In this ‘edition’ of Articles of Interest, I focus on the ‘Affordable Care Act’ and the recent Supreme Court decision about it.

1. What Exactly Is Obamacare and What Did It Change? from Reddit/TheeGing3, June 20, 2012.

Since much has been written about whether the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (‘Obamacare’) is a good or bad law for our country, I looked for what I believe is the best, direct, understandable explanation the law itself. This link outlines what is already in effect, what is to come in the next few years, and what are the facts behind some of the most controversial aspects of the law.  I believe it’s useful to have an understanding of PPACA before one hails or criticizes it.

(Note: According to Wikipedia, Reddit is a “a social news website where the registered users submit content, in the form of either a link or a text “self” post. Other users then vote the submission “up” or “down”, which is used to rank the post and determine its position on the site’s pages and front page.” This posting, I believe, was written by someone named Tyler Tullis (TheeGing3) and seems intent on describing what is.

Length: Medium, depending upon how many of the comments you read.

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The following articles in one way or another, focus on the Supreme Court, its June 28th decision, Chief Justice Roberts, and how we can understand what’s occurred.

2. SCOTUS Update: La Loi, C’est Moi, by James Fallows, The Atlantic, June 24, 2012.

Written before the recent Supreme Court decision, Fallows summarizes in short form (see ‘bullet’ points near the end of the post) the direction the SC has taken and seems to argue that if this had happened outside of the US, we would probably call it a ‘coup.’

“James Fallows is a national correspondent for The Atlantic and has written for the magazine since the late 1970s. He has reported extensively from outside the United States, and once worked as President Carter’s chief speechwriter.”

Length: Short

3. The Obamacare Surprise: Chief Justice Roberts’ Brilliance as Institutional Strategist, by Peter M. Shane, Huffington Post Blogger, June 29, 2012.

Shane, the day following the SC decision, argues that Roberts’ was trying to preserve the SC’s reputation and that in the long run, because of the way he did ruled, the constitutional conservatives might be grateful.

Length: Short

4. Why Did Roberts Switch? by Robert W. Gordon, The Washington Spectator, June 28, 2012.

Possibly the best explanation of the Chief Justice’s decision that I’ve read.

Gordon is a Stanford Law School professor.

Length: Short

5. Largest Tax in History? Brian Beutler, Talking Points Memo, July 2, 2012.

One person’s attempt to show, largely in chart form, that the tax consequences are significantly less than those enacted by the Reagan, Bush I, and Clinton tax increases.

Brian Beutler is TPM‘s (a liberal website) senior congressional reporter and has reported on health care issues since 2009.

Length: Short