U.S. Fate 2016
Nevada: Polling’s black hole [Politico]
Polling has been a big problem in Nevada. What little data there is suggests that Hillary Clinton’s “firewall” might not hold up, but we really have no idea what to expect from Saturday’s caucuses. And then this:

The Nevada caucuses are a mess. Again. [The Boston Globe]
Republicans can vote twice. Ties are decided by cards instead of coin flips. They’ve had what, four years to figure this out?

More Hillary Clinton emails released on eve of Nevada caucuses [Politico]
That’s in addition to 550 released a few days ago. Politico gives a quick summary of some significant e-mails they found, including a note of congratulations to Clinton for convincing Obama to bomb Libya and take down Gadhafi. Not that we didn’t know it was her idea, but here it is in black and white.

‘El Viejito’ for president: why Latinos in Nevada are switching to Bernie Sanders
Nevada was meant to be a brick in Hillary Clinton’s ‘firewall’, but Sanders’ radical reforms appeal to Latino workers and students heading to Saturday’s caucuses. El Viejito, “The Little Old Man.” How adorable. It would be even funnier if they called him “Abuelo.”

Larry Sanders opens up about his younger brother’s presidential bid, the exhausting campaign schedule, Bernie’s very real anger about wealth inequality, and what he really thinks of the Clintons. [Daily Beast]

Dear Super Delegates: Don’t Deny Democracy Progressive [Kick]
A group of progressives has teamed up in a direct-action campaign to put pressure on super delegates to make sure they honor the popular vote in the Democratic primary if Bernie Sanders gets more votes than Hillary Clinton. The group just launched a website, basic but with useful information, including a state-by-state list of super delegates and whether they have pledged to Clinton.

And it’s not just the super delegates. [The Hill]
While the Vermont senator and real estate mogul have defied all pundit predictions, there are power brokers on both sides of aisle who will play major roles in deciding who will advance to the general election. Some are fans of the grassroots movements that have catapulted Trump and Sanders; some are not.

Bob Schieffer on “Uncharted Waters” in 2016: “Entirely Possible The Republican Party Could Break In Half After This” [Real Clear Politics]

It bugs me when the pundits refer to Bernie Sanders as the Democratic version of Trump. In my mind, there is no comparison. Bernie wants to channel the anger of the dispossessed, disillusioned, and disengaged into empowerment to change the rigged, while Donald Trump is exploiting anger and hatred to get elected. But the anger that they are tapping into has the same root cause, and I get that. Here is an essay from a Trump supporter, explaining why he appeals to poor and middle-class conservatives. [American Conservative]

Ceres
Chicago used water department employees’ homes to test for lead [Guardian]
The Guardian’s analysis of records from the city of Chicago’s water management department, which serves 5.4 million residents, reveals that of the 51 homes analyzed for lead contamination in the city in the last round of testing, at least two dozen were the agency’s own current employees.

What We Believe
Donald Trump is right. Pope Francis’s visit to the border is political [WaPo]
[T]he pope’s presence is a stark reminder to politicians and presidential candidates — especially those who tout their Christian values and court religious voters — that immigrants and refugees are not, in his words, “pawns on the chessboard of humanity.”

Financial Astrology
This week’s financial forecast by Ray Merriman [The Merriman Market Analyst]
Last week offered a multitude of examples related to the central passage of both the Jupiter/Saturn square and Saturn/Neptune square. Jupiter and Neptune both relate to religion. So does the sign of Sagittarius, where Saturn (government) is posited for another 22 months. It is a classic conflict between state and religion, and one where various parties may “stick their foot (Pisces and Neptune) in their mouth,” leading to misunderstandings and false accusations, and even embarrassment. The pope stuck his foot in his mouth. The Donald may have been born with a foot in his mouth and doesn’t care.