Key Reason Palin Gave For Quitting May Be False  —  One of the chief reasons Sarah Palin has given for resigning as Governor of Alaska is that her state's taxpayers are being forced to spend money defending her government against ethics complaints that would otherwise fund teachers, cops, and road repair.

White House spells Obama's name wrong  —  Someone might want to look into whether an impostor took President Obama's place during his trip to Russia  —  In a release touting an agreement between Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev over how to craft a follow-up to the START arms reduction treaty …

Pool Boots Kids Who Might “Change the Complexion”  —  Campers sent packing after first visit to swim club  —  More than 60 campers from Northeast Philadelphia were turned away from a private swim club and left to wonder if their race was the reason.  —  “I heard this lady, she was like …

Brian Kilmeade Would Like Species and ‘Ethnics’ to Remain Pure  —  To stave off dementia!  Yes, today the befuddled screech owls on Fox & Friends were discussing a study that states that those that stay married fend off Alzheimer's and dementia better than lonely divorcees.  Brian Kilmeade took issue with this.

Sarah Palin is not attractive to Chris Christie's N.J. Gov campaign  —  New Jersey GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie's campaign has no interest in help from Sarah Palin after the former vice presidential candidate stepped down as governor of Alaska, in part to help Republican candidates across the country.

Glad He Cleared That Up  —  We've gotten an explanation from Rep. Steve King (R-IA) for why he was the lone vote against acknowledging the role of slaves in building the U.S. Capitol.  He did it to protest “a several year effort by liberals in Congress to scrub references to America's Christian heritage from our nation's Capitol”:

Jeb Bush: The Future of the Republican Party  —  With no obvious candidate to lead the Republican party (and one having just stepped down), some are looking to Jeb Bush.  Which is news to him.  —  Jeb Bush interview, Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, Florida. … I'm waiting for the next iteration.

New York Times Magazine Withdraws Altered Photo Essay  —  UPDATE, 5:57 p.m. ET: The New York Times has published a new editors' note about the altered photo essay that was published in Sunday's Times Magazine.  The newspaper says “most of the images did not wholly reflect the reality they purported to show.”

White House Ponders Bernanke's Future  —  As the White House begins to ponder whether to reappoint or replace Ben Bernanke when his term expires in January, the Federal Reserve chairman's standing on Wall Street is on the rise while attacks on him from Congress mount.

Hampton speaks publicly, says Ensign paid severance  —  Doug Hampton spoke publicly for the first time today about the affair his wife had with Sen. John Ensign, saying the Nevada Republican continued his pursuit even after intermediaries tried to get him to stop.

Subprime Returns as Housing Woe  —  In Atlanta, a Foreclosure Dichotomy Threatens Homes Values  —  The U.S. housing market is facing new downward pressure as holders of subprime-mortgage bonds flood the market with foreclosed homes at prices that are much lower than where many banks are willing to sell.

The Place of Women on the Court  —  In late February, three weeks after she had an operation for a recurrence of cancer, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg went to Barack Obama's first address to Congress.  Given the circumstances, it wasn't an event anyone expected her to attend.

Robert McNamara and Donald Rumsfeld — compare and contrast  —  The death of Robert McNamara serves as George Will's spring board to reflect on contemporary neo-conservativism.  Will reminds us that neo-conservatism began, in significant part, as a reaction to the immodest stance of McNamara …

Morgan Stanley Plans to Turn Downgraded Loan CDO Into AAA Bonds  —  Morgan Stanley plans to repackage a downgraded collateralized debt obligation backed by leveraged loans into new securities with AAA ratings in the first transaction of its kind, said two people familiar with the sale.

Genome project leader is selected to head NIH  —  Dr. Francis Collins is named to run vast research agency.  He guided the government's drive to map the human genetic code.  —  Dr. Francis S. Collins, the geneticist who discovered the causes of half a dozen diseases, oversaw the government's efforts …

Under Pressure, Blanche Lincoln Shifts On Public Plan  —  Looks like pressure from the left might be getting results, albeit limited ones, in the case of “centrist” Dem Senator Blanche Lincoln, who has been resisting any commitment to backing a public health care option.

Cloture and Party Unity  —  One of the more profound changes in American governance in recent years has been the normalization of the Senate filibuster—or, to be more precise, the threat of a Senate filibuster, since actual filibusters rarely occur.  To make a very long story short …

Democrats Split on Stimulus as Job Losses Mount, Deficit Soars  —  Democrats who control the levers of power in Washington are divided over whether to push for more deficit spending to end the recession and stem job losses, complicating the possibility of a second stimulus bill.

Mass. challenges federal Defense of Marriage Act  —  Massachusetts, the first state in the nation to legalize gay marriage, has become the first to challenge the constitutionality of a federal law that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman, saying Congress intruded into a matter that should be left to individual states.

Countdown to 12:34:56 7/8/9  —  Shortly after half-past noon today.  Be there.  I predict the end of the world, with gnashing of teeth, rending of garments, gnawing of tongues for pain, emergence of many-headed beasts, horsemen, plus final determinations on wickedness vs. righteousness, etc.

Group of 8 Agrees On a Ceiling for Temperature Rise  —  L'AQUILA, Italy, July 8 — The world's leading industrial nations tentatively agreed Wednesday to try to prevent global temperatures from rising above a fixed level, after a more far-reaching proposal to slash production of greenhouse gases fizzled …

Reid Reassures Finance Panel Republicans  —  Senate Finance Committee Republicans emerged Wednesday afternoon from a meeting with Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) saying the sides had agreed to continue bipartisan health reform talks within the committee — and that the negotiations would not be subject to artificial timelines.

Obama Averages 61% Job Approval in June  —  Obama at 89% approval among Democrats, 25% among Republicans  —  PRINCETON, NJ — U.S. President Barack Obama averaged a 61% job approval rating for the month of June, down from his 65% average in May, and one point below his previous monthly low of 62%, recorded in March.