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Nichi Hodgson at the Guardian on why NFL cheerleaders deserve the minimum wage. “Back in January, Oakland Raiderette Lacy T brought a suit on behalf of the entire squad. Factoring in practice hours, charitable appearances and the annual swimsuit calendar photo shoot on top of a 10-game commitment, she and her attorneys argued that the Raiderettes’ $1,250 annual wage worked out to less than $5 an hour. Yet last week, the U.S. Department of Labor declared the Raiders exempt from having to offer its cheerleaders the minimum wage because they constitute “seasonal amusement”,” Hodgson writes. “Make no mistake: cheerleaders are instrumental in generating revenue for the NFL. Time to share with the women on the sidelines.” Dan Gillmor tweets, “The NFL is a sickening organization. See how it treats the cheerleaders.”
Brian Beutler at Salon on how the GOP’s Obamacare mania is working for the Democrats. “Here’s a riddle for anyone who thinks the politics of Obamacare are straightforward, and toxic for Democrats. How is it possible, in defiance of public rebuke, widespread misinformation and other headwinds, that insurance enrollment is surging in just about every state in the country?” Beutler writes. “I doubt that this kind of intentional blindness to the law’s successes can withstand another seven months on the campaign trail. Which means Republicans will either have to confront reality eventually, or shake up their strategy pretty dramatically, so that single-minded hatred of the ACA isn’t the beginning and end of it.”