Morning Must Reads: March 25

March 25, 2014 8:28 AM EDT

Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in Hobby Lobby case Tuesday [NPR]

“The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday will tackle a pair of court cases that straddle some of the most charged topics in American politics. The cases could have ramifications for issues such as religious liberty, contraception, gay rights, employment discrimination, health-care reform and corporate personhood. In this smorgasbord of wedge issues, there’s something for every political faction to love or loathe — but some of the groups with the most at stake have been curiously silent.” [TIME]

How Hobby Lobby could expose SCOTUS hypocrisy [Salon]

“Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Republican of Washington, the highest-ranking woman in the House leadership and a rising star in the party, may have improperly used her House office staff and financial resources to help bolster her political career, the Office of Congressional Ethics has concluded.” [NYT]

“The 2016 Republican presidential primaries are still almost two years away, but the race is on for the support of one key donor: billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.” [TIME]

President Obama’s West Wing power trio [Politico]

“Suspended from the Group of Eight nations over its annexation of Crimea, Russia said Tuesday that it expects to participate in the next meeting of the Group of 20 nations, in Australia next November, despite warnings that it may not be welcome.” [Washington Post]

Looking at the world through Putin’s pupils [TIME]

“The Obama administration is preparing to unveil a legislative proposal for a far-reaching overhaul of the National Security Agency’s once-secret bulk phone records program in a way that — if approved by Congress — would end the aspect that has most alarmed privacy advocates since its existence was leaked last year, according to senior administration officials.” [NYT]

Numbers don’t lie, It’s a tough year for Democrats: “The numbers, geography, and timing for Senate Democrats have been challenging from the beginning of this election cycle. They have greater exposure, defending 21 seats compared with only 15 for the GOP. Even worse, the exposure comes in tough places for Democrats, who have four seats up in states that Mitt Romney carried by 15 percentage points or more, two in states that he won by 14 points, and another in a state Romney took by 2 points.” [National Journal]

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