National Income and Product Accounts  —  Gross Domestic Product, 2nd quarter 2012 (advance estimate);  —  Revised Estimates: 2009 through First Quarter 2012  —  Real gross domestic product — the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States …

The Real Reason 'You Didn't Build That' Works  —  Mitt Romney's plan of blatantly lying about President Obama's “you didn't build that” speech is clearly drawing blood.  But what makes the attack work so well is not so much the lie itself but the broader subtext of it.

Romneyshambles: 'Some Americans just shouldn't leave the country', says Carl Lewis  —  “Stay home if you don't know what to say,” says nine-times gold medal winning sprinter  —  NOTE: WE DO NOT STORE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS(ES) BUT YOUR IP ADDRESS WILL BE LOGGED TO PREVENT ABUSE OF THIS FEATURE.

Amazon's Founder Pledges $2.5 Million in Support of Same-Sex Marriage  —  Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon.com, and his wife, MacKenzie, have agreed to donate $2.5 million to help pass a same-sex marriage referendum in Washington State, instantly becoming among the largest financial backers …

Congress nears year-end funding deal  —  There's already movement to avoid the fiscal cliff.  —  House and Senate leadership Thursday approached a deal to fund the government for six months — a move that would avert a Sept. 30 shutdown, and keep the federal government operating through March.

Radical imam OK but not Chick-fil-A  —  Given his stance on Chick-fil-A, would Mayor Tom Menino grant permits to a group that has counted among its leaders a man who has repeatedly called homosexuality a “crime that must be punished” by death?  —  Actually, he has done that  . .  . and more!

Fact Check: The Bust of Winston Churchill  —  Lately, there's been a rumor swirling around about the current location of the bust of Winston Churchill.  Some have claimed that President Obama removed the bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office and sent it back to the British Embassy.

Oregon Man Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail — for Collecting Rainwater on His Property  —  (CNSNews.com) - A rural Oregon man was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in jail and over $1,500 in fines because he had three reservoirs on his property to collect and use rainwater.

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Dark Knight’ shooting suspect James Holmes claims amnesia  —  The accused mass murderer keeps asking ‘Why am I here?’ a jail staffer reports.  Holmes is also complaining about the food at the Aarapahoe County Detention Center.  —  Accused movie theater shooter James Holmes makes his first court appearance.

OH-bama  —  We wrap up the first round in our Big 10 series with Ohio-perhaps the quintessential and, arguably, most important swing state.  The closeness of recent presidential elections certainly makes the Buckeye State a battleground, and with good reason.

Have Republicans Ever Hated a President More Than Barack Obama?  —  The widespread belief on the right that Barack Obama is a Muslim is one of the stranger features of this period in history.  There are some of them who know that Obama says he's a Christian but are sure that's all an act designed …

Money for Nothing  —  For years, allegedly serious people have been issuing dire warnings about the consequences of large budget deficits — deficits that are overwhelmingly the result of our ongoing economic crisis.  In May 2009, Niall Ferguson of Harvard declared that the “tidal wave of debt issuance” …

Democratic senators offer gun control amendment for cybersecurity bill  —  Democratic senators have offered an amendment to the cybersecurity bill that would limit the purchase of high capacity gun magazines for some consumers.  —  Shortly after the Cybersecurity Act gained Senate approval …

Incumbent's NRA split brings boost wins big fan  —  Michael R. Bloomberg, the billionaire mayor of New York, waded into one of the nation's fiercest Senate races and threw his financial and rhetorical support behind Senator Scott Brown on Thursday, praising Brown's defiance of the National Rifle Association …

Pot Legalization Is Coming  —  At least some able-bodied Americans may soon be able to score a bag of weed legally without having to fake a knee injury.  In November, voters in three states could approve ballot measures to legalize marijuana, and not just for medical purposes - for getting-high purposes.

EXCLUSIVE: GOP Senate Nominee Shorting U.S. Treasury Bonds, Would Profit From Government Default  —  The Republican nominee in Ohio's Senate race stands to reap a significant financial windfall if the government defaults by not raising the debt ceiling, a move he opposed last year and has indicated …

Santorum Defends Penn State, Blasts Freeh Report  —  Former Senator and GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum (PA) has long positioned himself as a champion of family values, so one might think he would be the strongest advocate for children who had been sexually assaulted by trusted adults.