Sorry this post is late today, but truth be told, being on EDT and on my mother’s schedule, I’ve already had lunch (pardon me for eating first!). I’ll also apologize for what may turn out to be more typos than usual, since I’m without my Mac on the road and am back to my keyboard-impaired HP laptop. Anyway, here’s some midday news bites:

* Muppetless: Jim Henson Company announces it will no longer partner with Chick-Fil-A because of company’s anti-gay policies and donations.

* Not so fast: at TNR Amy Sullivan wonders why a specific assault gun ban is “off the table” following Aurora.

* Atlantic‘s J.J. Gould explores ways to discourage media publicity for mass murderers’ images and causes.

* Joe Gandelman unearths Romney quote to 2002 Olympians suggesting they didn’t earn those medals alone.

* Much-maligned clean energy subsidies may offer hope for reducing carbon emissions even if more direct means are taken off table.

And in non-political news:

* J.C. Penney to junk cash registers, go Apple-ish.

Back in a jif.

Ed Kilgore

Ed Kilgore is a political columnist for New York and managing editor at the Democratic Strategist website. He was a contributing writer at the Washington Monthly from January 2012 until November 2015, and was the principal contributor to the Political Animal blog.