Obama Hits 50% In Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times Swing State Poll Finds  —  Word format Crosstabs by State  —  Watch Video: Assistant Director Tim Malloy discusses poll results  —  Clip Information and Download:  —  FLV File - Download For Website (1920x1080 / 125MB)

On the Distributional Effects of Base-Broadening Income Tax Reform  —  This paper examines the tradeoffs among three competing goals that are inherent in a revenue-neutral income tax reform—maintaining tax revenues, ensuring a progressive tax system, and lowering marginal tax rates.

Five Things Everyone Should Know About GOP Senate Candidate Ted Cruz  —  Ted Cruz will protect this golf course from the United Nations and George Soros  —  Today, Texas Republican primary voters selected Ted Cruz as their candidate to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX).

Prolific, Elegant, Acerbic Writer  —  Gore Vidal, the elegant, acerbic all-around man of letters who presided with a certain relish over what he declared to be the end of American civilization, died on Tuesday at his home in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles, where he moved in 2003, after years of living in Ravello, Italy.

There was no Romney gaffe in Israel  —  The media is accusing Mitt Romney of having committed another “gaffe” abroad — this time when he suggested that cultural differences help explain why the Israelis are so much more economically successful than Palestinians.  —  One small problem with that: What Romney said was not a gaffe.

Culture Does Matter  —  During my recent trip to Israel, I had suggested that the choices a society makes about its culture play a role in creating prosperity, and that the significant disparity between Israeli and Palestinian living standards was powerfully influenced by it.

Badminton Players Disqualified for Throwing Matches  —  LONDON — Badminton officials took the extraordinary step of tossing out four pairs of women — two from South Korea and one each from China and Indonesia — for deliberately trying to lose their preliminary matches Tuesday night …

Statement of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics Regarding Allegations Relating to Representative Laura Richardson  —  Pursuant to House Rule XI Clause 3(q)(2)(D), today the Chairman of the Committee on Ethics, Representative Jo Bonner, and the Ranking Member …

Twitter Launches Political Index: The Twitter Pulse Of The Election  —  The Twitter Political Index could be one of the most powerful social media tools of the election.  —  Right now, if you want to know how the country feels about Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, you have to rely …

Win Olympic Gold, Pay the IRS  —  U.S. Olympic medal winners will owe up to $9,000 to the IRS.  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — While 529 hardworking athletes proudly represent the United States in the 2012 Olympics, any medals and money they earn wearing red, white and blue will be taxed by the IRS.

Rep. King Goes Birther: Suggests Obama's Parents Telegrammed Fake Hawaii Birth Announcement From Kenya  —  Try as they may, Republicans just can't seem to kick their birther habit.  —  The latest GOPer to dabble in the ridiculous fantasy that President Obama wasn't actually born in the United States: Rep. Steve King (R-IA).

Obama Supporters Barraged With Pleas for Cash  —  Each plea for money from President Obama and his allies has become more urgent and desperate than the last.  —  His campaign's chief operating officer said on Monday that “we've gotten our behinds handed to us.”

An Angry Sarah Palin Responds To Dick Cheney: He Is Buying Into ‘Lamestream Media’ Spin  —  On Fox News' On The Record, Sarah Palin responded to Dick Cheney saying in an interview earlier this week that she should not have been chosen as John McCain's running mate in 2008.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Boris stuck on zip wire  —  Boris Johnson was left hanging today when he got stuck halfway down a zip wire at an event in Victoria Park.  —  The Mayor of London had to be pulled the rest of the way by teams on the ground at around 13:30 this afternoon.

Burn Down the Suburbs?  —  President Obama is not a fan of America's suburbs.  Indeed, he intends to abolish them.  With suburban voters set to be the swing constituency of the 2012 election, the administration's plans for this segment of the electorate deserve scrutiny.

GOP leaders yank one-year farm bill  —  House Republicans on Tuesday ended their attempt to vote on a one-year farm bill, opting to move forward with a measure that would only provide drought aid to farmers.  —  The one-year bill was set to come up before the House Rules Commitee on Tuesday night …