Greg Dworkin rounds up the latest Nate Silver discussions: math skills, yes, but it's also the writing. Also, a new NBC/WSJ poll shows
views of race relations have taken a serious hit of late. Next, the suddenly exploding story of gonzo gun nut police chief Mark Kessler, with Alex Seitz-Wald, who
looks this whackadoodle in today's
Salon. Lots to marvel over in that story, and the larger effect of
blurring the lines around gun issues across the country. Finally, we start reading & commenting on Noam Scheiber's
"The Last Days of Big Law."