disclosed that he is battling cancer. He'll be blogging about his experiences here. DAILY DELANEY DOWNER - Sequestration deprives an unemployed person of basic human dignity in California as the policy has forced states to trim unemployment insurance: "I'm homeless, sleeping in my car. The debts I racked up during long joblessness (I'm a graphic designer who was making about 35k/year), forced me to live in motel rooms only one day per week, but the showering and rest was necessary. Now I can't even have that. $335/week fell to $276 here in California." [Hang in there!] DOUBLE DOWNER - The San Francisco Fed, with another reminder that Congress is unhelpful: "Federal fiscal policy during the recession was abnormally expansionary by historical standards. However, over the past 2.5 years it has become unusually contractionary as a result of several deficit reduction measures passed by Congress. During the next three years, we estimate that federal budgetary policy could restrain economic growth by as much as 1 percentage point annually beyond the normal fiscal drag that occurs during recoveries." [FRBSF.org] Does somebody keep forwarding you this newsletter? Get your own copy. It's free! Sign up here. Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to huffposthill@huffingtonpost.com. Follow us on Twitter - @HuffPostHill FRANK LAUTENBERG PASSES AWAY - Bergen Record: "Frank R. Lautenberg, who rose from a poor Paterson boyhood to become a multimillionaire businessman and New Jersey's longest-serving U.S. senator, died Monday at 89 of viral pneumonia, his office said. The oldest member of the Senate and its last World War II veteran, Lautenberg had struggled with health problems since late last year, when he missed several weeks of votes because of what he said was flu and bronchitis... The death of Lautenberg, a Democrat, creates a vacancy that Republican Gov. Christie will fill through appointment. How long that appointee would serve is unclear, but much of the decision rests with Christie. There are two conflicting state statutes that refer to Senate vacancies, one of which says there would not be an election until 2014. But Christie also could call a special election this year. There are two conflicting state statutes that refer to Senate vacancies, one of which says there would not be an election until 2014. But Christie also could call a special election this year." [Bergen Record] @cspan: Seen on C-SPAN2: Flowers on the desk of Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). RIP. twitpic.com/cv447w @hotlinereid: Overlooked: Frank Lautenberg gave $90k to George McGovern in 1972, and subsequently landed on Richard Nixon's enemies list. CARNEY WON'T RESPOND TO DARRELL ISSA'S TROLLING - The Hill: "White House press secretary Jay Carney on Monday sought to cool his feud with House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, saying he wasn't interested in 'a back and forth' with the GOP congressman. Asked about Issa's swipe during a CNN interview on Sunday that Carney is a 'paid liar,' Carney broke into a smile and quipped, 'I haven't heard that. That's amazing. I'm not going to get into a back and forth with Chairman Issa,' Carney added. In the CNN interview, Issa charged that Carney had deliberately insinuated that the IRS's targeting of conservative groups asking for tax-exempt status was contained to only the agency's office in Cincinnati." [The Hill] Some Republicans are wondering if at long last, Issa has no sense of dignity.. Sabrina Siddiqui: "Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Monday became the latest Republican to reject Darrell Issa's comments... Graham went further than his Republican colleagues, saying there's no evidence that the White House ordered the tax agency to target conservative groups.,..Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also pushed back on Issa's 'liar' charge during a TV appearance Monday morning. But Graham took things a step further and disagreed with Issa that there was any conclusive evidence linking the Obama administration directly to the tax agency's actions." [HuffPost] COLLEGE REPUBLICANS TELL REPUBLICANS TO NOT BE REPUBLICANS - Also, is there anyone to try Karl Rove for that rapping outbreak a few years back? Luke Johnson: "A report by the College Republican National Committee released Monday found that most students hold positions closer to Democrats on many issues, underscoring the difficulty in the GOP's push for younger voters. Yet, the report remains vague on solutions