Romney's Tax Confusion  —  The candidate's response on the ObamaCare mandate reveals larger campaign problems.  —  If Mitt Romney loses his run for the White House, a turning point will have been his decision Monday to absolve President Obama of raising taxes on the middle class.

Ann Romney: Obama's whole campaign strategy is “let's kill this guy”  —  (CBS News) On a mission to shatter the image of her husband as rigid and unrelatable, Ann Romney told CBS News she worries that President Obama's entire campaign strategy is “kill Romney.”

Kryptonite  —  I'll just say it: I don't think the political pundit class understands just how toxic the Swiss/Caymans/Bermuda accounts issue is for Romney.  Not that they don't know it's a liability at all.  But I don't think they realize the extent of it.

Curbing the cost of health care  —  Many liberals believe that the Affordable Care Act — Obamacare — is unpopular only because most Americans don't understand it.  There is some truth to this: Studies show that the core provisions of the bill are more popular than the bill itself.

Office says Rep. Jackson being treated for ‘physical and emotional ailments’ … Staff report  —  A week after U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. announced he was taking a leave of absence, his office released a statement today saying his condition is “more serious than initially believed” and he is being treated in an “in-patient facility.”

San Diego fireworks show exploded in 15 seconds, ruining show [Video]  —  One of the largest Fourth of July fireworks shows in the nation was ruined in San Diego Wednesday after a glitch caused all the pyrotechnics to ignite all at once.  —  About five minutes before the Port …

Judge: George Zimmerman's new bond $1 million  —  A Sanford judge today ordered George Zimmerman, the Neighborhood Watch volunteer who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old, released on $1 million bail.  —  It was not immediately clear how long it would take the 28-year-old Zimmerman to arrange his release.

What This Higgs Boson Thing Really Means  —  As you may have heard, there is now strong evidence that a particle called the Higgs boson, whose existence has long been predicted on theoretical grounds, actually exists.  —  Let me explain to you what the Higgs boson is.  —  Just kidding!

Americans See More Economic Harm Than Good in Health Law  —  Independents help tilt the balance to the negative  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans are more likely to say the 2010 healthcare law upheld by the Supreme Court last week will hurt the national economy (46%) rather than help it (37%) …

John Stossel Panhandles To Prove 'You Really Shouldn't Give To These Street People'  —  Fox Business Network host John Stossel appeared on Fox & Friends on Thursday to promote an upcoming segment on his program where he dresses like a homeless man and panhandles on the streets of New York.

The Pauls' New Crusade: “Internet Freedom”  —  Defending the Internet — and the corporations that invest in it — from government regulation is the new “End the Fed,” Paul advisors tell BuzzFeed exclusively.  A new Paul manifesto: “This is our revolution.”

Romney's VP Short List: It May Be Down to Four  —  Mitt Romney may be tight-lipped about his vice presidential short list, warning that only he and longtime aide Beth Myers know who is on it, but a close examination of the campaign's activity suggests four contenders have risen through the ranks …

In California, immigration bill designed as the “anti-Arizona”  —  (Reuters) - While America's debate over immigration has been dominated recently by crackdowns in states like Arizona and Alabama, California legislators are trying to turn that tide with a bill to protect illegal immigrants that they dub the “anti-Arizona.”

Alabama Pastor Holds ‘Whites Only’ Conference  —  All loving Christians are invited to celebrate the word of God at Rev. William Collier's annual conference — that is, as long and they are white.  —  Collier's Alabama town is outraged over the flyer for his pastors' conference, which specifies “All White Christians Invited.”

The Most Sensible Tax of All  —  ON Sunday, the best climate policy in the world got even better: British Columbia's carbon tax — a tax on the carbon content of all fossil fuels burned in the province — increased from $25 to $30 per metric ton of carbon dioxide, making it more expensive to pollute.

France: Ready to jump ship  —  Growing anxiety at moves to raise taxes on the rich reflects divisions over the Socialists' response to the crisis  —  Roger, a senior expatriate executive working for an international company in Paris, is thinking seriously of taking a walk down David Cameron's “red carpet”.

Corzine is having no fun in the shun  —  How the mighty have fallen.  —  It seems like only yesterday that Jon Corzine was the life of the party, holding court on the Hamptons political circuit, raising money for Barack Obama.  —  Now, Corzine — just months removed from a humiliating financial scandal …

Seattle Occupy group drops $5,000 from hotel to protest money in politics  —  MicCheckWallStreet organisers say tossing small bills is ‘as much art installation as protest’ against Citizens United ruling  —  Occupy protesters in Seattle marked the Fourth of July by throwing $5,000 …

Partisans Agree: Presidential Election Will Be Exhausting  —  Republicans Find General Election Less Interesting than Primaries  —  OVERVIEW  —  Republicans and Democrats find little to agree on these days, but they have some similar reactions to the 2012 presidential campaign.