extreme right

Microsoft has cut its ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative public-policy lobbying group, CNET reports. The group’s lobbying efforts to block the development of renewable energy apparently was the last straw for Microsoft, which noted in a statement that the company had been involved in ALEC’s Communication and Technology Task Force, but had cut all ties to the group and would no longer pay dues to it.

Philosopher Lawrence Torcello wrote an article arguing there was “good reason to consider” that “the funding of climate denial” was morally and criminally negligent. He was prepared for blow-back, but not the malevolence that ensued.

The longstanding "honored tradition" in the Texas Senate known as the two-thirds rule will be nothing more than a memory in the event that any of the four Republicans running for Lieutenant Governor take charge of the chamber in 2015. Last summer, the lack of the two-thirds rule in the Senate was the only way sweeping anti-choice legislation was able to pass at all during a couple special called sessions — which don't require the two-thirds rule.