Trump collapses  —  Donald Trump has had one of the quickest rises and falls in the history of Presidential politics.  Last month we found him leading the Republican field with 26%.  In the space of just four weeks he's dropped all the way down to 8%, putting him in a tie for fifth place with Ron Paul.

Osama Bin Laden Son Missing From SEAL Raid, Pakistan Says  —  One of Osama bin Laden's sons went missing in the midst of the Navy SEAL raid that took the life of the al Qaeda leader more than a week ago, Pakistani security officials told ABC News today.  —  The officials said bin Laden's three wives …

Wonkbook: Boehner's debt-ceiling demands  —  (Kathy Willens - AP) In a speech before a Wall Street crowd on Monday, John Boehner laid out the three legs of the GOP's opening bid on the debt ceiling.  They are:  —  1) “Without significant spending cuts and reforms to reduce our debt, there will be no debt limit increase.

The Tragedy of Sarah Palin  —  From the moment Sarah Palin's acceptance speech electrified the Republican convention, she was seen as an unbending, hard-charging, red-meat ideologue—to which soon was added “thin-skinned” and “vindictive.”  But a look at what Palin did while in office in Alaska …

Republican rift widens on Medicare  —  A deep rift is opening wider and wider in the Republican Party over controversial proposals to cut Medicare.  —  Senate Republicans have decided to avoid jeopardizing their chances of capturing the upper chamber in next year's elections and will not echo …

Billionaire's role in hiring decisions at Florida State University raises questions  —  A conservative billionaire who opposes government meddling in business has bought a rare commodity: the right to interfere in faculty hiring at a publicly funded university.

The Missing Fifth  —  In 1910, Henry Van Dyke wrote a book called “The Spirit of America,” which opened with this sentence: “The Spirit of America is best known in Europe by one of its qualities — energy.”  —  This has always been true.  Americans have always been known for their manic dynamism.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver announce separation  —  The former first lady has moved out after 25 years of marriage.  Maria Shriver helped bolster Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign against charges that he groped women during his movie career.  —  Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver …

Gingrich Run Reflects His Sense of History  —  Whatever can Newt Gingrich be thinking?  —  That's the question a lot of political handicappers are asking now that Newt, as he is universally known in Washington, has decided to enter the 2012 campaign, with an announcement expected on Wednesday.

GOP Sen. Rand Paul questions whether White House has ‘enemies list’  —  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) asked Tuesday if the White House had an “enemies list” in light of the National Labor Relations Board's complaint against Boeing for moving some of its operations to South Carolina.

The myth of American exceptionalism  —  “The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line,” W.E.B. Du Bois wrote in 1903 — and I will not quibble.  But the problem of the 21st century is the problem of culture, not just the infamous “culture of poverty” but what I would call the culture of smugness.

59% Favor Cutoff of Federal Funds to Sanctuary Cities  —  New legislation being considered by the House would stop all federal funding for cities that give sanctuary to illegal immigrants, and most voters like the idea.  But very few believe Congress is likely to pass such a measure.

Liberals in southern Arizona seek to form new state  —  TUCSON, Arizona (Reuters) - A long-simmering movement by liberal stalwarts in southern Arizona to break away from the rest of the largely conservative state is at a boiling point as secession backers press to bring their longshot ambition to the forefront of Arizona politics.

“Very Positive”: Fox News' Smear Of “Vile Rapper” Common Debunked By Own Reporting  —  Conservatives such as Fox News, the Daily Caller and Sarah Palin are criticizing the White House's invitation to rapper Common for a poetry event over the purported vulgarity of his lyrics.

Gingrich Set to Run, With Wife in Central Role  —  WASHINGTON — Callista Bisek's friends from rural Wisconsin were stunned when, well over a decade ago, she confided that she was secretly dating an older, married man: Newt Gingrich.  —  Still in her 20s when they met …

CNN Poll: Democrats up 50-46 percent in battle for House  —  Washington (CNN) - It's one of the storylines for 2012: Can the Democrats win back control of the House of Representatives?  —  A new poll suggests that they may have a chance.  —  Full results (pdf)

Saving the American Dream: The Heritage Plan to Fix the Debt, Cut Spending, and Restore Prosperity  —  Saving the American Dream is The Heritage Foundation's plan to fix the debt, cut spending and, above all, restore prosperity.  It balances the nation's budget within a decade—and keeps it balanced.

Hillary Clinton: Chinese System Is Doomed, Leaders on a 'Fool's Errand'  —  In an exclusive interview, the secretary of state says Beijing's human rights record is “deplorable” and it is “trying to stop history” by opposing the advance of democracy  —  In my latest Atlantic cover story …