Caitlin Thompson

Commissioners Confirmed: Gov. Cuomo announced unanimous Senate confirmation of DEC, DOT, Parks and Recreation, Taxation and Finance Commissioners. (Cuomo Administration)

New Schools Game Plan: The Bloomberg administration considers a new strategy for dealing with low-performing schools: A partnership with NY Dept of Ed. and the founder of a charter school network in L.A. (NYT)

Budging on the Budget: Gov. Scott Walker's office released documents Tuesday detailing now stalled talks with Senate Democrats in Illinois about his union bargaining bill. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinal)

More Money Trouble: Senate test votes on spending cuts broke down today when majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, accused Senate Republicans of refusing to move ahead as they had agreed. (NYT)

UFT Ad Attack: The United Federation of Teachers union launched an attack against Bloomberg's proposed teacher lay-offs. (WNYC)

Millions March: Egyptian women staged a 'Million Woman March' today (on the International Day of Women) after the new prime minister appointed only one woman to his cabinet. (CS Monitor)

Idaho Union Blow: Idaho's legislature passed a bill limiting collective bargaining for the state's unionized teachers on Tuesday. (Politico)

Chruch Controversy: The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced the placement of 21 priests on administrative leave from active ministry in connection with charges that they had sexually abused minors. (NYT)

Check out the latest video from Team Christie at the NJ Governor’s office. A flash of thunder leads to dark, ominous music, a shot of Christie speaking to constituents, and it's The Choice, i.e. impending doom or fulfilling King--ahem, Gov.--Christie's desires. The video is largely a mashup of cuts from the budget address presenting Christie's ballsy ultimatum: If the state legislature passes Health Benefits reform (i.e. cuts for state workers) by the 15th of March then the governor in his benevolence will put $320 million into doubling property tax rebates for New Jerseyans.

Um, do health benefits and property taxes have anything to do with each other? Nope, not really. In his budget address, and again in this propaganda piece, Christie brashly lays what is usually behind-the-scenes logrolling between politicians out on the table. You give me something I want, I'll give you something you want.

The YouTube video ends with a melodramatic cliff hanger. "The Ides of March are coming...and I'm waiting!" If Christie were a superhero, I'd call him the Logger Man.

Next week Long Island Rep. Peter King (R-NY) will chair congressional hearings on Muslim extremism in United States. King has been pushing for such a probe since he took the reins of the House Committee on Homeland Security in January, but his efforts have drawn the ire of domestic Muslim groups and other Americans concerned that his proposal sounds a lot like Joseph McCarthy's persecutory anti-communist hearings of the 1950s.

"Al-Qaeda has realized it's very difficult for them to come from the outside," King told Fox News host Bill O'Reilly earlier this year. "What they're doing is recruiting Muslims in this country or under the radar screen. People who are living here legally."

Muslims, civil libertarians, and human rights organizations alike have taken issue with King's comments, and denounce him for being prejudiced.

Here's King on CNN last month:

In the run-up to Thursday's hearings, demonstrations against the congressman and in support of American Muslims are scheduled to take place in Times Square on Sunday. WNYC's Arun Venogopal will report from the demonstrations, and will have live updates from the Washington hearings.