Boehner Says The Debt Limit Increase Is Obama's Problem  —  Speaker of the House John Boehner introduced a new argument to the debt ceiling and deficit reduction talks Tuesday, saying raising the borrowing limit is Republicans' concession in the negotiations.  —  “This debt limit increase is [Obama's] problem,” he said.

Ron Paul won't seek congressional term in 2012  —  LAKE JACKSON — After serving almost 24 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Ron Paul told The Facts this morning he will not be seeking another term for the District 14 seat.  —  Paul, 75, will instead focus on his quest for the presidency in 2012.

Half Brother of Afghan President Is Killed in Kandahar  —  By ALISSA J. RUBIN, CARLOTTA GALL and RUHULLAH KHAPALWAK  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — The powerful half brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai was shot dead on Tuesday by a close family associate, according to Karzai family friends who were nearby.

Fresh doubt cast on Obama's health care story  —  During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama often discussed his mother's struggle with cancer.  Ann Dunham spent the months before her death in 1995, Obama said, fighting with insurance companies that sought to deny her the coverage she needed to pay for treatment.

Police reports show different side of Michele Bachmann  —  From complaining about her house being egged to filing a report that she was being held “against my will” in a public restroom, Michele Bachmann has left a trail of police reports showing a seldom-seen side of a presidential candidate.

Bachmann: I'm ‘Very Proud’ Of Husband's Ex-Gay Therapy Clinics  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) refused to comment on her husband's Christian counseling clinics, dodging a question from a local ABC News reporter in Iowa about new video evidence showing one counselor telling a gay patient …

The Magic Lever  —  The world economy is a complex, unknowable organism.  Most of us try to diversify our investments and balance risk and security to protect against the unexpected.  —  But a few years ago a group of bankers thought they had the magic tool to help them master financial trends and predict the future.

Education Omaha Schools Spend $130,000 in Stimulus Money to Buy 8,000 ‘Social Justice’ Diversity Manuals  —  If I told you that your tax dollars (130,000 of them) went to buying a “diversity” manual that asserts the government and other institutions create advantages that …

Utah's Huntsman passes on S.C. senator's pledge  —  GREER — Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who would like to be the Republican nominee in the White House race, said Tuesday he's not about to sign the spending limit pledge that a South Carolina senator has turned into a threshold test for 2012 presidential hopefuls seeking his support.

Darrell Issa questions White House's 2012 actions  —  House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa is probing what he sees as signs of an unseemly overlap between President Barack Obama's official and political activities.  —  In what could be considered the committee's sharpest probe …

Israel parliament passes anti-boycott bill  —  Israel's parliament has passed a controversial bill making it illegal for any citizen advocating a boycott of Israel or West Bank settlements.  —  The Knesset voted 47-38 in favour after a stormy debate, during which opposition members accusing …

Unruly passenger on flight diverted to Cleveland faces federal charges  —  Passenger helps flight crew restrain suspect  —  Last Updated: 14 hours and 16 minutes ago  —  CLEVELAND - The unruly passenger who caused a commercial jet flying from Chicago to Germany to divert to Cleveland Friday is facing federal charges.

The Future Deficit Can Inherently Exists In The Future  —  Kicking the can down the road is generally understood to be a bad thing.  But it's crucial to note that in the context of discussion of America's long-term structural deficit, the can in question inherently exists in the future.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Thinks We're Still in the Bush Era  —  Another day, another chart from the “non-partisan” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on what “accounts” for the public debt.  At some level, these exercises are silly: all prior legislation could be equally said to …

Obama: Job Losses Prove Stimulus Worked  —  (CNSNews.com) - Three days after the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the national unemployment rate had ticked up from 9.1 percent in May to 9.2 percent in June, President Barack Obama said that the loss of jobs in the public sector is …

Gordon Brown Says Newspaper Hired ‘Known Criminals’  —  LONDON — Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown brought new and alarming charges on Tuesday to the broadening scandal enveloping Rupert Murdoch's media empire in Britain, accusing one of the most prestigious newspapers in the group of employing …

Bachmann opens door to raising debt limit — if it repeals healthcare bill  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) opened the door to voting to raise the debt ceiling on Monday — in the extraordinarily unlikely instance that it's tied to a repeal of President Obama's healthcare law.

GOP looks for special election upset  —  Republicans are hopeful they can pick off a Los Angeles-based House seat long held by Democrats in Tuesday's special election.  —  The odds are against their candidate, businessman Craig Huey, but he's surprised observers on both sides of the aisle by making the race closer than expected.

Polygamist, Under Scrutiny in Utah, Plans Suit to Challenge Law  —  Kody Brown is a proud polygamist, and a relatively famous one.  Now Mr. Brown, his four wives and 16 children and stepchildren are going to court to keep from being punished for it.  —  The family is the focus of a reality TV show …

Not over 'til ex-first lady sings  —  Michelle Paterson, former governor David Paterson's wife, is writing a book.  —  “It's about getting thrown into being first lady.  How the press treated us.  About those who served David and who didn't.  All from my own perspective.  I don't include anyone else's thinking.

Wisconsin recall elections underway  —  (CNN) - Wisconsin will hold its first recall election of state senators Tuesday with Democratic primaries in six districts Republicans currently hold, kicking off a series of elections that are the result of the state battle over collective bargaining rights …

Bill Maher To Piers Morgan: I Hope Sarah Palin And Michele Bachmann ‘Split the MILF Vote’  —  Bill Maher braved an hour with Piers Morgan tonight, fielding tough political questions that as host he can usually manage to avoid- questions like “who have you voted for?” and “is America less racist today?”

U.S. Jobless Numbers Dragging Obama Down in Florida  —  Romney beats president in hypothetical match-up as independents swing toward GOP  —  A slipping economy has Floridians moving away from President Barack Obama and warming up to Republican Mitt Romney, a Sunshine State News Poll shows.

TIR Poll: Look Out for Chris Christie  —  While Michele Bachmann is the frontrunner in the Iowa Caucuses, she has yet to seal the deal with Iowa caucus goers.  TheIowaRepublican.com poll shows that Bachmann is head and shoulders above the current crop of candidates campaigning in Iowa …

2nd Living Recipient Awarded Medal of Honor  —  At a White House ceremony later today, Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry, an Army Ranger, will become only the second living recipient of the Medal of Honor for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Petry lost his right hand while throwing a live grenade away from his fellow soldiers.

Treasury Sec. Geithner Expects Agreement on Broad Outline for Deficit Reduction by End of the Week  —  ABC News' Amy Bingham reports:  —  Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said today that he expects the president and congressional leaders to reach an agreement on a broad outline for deficit reduction by the end of the week.