Sarah Palin's Unlikely Supporter  —  ABC News' Sheila Marikar (@SheilaYM) reports from Pella, Iowa:  —  There's the stereotype of the Sarah Palin supporter, and then there's Sonnie Johnson.  —  The 30-year-old African-American mother and wife is featured in “The Undefeated” …

No holiday recess this week  —  President Barack Obama won't be able to make any recess appointments next week because GOP maneuvering has blocked the Senate from adjourning over the Fourth of July break.  —  Under the Constitution, each house of Congress must approve of the other adjourning for more than three days at a time.

Obama's Position on Gay Marriage Faces New Test  —  WASHINGTON — When President Obama's guests arrive at the White House on Wednesday for a Gay Pride reception — just days after New York became the largest state in the country to make same-sex marriage legal — they will no doubt be in a mood to celebrate.

Christie Loses Support for Second Term as Residents Oppose Cuts  —  More than half of New Jersey residents say they wouldn't back Governor Chris Christie for a second term, disapproving of his choices on a range of policy and personal issues, from killing a commuter tunnel to using …

Bank of America to pay $8.5 billion settlement over mortgages  —  NEW YORK — Bank of America and its Countrywide unit will pay $8.5 billion to settle claims that the lenders sold poor-quality mortgage-backed securities that went sour when the housing market collapsed.

Jewish Dems losing faith in Obama  —  David Ainsman really began to get worried about President Barack Obama's standing with his fellow Jewish Democrats when a recent dinner with his wife and two other couples — all Obama voters in 2008 — nearly turned into a screaming match.

Price of U.S. wars: $4.4 trillion?  —  The final bill for U.S. military involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan could be as high as $4.4 trillion, according to a comprehensive new report Tuesday.  —  In the 10 years since American troops were sent into Afghanistan …

Priorities USA launches ads attacking Republicans on Medicare  —  Priorities USA, a Democratic-aligned super PAC run by two former senior aides in the Obama Administration, is launching television ads in five swing states attacking Republicans for their vote to overhaul Medicare.

Kucinich has language problem in Syria  —  Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) gave a press conference in Syria this week and appeared to heap praise upon Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is being widely criticized for the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in that country.

Taliban hotel attack kills at least nine, rattles Afghan capital  —  KABUL — Kamel Khan, 32, a businessman, was chatting with two friends on the poolside terrace of the hilltop Intercontinental Hotel Tuesday night when he heard a burst of gunfire and looked up.

Rudy breaks vows  —  The gay car dealer who opened his home to Rudy Giuliani in 2001 during his humiliating divorce battle says the former mayor offered to preside at his wedding if same-sex marriage were ever legalized — but is now ducking his calls to make good on the offer.

Should Justices Keep Their Opinions to Themselves?  —  ARE there really only nine Supreme Court justices?  —  It seems that everywhere you look, you see one popping up: giving speeches, signing books, leading workshops, posing for pictures at charity functions.

VIDEO: Do Women Need Planned Parenthood?  —  Medicaid Misinformation: Planned Parenthood Caught on Tape Lying About Indiana Healthcare  —  Live Action Launches “Standing with Indiana” Petition  —  June 29, 2011 - Undercover phone calls released today show Planned Parenthood …

The joke of ‘secure Britain’: Vile banned militant extremist strolls through Heathrow immigration as 200 Somalian criminals are allowed to stay due to human rights  — European Court ruling stems from appeals by two asylum seekers convicted of offences including burglary, making threats to kill and drug dealing

Debt-limit delay would jeopardize Social Security payments  —  WASHINGTON — Social Security payments to millions of retirees and people with disabilities could be threatened if President Obama and Congress can't agree to increase the government's debt limit by Aug. 2, a new analysis shows.

Obama Won't Declare ‘Mission Accomplished’ on the Recovery.  Should He Defend It at All?  —  Stanley Greenberg, the Democratic pollster who helped elect President Bill Clinton, South Africa's Nelson Mandela and Israel's Ehud Barak, says all of his clients have had the same, sometimes terrible …

It's So Obvious  —  Believe it or not, Jason is the smartest of the trio.  —  My career in developing large scale systems that allow people to express themselves and communicate started in 1999 with Xanga.  I left after a couple years and got more academic about the democratization of information on the web.

500-lb public piano stolen from Norwood Park in the Bronx  —  Bronx music lovers are singing the blues after a brightly-painted, 500-pound piano - one of 88 installed in parks around the city - was apparently stolen from a Norwood park.  —  Local ivory-ticklers and the group that put …

Tearful Glenn Beck Describes How He And His Family Were Attacked In New York Park  —  “These people were some of the most hateful people I have ever seen,” said a distraught Glenn Beck this morning as he described an altercation he and his family had last night while watching a screening …

In N.H. visit, Bachmann praises moratorium on US income tax  —  GOP hopeful says 1-year halt would boost economy  —  Michele Bachmann, greeting supporters in Raymond, N.H., yesterday, cited the tax moratorium in reply to a question.  (Jim Cole/Associated Press)

Feinstein: Senators close to ethanol deal  —  A trio of senators is nearing agreement on a plan to end a major ethanol tax credit and import tariff while extending incentives for next-wave biofuels.  —  Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said Tuesday that she had reached an agreement with Sens. Amy Klobuchar …