Sarah Palin: Why She Resigned  —  Sarah Palin Talks to ABC News About Why She Resigned  —  After her bombshell announcement Friday that she was resigning as governor of Alaska 18 months before the end of her first term, and questions about her political future ricocheting from Alaska to Washington D.C. …

White House Open to Deal on Health  —  WASHINGTON — It is more important that health-care legislation inject stiff competition among insurance plans than it is for Congress to create a pure government-run option, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said.

Obama Adviser Says U.S. Should Mull Second Stimulus  —  The U.S. should consider drafting a second stimulus package focusing on infrastructure projects because the $787 billion approved in February was “a bit too small,” said Laura Tyson, an outside adviser to President Barack Obama.

Obama's Approval Drops In Ohio - Critical Swing State, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; 2010 Senate Race Tips Slightly To Democrats  —  President Barack Obama gets a lackluster 49 - 44 percent approval rating in Ohio, considered by many to be the most important swing state in a presidential election …

Dan Froomkin hired by The Huffington Post  —  (updated below)  —  In yet another sign of how online media outlets are strengthening as their older establishment predecessors are struggling to survive, The Huffington Post has hired Dan Froomkin to be its Washington Bureau Chief and regular columnist/blogger.

Obama trips up over Russian leadership tandem  —  MOSCOW (Reuters) - In a slip of the tongue, U.S. President Barack Obama described Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday as president, echoing the widely held view that he remains Russia's most powerful man.

In Russia, President Obama Explains His Support for Ousted President of Honduras  —  MOSCOW - Facing criticism for having backed the “wrong” side in the recent coup in Honduras, President Obama Tuesday tried to explain his advocacy on behalf of ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

U.S. House May Include Surtax on Wealthy in Health-Care Package  —  House Ways and Means Committee members are likely to propose a surtax on high-income Americans to help pay for an overhaul of the health-care system, according to people familiar with the plan.

Al Gore likens fight against climate change to battle with Nazis  —  Al Gore today compared the battle against climate change with the struggle against the Nazis.  —  The former US Vice President said the world lacked the political will to act and invoked the spirit of Winston Churchill …

Big Banks Don't Want California's IOUs  —  A group of the biggest U.S. banks said they would stop accepting California's IOUs on Friday, adding pressure on the state to close its $26.3 billion annual budget gap.  —  The development is the latest twist in California's struggle to deal with the effects of the recession.

New climate strategy: track the world's wealthiest  —  Source: Reuters  —  * World's richest emit about half of Earth's carbon  —  * Tracking the wealthy could break climate impasse  —  * New method would follow individual greenhouse emissions  —  To fairly divide the climate change …

Commentary: Galloway on McNamara: Reading an obit with great pleasure  —  “I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.”  —Clarence Darrow (1857-1938)  —  Well, the aptly named Robert Strange McNamara has finally shuffled off to join LBJ and Dick Nixon in the 7th level of Hell.

Uncommon Ground  —  Boston yuppies versus Mayor Mumbles.  —  In May, The Boston Globe conducted a poll to find out what Bostonians think of their city's mayor, Tom Menino.  Most of the questions were common to public-opinion surveys about elected officials: Do you approve or disapprove of the way he is doing his job?

AG Ayotte resigns; eyes Senate run  —  CONCORD - New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte resigned today, effective July 17, “to explore a campaign for the United States Senate.”  —  Other Republicans considering a run include Manchester attorney Ovide Lamontagne …