First Female U.S. Astronaut, Sally Ride, Comes Out In Obituary  —  “I hope it makes it easier for kids growing up gay that they know that another one of their heroes was like them,” Sally Ride's sister, Bear Ride, said.  —  Astronaut Sally Ride, mission specialist on STS-7 …

Feinstein: Someone at White House is behind recent intel leaks  —  Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Monday that someone at the White House was responsible for the recent leaks of classified information.  —  “I think the White House …

John DiStaso's Granite Status: Romney-backer's NH business received government-assisted loans; Kevin Smith to air new TV spot this week  —  MONDAY, JULY 23 UPDATE: MONDAY, JULY 23, UPDATE: SMITH'S NEW ADS, CLINTON FOR MAGGIE.  Republican candidate for governor Kevin Smith will release …

“The Context Is Worse Than the Quote”  —  Many conservatives didn't think Mitt Romney was a good spokesman for our movement, but the fact is that right now, he, more than anyone else, is lifting high the banner of free enterprise and American tradition.  Democrats have tried to defend …

Poll: Romney preferred over Obama to handle the economy  —  WASHINGTON - Despite concerted Democratic attacks on his business record, Republican challenger Mitt Romney scores a significant advantage over President Obama when it comes to managing the economy, reducing the federal budget deficit …

Ahead of votes on extending Bush-era tax rates, parties jockey for advantage  —  Democrats and Republicans in both chambers jockeyed for position Monday ahead of a series of votes expected over the next two weeks on extending George W. Bush-era tax rates.  —  The first battle is set for the Senate …

OK, Let's Debate Gun Control!  —  A second Obama term could kill the Second Amendment.  —  Last week's horrific crime in Aurora, Colo., has, predictably enough, prompted many leftist politicians and commentators to call for more antigun laws.  Actually, that's not quite right.

“Jettison Some of the Crap”  —  Rand Paul's quiet war against more defense spending.  —  Shortly after noon last Tuesday, Dick Cheney slipped out of an elevator and into the Lyndon Baines Johnson room where Republican senators hold a weekly lunch.  His mission: convince them that $700 billion …

Mitt's First Foreign Stumble?  —  It's treacherous for a US presidential candidate to travel overseas — lots of opportunities for mis-chosen words and getting drawn into other countries' domestic politics.  With Mitt Romney about to leave on his big trip abroad he may already have had his first big foreign stumble.

Governor Romney: “The Context Is Worse Than The Quote”  —  Location  —  “This is an ideology which says hey, we're all the same here, we ought to take from all and give to one another and that achievement, individual initiative and risk-taking and success are not to be rewarded as they have in the past.

Federal Government's Debt Jumps More Than $1T for 5th Straight Fiscal Year  —  (CNSNews.com) - By the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2012, the new debt accumulated in this fiscal year by the federal government had already exceeded $1 trillion, making this fiscal year the fifth straight …

Penn State hit with unprecedented penalties for Sandusky scandal  —  (Reuters) - The governing body of U.S. college sports fined Penn State University $60 million and voided its football victories for the past 14 seasons in an unprecedented rebuke for the school's failure to stop coach Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse of children.

Albright recalls Romney thanks for ‘keeping my mouth shut’ on Olympics uniforms  —  Madeleine Albright's circa 2008 book, “Memo to the President Elect,” offers this nugget about her own experience seeing the 2002 Olympics uniforms were made in Burma, which she says she brought to Mitt Romney's attention at the time.

Remarks by the President to the 113th National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars  —  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much.  Please, please, everybody have a seat.  —  Commander DeNoyer, thank you for your introduction, and your service in Vietnam and on behalf of America's veterans.

OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Lobbyists, GOP get cracking on ‘embryonic’ energy platform  —  State of Play: GOP lawmakers, aides and an array of energy industry lobbyists huddled at Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters Monday to lay the groundwork for the party's official energy platform at August's national convention.

Feds investigating Pennsylvania voter ID law  —  The Justice Department is investigating Pennsylvania's new voter identification law, a letter sent to the state government Monday indicates.  —  The letter from Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez seeks a variety of records related …

Contempt motion withdrawn for sexual-assault victim Savannah Dietrich who tweeted attackers' names  —  Defense attorneys for two boys who pleaded guilty to assaulting a 17-year-old Savannah Dietrich have withdrawn their motion that she be held in contempt for tweeting the names of her attackers in defiance of a court order.

It is ‘morally wrong’ to pay tradesmen cash in hand, says David Gauke  —  People who pay cash in hand to tradesmen are “morally wrong”, damaging the economy and helping tax evaders, a minister has warned.  —  So far cash-in-hand builders, hospital consultants, home tutors …

41% Say U.S. Needs Stricter Gun Laws  —  Most Americans are following the news about the horrific movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado last week, but an overwhelming majority doubts that public places can ever be made completely safe from such violence.  Support for stricter gun control laws remains basically unchanged.