Why Romney could be a transformational president  —  One thing my presidential election model can't tell you is what sort of Congress the next president is likely to end up with.  But we can speculate.  —  If Obama wins the election, the odds are that he's facing a Republican House, and perhaps even a Republican Senate.

BREAKING: Gingrich to end White House bid  —  Washington (CNN) - Newt Gingrich will officially end his bid for the Republican presidential nomination and formally express his support for Mitt Romney next week, two sources close to Gingrich tell CNN.  —  While details are still being worked out …

Rural kids, parents angry about Labor Dept. rule banning farm chores  —  A proposal from the Obama administration to prevent children from doing farm chores has drawn plenty of criticism from rural-district member of Congress.  But now it's attracting barbs from farm kids themselves.

Marco Rubio biography says grandfather was ordered deported  —  A forthcoming biography of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is described by author Manuel Roig-Franzia as a “politician who built a political identity on his family story,” reveals an immigration hell for Rubio's Cuban-born maternal grandfather …

An Exclusive Statement from Bo Guagua to The Harvard Crimson  —  Harvard Kennedy School student Bo Guagua corresponded with Crimson staff writers Hana N. Rouse and Justin C. Worland on Tuesday via his Kennedy School and Google email accounts and sent The Crimson a statement, which is published verbatim below.

If You Don't Look Like Obama's Son, No One Cares  —  The news story is horrifying: after a trivial encounter with a group of youths who were playing basketball, a man in Mobile, Alabama, was set upon by a gang of twenty men armed with brass knuckles, chairs, pipes and paint cans.

Obama Campaign Asks Unions to Help Cover Convention Costs  —  President Barack Obama's political advisers are pressing labor unions to contribute to the Democratic convention in September to cover a fundraising shortfall resulting from their self-imposed ban on corporate donations, according to two people familiar with the matter.

What's Wrong with the Ross Douthat Creed  —  Ross Douthat is a very sincere young man who writes a column for the New York Times, and someone who, alas, usually makes David Brooks read like Richard Brautigan, albeit with one memorable exception.  Like many people who were born too late …

Romney Sets Unwanted Record in Sweep of Northeastern Primaries  —  Prior to Romney, no presumptive GOP nominee has failed to win 60 percent of the vote playing out the primary string after his last major challenger exited the race  —  While there was no doubt Mitt Romney would rack …

Obama emphasizes new aspects of life story  —  His talk of his humble beginnings now focuses on the stresses of debt and his grandmother hitting the glass ceiling.  Aides to Republican Mitt Romney say the president is trying to sow division.  —  President Obama at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Morning Jay: 90 Percent of the Electorate Is Probably Locked In  —  An emerging genre in popular commentary on politics is the use of statistical models to predict election results.  Once the domain of academics writing for the scholarly journal P.S., it has become very widespread in recent years.

Woman Spills Yogurt on President in Boulder  —  The president is in Boulder, Colorado giving a campaign-style speech at the University of Colorado.  Reportedly, on his way to the speech, he decided to stop for a bite at “The Sink ... a divey kind of place that seems more about the beer than the food,” according to the the pool report.

North Korea Boasts of Ability to Destroy US Military in ‘Single Blow’  —  North Korea's army marked its 80th anniversary Wednesday with a vow to retaliate against what its chief of staff terms the traitors in the South.  The remarks are the latest in a series of harsh threats directed at Seoul in recent weeks.

Dick Lugar Won't Say Whether Tea Party Is Good For GOP … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Elections 2012, Video, Election 2012, Richard Lugar, Senator Dick Lugar, Dick Lugar, Dick Lugar 2012, Indiana Senate 2012, Richard Lugar Richard Mourdock, Richard Mourdock, Politics News

Pennsylvania to get first openly gay state legislator  —  Brian Sims tonight has won a decisive Democratic primary in his Philadelphia district and will become Pennsylvania's first openly gay state representative.  Sims defeated a longtime incumbent to capture the Democratic nomination …

Religiousness a Key Factor for Romney and Obama Support  —  Romney does best among the very religious and among Protestants  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Mitt Romney leads Barack Obama by 17 percentage points, 54% to 37%, among very religious voters in Gallup's latest five-day presidential election tracking average.

Britain in recession, intensifying government woes  —  (Reuters) - Britain's economy has fallen into its second recession since the financial crisis after an shock contraction at the start of 2012, heaping pressure on Prime Minister David Cameron's government as it reels from a series of political missteps.

IDF chief to Haaretz: I do not believe Iran will decide to develop nuclear weapons  —  Gantz says the international pressure on Iran, in the form of diplomatic and economic sanctions, is beginning to bear fruit.  —  By Amos Harel Tags: Iran IDF Benny Gantz Gaza Hezbollah  —  Get Haaretz on iPhone