SANFORD RETURNS!  —  Gov. Mark Sanford is set to return to South Carolina tomorrow.  AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain  —  South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford will return to the state tomorrow after spending the last five days hiking the Appalachian Trail, according to a statement released by his office this morning.

About Last Night  —  I've been receiving a steady stream of favorable emails from Iranian-Americans regarding my appearance on Larry King last night.  They're delighted that I made it clear that Iran is different from the other countries in the region—better educated, more sophisticated …

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.

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.

They Blame America Anyway  —  In an interview broadcast on CBS's The Early Show Monday morning, President Obama was asked about his administration's response to the protests in Iran.  “The last thing that I want to do is to have the United States be a foil for those forces inside Iran …

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 …

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 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 …

Clinton toils in the shadows  —  Back last fall, when Barack Obama sprang his surprise about naming former rival Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state, many people assumed she would be the Cabinet's brightest star — a celebrity at large on the world stage, the face of American foreign policy …

Hot Dog Diplomacy: Iranian Diplomats Still Welcome at July 4 Parties  —  State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said there's been no thought of taking back offers for Iranian officials to join the Independence Day festivities, even as the Islamic Republic's leaders threaten violence against protesters …

Approval Ratings for Pelosi Hit a New Low  —  A month after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's showdown with the CIA over interrogation techniques, just 38 percent of Americans approve of her job performance, while 45 percent disapprove, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released yesterday.

Bolton Slams Obama For Being ‘Timid’ On Iran, Then Admits U.S. Options Limited Because Of Bush's Failures  —  Yesterday on Fox News, Sean Hannity and former U.N. ambassador John Bolton joined the right-wing chorus hitting President Obama's response to the Iranian election crisis.

Iranian authorities scramble to negate Neda Soltan ‘martyrdom’  —  The Iranian authorities have ordered the family of a student shot dead in Tehran to take down mourning posters as they struggle to stop her becoming the rallying point for protests against the presidential election.

Obama's Political Operation To Launch Big Database Of Health Care Stories  —  In a major new effort to throw Obama's campaign apparatus into the push for health care reform, the White House's political operation is set to launch a massive new online data bank of thousands of health care stories …

Obama calls on HuffPost for Iran question  —  In what appeared to be a coordinated exchange, President Obama called on the Huffington Post's Nico Pitney near the start of his press conference and requested a question directly from Iran.  —  “Nico, I know you and all across the Internet …

Iran bans election protest footballers  —  Ali Karimi, Mehdi Mahdavikia and two others are ‘retired’ after sporting green wristbands in World Cup qualifier in Seoul  —  Their gesture attracted worldwide comment and drew the attention of football fans to Iran's political turmoil.

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.

Top Clerical Council in Iran Rejects Plea to Annul Vote  —  CAIRO — Iran's most powerful oversight council has refused to nullify the contested presidential election just one day after it announced that the number of votes in 50 cities exceeded the number of eligible voters there by three million …

Justices Say Waste Can Be Dumped in Lake  —  The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Clean Water Act does not prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from allowing mining waste to be dumped into rivers, streams and other waters.  —  In a 6-to-3 decision that drew fierce criticism from environmentalists …

Something for Nothing  —  On May 12, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on health care reform.  There was a long table of 13 experts, and a vast majority agreed that ending the tax exemption on employer-provided health benefits should be part of a reform package.