Sanford Story Takes More Serious Turn  —  Late Monday evening, Gov. Mark Sanford's office revealed that he is hiking on the Appalachian Trail.  —  On the face of it, that solves the mystery.  But this article from The State, South Carolina's main newspaper, suggests some more troubling possibilities to the story.

US says hot dog diplomacy still on with Iran  —  WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States said Monday its invitations were still standing for Iranian diplomats to attend July 4 celebrations at US embassies despite the crackdown on opposition supporters.  —  President Barack Obama's administration …

Why Obama's sudden news conference today?  And what he'll say  —  You don't need to be a basketball-loving president of the United States to know that if you're trying to block opponents' shots in your end, you sure aren't increasing your own totals.  You can't score points on D.

At Least Nine Killed in Red Line Crash  —  The number of people killed in last night's deadly Red Line crash has risen to at least nine, Metro officials said this morning, shortly after five bodies were removed from the mangled wreckage.  —  The train that slammed into the back of another during …

Top Clerical Council in Iran Rejects Plea to Annul Vote  —  CAIRO — Iran's Guardian Council, the senior clerical body charged with certifying the disputed presidential election, has rejected the opposition's demand for the vote to be annulled on grounds of fraud, state television reported on its Web site Tuesday.

Poll: Americans Less Upbeat About Stimulus Bill's Impact  —  Expectations for President Obama's stimulus package have diminished, with barely half of Americans now confident the $787 billion measure will boost the economy, and the rapid rise in optimism that followed the 2008 election has abated …

Rubio's curious Tweet  —  Twitter hasn't always been a politician's best friend — see Republican Rep. Pete Hoekstra's comparison of House Republican floor rebellions to the uprising in Iran or Newt Gingrich calling Sonia Sotomayor a “racist.”  —  Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio …

Iranian clerics seek supreme leader alternative  —  Clashes between protesters and police Saturday left at least 13 people dead (File)  —  Religious leaders are considering an alternative to the supreme leader structure after at least 13 people were killed in the latest unrest to shake Tehran …

Son's Death Has Iranian Family Asking Why  —  TEHRAN—The family, clad in black, stood at the curb of the road sobbing.  A middle-aged mother slapped her cheeks, letting out piercing wails.  The father, a frail man who worked as a doorman at a clinic in central Tehran, wept quietly with his head bowed.

US: Settlement freeze must include J'lem  —  Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem are included in the US demand that Israel halt “settlement” construction, including for natural growth, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told The Jerusalem Post during a press briefing on Monday.

Ensign to Face the Music  —  Embattled Republican Will Address Colleagues Today  —  Sen. John Ensign (Nev.) is expected to address his GOP colleagues at their weekly luncheon today to try to turn the page on the high-profile sex scandal that has derailed his rising political career.

Iranian leaders will always believe Anglo-Saxons are plotting against them. … - There is nothing at all that any Western country can do to avoid the charge of intervening in Iran's foreign affairs.  The deep belief that everything—especially anything in English—is already and by definition …

America's Concern Troll  —  Richard Cohen manages to write a column that is for the most part reasonable and logical defending the Obama Administration's tempered words on Iran — because historically we have good reason to be measured.  But he just cannot help himself:

Iranian protester pleads for U.S., world to intervene  —  An Iranian student protester in Tehran made a passionate plea for help from the world community this morning in a phone call to CNN's “American Morning.”  —  For safety reasons, CNN can only identify the student by his first name, Mohammad.