Romney Campaign Declaring Cease Fire on Health Care  —  In the aftermath of the Supreme Court health care ruling, the early conventional wisdom was that an unfavorable health care ruling at the court would be good for Republicans politically, even as it was a serious policy setback for conservatives.

Sheriff Confirms Andy Griffith Has Died, Says Actor Has Been “Laid To Rest”  —  Dare County Sheriff Doug Doughtie has confirmed Andy Griffith has died and also released a short statement from the family.  —  Sheriff Doughtie tells WITN News the family stated that Andy died at seven this morning …

Rep. Joe Walsh Blasts Double Amputee's Military Service, Says She's Not A ‘True Hero’  —  GOP Rep. Joe Walsh (left) and his Democratic opponent Tammy Duckworth (right)  —  Though he never joined the military himself, Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) disparaged his Democratic opponent's military service …

House to prohibit IRS from implementing healthcare law  —  The House as early as next week will pass legislation prohibiting the IRS from receiving any money from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to implement the 2010 healthcare reform law.  —  Passage of the financial …

Where the Money Lives  —  For all Mitt Romney's touting of his business record, when it comes to his own money the Republican nominee is remarkably shy about disclosing numbers and investments.  Nicholas Shaxson delves into the murky world of offshore finance, revealing loopholes that allow …

This US summer is ‘what global warming looks like’  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - If you want a glimpse of some of the worst of global warming, scientists suggest taking a look at U.S. weather in recent weeks.  —  Horrendous wildfires.  Oppressive heat waves.  Devastating droughts.  Flooding from giant deluges.

Roberts the coward  —  Last Friday on NPR, liberal columnist E.J. Dionne said something very revealing about why Chief Justice John Roberts decided to affirm the constitutionality of ObamaCare.  The remarks proved even more enlightening when we learned for a certainty from peerless Supreme …

Likely Voters: Carter Was a Better President than Obama  —  According to a Newsweek/Daily Beast poll of likely voters, Barack Obama now rates behind Jimmy Carter in the pantheon of great presidents.  The poll asked likely voters to list the two best and the two worst presidents the history of the United States.

No evidence of mermaids, says US government  —  There is no evidence that mermaids exist, a US government scientific agency has said.  —  The National Ocean Service made the unusual declaration in response to public inquiries following a TV show on the mythical creatures.

Sen. Marty Golden Holding Event Teaching The “Feminine Presence” [UPDATED]  —  Have we stumbled into an episode of Mad Men?  —  Later this month, Republican State Sen. Marty Golden's office is holding a career-development event for women in his southern Brooklyn district teaching them “Posture, Deportment and the Feminine Presence.”

Torture Archipelago  —  Arbitrary Arrests, Torture, and Enforced Disappearances in Syria's Underground Prisons since March 2011  —  This report is based on more than 200 interviews conducted by Human Rights Watch since the beginning of anti-government demonstrations in Syria in March 2011.

Exclusive  —  Over the years, as the media fixated on Anderson Cooper's sexuality, Kathy Griffin talked around the questions.  Now that he's come out, she explains why she thinks her friend needs to be careful.  —  My friend Anderson Cooper is the scion of one of America's great shipping and railroad families, the Vanderbilts.

Obama braces for June jobs report  —  Weak June manufacturing numbers released Monday intensified concern about the fragility of the economic recovery and turned election-watchers' attention toward unemployment numbers due out at the end of this week.  —  The reports, just four months …

No Martha's Vineyard vacation for Barack Obama this summer  —  After three consecutive summer vacations on Martha's Vineyard, President Obama and his family apparently will not be relaxing on the island this year as a heated presidential campaign gathers momentum toward what is expected to be a close election.