Weiner says he has no plans to resign following sexting scandal  —  A defiant Rep. Anthony Weiner said today that he's not resigning.  —  In an exclusive interview with The Post, Weiner, 46, said the sexting scandal that has plagued him for the past week is not reason enough to give up his House seat.

Mitt Romney: No apologies on climate change stance  —  Mitt Romney won't be doing any apology tours on climate change.  —  The early GOP presidential front-runner has broken with his party's conservative ranks to declare global warming a real threat to the planet that merits some sort of action to curb heat-trapping emissions.

Obama Team Eyes Payroll Tax Break for Employers  —  President Barack Obama's advisers have discussed seeking a temporary cut in the payroll taxes businesses pay on wages as they debate ways to spur hiring amid signs that the recovery is slowing, according to people familiar with the matter.

Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Climb in the U.S.  —  U.S. initial jobless claims unexpectedly rose last week, a sign that the labor market is struggling to gain traction.  —  Jobless claims increased by 1,000 to 427,000 in the week ended June 4, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington.

U.S. Is Intensifying a Secret Campaign of Yemen Airstrikes  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has intensified the American covert war in Yemen, exploiting a growing power vacuum in the country to strike at militant suspects with armed drones and fighter jets, according to American officials.

Paul Ryan Calls For The U.S. To Default On Its Obligations  —  House Republicans have been playing games with the nation's debt ceiling for months, threatening to not raise it — and thus invite all of the adverse economic consequences that would follow — unless they receive various concessions …

Chris Christie draft stirs in South Carolina  —  Multiple South Carolina state representatives plan on holding a news conference next week to urge New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to enter the presidential race.  —  Republican state Rep. Kris Crawford told POLITICO the goal was to entice …

You Left Out the Part About ...  Last weekend, like seemingly half the country, I took my son to see “X-Men: First Class,” the latest, and best, big-screen incarnation of the popular comic book franchise.  —  My son and I represent two generations of X-fans.

Gabrielle Giffords' staffer talks about congresswoman's health  —  Pia Carusone knew the day would come when the questions about her boss, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, would become more indelicate.  —  After answering some of those questions, Carusone, Giffords' chief of staff, told me …

Herman Cain To CBS News: Homosexuality Is ‘A Sin’ And ‘A Choice’  —  In an interview Wednesday with CBS News, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain described homosexuality as “a sin” and “a choice.”  Appearing on the CBS News web program Washington Unplugged, Cain told CBSNews.com …

The ultimate NHS indignity: Body of hospital patient left to die in corridor is ignored for hours... before staff simply drag him away  — ‘He went to them for help and they left him out in the corridor to die’, says Peter Thompson's daughter  —  Nurses casually stepped over a patient as he lay dying on a hospital floor.

Jon Huntsman's no-names strategy  —  Jon Huntsman is trying out a novel strategy: running for president without criticizing the incumbent by name.  —  Since returning from his post as ambassador to China last month, Huntsman has made scant mention of the man who appointed him in May 2009—President Barack Obama.

Massachusetts Republican: Undocumented Immigrant Rape Victims ‘Should Be Afraid To Come Forward’  —  Massachusetts GOP state Rep. Ryan Fattman has such contempt for illegal immigrants that he believes undocumented women who are raped should be afraid to go to the police.

Ann Coulter's book gets Matt Drudge's touch  —  Coulter is promoting her book ‘Demonic: How the LIberal Mob is Endangering America.’  —  There's a flattering photo of Ann Coulter in a form-fitting white dress and pointy red shoes on the cover of her new book — the back cover, that is.

We're Halfway to a Lost Decade  —  Our current slump began a lot earlier than you think.  Which means that we're half way to a lost decade.  —  Many people date the financial crisis as beginning when Lehman collapsed in September 2008.  But the economy was already in recession.

Leona Helmsley's pampered Maltese ‘Trouble,’ one of the world's richest dogs, dies at age 12  —  Leona Helmsley's pampered pooch “Trouble,” who inherited $12 million from the real estate mogul, has died at the age of 12.  —  That's 84 in dog years.  —  Like many Americans …

How a Teachers' Rally Made Me Anti-Education  —  I write this essay with a heavy heart.  —  I've always considered myself an ardent advocate for education.  But a recent rally staged by teachers and students in favor of school funding forced me to reluctantly acknowledge an awful truth:

Confirmed: The Nomination Process Is Broken  —  Even Senate Republicans want to help speed up the presidential appointment process.  —  Dawn Johnsen doesn't want to complain.  It's been one year and two months since she withdrew her nomination to lead the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department.

Is The Phony War Ending?  —  It's not clear whether the recent bad economic numbers signal an ominous trend or a blip in a generally anemic recovery.  But they have focused opinion-makers attention on a signal fact: the US economy, while improved from the near catastrophic state of the winter of 2008-09 …

Don't Hold Your Breath  —  Double dip is not a term that a government keen to extricate itself from the economic-crisis-management business likes to hear.  A couple of weeks ago, the Obama Administration was poised to switch to growth mode.  Then the ugly data started pouring in like the overflowing Mississippi.

Noted during Obama visit, Chet's restaurant to close  —  Facebook Twitter Reddit Digg E-mail Print Rss  —  A small north Toledo eatery whose origins date back to 1923 will close Sunday, just days after being feted in a speech to Chrysler workers by President Obama.

Alaska to Release Palin's E-Mails  —  JUNEAU, Alaska — Sarah Palin is long gone from this capital, what with the new ranch in Arizona and the is-she-running-or-not bus blitz of American heritage landmarks Outside, as Alaskans like to call the other 49 states.

Alabama governor signs nation's toughest immigration law  —  (Reuters) - Republican Governor Robert Bentley on Thursday signed into law a crackdown on illegal immigration in Alabama that both supporters and critics consider the toughest in the nation.  —  Under the new measure …