16 Die in Norway Shooting and Bombing  —  OSLO — Norway suffered two shocking attacks on Friday, when powerful explosions shook the government center in the capital and, shortly after, a gunman stalked youths on an island summer camp for children of members of the governing Labor Party.

Democrats Set Drop-Dead Date For Debt Ceiling Backup Plan  —  President Obama's quest to reach a historic budget agreement with House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) fell into deep doubt Thursday, after a noisy rebellion by Senate Democrats over reports that Obama might hand Republicans the farm …

Pelosi Outlines Revenue-Free Path Forward On Debt Limit Fight  —  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi acknowledged Friday that Democrats may reluctantly accept a last-minute compromise to avoid a default that involves up to $2.5 trillion in spending cuts — without agreed-upon new tax revenues …

Obama 41%, Ron Paul 37%  —  Congressman Ron Paul may be a long shot to win the Republican presidential nomination, but he runs competitively with President Obama right now.  —  The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Paul picking up 37% of the vote, while the president earns 41%.

GOP Makes Big Gains among White Voters  —  Especially among the Young and Poor  —  OVERVIEW  —  As the country enters into the 2012 presidential election cycle, the electorate's partisan affiliations have shifted significantly since Barack Obama won office nearly three years ago.

Obama weighs in on ‘constitutional option’  —  President Obama hosted a town-hall event in College Park, Maryland, this morning, and much of the discussion naturally turned to the debt-ceiling fiasco unfolding on Capitol Hill.  Of particular interest, though, was an exchange about the so-called “Constitutional Option.”

Finally, Certification Issued!  —  Sarvis: We celebrate this day, but the fight for LGB equality in America's military marches forward  —  (Washington, D.C.) Service members today welcomed a key milestone in repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” (DADT), as President Obama, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta …

The Lesser Depression  —  These are interesting times — and I mean that in the worst way.  Right now we're looking at not one but two looming crises, either of which could produce a global disaster.  In the United States, right-wing fanatics in Congress may block a necessary rise in the debt ceiling …

Obama / Nixon  —  Bruce Bartlett says what you're not supposed to say: Obama has governed as a moderate conservative, somewhat to the right of Richard Nixon.  The frothing-at-the-mouth comments are an extra bonus.  —  And it is, of course, true; although Obama defenders would say that he had no option.

The easiest, most effective way to resolve the crisis  —  Someone asked me the other day why President Obama doesn't just ask for a clean debt-ceiling bill, instead of engaging in these mind-numbing negotiations.  The truth is, he has asked for a clean bill, repeatedly.

PROVEN!  Congressman Gary Ackerman Has Proof That Global Warming is REAL!  —  Whew!  That solves that.  The debate is now over.  Congressman Gary Ackerman (D-NY) has proved that Global Warming is real!  During a meeting of the House Foreign Affairs committee the Long Island liberal launched …

HHS rejects North Dakota health waiver, approves two others  —  Federal regulators announced Friday that they've rejected North Dakota's request to be exempted from a provision of the healthcare reform law, the first time such a state request has been turned down.

Conceder In Chief  —  Amanda Marcotte is right: of course the big problem is the craziness of the GOP.  That said, I am among those in a state of suppressed rage and panic over the president's negotiating strategy.  —  I'd like to believe that it's all 11-dimensional political chess …