Strauss-Kahn Accuser's Call Alarmed Prosecutors  —  Twenty-eight hours after a housekeeper at the Sofitel New York said she was sexually assaulted by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, she spoke by phone to a boyfriend in an immigration jail in Arizona.  —  Investigators with the Manhattan district …

Herman Cain's top Iowa staff resigns  —  A few days after two senior aides in New England, the other shoe drops on Herman Cain in Iowa: … Cain spokeswoman Ellen Carmichael told POLITICO a few days ago that the New Hampshire staff would be replaced in short order.

Obama: We can't afford to keep every tax break  —  President Obama used his weekly address to reiterate his demand for ending tax breaks for “millionaires and billionaires” in any budget deal to raise the nation's debt limit.  —  “It would be nice if we could keep every tax break, but we can't afford them,” Obama said.

China's Stimulus  —  Word from Prime Minister Wen Jiabao : … Now obviously what Wen doesn't add to that is “and a lot of this new construction is pretty wasteful.”  But the reality is that it is.  People often say that China has a billion people.  But it doesn't.  It has over 1.3 billion people.

Maria Shriver Files for Divorce from Arnold  —  TMZ has learned Maria Shriver has pulled the trigger on her marriage ... she just filed for divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger ... and we've learned, there is NO PRENUP.  —  In the divorce petition, obtained by TMZ, Shriver cites …

White House releases staffers' salaries  —  The top earners in the Obama White House take home $172,200 a year, according to figures posted on whitehouse.gov Friday afternoon.  —  Twenty-one administration officials earn the top salary, including Chief of Staff Bill Daley …

U.S. opposes Mexican's execution  —  Making the unusual move of trying to stop a state execution, the Obama Administration on Friday afternoon urged the Supreme Court to delay temporarily the scheduled execution in Texas next Thursday of a Mexican national, Humberto Leal Garcia …

Swiss party ad features Jewish doll  —  Jewish community outraged: Anti-Semitic group in Geneva distributes ad for independence day party showing doll wearing yarmulke with arrow on its head, Israeli flag painted on  —  Ads promoting an independence party in Geneva featured a doll …

Global Warming Hates The Fourth Of July  —  As fossil fuel pollution heats the planet, one of the casualties is the traditional celebration of the founding of the United States.  The record droughts, floods, and storms fueled by global warming are causing widespread bans on fireworks …

DOJ: Court Should Not Dismiss Karen Golinski's Health Benefits Claim, Should Instead Find DOMA Unconstitutional  —  Today, the Department of Justice filed a brief in federal court employee Karen Golinski's federal court challenge, supporting her lawsuit seeking access to equal health benefits …

Hamas slams Greece for barring Gaza aid ship  —  DAMASCUS — The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Friday denounced Greece after its coastguard intercepted a US vessel which tried to sail to Gaza to break Israel blockade of the coastal strip.  —  In a statement issued by its political leadership …

Sarah Palin Sneak Preview: The Agony of The Undefeated  —  ​There was an advance screening last night of The Undefeated, the new film by Stephen K. Bannon that traces the rise of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin from her early years as mayor of Wasilla to John McCain's 2008 Vice-Presidential candidate …

The Social Security Benefit Cut in the Debt Limit Talks  —  One of the more insidious possibilities in a debt limit deal is the use of something called “chained CPI,” which would result in changes to how the government calculates the annual cost of living adjustment.

Weapons linked to controversial ATF strategy found in Valley crimes  —  PHOENIX - Weapons linked to a questionable government strategy are turning up in crimes in Valley neighborhoods.  —  For months the ABC15 Investigators have been searching through police reports and official government documents.

Pro Perry effort hires former Newt staffer in Iowa  —  The group “Americans for Rick Perry,” which made headlines in the last two days for trying to light a fire for the Texas governor in the form of support at the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa next month, is making hires - including a top former Newt Gingrich staffer, sources told POLITICO.

Pawlenty Raises $4.2 Million, Ron Paul Collects $4.5 Million in Quarter  —  Former Republican Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty raised about $4.2 million during the second quarter in his bid for the White House, his campaign announced Friday afternoon.  That number is respectable …