A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.

A report released more than a week ago by New Hampshire's attorney general charged the state's Supreme Court with repeated ethics violations and set off a roller coaster ride of accusations and defensive posturing this week that put New Hampshire in the midst of a legitimate constitutional crisis.

Justice Stephen Thayer maintained his innocence in light of allegations involving improper influence in a divorce case, but he resigned his seat anyway. And in the days following Thayer's decision, similar charges of ethical violations engulfed the rest of the Court – including Chief Justice David Brock, who said he would not resign even as some state lawmakers say they're ready to start impeachment proceedings against him.

"You can imagine what Fenway Park would be worth." An unidentified source on the possibility of selling naming rights to Boston's beloved baseball park, a once-unthinkable possibility that is now under consideration after Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino increased pressure on Red Sox officials to find additional revenue sources. (Boston Herald, Apr. 5)

• Court Teeters on Brink of Scandal
(The Washington Post, Apr. 6)
• Brock Won't Resign; Calls Accusations 'Unfounded Attack'
(The Concord Monitor, Apr. 4)
• N.H. House Begins Impeachment Process
(The Telegraph, Nashua, N.H., Apr. 4)
• Timeline of Events
(The Telegraph, Nashua, N.H., Apr. 6)
• Court in Crisis Archive
(Foster's Daily Democrat, Dover, N.H., Apr. 6)

Bush Plans California Vote Rush
George W. Bush said this week he's not ready to roll over and play dead in the battle for California's bounty of electoral votes this fall. Regardless of unfavorable polls – and despite eight years of close attention paid to California by the Clinton-Gore administration – Bush made a campaign stop in the nation's largest state this week to reaffirm his commitment to keep California "in play."
• Despite Polls, Bush Vows to Run All-Out in California
(Los Angeles Times, Apr. 6)
• Bush Launches His Fight for State
(San Jose Mercury News, Apr. 7)
• Bush Pursues Two-Course Plan for Keeping His Hopes Alive for Capturing California
(The New York Times, Apr. 7)

Despite Prosperity, North Carolina Faces Cash Crunch
As voters in North Carolina ready to elect their next governor, a strong economy and rising state revenues are being overshadowed by a $500 million budget shortfall brought on by a tax structure that is veering toward obsolescence.
• N.C. Tax System Can't Keep Pace With Needs
(The Charlotte Observer, Apr. 5)

Tennessee Democrat Cooks Up Fund-Raiser With Flair
With a little help from an experienced party planner and fund-raiser, Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Doug Horne recently gathered some of the state's top movers and shakers for a positively tasty political retreat.
• Memphis Chefs Give It a Twirl, Cater to Democrats
(The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Apr. 3)