for Republicans. The report's focus groups, conducted after the 2012 election loss for the GOP, found that young people are mostly liberal on a range of issues -- not surprising given the fact that 60 percent of voters aged 18-29 voted for Obama in 2012, according to Tufts University...The report does not outright call on the Republican party to change its stances on issues to be more amenable to young voters. Instead, it calls for the party to slightly shift its message. For instance, the report states, 'focus on the economic issues that affect young people today: education, the cost of health care, unemployment,' but does not say to embrace Obamacare. It says, 'Don't concede 'caring' and 'open-minded' to the left,' but does not call for the outright backing of gay marriage.'" [HuffPost] Rep. Steve Stockman, the member of Congress most views his job as one big work of performance art, likes to hire in his image. Laura Bassett: "Democrats who called Rep. Steve Stockman's (R-Texas.) office last week to advocate for gun control were asked a loaded question by one the congressman's staffers: Should women be able to use guns to defend themselves against rapists? Stockman tweeted on Friday, 'Democrats calling our office today to argue women should not be allowed to defend themselves with a gun if they are raped #WarOnWomen.' A spokesperson for Stockman told The Huffington Post in an email that a few 'Democratic cranks' who lived outside of Stockman's district had called his office last week to 'complain about people owning guns.' 'When we asked if women should be allowed to carry a gun to fend off a rapist, they all said no,' said Donny Ferguson, senior communications adviser to Stockman. 'They apparently believe rapists are morally superior to gun owners.'" [HuffPost] SPURNING MONEY TO HELP THE POOR NOT FISCALLY PRUDENT: REPORT - Jeffrey Young: "States that refuse to expand Medicaid under President Barack Obama's health care reform law not only will deny health coverage to poor residents and lose access to a huge influx of federal dollars, they also will see increased spending on uninsured people's unpaid medical bills, according to a new report by the Rand Corp., a consulting firm. The Rand Corp. analyzed 14 states with governors who oppose the Medicaid expansion. It found their actions will deprive 3.6 million people of health coverage under Obamacare, forgo $8.4 billion in federal funding, and cost them $1 billion for programs that partially compensate medical providers who care for the indigent, according to the report published in the journal 'Health Affairs.' Since nearly half of states may not undertake the Medicaid expansion next year, those figures could be even higher. Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia plan to broaden Medicaid in 2014, according to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation." [HuffPost] MICHAEL STEELE MULLING GUBERNATORIAL BID THING TO MAKE YOU PAY ATTENTION TO MICHAEL STEELE FOR A BIT - The state of crabcakes and football is about to get the hip hop makeover it so desperately does not need. Nick Wing: "Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is weighing a run for Maryland governor, a move that could put him back into the realm of electoral politics, he said Monday. 'We're looking at it,' Steele, now an MSNBC contributor, told the network's Chuck Todd. 'You're gonna take a look at the numbers. Maryland's a tough state, there are a lot of challenges there.' Steele went on to say that new taxes in Maryland over the past eight years could give a Republican another shot at winning a statewide election in the the reliably blue state. He served as lieutenant governor under Republican Robert Ehrlich during his single term. Democrat Martin O'Malley defeated Ehrlich in 2006 and again in 2010, but is term-limited from running again in 2014." [HuffPost] Never forget: During the 2006 Maryland Senate race Michael Steele's campaign used out-of-state homeless people to distribute flyers mislabeling Steele as a Democrat. THE DAILY CALLER REPORTS ON THE WHITE HOUSE'S MENTAL ILLNESS INITIATIVE - Why can't depressed people just suck it up, go to work in their Ford Fairlanes, come home, pour a stiff gin drink, smile for their homemaker wife and 3 kids and die on the inside in their wood-paneled studies like the old days? Daily Caller's Neil Munro: "President Barack Obama urged depressed, stressed and disturbed Americans to depend on the U.S. government's growing corps of taxpayer-funded mental health professionals. 