Greg Dworkin's back again, and
rounding up news on flu vaccinations, the NYC mayoral race, Syria, and...
hummingbirds. Charles Pierce catches eyes with yet more "Snowden Effect," this time sparking debate on the
size and scope of intelligence operations funded by the so-called "black budget." We had to
retrace Pierce's steps a little by reading the
WaPo's reporting on the budget documents "obtained" (note the language) from Snowden. We also looked at Jack Goldsmith's
latest at
Lawfare, on the question of intervention in Syria, especially now that the British Parliament has registered its disapproval. Next, an extended visit with NYC City Council candidate and fellow netroots traveler
Debra Cooper. Reminder: that Dem primary is coming up fast! September 10th, to be exact. Finally, a quick note to point to the coverage from
TPM Muckracker for
fuller (and even nuanced) coverage of the revelation that Arkansas state senator Jeremy Hutchinson (R) did indeed mistakenly "shoot" a "teacher" during a controlled active-shooter drill.