Palin Plots Her Next Move  —  Sarah Palin hasn't jumped into the race for the White House (yet), but she believes the prize is there for the taking.  In a conversation with Peter J. Boyer, Palin warns Boehner not to raise the debt ceiling, proclaims that Obama is beatable—and says the 2012 field is far from settled.

Sen. McConnell: ‘Nobody Is Talking About Not Raising The Debt Ceiling’ In Congress  —  Senate Minority Leader Republican Mitch McConnell discussed the debt ceiling negotiations with Bret Baier on Fox News Sunday.  McConnell was in agreement with Speaker John Boehner's decision not to support …

The disappearing black middle class  —  Princeton Professor Cornel West (center) eagerly shakes the hand of President Barack Obama in June 2010.  Today, West calls Obama “a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs.”  Pablo Martinez Monsivais~AP  —  Millions of Americans endured financial calamities in the recession.

Pawlenty: Science ‘In Dispute’ Over Whether Gays ‘Born This Way’  —  This morning on Meet The Press, David Gregory pressed GOP presidential candidate Gov. Tim Pawlenty about his recent remarks that he likes Lady Gaga's song “Born This Way,” asking if he believes being gay is a choice.

Most Voters Think President Obama is More Liberal Than They Are  —  As they have consistently, voters continue to believe that President Obama is more liberal than they are, though that number has reached a new low.  —  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% …

Italian Debt Adds to Fears In Euro Zone  —  LONDON — Top European officials planned to meet on Monday to wrestle with threats to the currency union as fears mounted that Italy could become a victim of the debt crisis even as discussions stalled over a second bailout for Greece.

Obama: Budget agreement needed in 10 days  —  Treasury Secretary Geithner urges GOP not to ‘walk away’ on talks  —  Below:  —  WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said he and Congress “need to” agree on a budget deal in 10 days in order to meet an Aug. 2 deadline to increase …

Kirkland 6-year-old patted down by TSA agents  —  A Kirkland family has filed a complaint claiming their 6-year-old son was singled out by TSA for a hand-search.  KING 5's Tonya Mosley has the story.

Mass. city to pay wedded gay workers to offset tax  —  CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—When the city of Cambridge issues paychecks to its public employees, nearly two dozen workers find a federal tax on their income that their colleagues don't have to pay.  —  Like many people, these 22 school …

Stop Obama's Egyptian Tank Sale  —  While everyone in Washington was concentrating on the debt crisis this week, the Obama administration attempted to slip through a questionable arms deal that requires serious scrutiny.  Though it got little attention, the Defense Department officially notified Congress …

Petraeus Confident as He Leaves Afghanistan  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — Just days away from the end of his tour as the supreme military commander in Afghanistan, and the end of a 37-year military career, Gen. David H. Petraeus said he was leaving in the belief that his plan to turn around the war …

Why We Need the New News Environment to be Chaotic  —  The business environment for newspapers continues to be grim.  Pew recently reported that advertising revenue rebounded in 2010 for all forms of media, except newspapers.  * This might just be a matter of transitioning from print …

Gawker's John Cook Attempts to Out CIA Agent Who Helped Kill Bin Laden  —  John Cook of Gawker attempted this week to out the CIA staffer who spearheaded the effort to kill Osama bin Laden.  —  In a post titled “Is This the Guy Who Killed Bin Laden?”  Cook attempts to isolate the staffer …

Can jobs news get worse?  Just wait and see  —  If you are an American looking for work — no, make that pleading to be allowed to earn a living — you already know this: the job market is even worse than Washington is telling us.  And Washington yesterday told us that the employment situation is just plain ugly.