Strauss-Kahn Case Faces Test in Hearing  —  The sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn is on the verge of collapse as investigators have uncovered major holes in the credibility of the housekeeper who charged that he attacked her in his Manhattan hotel suite in May, according to two well-placed law enforcement officials.

Minnesota government begins historic shutdown  —  Dayton renewed his call to tax the rich; GOP pointed to harm of long-term debt.  The governor and legislative leaders worked into the evening in a last-ditch bid for resolution.  —  Talks imploded Thursday between DFL Gov. Mark Dayton …

Two Top Republican Lawmakers Form Unusual Bond  —  WASHINGTON — When Speaker John A. Boehner was pressed on whether he shared Senator Mitch McConnell's view on wringing savings out of Medicare in the continuing debt limit fight, he hardly waited for the questioner to finish.

Fact checking a claim on tax breaks  —  'I think it's only fair to ask an oil company .... to give up a tax break,' Obama said.  —  AP Photo  —  President Obama used oil barons and corporate jet owners to anchor his opposition to Republicans' demands on taxes in his press conference on Wednesday.

Employees had been increasingly troubled by Gingrich's Tiffany purchases  —  Employees of presidential candidate Newt Gingrich grew increasingly concerned in recent years about their boss's purchases from luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co., worried that if he followed through on plans to run …

Union curbs rescue a Wisconsin school district  —  “This is a disaster,” said Mark Miller, the Wisconsin Senate Democratic leader, in February after Republican Gov. Scott Walker proposed a budget bill that would curtail the collective bargaining powers of some public employees.

To the Limit  —  In about a month, if nothing is done, the federal government will hit its legal debt limit.  There will be dire consequences if this limit isn't raised.  At best, we'll suffer an economic slowdown; at worst we'll plunge back into the depths of the 2008-9 financial crisis.

Senate GOP mocks president with video of Obama on golf course  —  Senate Republicans on Friday said President Obama should look in the mirror before questioning their work ethic.  —  The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the Senate GOP's campaign arm, released a Web video …

Glenn Beck to move to Texas; rents $20,000-a-month house  —  New Yorkers better get their heckling in fast, because Glenn Beck is headed for the Lone Star State.  —  The TV host and commentator recently sold his New Canaan, Conn., mansion, to Maura Abeln Smith, recently named general counsel of PepsiCo, for $3.6 million.

Why Mark Halperin Is a D—k  —  The political commentator erred in speaking disrespectfully of the president.  His far greater sin: being so cowed by conservatives that he's offended by Obama's mild poke at the GOP.  —  Here's why Mark Halperin is a disgrace.

Geithner Exit Would Add to Vacancies in Top Economic Posts  —  Even before Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner made noises about stepping down, the number of vacancies in top economic posts within the Obama administration was stunning. … Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair is on her way out.

Section 4 Of The 14th Amendment Was Designed To Stop Boehner  —  Kevin Drum is skeptical that the Obama administration would really be within its rights to ignore the debt ceiling: … Jack Balkin delves into the legislative history and shows why the 14th Amendment has a provision guaranteeing …

The Peril of Deep Defense Cuts  —  Our country has taken an axe to the national security budget after every war of the 20th century.  And every time we later regretted it.  —  Today Leon Panetta will take the oath to become our nation's 23rd secretary of defense.

Firefighters union throws cold water on 9-11 float  —  These days, almost anything can get caught in the blender of Wisconsin's union politics.  —  It can even happen to a Fourth of July parade float honoring firefighters and cops killed on Sept. 11, 2001.

Mika: ‘Morning Joe’ Being Pressured To Invite More Pro-Obama Flacks  —  Jay Carney admits calling MSNBC yesterday to complain about Mark Halperin's crack [that we were first to report] that the President, at his Wednesday press conference, acted like a “d—k.”

Cory Maye To Be Released From Prison … MONTICELLO, Miss. — After 10 years of incarceration, and seven years after a jury sentenced him to die, 30-year-old Cory Maye will soon be going home.  Mississippi Circuit Court Judge Prentiss Harrell signed a plea agreement Friday morning …