Levi Johnston Apologizes to Palin Family for ‘Youthful Indiscretion’  —  Levi Johnston isn't just getting past his differences with Bristol Palin - he's also hoping to make amends with her famous mom.  —  “Last year, after Bristol and I broke up, I was unhappy and a little angry.

Justice Dept. expected to sue Ariz. on immigration, citing ‘preemption’ grounds  —  The Justice Department has decided to file suit against Arizona on the grounds that the state's new immigration law illegally intrudes on federal prerogatives, law enforcement sources said Monday.

Kentucky Senate race knotted  —  Kentucky voters don't think much of Rand Paul and as a result the race to replace Jim Bunning in the Senate is tied.  Paul and Jack Conway are getting 43% each.  —  The more Kentucky voters get to know Rand Paul, the less they like him.

Mayberry Machiavellis: Obama Political Team Handcuffing Recovery  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Under the leadership of President George W. Bush, science, empirical evidence and expert advice struggled to be heard above the din of politics.  It's one thing to prioritize politics over good policy …

Arguments From Authority  —  A quick note on David Brooks's column today.  I have no idea what he's talking about when he says, … Funny, I thought we had a perfectly good explanation: severe downturn in demand from the financial crisis, and a stimulus which we warned from the beginning wasn't nearly big enough.

BREAKING: Former DOJ Officials Stepping Forward to Support J. Christian Adams (Updated)  —  Former DOJ employees want to go on record praising Adams' outstanding work record, and — pay attention, DOJ press liaisons — maybe corroborate Adams' charges about DOJ hostility to race-neutral law enforcement.

McCain favors immigration reform that would deport ‘many’ illegals  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said on Tuesday he would favor immigration reform that would deport most of the residents of the U.S. who are here illegally.  —  McCain, who at one point had been the top Republican advocate …

Confidence Fairies Have Infiltrated The White House  —  I was on Good Morning America this not-so-good morning, doing what I could.  But I was struck by something that George Stephanopoulos said: he claimed to have been speaking to an administration official who asserted that what we need …

Sugary-drink ban starts to affect S.F. sites  —  Coca-Cola is out, and soy milk is now part of San Francisco's official city policy.  —  Under an executive order from Mayor Gavin Newsom, Coke, Pepsi and Fanta Orange are no longer allowed in vending machines on city property, although their diet counterparts are - up to a point.

Obama's worst foreign-policy mistake  —  Given President Obama's glaring domestic policy missteps, it is understandable that the public has largely been blinded to his foreign policy failings.  In fact, these may have been even more damaging to America's future.

Kennedy: I think I'll stick around until 2013  —  Increasingly, Justice Anthony Kennedy has become the most important member of the Supreme Court.  After the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor, Kennedy serves as the swing vote between the conservative and liberal blocs on the Court …

On the Left, A False Choice Fuels The Growing Civil War Over Obama  —  There is a civil war on the left over Barack Obama.  The fault lines are jagged, and depending on the issue, porous, but broadly, the split is along two fronts:  — Those who believe that critiquing - and occasionally opposing …

Healthcare: Democrats up ante  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi is doubling down on healthcare reform, betting that it will do Democrats more good than harm in November's elections.  —  She and her leadership team have seized on new polls that suggest healthcare overhaul's popularity is rising …

Senate candidates leave out current jobs in first campaign ads  —  Reps. Brad Ellsworth (left) and Roy Blunt (right) both released their first TV ads of the campaign season on Tuesday.  —  Washington (CNN) - What do Republican Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri and Democratic Rep. Brad Ellsworth of Indiana have in common?

Why is the American Jobs Machine Broken?  —  The June employment report was decidedly weak, and serves as the latest blow to the V-shapers - if any are even left.  It once again left me feeling that something is very, very wrong at the heart of the American economy, something that is much more structural than cyclical.

GOP Moves Toward West Virginia Suit  —  Top GOP strategists are plotting ways to force WV to hold a special election this year, in hopes of giving the party a better chance to pick off the seat of the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), according to several party sources.

Rare 1970s BP board game promises oil ‘thrills’ comes back to haunt them  —  A rare 1970s BP game - yes, that's the company badge on the box - promises all the ‘thrills of drilling’ offshore, with the first player to earn $120million being crowned the winner.  —  BP - Beyond Parody: The game's cover has an ‘overall sense of doom’.

NASA Official Softens Claim Muslim Outreach Is ‘Foremost’ Mission  —  NASA Administrator Charles Bolden testifies before the House Science and Technology committee on Capitol Hill in Washington May 26.  (Reuters Photo)  —  A NASA official on Tuesday stood by Administrator Charles Bolden's statement …

Police probe death hoaxes  —  At least three Democratic senators have been subjects of false reports of their deaths in the past two days, prompting the U.S. Capitol Police to open an investigation into the matter.  —  Several news outlets received a hoax e-mail news release …

Statement on detainees  —  A statement given by the Prime Minister to the House of Commons on the treatment of terror suspects on 6 July 2010.  —  Read the statement  —  [Check against delivery]  —  Mr. Speaker, I'm sure that the whole House will wish to join me in paying tribute …

U.S. and Israel Shift Attention to Peace Process  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama said Tuesday that he expected direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians to begin “well before” a moratorium on settlement construction expired at the end of September, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu …

The Problem of Credible Commitment  —  As I noted last week, one problem hampering the design of effective discretionary stimulus is fear of the political impact of discoveries of waste, which leads to excessively slow-moving disbursement of funds.  Another problem is in some ways the reverse …