In Ordinary Lives, U.S. Sees the Work of Russian Agents  —  WASHINGTON — They had lived for more than a decade in American cities and suburbs from Seattle to New York, where they seemed to be ordinary couples working ordinary jobs, chatting to the neighbors about gardening and schools, apologizing for noisy teenagers.

From Washington Post To NBCU: Dave Weigel Joins MSNBC As Paid Contributor  —  Team Weigel rejoice - it didn't take Dave Weigel very long to land on his feet after he resigned last week from The Washington Post.  —  Tonight at the end of Countdown, Keith Olbermann introduced new “MSNBC contributor” Dave Weigel.

Tennant Statement On Procedure To Fill Vacant Senate Seat  —  “Hello I am West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant.  —  “This is a sad time for our state.  I want to express my condolences to Senator Byrd's family.  I also want to express my condolences to the people of West Virginia.

Justices Rule Against Group That Excludes Gay Students  —  WASHINGTON — A public law school did not violate the First Amendment by withdrawing recognition from a Christian student group that excluded gay students, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday in a 5-to-4 decision.

Gen. McChrystal Tells Army He Will Retire  —  In this Jan. 20, 2010 file photo, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, then Commander of the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) and Commander of United States Forces in Afghanistan, arrives to attend at the 13th Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) Meeting in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Steve Forbes celebrates Robert Byrd's death: ‘Good news’ for Wall Street.  —  News of Sen. Robert Byrd's (D-WV) death has been met with an outpouring of reverence for his distinguished career, with even political opponents, like Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), praising Byrd's …

Sex complaint against Gore is detailed, credible; Could this be Gore's real ‘Inconvenient Truth’?  —  The allegation that Al Gore sexually assaulted a woman in a Portland, Ore., hotel room nearly four years ago has dealt a serious blow to the former vice president's story that he and wife Tipper simply …

The Triumphant Decline of the WASP  —  FIVE years ago, the Supreme Court, like the United States, had a plurality of white Protestants.  If Elena Kagan — whose confirmation hearings begin today — is confirmed, that number will be reduced to zero, and the court will consist of six Catholics and three Jews.

OKAY, having quickly skimmed the McDonald opinion, a few thoughts.  —  First, it's 5-4.  Though a pro-gun-rights opinion may pacify the gun-rights crowd to a degree, the closeness of these decisions is likely to keep them active in upcoming elections.  —  Second, it shows how little influence legal academics have.

Russ Feingold's Bad Choice  —  In the wake of a historic economic collapse caused largely by a financial industry allowed to run rampant, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.) has decided to vote in favor of doing nothing at all to address this: … Can I vent for a minute?  I know Feingold is proud of his inconoclastic reputation.

In Ireland, a Picture of the High Cost of Austerity  —  DUBLIN — As Europe's major economies focus on belt-tightening, they are following the path of Ireland.  But the once thriving nation is struggling, with no sign of a rapid turnaround in sight.  —  Nearly two years ago …

Post fallout  —  Jeffrey Goldberg last week quoted an anonymous friend at the Post trashing “these bloggers” the Post brought on board, who “trade on the name” of the Post when they're not “reporters.”  —  Greg Sargent fires back across the newsroom:  —  Time for those who are anonymously dissing …

Daley Vows New Gun Ordinances  —  As expected, Mayor Daley and Chicago's City Council are circling the wagons to defend against an unfavorable decision by the Supreme Court concerning the city's gun ban.  —  Daley said the city would have in place a new ordinance aimed at making it difficult to purchase and own a gun in Chicago.

Rand Paul refuses to say how old the earth is  —  I attended a fancy Christian Homeschool Educators of Kentucky (CHEK) conference on Friday, where Liberty Christ himself showed up to give a sermon and answer (and dodge) a few questions.  —  Here is the question and answer session:

Reporters Caught on Tape Mocking Palin Speech  —  June 25: Calling it a 'poor man's teleprompter' former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin holds out her palm to show the notes on it while speaking at a fundraising dinner at California State University, Stanislaus.  (AP)

CLS v. Martinez: My First Quick Take  —  I haven't yet had a chance to fully digest the Court's opinion in CLS v. Martinez, so take the following with a grain of salt until I've had a chance to sit down and study the opinion.  (Full disclosure, I'm a senior counsel at the Alliance Defense Fund …

Sheryl Crow: Tea Partiers Are Too ‘Uneducated’ to 'Understand What's Happening on Wall Street'  —  Pop-star and courageous anti-toilet-paper crusader Sheryl Crow apparently has a new political concern: Tea Partiers.  —  The country crooner told CBS journalist Katie Couric that Tea Party members …

Google tries new China move  —  Google has announced a “new approach” in China as it battles with Beijing over censorship.  —  Until recently, the firm had been redirecting search inquiries in China to its unfiltered site in Hong Kong to get round censorship issues.