Romney Support Up; Widens Advantage in 2012 Preferences  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Republicans' support for Mitt Romney as their party's 2012 presidential nominee has increased significantly to 24%, compared with 17% in late May.  As a result, Romney has widened his advantage over Sarah Palin …

‘A Gay Girl in Damascus’ comes clean  —  In recent days, the world has followed closely the saga of Amina Araff, the blogger who presented herself online as “A Gay Girl in Damascus” and who drew attention with her passionate writings about the Syrian government's crackdown on Arab Spring protesters.

Rep. Anthony Weiner finally considering he may have to resign amid sexting scandal, says source  —  WASHINGTON - As a cache of embarrassing new photos appeared Sunday, Rep. Anthony Weiner finally began considering the possibility that he may have to resign.  —  A source close to the congressman told …

Obama Seeks to Win Back Wall St. Cash  —  WASHINGTON — A few weeks before announcing his re-election campaign, President Obama convened two dozen Wall Street executives, many of them longtime donors, in the White House's Blue Room.  —  The guests were asked for their thoughts on how to speed …

F.B.I. Agents Get Leeway to Push Privacy Bounds  —  WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation is giving significant new powers to its roughly 14,000 agents, allowing them more leeway to search databases, go through household trash or use surveillance teams to scrutinize the lives of people who have attracted their attention.

Medicare Saves Money  —  Every once in a while a politician comes up with an idea that's so bad, so wrongheaded, that you're almost grateful.  For really bad ideas can help illustrate the extent to which policy discourse has gone off the rails.  —  And so it was with Senator Joseph Lieberman's proposal …

How educated are state legislators?  —  The Chronicle has looked at where each of the 7,000-plus state legislators in America went to college - or whether they went at all.  In doing so, we got a glimpse of how the citizens who hold these seats reflect the average American experience.

GOP swings both ways on gay-marriage bill  —  Seven or more Senate Republicans have signaled Gov. Cuomo that they're ready to legalize same-sex marriage, more than enough to put the controversial and historic measure over the top this week, The Post has learned.

Report: States deep in debt, too  —  It's not just the federal government - the states are broke, too.  —  The 50 state governments owe more than $1 trillion in unfunded pension contributions and health care obligations to retired public employees, according to an Associated Press survey of state-level budget data.

U.S. pressuring Netanyahu to accept Obama's peace plan  —  Israeli source says Americans frustrated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for hampering U.S. efforts to stop Palestinians trying UN route to statehood in September.  —  Washington is pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu …

Dole misses being ‘in the eye’ of politics  —  RUSSELL — Decades after retiring from office, commanding the U.S. Senate and twice pursuing a promotion to the White House, former Sen. Bob Dole said he still craves politics.  —  “I miss being in the eye of the storm, trying to work out compromises …

Missing Iraq money may have been stolen, auditors say  —  U.S. Defense officials still cannot say what happened to $6.6 billion, sent by the planeload in cash and intended for Iraq's reconstruction after the start of the war.  —  Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills, pictured last month, has held hearings on waste and fraud in Iraq.

HILL POLL: Politicians, Congress unethical — and getting worse  —  More than two-thirds of voters think the ethical standards of politicians have declined over the past generation, and almost as many say Capitol Hill lawmakers are downright unscrupulous, according to the results of a new poll commissioned by The Hill.

Rick Santorum vs. the internet  —  Candidate grapples with online prank  —  Staff Photo by Grant Morris Former US Senator from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum, center, shakes hands with Steve Bickson, Thursday evening, before the start of a Nashua Republican City Committee meeting at The Crown Plaza in Nashua.

British fear ‘American-style’ healthcare system  —  As leaders debate ways to reform healthcare, politicians repeatedly tell a worried public that Britain will not turn the National Health Service into an ‘American-style’ private system.  —  British Prime Minister David Cameron speaks …

How We're Meeting the Job Creation Challenge  —  The President's Jobs and Competitiveness Council, comprised of 26 private-sector leaders, is developing ideas that will accelerate job growth and improve America's competitiveness.  —  The U.S. economy is resilient, but the inescapable truth …

Newt Gingrich's Sister: He Won't Quit Over Staff Exodus (EXCLUSIVE) … WASHINGTON — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's lesbian half-sister, once one of his most outspoken critics, defended her brother after the mass resignation of his presidential campaign staff, saying those who write off …

Same-Sex Vote Unlikely in California  —  SAN FRANCISCO — It was three years ago this month that thousands of gay couples began to wed in California after the state's highest court legalized same-sex marriage, setting off a joyous — if short-lived — period for supporters.