Romney Courts Black Vote, an Obama Strength in '08  —  Four years ago, Barack Obama captured 96 percent of the black vote.  But this year, in an election in which every vote may matter, Mitt Romney is not giving up on that front.  —  On Wednesday, Mr. Romney will make a pitch …

Lindsey Graham: 'It's Really American' To Avoid Taxes Like Mitt Romney Does … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Lindsey Graham, Mitt Romney, Elections 2012, Video, Lindsey Graham Mitt Romney, Mitt Romney Taxes, Sen. Lindsey Graham, It's Really American, Lindsey Graham Taxes, Mitt Romney 2012, Mitt Romney Tax Havens, Politics News

Americans' Confidence in Television News Drops to New Low  —  Liberals' and moderates' views are now similar to conservatives'  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans' confidence in television news is at a new low by one percentage point, with 21% of adults expressing a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in it.

Closure of Border Patrol stations across four states triggers alarm  —  The Obama administration is moving to shut down nine Border Patrol stations across four states, triggering a backlash from local law enforcement, members of Congress and Border Patrol agents themselves.

Dem.  Chair Invested in Swiss Banks, Foreign Drug Companies, and the State Bank of India  —  Disclosure forms reveal that Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a member of Congress from Florida, previously held funds with investments in Swiss banks, foreign drug companies, and the state bank of India.

Romney may name running mate early in election race  —  (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney acknowledged on Tuesday he is considering naming his choice to serve as vice presidential running mate earlier than usual to better compete with President Barack Obama.

Twilight fan hit by car and killed at Comic-Con  —  A 53-year-old Comic-Con visitor was struck by a car and killed in front of the convention center on Harbor Drive at 5th Ave. on Tuesday, July 10, 2012.  According to police, the woman was in crosswalk, but went against the light when she was struck.

Calls to Destroy Egypt's Great Pyramids Begin  —  According to several reports in the Arabic media, prominent Muslim clerics have begun to call for the demolition of Egypt's Great Pyramids—or, in the words of Saudi Sheikh Ali bin Said al-Rabi'i, those “symbols of paganism,” which Egypt's Salafi party has long planned to cover with wax.

Eva Rausing found dead in Belgravia home  —  Mr and Mrs Rausing were arrested over drugs in 2008  —  One of the UK's richest women has been found dead in west London, Scotland Yard has confirmed.  —  The body of US national Eva Rausing, 48, a member of the family behind the Tetra-Pak cartons empire …

James Earl Jones: Tea Party Is ‘Racist’  —  From Sunday's edition of the syndicated Smiley & West show:  —  JAMES EARL JONES: I think I have figured out the Tea Party I think I I do understand racism because I was taught to be one by my grandmother.  My grandmother was part [tribal affiliation] …

Cheh Shelves Uber Amendment After Backlash from CEO and Customers  —  Uber CEO Travis Kalanick introducing the company's D.C. service last December.  (Via Facebook)  —  At a breakfast meeting with her colleagues today, Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) reversed her plans to introduce …

The strategy behind the Dem attacks on Bain  —  Many commentators view the attacks on Mitt Romney's Bain years as little more than an effort to paint him as a heartless plutocrat.  But the strategy is a good deal more complex than that.  The goal is twofold: First, to undermine Romney's principle case …

No, Romney Didn't Leave Bain in 1999  —  A central element of the 2012 campaign cycle has become just when Mitt Romney left Bain Capital.  The Romney campaign says he left in early 1999 — in time to get him off the hook for some controversial investments.  Factcheck.org backs up Mitt …

On Obama Adviser's Disclosure Form: ‘Bermuda’  —  A lot of attention has been focused lately on Mitt Romney's offshore finances in places like the Cayman Islands and Bermuda.  —  But the word Bermuda pops up on the financial disclosure forms of one of President Obama's top advisers too.

Brett Kimberlin versus right-wing bloggers  —  Why are right-wing blogs obsessed with a convicted felon famous for once claiming he sold Dan Quayle drugs?  —  So there is this guy named Brett Kimberlin.  He is a true American weirdo from way back, and he's fairly brilliant at self-promotion and is involved in various liberal causes.

The Distribution of Household Income and Federal Taxes, 2008 and 2009  —  The recent recession has had a substantial impact on income, the amount of taxes owed, and average tax rates.  Changes in households' before-tax income and average tax rates in 2008 and 2009 were substantial and differed markedly across the income distribution.

The Opportunity Gap  —  Over the past few months, writers from Charles Murray to Timothy Noah have produced alarming work on the growing bifurcation of American society.  Now the eminent Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam and his team are coming out with research that's more horrifying.

San Francisco Officials Plan to Block Apple Procurement  —  San Francisco city officials say they are moving to block purchases of Apple desktops and laptops, by all municipal agencies, after the company removed a green electronics certification from its products.

Chief Justice Neville Chamberlain  —  ....governments are not always overthrown by direct and open assaults.  They are not always battered down by the arms of conquerors, or the successful daring of usurpers.  There is often concealed the dry rot, which eats into the vitals, when all is fair and stately on the outside.

Florida: Romney 46%, Obama 45%  —  Florida's a key swing state in this year's presidential contest, and it remains in play with President Obama and Mitt Romney still running almost even there.  —  Florida is considered a Toss-Up State in the Rasmussen Reports Electoral College Projections.

Political Spending by Unions Far Exceeds Direct Donations  —  Organized labor spends about four times as much on politics and lobbying as generally thought, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis, a finding that shines a light on an aspect of labor's political activity that has often been overlooked.

Obama holding serve in the upper South  —  In 2008 Barack Obama put North Carolina and Virginia in the Democratic column for the first time in decades.  PPP's newest poll in those two states finds him running very close to his performance four years ago.  In Virginia he leads Mitt Romney by 8 points …