DAILY BEAST Column: ….While the national debt mounts, I’ve noted that the primary deficit—the annual mismatch between revenues and expenditures—is melting away. Check out the March Treasury Monthly Statement, which was released Wednesday. In March 2013, the government collected $186 billion in revenues and spent $292.5 billion, for a deficit of about $106 billion. Pretty bad.

Scientists at Stanford University reported on Wednesday that they have made a whole mouse brain, and part of a human brain, transparent so that networks of neurons that receive and send information can be highlighted in stunning color and viewed in all their three-dimensional complexity without slicing up the organ.

USA TODAY: The settlement provides $3.6 billion in cash payments to borrowers whose primary homes were in any stage of foreclosure in 2009 or 2010 and whose mortgages were serviced by one of the companies.

LEHIGH VALLEY EXPRESS TIMES Op Ed: In 1989, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld Pennsylvania’s constitution, which prohibits a judge to remain in office after the age of 70. Since then, numerous judges have retired at 70. But recently, a number of jurists filed lawsuits challenging the restriction.

Rick Levi, owner of Consolidated Management, a Des Moines, Iowa-based company that runs cafeterias at schools, offices and jails in 10 states, told the Journal the penalty is all he can afford. He employs 102 workers and will be required to offer coverage to many under the new law, at a cost of more than $500,000 per year if every employee takes the insurance plan. The penalty will cost him around $144,000…

Smucker wants Pennsylvania to join the company of 16 other states that allow residents to register to vote online.

…”I’m running to be governor, not the ‘first woman’ governor,” [U.S. Rep. Allyson Y. Schwaratz] said. “But the fact that I am the only woman in the congressional delegation and in a senior policy-making role, means people know I can beat the odds. I have brought a different perspective . . . it does change the dynamic.”

A friend of ours is having a birthday party next week. We had better let the Intell editor know so that a reporter can be sent over to cover it.

To help prevent bee deaths, Cox urges farmers to spray crops with pesticides at night instead of daytime when bees are more active. There are other things beekeepers can do to mitigate the problem, he added…

Republicans needed to escape prosecution. Democrats took control of the Turnpike in 2003 and the statute of limitations on most political corruption charges is eight years, according to Kane. Corbett needed the grand jury to hear no scandal about Republicans until 2010.

This meant Republicans were safe by the time Kathleen Kane, a Democrat, took over as Attorney-General in January of this year.

An Intelligencer Journal – New Era article entitled “Hourglass Foundation speaker says young and old together revitalize cities” reports on a talk given to members of the local organization by Christopher Leinberger whom they describe as a “Land use strategist, author, professor and Brookings Institution Fellow”.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Gov. Tom Corbett has nominated Michael Wolf, the state’s acting health secretary and a former pharmaceutical lobbyist, to be secretary of the Department of Health.