'We're here for you... If you're struggling, seek help,' Obama said Monday, amid cheers from advocates and psychologists...The broad definition of 'mental illness' is set by the professionals who provide government-funded services to Americans. In recent decades, the professionals have broadened the definition from severe, distinct and rare ailments, such as schizophrenia and compulsive behavior, to include a much wider set of personal troubles...Americans have typically responded to stress and sadness by urging stoicism, hard work, marriage, prayer and personal initiative, and by stigmatizing unemployment and passivity." [Daily Caller] BRADLEY MANNING TRIAL BEGINS - Matt Sledge: "On Monday, Manning's trial begins. The 25-year-old faces life in prison for his leaks. The potential implications of the proceedings on this sprawling military base outside Washington, D.C. go far beyond his fate alone. The most serious charge the government has laid against Manning is aiding the enemy. The charge rests on the novel legal theory that Manning should have known that his disclosures could wind up in the hands of Osama bin Laden -- as they apparently did. In a cruel twist, then, Manning's decision to release the files that included the video of Reuters journalists being killed threatens to criminalize both journalism and whistle-blowing...Forced to strip naked at night, kept in solitary confinement under the unrelenting glare of guards because they alleged he was a suicide risk, some have described Manning's treatment at Quantico as similar to that of detainees at Guantanamo... The case has already been marred by public access problems: [Col. Denise Lind, the military judge overseeing the case,] and the military have kept transcripts, motions and rulings in the case secret. A coalition of activists and journalists is suing to open up access to records in the trial." [HuffPost] BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Baby singing the Beatles is easily today's best thing. AL-QAEDA SETTING UP COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT - Telegraph: "The organisation is the leading militia in the north-eastern part of rebel-held Syria, and has taken control of parts of the civilian administration in the city of Raqqa. It posted a new notice there this week saying it was open to receiving complaints from members of the public. 'Anyone who might have a complaint against any element of the Islamic state, whether the Emir or an ordinary soldier, can come and submit their complaint in any headquarters building of the Islamic state,' the notice said. 'The complaint should be in writing, provide details and give evidence.'" [Telegraph] COMFORT FOOD - Excited dog screams like a human being in intense agony. Think Nicholas Cage in "The Wicker Man." [http://bit.ly/11j5bxJ] - The diary of sad dogs: behold the infinite ennui of man's best friend. [http://huff.to/11mmwV0] - How much fast food does our great nation eat in one second? Allow this terrifying video to answer that for you. [http://bit.ly/11OhGlj] - Every piece of food Ron Swanson has consumed on "Parks and Recreation." [http://vult.re/12szJtO] - It's not from the Ad Council, but you should take this Amanda Bynes PSA seriously. [http://huff.to/14kW9ws] - Not only was no one hurt in this multi-car crash, but... balloons! [http://huff.to/ZHGHP1] - Pigeons have learned how to use smartphones. The end is nigh. [http://bit.ly/17gHo4o] TWITTERAMA @pourmecoffee: 46 years ago today, @andersoncooper was born in a tiny tight black t-shirt, declaring "it was a disaster in there."ilitary @sahilkapur: Area Spokesman Doesn't Want To Get Into A Back-And-Forth @BuzzFeedAndrew: Where was Obama during the Twitter outage of 2013? On a plane going to a fundraiser in Las Vegas. ON TAP TOMORROW 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Mary Landrieu staves off electoral defeat with American politics' most potent weapon: crawfish. The Louisiana senator hosts her annual "Crawfish Fest" fundraiser. [444 North Capitol Street NW] 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm: John Thune and his Heartland Values PAC join forces with flyover country's most American institution: Google. The web behemoth's NetPAC hosts a fundraiser for the senator. [Google, 1101 New York Ave NW] 7:05 pm: And here you thought beers on the Red Porch were expensive: For $1,000 or more, you can go to the Nationals/Mets game with Richard Blumenthal. Proceeds go to his Nutmeg PAC. Heh. [Nationals Park] Got something to add? Send tips/quotes/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to Eliot Nelson (eliot@huffingtonpost.com), Ryan Grim (ryan@huffingtonpost.com) or Arthur Delaney (arthur@huffingtonpost.com). Follow us on Twitter @HuffPostHill (twitter.com/HuffPostHill). Sign up here: http://huff.to/an2k2e

