Obama and Boehner Close to Major Deal, Officials Say  —  WASHINGTON —The Obama administration has informed Democratic Congressional leaders that President Obama and Speaker John A. Boehner were starting to close in on a major budget deal that would enact substantial spending cuts …

Pentagon to Certify It is Ready to End 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'  —  Top defense officials plan to certify Friday that the Pentagon is ready to end the ban on gays serving openly in the military, officials said, a landmark moment after almost two decades of controversy.

Pritzker turns heat lamps on striking Hyatt workers  —  It was already approaching 100° at 8 a.m. when I arrived at the Park Hyatt where, after 22 months of stalled negotiations, hotel workers were staging a one-day picket to protest the hotel chain's intolerable treatment of their housekeeping staff.

Greece defaults  —  The latest Greek bailout is done — the official statement is here — and it involves Greece going into “selective default,” which is, yes, a kind of default.  —  I can't remember a major financial story which has been covered so inadequately by the financial press.

ABC Sports says Pawlenty violated copyright with ‘Miracle on Ice’ footage  —  ABC Sports may slap presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty with a cease-and-desist letter for improperly using its footage in a political advertisement, a company official told The Des Moines Register today.

Emmett Tyrrell Bachmann and the Pope  —  WASHINGTON — It seems Rep. Michele Bachmann is under increased scrutiny for her religious views, even as she climbs ever higher in the presidential polls.  With tea party support, she is now No. 2 in the Republican polls even though she has been in the race for only a short time.

G.O.P. Governors Swing Right, Leaving Voters Behind  —  If the states are laboratories of democracy, then the Republican Party's research pipeline has run dry.  Moderate Republican governors, a thriving species before last year's elections, are all but extinct.

U.S. loses $1.3 billion in exiting Chrysler  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — U.S. taxpayers likely lost $1.3 billion in the government bailout of Chrysler, the Treasury Department announced Thursday.  —  The government recently sold its remaining 6% stake in the company to Italian automaker Fiat …

Credit agencies warn GOP of ‘death spiral’  —  House Republicans were warned Thursday in a closed door meeting with credit rating agency officials that a “death spiral” in the bond market was possible in the event of default.  —  One official warned that a default on the nation's credit …

Gay ‘Barbarians’ Demand Ex-Gay ‘Discipline’ From Bachmann Clinic  —  Today a group of gay “barbarians” descended upon Marcus Bachmann's Christian counseling center to protest the harmful ex-gay therapy offered there.  During a radio interview in 2010, Bachmann compared gay people to “barbarians” who need to be “disciplined.”

Barack Obama is gutting the core principles of the Democratic party  —  The president's attacks on America's social safety net are destroying the soul of the Democratic party's platform  —  In 2005, American liberals achieved one of their most significant political victories of the last decade.

It's Hotter Than It Used to Be; It's Not as Hot as It's Going to Be  —  Holy crap it's hot.  People, animals, and crops are dying.  —  But not only is it hot, it's hotter than it used to be.  And it's our fault.  Welcome to the future of climate change.

A top aide to Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin supplied an answer last year to a thorny question a friendly witness would face the next day at a pivotal hearing on for-profit colleges, raising questions of witness tampering, an email obtained by The Daily Caller shows.

Widower to Conservative Org: I Won't Be Needing Your Services  —  Ron Wallen, who testified at Wednesday's Senate DOMA hearing  —  During Wednesday's historic Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Defense of Marriage Act, Ron Wallen, a 77-year-old veteran and resident of Indio, Calif. …

Allen West Refuses To Apologize, Blames Military Background For His Insulting Remarks  —  Facing a barrage of criticism, Rep. Allen West (R-FL) remains defiant and says he won't apologize to DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) for a disparaging email in which he called her “vile …

Rick Perry Accuses Obama Of Leaving Astronauts To ‘Hitchhike Into Space’  —  ABC News' Michael Falcone (@michaelpfalcone) reports:  —  As America bids farewell to the space shuttle era on Thursday, likely presidential candidate Rick Perry appears none too pleased with the Obama administration …

Huntsman campaign manager Susie Wiles resigns  —  Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman's (R) presidential campaign manager, Susie Wiles, is resigning and will be replaced by communications director Matt David, according to the campaign.  —  Huntsman is announcing the changes to his staff at a meeting this afternoon.

Williams on NPR: Elitist and white  —  No single person has had a greater impact on National Public Radio in the past year than Juan Williams.  —  The political wildfire started by his firing ultimately took down the media organization's CEO, top news executive and top fundraiser …