Until the announcement that Barack Obama was extending the state of emergency that has legally existed in the United States since September 14, 2001, hit my inbox this afternoon, I will confess that I was somewhat unaware we were in an emergency situation.

But, apparently we are:

Given that the emergency is defined vaguely as constituting something like “terrorists might attack the country,” it seems like we should consider dropping the charade of annual renewals and just admit that “emergency” 9/11 powers are now a permanent part of the landscape.

Avi Selk / The Scoop Blog:
Ahmed Mohamed's ex-school district sues state to keep civil rights investigation secret  —  Ahmed Mohamed, 14, appears with U.S. representatives in Washington last October.  His ex school district is suing to keep secret the details of a federal investigation related to his arrest.  (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Political scientist Ray La Raja finds that laws requiring public disclosure of small campaign donations may lead to fewer people contributing and smaller donations.

“The findings demonstrate that transparency does, in fact, have a chilling effect on participation. And the impact is especially salient for citizens who are cross-pressured.”