While the political world mourns Sen. Frank Lautenberg, the inevitable succession speculation begins. Barack Obama's job approval has declined since January, but it's still hard to see a significant shift in the last month. And we preview what to expect from Gallup's 2012 review. This is the HuffPost Pollster update for Monday, June 3, 2013. RIP: FRANK LAUTENBERG - "Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) has died at the age of 89 of viral pneumonia, The Bergen Record reported Monday, citing the senator's office...The senator's office confirmed Lautenberg's death in a Monday morning statement: 'United States Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, the last remaining World War II veteran serving in the Senate, passed away due to complications from viral pneumonia at 4:02 a.m. today at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell.'" [HuffPost] Here's the list of U.S. Senators -- there were 115 of them -- who served in World War II. Lautenberg is the last. ow.ly/lELSv— The Fix (@TheFix) June 3, 2013 Lautenberg death highlights dwindling # of veterans on Hill. Among public, wider civilian-military divide as well.bit.ly/13gziVh— Carroll Doherty (@CarrollDoherty) June 3, 2013 NJ 6/3/13 View Senator Lautenberg’s job approval ratings over the last 17 years bit.ly/16EneBX— Quinnipiac Poll (@QuinnipiacPoll) June 3, 2013 THE SPECULATION BEGINS - Cook Political's Jennifer Duffy reports that New Jersey law is unclear on the timing of any special election to fill Lautenberg's seat: "Under state law, the timing of Lautenberg’s death complicates when an election might be held to succeed him. The only thing that is clear is that when a U.S. Senate vacancy occurs, New Jersey’s Governor does appoint someone to fill the seat until a successor can be elected. What state law makes complicated is the timing of the election to choose that successor...There are conflicting provisions in New Jersey state law about when an election to fill a vacancy will occur. According to one provision, the law says that if a vacancy occurs more than 70 days before the next regularly scheduled statewide general election, then it will be filled during that general election....[That provision would mean] a special election to be held on November 5 of this year....However, another provision in state law says that a special election will be held in the next regularly scheduled statewide general election (e.g., this November) only if the vacancy occurs more than 70 days before the state’s primary election...[that provision would mean] the vacancy would be filled at the next general election – or November 4, 2014. It should be noted that the Governor does have the discretion to call a special election anytime between now and November 4, 2014, including holding one on November 5 of this year. [Cook Political] Nate Cohn - “Barring a Booker snub by the state's Democratic Party, the date of the election is unlikely to change the outcome. A later election would give a Republican appointee more time to capitalize on the benefits of incumbency, but it's unlikely that a year and a half in the U.S. Senate will do wonders for a Republican’s popularity in New Jersey. If the election is held in November 2013, Christie’s coattails might help the GOP’s Senate candidate. On the other hand, Democrats tend to benefit from higher turnout, and a general election with two big races might draw more voters than a Senate election would on its own.” [TNR] Sean Trende - "Oddly enough, there aren’t any clear winners here. Christie likely comes out of this a loser however it plays out. Corey Booker and other Democratic candidates just had their path to the Senate complicated. And whoever gets appointed to the seat will have to face an unfriendly electorate twice in the next 18 months." [RCP] Harry Enten - "Methodological note: Be careful using the 2012 exits from NJ. Small sample size for an exit combined with post-Sandy temporary migration." [@ForecasterEnten] Analyst Institute research director Kevin Collins - "Prediction: Christie will call for an early special for US Sen and will appoint a GOP-er with good name id and appeal to Dems, like Whitman." [@KWCollins] OBAMA APPROVAL TREND