Can Palin ever come back?  —  A closer look at the words of Obama, Depeche Mode and U2.  Plus: Why do straight actresses make the best lesbo porn?  —  Dear Camille,  —  Just wondering.  Do you still think Sarah Palin is ready for the big stage?  —  James L. Somers  —  Good question!

Madigan Declines Senate, Gov Bids  —  Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) will run for re-election to her current post in 2010, according to a Democratic source aware of the decision, ending months of speculation about whether she might make the leap to a Senate or gubernatorial bid.

Introducing the Google Chrome OS  —  It's been an exciting nine months since we launched the Google Chrome browser.  Already, over 30 million people use it regularly.  We designed Google Chrome for people who live on the web — searching for information, checking email, catching up on the news …

Unpersons  —  One of the mysteries of the way issues are covered in much of the news media is how certain views get ruled “out of the mainstream” and just don't get covered — even when many well-informed people hold those views.  —  The most notorious example was during the buildup to the Iraq war …

Health Deals Could Harbor Hidden Costs  —  WASHINGTON — The deals, trumpeted loudly by the White House, would each help pay for a sweeping overhaul of the health care system.  —  First, it was a broad consortium of health industry groups — doctors, hospitals, drug makers and insurers …

Obama girls take Russia by storm  —  MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) — An unexpected visitor wandered into the bedroom of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in the wee hours of Tuesday morning — but the Secret Service wasn't worried about a security breach.

The Obama justice system  —  Spencer Ackerman yesterday attended a Senate hearing at which the DOD's General Counsel, Jeh Johnson, testified.  As Ackerman highlighted, Johnson actually said that even for those detainees to whom the Obama administration deigns to give a real trial in a real court …

Henry Waxman: GOP ‘rooting against’ USA  —  Waxman: GOP ‘rooting against’ USA  —  Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who has had an eventful couple of weeks to say the least, believes House Republican opposition to climate change legislation and the stimulus indicates they're cheering against the good ol' US of A.

Democratic Leader Laughs at Idea That House Members Would Actually Read Health-Care Bill Before Voting On It  —  Washington (CNSNews.com) - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Tuesday that the health-care reform bill now pending in Congress would garner very few votes if lawmakers actually …

Obama makes pointed quip on Russian sale of Alaska  —  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Visiting U.S. President Barack Obama made a pointed quip Tuesday about Russia's sale of Alaska to the United States in the 19th century.  —  Referring to the long history of Russia-U.S. trade stretching back more than two centuries …

G-8 Nations Fail to Agree on Plan to Fight Climate Change  —  L'AQUILA, Italy — The world's major industrial nations and newly emerging powers failed to agree Wednesday on specific cuts in heat-trapping gases by 2050, undercutting an effort to build a global consensus to fight climate change, according to people following the talks.

Leaders Press Case for Unity  —  Democrats Face Reality of 60  —  Senate Democratic leaders have stepped up the pressure on their rank and file to unify on procedural votes after finally gaining a filibuster-proof majority, but centrists who have long been headaches for the leadership are so far refusing to commit to the strategy.

In Retooled Health-Care System, Who Will Set Limits?  —  The question came from a Colorado neurologist.  “Mr. President,” he said at a recent forum, “what can you do to convince the American public that there actually are limits to what we can pay for with our American health-care system?

Legislation on innovative drugs is key to health reform  —  More than 60 years after President Harry Truman called on Congress to provide Americans the “opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health” and “protection or security against the economic effects of sickness,” we are still fighting for healthcare reform.

The Barry Archives Voicemails reveal depths of councilmember's obsession with girlfriend.  —  Listen: Recorded voicemails left by Marion Barry for Donna Watts-Brighthaupt.  (Transcripts)  —  Clip 1:  —  Get the Flash Player to see the podcast player.  —  Clip 2:  —  Clip 3:  —  Clip 4:

What happened to those bad bank assets?  So far, nothing  —  WASHINGTON — In March, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner unveiled a Public-Private Investment Program in which the government and private firms would bid together to purchase toxic assets from banks, freeing them to increase lending and help revive the economy.

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.

If You Don't Hate the Cap and Trade Bill, Let Me Show You Section 304.  —  I bet you thought that if you bought a house, you actually own it and can, with reasonable exceptions, do with it what you want.  You probably think that if you want to live in a log cabin, with wood stoves that belch smoke …

Cyberattacks Hit U.S. and South Korean Web Sites  —  SEOUL, South Korea — Cyberattacks that have crippled the Web sites of several major American and South Korean government agencies since the July 4th holiday weekend appear to have been launched by a hostile group or government …

GOP war-games Sotomayor hearings  —  Senate Republicans are finalizing their line of attack against Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, casting the nominee as a biased, closed-minded judge who's on the wrong side of gun rights and affirmative action cases.

Fired Inspector General Angered Board With Accusations, Meeting Notes Show  —  Notes from a contentious meeting of the board of the Corporation for National and Community Service are sure to raise more questions on Capitol Hill about whether the firing of Inspector General Gerald Walpin …

Economic factors tap the brakes on traffic congestion  —  Experts say slight reduction represents a temporary lull, not a trend  —  As goes the American economy, so goes the traffic.  —  Though it might have been hard to notice, traffic congestion took a break from its worsening trend …