Growing up in the Deep South in the 1960s, I was not a big fan of summer, which mainly meant sweating, aside from occasional blessed air conditioned moments in the library and the pharmacy. Summer also meant vacations on the Redneck Riviera near Panama City, listening to hillbilly kids sing surfer songs hundreds of miles from deep water, and the daily thunderstorms of August. All in all, I’m happy to be living in a place where summer is pretty much the same as winter–maybe a little cooler some years–and where again I don’t have air conditioning because it’s unnecessary.
What are your early summer associations?
Here are some steamy-hot midday news/views items:
* At Ten Miles Square, former Furman president Rodney Smolla makes case for taking down Confederate Flag in SC as surrender of a bit of pride for a lot of peace.
* NBC/WSJ poll shows huge jump in Jeb’s acceptability to Republicans since March, for no obvious reason. I’d be wary of relying on that finding until it’s confirmed elsewhere.
* New EPI study shows top CEO’s earning more than 300 times pay of typical workers.
* At TNR Simon Lazarus argues Justice Kennedy’s federalism ultra status will guide him to vote against plaintiffs in King v. Burwell.
* White Citizens Council successor organization that inspired Dylann Roof has contributed to GOP candidates.
And in non-political news:
* Next iPhone could be–believe it or not–thicker.
As we break for lunch, here’s the Hold Steady with “Constructive Summer.”
