U.S. Identifies Vast Riches of Minerals in Afghanistan  —  WASHINGTON — The United States has discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the Afghan war itself …

Long Hot Summer Begins: Congressman Attacks Student  —  Maybe it is my Catholic upbringing, but I've always been cursed with a bit too much empathy.  It is often difficult to witness people bearing the full weight of the consequences of their decisions, even when it is richly deserved.

Near-Record 49% Say Democratic Party “Too Liberal”  —  More Americans than in 2009 say Republican Party's views are about right  —  PRINCETON, NJ — In the past two years, Americans have become increasingly likely to describe the Democratic Party's views as “too liberal” (49%), and less likely to say its views are “about right” (38%).

Angle: Reid ‘waterboarded’ economy  —  Nevada GOP Senate nominee Sharron Angle said Monday that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has “waterboarded” the economy.  —  Speaking during an interview on “Fox & Friends,” Angle said that her powerful Democratic opponent has “truly failed,” especially when it comes to the economy.

Obama Tells Politico the Oil Spill is Like 9-11... Then Goes Golfing for 4 Hours  —  Barack Obama told The Politico this morning that the Gulf oil spill was like 9-11.  —  Then he went golfing for 4 hours.  —  Fore!  —  The Hill reported: … Leadership.

Lawmakers' committee assignments and industry investments overlap  —  Rep. Ron Paul is captivated by gold.  Over the past two decades, he has written books about the virtues of gold-backed currency.  He has made uncounted speeches about the precious metal.

Olson surprises many conservatives by seeking to overturn gay-marriage ban  —  Cocktails had been served on the terrace, the ubiquitous Washington buffet of tenderloin and salmon consumed, and the gay law students settled in to hear from the famed legal mind who is leading the battle to make sure …

Pressed by Obama, BP Weighs Options on Dividend  —  WASHINGTON — Searching for a way to satisfy both the United States government and its own shareholders, the board of BP on Monday was examining three options for what to do with its next dividend, a person with direct knowledge of the board's discussions said.

You're losing your plan  —  Late last week saw the first leaks of the administration's draft regulations for imple menting the ObamaCare law — and everything is playing out just as the critics warned.  —  The 3,000-odd pages of legislation left most of the really important (and controversial) …

Fellow journalists let Helen Thomas down by not reining her in  —  There she goes again.  —  That was the eye-rolling reaction in the White House pressroom when Helen Thomas would go off on one of her rants about the Middle East.  She had been there for so long, was so admired by female journalists …

Suicide watchman saves scores at death spot  —  A former life insurance salesman has “sold life” to scores of people trying to end it all at Australia's most notorious suicide spot.  —  In nearly 50 years Don Ritchie, 84, has saved at least 160 people at The Gap, a rocky cliff at the entrance …

Fannie-Freddie Fix at $160 Billion With $1 Trillion Worst Case  —  The cost of fixing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage companies that last year bought or guaranteed three-quarters of all U.S. home loans, will be at least $160 billion and could grow to as much as $1 trillion after the biggest bailout in American history.

How to Think About Oil Spills  —  The perils of overreaction.  —  T  —  his article needs to begin with a big mea culpa.  In the April 26 edition of The Weekly Standard (which went to press on April 16), I wrote: “Improvements in drilling technology have greatly reduced the risk of the kind …

Boring Politics, Please  —  The American political system wasn't built to handle showdowns, culture wars, crises of legitimacy, or bids for total power.  —  In a column last April that had a subtle but profound influence on the financial-regulation debate, Paul Krugman recalled …

New Rules on Changes to Benefits  —  WASHINGTON — The White House on Monday will issue new rules that strongly discourage employers from cutting health insurance benefits or increasing the costs of coverage to employees, administration officials say.  —  The rules limit the changes …