On an unusually active August Friday (so far), let’s get right to the midday news and views:
* Dylan Byers notes RNC ban on NBC/CNN sponsorship of GOP debates will extend to Telemundo and CNN Espanol. So Univision hits the dubious jackpot.
* Krugman notes that rapidly falling federal budget deficits largely unknown to general public, thanks to opinion-leader mendacity.
* New York Times poll of NYC shows souring assessments of Bloomberg, and “an unmistakable yearning for change.”
* In same city, new Marist poll shows de Blasio and Quinn neck-and-neck at 24%, with Thompson at 18% and Weiner still pulling 11%.
* Dave Camp announces he will not run for the Senate in 2014, which means he may have more time to pursue “tax reform” in Ways & Means Committee, but less reason to be interested in that money-tree-shaking enterprise. It’s also a mild blow to GOP Senate hopes nationally.
And in non-political news:
* Another horrific ferry accident in the Philippines involving ship with 700 passengers; casualties unknown at present.
Back after an hour’s break. Here’s the Ramones with another CBGB performance in 1977.
