Jobless Claims Rise, California Woes Draw Investors, College Speech Codes Take a Hit: P.M. Links

• Claims for jobless benefits climbed last week by 6,000 to 386,000 as the private sector does "just fine."  The previous week's claims were revised upwards, too, which is, it seems, even finer.

• Now that meddling in the Middle East is becoming a bit old-hat, the U.S. military is expanding its horizons with intelligence operations and a string of small Special Operations bases in Africa.
• California's budget woes are attracting municipal-bond investors who see soaring yields as a attractive counter to the possibility that the state with the lowest S&P rating just won't be able to pay its debts. If state lawmakers can't hammer out a deal to close the deficit by tomorrow, they risk losing pay.
• With Spain and Italy competing to be the next European economy to go tits-up, Germany is showing signs of rescue fatigue, all adding up to signs that the euro project may be ending.
• The Arab Spring is looking a little Autumn-y as Egypt's Supreme Court rules last year's parliamentary elections unconstitutional and dissolves the body. The military claims full power.
• The University of Cincinnati's "free speech zone," which rendered the rest of the campus unfriendly to the stuff, is no more. U.S. District Judge Timothy Black said the policy is a clear violation of students' free speech rights. The decision may have implications for college speech codeas around the country.
• In the latest federal tactic for bypassing state medical-marijuana laws, all four U.S. attorneys in California are threatening landlords with the loss of their property if they permit marijuana dispensaries to operate. The technique is seen as a low-profile means of enforcing an increasingly unpopular policy.
• Former Minnesota Governor — and, more importantly, "Predator" star — Jesse Ventura's endorsement of Gary Johnson's presidential candidacy was edited out of online videos by CNN.

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