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Good morning, everybody. The guy who blackmailed Letterman learned he was nominated for an Emmy while in jail. Now, your morning constitutional: Too early for good news? Well, oil has stopped spilling out of the busted well in the Gulf, and while it may be premature, any good news is exciting. Financial reform passed Congress yesterday, another big win for the Obama administration. But will Americans notice or care? A new Pew Research poll finds that only 34 percent of Americans are aware that the government’s bailout of the banks was actually under President Bush, while 47...

Good morning, folks. Landon Donovan is not having a love child. Now, your morning constitutional: Financial regulation reform to be voted on in the Senate today and likely to pass. Former SEC Chair Harvey Pitt thinks it will create more problems than it solves. Paul Volcker gives it a “B.” Why are some financial instruments called “exotic?” BP has fixed an equipment problem on a new cap for the broken well in the Gulf and will move ahead with a test which could lead to stopping the oil spill. Argentina approves same-sex marriage, making it the first...

Happy Bastille day, everybody. Bristol and Levi are engaged (again). Now, your morning constitutional: President Obama has nominated Jacob Lew to be the next director of the Office of Management and Budget. Lew had previously held the same position in the last few years of the Clinton administration, and most recently was deputy secretary of state. BP has placed a new cap on the broken oil well in the Gulf and has high hopes for its success. However, testing has been delayed. The NAACP passed a resolution on Tuesday condemning what it feels is rampant racism in...

Good morning, folks. Richard Starkey, the former drummer of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, turned 70 yesterday. Now, your morning constitutional: The Cuban government has agreed to release 52 political prisoners who were swept up during a major crackdown on dissent in 2003. The prisoners will likely be accepted by Spain. CNN: The face of America’s homeless youth. A solar-powered aircraft has completed a 26-hour test flight. No matter how conservatives may feign outrage, NASA has always had a diplomatic mission. CNN has fired a reporter for expressing respect for a Lebanese cleric who inspired Hezbollah. If...

Good morning, everyone. Lindsay’s going to jail for a little bit. Now, your morning constitutional: The White House announced Tuesday that President Obama will use a recess appointment to make Dr. Donald Berwick the new Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid and how the two health insurance systems will incorporate the reforms mandated in the Affordable Care Act. The nomination had been stalled by Republicans in the Senate for months. Ezra Klein from March on why this post is an important one. An independent review into...

Good morning, everyone. We’re back from vacation, so here’s your morning constitutional: Bronislaw Komorowski, the pro-business rival to the late President Lech Kaczynski, was elected President in Poland yesterday, beating out the former president’s twin brother Jaroslaw Kaczynski. BP has cleaned up a lot less oil so far than it had promised it would. The Obama administration’s economic team wants more stimulus spending to get the economy moving, while the political arm isn’t so sure. Do American’s hate soccer? Maybe not: The U.S.-Ghana game was watched by over 19.4m Americans, more than watched last year’s World Series,...

Good morning, folks. The new Twilight movie broke some records for 12:01am shows. Now, your morning constitutional: President Obama will push for comprehensive immigration reform today during a speech at American University in D.C. German Chancellor Angela Merkel fights for survival after struggling to get her preferred presidential candidate, Christian Wulff, elected. Turkish aid from a flotilla that attempted to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza but was attacked by Israel starts flowing into Gaza. Turkey is also holding its first high-level meeting with Israel since the flotilla incident. For the third time, Republicans successfully filibustered a bill...

Good morning, everybody. Could there really be a Lego movie? Now, your morning constitutional: Legendary broadcaster Larry King will leave his show this fall after 25 years. Hurricane Alex, the first June hurricane since 1995, is moving westward through the Gulf of Mexico and is on course to hit Mexico and southern Texas, but nowhere near the oil spill cleanup efforts. The German presidential election goes into a second round today, as Christian Wulff won the first round, but not by a large enough margin to secure victory. The voting takes place in an electoral college by...

Good morning, folks. Steve Carell is indeed leaving The Office after next year. Now, your morning constitutional: General Petraeus appears for confirmation hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee today to lead the war effort in Afghanistan. His confirmation is basically assured, but questions will arise about the President’s strategy for the war. Kagan taking questions during her confirmation hearing; seems to be getting at least a little bipartisan support on the committee; Scott Brown glowingly called her “undoubtedly a brilliant woman who has served her country in a variety of capacities.” Dahlia Lithwick at Slate on...

Good morning, everybody. The U.S. and England are out. Now, your morning constitutional: Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, the longest-serving senator in history, is dead at 92. FiveThirtyEight looks at how the W.V. senate seat will be filled. Elana Kagan’s confirmation hearings begin today. How Republicans are struggling for a line of attack. Slate wonders: How many votes will Elena Kagan get? A new study shows that Supreme Court hearings do address real substance; also, women and minority nominees are more closely questioned than white males. The people of Kyrgyzstan voted to approve a new constitution...