America Goes Dark  —  The lights are going out all over America — literally.  Colorado Springs has made headlines with its desperate attempt to save money by turning off a third of its streetlights, but similar things are either happening or being contemplated across the nation, from Philadelphia to Fresno.

Why I'm Not Hiring  —  When you add it all up, it costs $74,000 to put $44,000 in Sally's pocket and to give her $12,000 in benefits.  —  With unemployment just under 10% and companies sitting on their cash, you would think that sooner or later job growth would take off.  I think it's going to be later—much later.

86 Days to Decide: Activists Say Tea Party Imposters Infiltrating Elections  —  In this April 27 photo, a 'Don't Tread On Me' flag flies over Republican and Tea Party protesters during a rally at Leo O'Laughlin Inc. on the eve of President Obama's visit to Macon, Mo. (AP Photo)

Democrats Duck an Unpopular President  —  Ever had a date you didn't want to introduce to your mother?  —  Bill White knows how you felt.  The Democratic nominee for governor will campaign today in Midland, Abilene and Alvarado.  Where he won't be is in Austin and Dallas …

Some Companies Struggle to Fill Jobs  —  In Bloomington, Ill., machine shop Mechanical Devices can't find the workers it needs to handle a sharp jump in business.  Job fairs run by airline Emirates attract fewer applicants in the U.S. than in other countries.

Dem Gov Primary Too Close To Call As Malloy Closes, Quinnipiac University Connecticut Poll Finds; McMahon Up 22 Points In GOP Senate Primary  —  The Democratic primary for governor in Connecticut is going down to the wire with businessman Ned Lamont at 45 percent and former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy …

TRENDING: Gingrich ramps up Iowa activity  —  Gingrich is stepping up his activities in Iowa.  —  Washington (CNN) - With his busy travel schedule and penchant for wading into heated national debates, Newt Gingrich has gotten plenty of presidential buzz.  —  But the former House speaker …

The Marriage Ideal  —  Here are some commonplace arguments against gay marriage: Marriage is an ancient institution that has always been defined as the union of one man and one woman, and we meddle with that definition at our peril.  Lifelong heterosexual monogamy is natural; gay relationships are not.

Dem pollster Mark Penn raising money for Charlie Crist  —  Big shot Democratic pollster and former Hillary Clinton senior adviser Mark Penn and his wife Nancy Jacobson are hosting a $4,800-per person fundraising reception for Charlie Crist at their Washington home Wednesday.  Here's the invite

SOAK THE VERY, VERY RICH  —  The fight on Capitol Hill over whether to extend the Bush tax cuts is about many things: deficit reduction, economic stimulus, supply-side ideology.  But at its core is a simple question: who counts as rich?  The Obama Administration's answer is that you're rich …

Early Struggles of Soldier Charged in Leak Case  —  CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — He spent part of his childhood with his father in the arid plains of central Oklahoma, where classmates made fun of him for being a geek.  He spent another part with his mother in a small, remote corner of southwest Wales …

Republican Party starts to kill its own: S.C. Rep. Bob Inglis ousted for not hating Obama enough  —  There are landmarks all over our city named after LaGuardia and Javits and Rockefeller, names out of the city's great Republican past, when the party was one of intelligence, not fear-mongering and hate.

Palin's Homer Moment: Celebrity Sarah Confronted by Citizen (WATCH)  —  I'm really proud of my home town.  When I say, “I'm just a girl from Homer” on my blog, radio or television show, I like to think it's not so much self-deprecation as it is a friendly warning.

Franken visit part fact-finding, part politics  —  PINE RIDGE — Lakota artist Joe Pulliam thought Sen. Al Franken's visit to the Oglala Lakota Nation Powwow on Saturday was pure politics, and that was just fine with him.  —  “I liked him from his ‘Saturday Night Live’ days,” Pulliam, 41, said.

The end of responsibility  —  This was the rumor last week.  It sounds laughable.  I don't want to believe it.  The Treasury Department denied it.  —  But when it comes to the Magic Kingdom that is the Obama administration, the fantastical has a way of coming true.

Across Texas, 60,000 babies of noncitizens get U.S. birthright  —  sjacobson@dallasnews.com  —  As Republican members of Congress press for changes to the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, preventing automatic citizenship for babies born to illegal immigrants, opponents insist the debate is not really about babies.

Washington Wire Q & A: Gary Johnson  —  Libertarianism is enjoying a recent renaissance in the Republican Party.  —  Texas GOP Rep. Ron Paul won the presidential straw poll earlier this year at the Conservative Political Action Conference, then his son Rand, running on a largely libertarian platform …

Republicans Ask ‘What Do I Do Now?’  —  Republicans are starting to think about how to answer the Robert Redford question.  —  You know the scene.  In the 1972 movie “The Candidate,” the Redford character, having won the election, turns to his political consultant and asks, “What do I do now?”