Have you heard of Neodymium? How about Rare Earth Elements? If you haven’t, you should. They’re incredibly messy to mine out of the ground – conveniently co-located in most cases with radioactive metals like thorium and uranium. The iPhone in your pocket won’t work without them. Neither will the hybrid car you’re driving to help stop global warming. And about 90% of the supply for these critical elements comes from China. In our latest TPMPrime Long Form (sub.req.), inside the environmentally messy global race for the metals that run your iPhone. And Andoid. And Prius. And everything else.
As we continue to monitor the on-going implementation of Obamacare, I wanted to call your attention to our newly updated Obamacare enrollment interactive map. You likely know the total numbers of enrollees – 2.2 million private insurance through exchanges, over 4 million on Medicaid, etc. But this is the state by state breakdown, which is more consequential than you might think since there is no national health insurance market. Risk pools, prices and the rest are all state by state. (See our methodology here.)
In wake of scandal, New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D) disavowing 2013 fist bump with Christie.
It’s that time of year, when members of Congress announce they just can’t muster another election season. We’re keeping track of who’s retiring here, and we’ll keep it updated.
We have the latest development in the national joke known as “Stand Your Ground” gun laws. The murderous jerk who killed a man in a Tampa theater yesterday because he wouldn’t stop texting may be planning to use a “stand your ground” defense.
US District Judge Terence Kern rules that Oklahoma’s ban on same-sex marriages violates the 14th Amendment.