REVISITED - In a rare moment of seemingly precise agreement, the Gallup and Rasmussen tracking daily tracking polls of President Barack Obama's job approval rating have both shown a slight decline from roughly 50 percent approve to 47 percent approve over the last week. However, though near the low end, both remain within the low end of the typically day-to-day variation these polls have exhibited over the last few months. That said, the Pollster approval chart, which tracks all available public polls, tracks a long term decline in Obama's approval rating since a post-election/inaugural bump that peaked in January. [Pollster: Obama Job Approval] document.write(''); if (location.host === "m.huffpost.com") { jQuery('iframe[src^="http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster"]').parent().each(function() { if (jQuery(this).hasClass('flex-video')) { jQuery(this)[0].style.height = '400px'; } }); } Franklin finds no significant shift - Pollster co-founder and political scientist Charles Franklin has been watching the approval polls closely for "a change in trend or mean since the Benghazi hearing on May 8 and the subsequent IRS and AP revelations," and finds none. From a June 3 update: "As more data are available it is undoubtedly true that there will eventually be some movement from the current trend, either up or down...[yet] A summary of the statistical models finds no statistically significant shift since May 8, either overall or for any partisan group (Dem, Rep or Ind)." [Polls And Votes] PREVIEWING GALLUP'S MEA CULPA - In case you missed it, we previewed five things you can expect from the "extensive review" of 2012 election polling methods that Gallup will be presenting reporters in Washington on Tuesday. A quick summary: (1) A deep dive into survey methodology. The list of issues examined covers virtually every aspect of Gallup's process. (2) This is just part one. In particular, investigation into Gallup's likely voter model is continuing and conclusions on that subject will await experiments Gallup will conduct in conjunction with gubernatorial elections in November. (3) Don't expect one big thing. The past history of polling snafus suggests a series of small errors all in Romney's favor. (4) Several "small things," uncovered by our own investigation last year, are already know. Finally, (5) Gallup will be raising their bar on transparency, perhaps even releasing respondent level data on their October tracking to scholars. [HuffPost] The threat of our 'polling addiction?' - Elizabeth Wilner: "Gallup’s mea culpa this week and yet another release of 2016 trial heats reminds us that the biggest threat to the health of public opinion polling may not be shrinking response rates or the rising cost of dialing cellphones, but our growing addiction to its results...Some news organizations are considering using Survey Monkey. These organizations in the past would have scoffed at the idea of doing online or unscientific opinion research. Now, because of their shark-like need to constantly poll or die, they’re talking with a company whose core business is online employee satisfaction surveys." [Cook Political] MONDAY'S 'OUTLIERS' - Links to more news at the intersection of polling, politics and political data: -Sam Wang defends averages. [NYTimes] -Nate Cohn says Lincoln Chafee's still in hot water. [TNR] -Nate Silver's not surprised by the decline in Hillary Clinton's favorable rating. [NYTimes] -Anna_Greenberg and Sean Trende discuss public opinion on marijuana legalization. [@BrookingsGS] -University of Arizona researchers survey those crossing the Mexican border illegally. [WaPost] -Quentin Hardy shares six myths about big data. [NYTimes] -Stephen Few explains what being a "data scientist" really means. [Perceptual Edge] -Mike Mokrzycki summarizes how he and others used Twitter at the 2013 AAPOR Conference. [Storify] -Portlandia explains what it really means to be a nerd. [YouTube, via @JoshdelaRosa1]

Carl M. Cannon, RealClearPoliticsGood morning, it’s Monday, June 3, 2013. Congress returns to work this week, which some Americans consider a mixed blessing, and President Obama kicks off a White House conference on mental health with remarks in the East Room later this morning.Today is the 80th birthday of an elite newspaper reporter who is widely considered Ronald Reagan’s premier biographer. It is also the date, in 1888, when the San Francisco Examiner published an unsigned poem, “Casey at the Bat,” that touches Americans’ hearts to this day.