Justice Scalia must resign  —  Justice Antonin Scalia needs to resign from the Supreme Court.  —  He'd have a lot of things to do.  He's a fine public speaker and teacher.  He'd be a heck of a columnist and blogger.  But he really seems to aspire to being a politician — and that's the problem.

Obama Prepares Three Speeches Ahead of Health-Care Ruling  —  The White House has kept its preparations for the Supreme Court's decision on President Barack Obama's health care law close to the vest.  Mr. Obama, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Wednesday, the West Wing is merely …

In the end, you have to make a prediction and take responsibility for it.  I believe the mandate will not be invalidated tomorrow.  Far less important, I expect the principal opinion will be written by the Chief Justice; a majority of the Court will find it has jurisdiction; and the challenge to the Medicaid expansion will be rejected.

Black lawmakers plan walkout during contempt vote  —  The Congressional Black Caucus plans to walk off the House floor during tomorrow's votes to hold Attorney General Holder in contempt of Congress, according to a letter being circulated among members of Congress.

News Corp. Board Approves Split in Principle  —  News Corp.'s board unanimously approved a plan to split the media conglomerate in two pieces, separating its lucrative entertainment operations from its publishing business, said a person familiar with the situation.

‘Today’ co-host Ann Curry will bid farewell today  —  Ann Curry's voice chokes when she talks about saying goodbye this morning on NBC's Today show, years earlier than she had hoped.  —  It's “going to be a bit of a tough day,” she told USA TODAY in a 40-minute phone interview Wednesday …

WashPost will not retract ‘outsourcing’ story  —  The Washington Post will not retract their June 21 report about Bain Capital's investments in firms that specialized in outsourcing American jobs, POLITICO has learned.  —  “We are very confident in our reporting,” Washington Post spokesperson …

Federal judge rejects DOJ request to stop voter purge  —  TALLAHASSEE — A federal judge rejected a request from the Obama administration to put an immediate stop to the state's non-citizen voter purge program.  —  The Justice Department had asked for a restraining order …

High court healthcare ruling will be verdict on Obama as a leader  —  The Supreme Court's healthcare ruling Thursday will deliver a definitive judgment on President Obama's effectiveness as a leader.  —  If the law is upheld, Obama's victory — which came after he ignored the counsel …

Polls: Obama, Romney neck-and-neck in Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire  —  A new round of NBC News-Marist polls shows President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney running almost neck-and-neck in three key battleground states, with Obama holding a slight advantage in Michigan and North Carolina …

Diplomatic Crisis Provides Romney Policy Opportunity  —  It seemed a ripe opportunity for Mitt Romney: The crisis that unfolded last month over the Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng was a way to hammer President Obama as weak on human rights and unwilling to be assertive with China.

The Perfected Self  —  B. F. Skinner's notorious theory of behavior modification was denounced by critics 50 years ago as a fascist, manipulative vehicle for government control.  But Skinner's ideas are making an unlikely comeback today, powered by smartphone apps that are transforming us into thinner …

JPMorgan Trading Loss May Reach $9 Billion  —  Losses on JPMorgan Chase's bungled trade could total as much as $9 billion, far exceeding earlier public estimates, according to people who have been briefed on the situation.  —  When Jamie Dimon, the bank's chief executive …

A third of Earthlings believe in UFOs, would befriend aliens  —  Aliens often compete with superheroes, vampires and zombies to top hit movie lists — but more than a third of Americans say UFOs are not a fantasy.  —  That's the word from a new National Geographic Channel study finding …

Uninsured and fighting blazes: Welcome to the life of a federal firefighter  —  Right now, wildfires of “epic proportions” are tearing through the Colorado forests.  —  Thousands of federal firefighters charged with taming the blazes do not have health insurance.  —  That includes 27-year-old John Lauer.