Gov. Sanford not heard from since Thursday  —  The whereabouts of Gov. Mark Sanford have been unknown to state officials since Thursday, and some state leaders are questioning who is in charge of the executive office.  —  Neither the governor's office nor the State Law Enforcement Division …

Family, friends mourn Iranian woman whose death was caught on video  —  Neda Agha-Soltan, 26, ‘was a beam of light’ and not an activist, friends say.  The video footage of her bleeding to death on the street has turned her into an international symbol of the protest movement.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

Under Misspelled Banner, Buchanan And White Nationalist Brimelow Argue For English-Only Initiatives  —  On Saturday, Pat Buchanan hosted a conference to discuss how Republicans can regain a majority in America.  During one discussion, panelists suggested supporting English-only initiatives …

Obama Invites Gay Rights Advocates to White House  —  As advocates for gays and lesbians intensify their criticism of the White House, President Obama has invited some of their leaders to an East Room reception next Monday to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion …

9 dead after Metro train derailment, collision  —  WASHINGTON - A Metro train smashed into the back of another at the height of the Monday evening rush hour, killing at least nine people and injuring scores of others as cars from the trailing train jackknifed into the air and fell atop the first.

McCain's Iran Neda speech raises domestic political stakes for Obama  —  Here's anew video involving the violent events in Iran and the politics they are now forcing within the United States.  —  The video is from C-SPAN of Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, who over the weekend …

Villaraigosa won't run for governor  —  The decision may help possible Democratic candidate Jerry Brown more than Gavin Newsom, experts say.  —  Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's decision Monday to skip the 2010 race for California governor left a two-person contest for the Democratic nomination …

Analysis: Supreme Court Invalidates Section 5's Coverage Scheme [Updated 2:15]  —  Though the Supreme Court by a wide margin today formally declined to resolve a challenge to the constitutionality of Section 5, the reality is far different.  The decision unambiguously served notice …

Dems ignore Obama cuts  —  Congression Democrats are largely ignoring President Obama's $19.8 billion in budget cuts.  —  The president proposed axing dozens of programs that he said were inefficient or ineffective, but members of the House Appropriations Committee are including the money for them.

Climate change bill to hit House floor this week  —  In a surprising development, House Democrats have reached an agreement to bring a sweeping climate change bill to the floor by the end of the week, Democratic aides announced late Monday night.  —  Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman …

Gawker Says ‘Hi’ to Fox News Stalker; He Drives Away Like a Coward  —  We finally met Bill O'Reilly's stalker-producer Jesse Watters on Saturday.  It was a fleeting and civil encounter—jovial, even—but ultimately unsatisfying.  We asked him some questions about his stalking, and then he drove away, because he's a coward.

Conrad Moves Closer To Public Health Care After Negotiations  —  Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) moved sharply toward public health care Monday, saying that he could “absolutely” support major parts of Sen. Chuck Schumer's compromise proposal for a public option after closed-door negotiations.

Understanding Obama on Iran  —  Call me thick, but I continue to be baffled by a lot of the commentary, cited by Rich and others, which gives as the rationale for President Obama's diffidence his purported determination to preserve the opportunity to negotiate with the mullahs on their nuclear program.

Sotomayor Fight Eroding What's Left Of Latino Support For GOP?  —  New poll numbers really seem to bear out the fears of some Republicans: The GOP's quasi-opposition to Sotomayor seems to be hurting the party among Latinos in a big way.  —  The latest numbers from the nonpartisan Research 2000 …