House votes to end NPR funding

The House of Representatives today voted 228-192 to end funding for NPR and its affiliate stations. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., is likely to stall in the Senate, but is likely to be used as pressure to carve out public broadcasting funds in a larger budget bill.

Meantime, Meghan Daum at the LA Times tells NPR to get a backbone.

(Disclosure: I work for KCRW, an NPR-affiliate station.)

The Constitution and free speech*

After making clear they weren't going to mention the slavery bits, or prohibition, members of the House of Representatives proceeded to read aloud the U.S. Constitution to open the second day of the 112th Congress. As they reached the Article II requirement that the president must be a natural born citizen, a woman in the gallery got up and screamed, "Except Obama," and added something about Jesus (video here). The outburst invited a terse gaveling from the chair.

*Update: David Weigel at Slate has tracked down the birther screamer. Her name is Theresa Cao and, naturally, she has a blog. Peruse it here if you'd like.