The scandal behind Romney's new attack ad  —  Mitt Romney's presidential campaign has presented the political world with an important test.  I'm eager to see whether we pass or fail.  —  First, a little background.  Some Republican governors this year asked the Obama administration …

The best Newsweek cover yet  —  Tina Brown's shock-and-awe approach to Newsweek covers is so familiar now it hardly warrants mention.  But the strategy is predicated upon ginning up false controversy and feigned outrage to call attention to the struggling print edition …

OBAMA: ROMNEY WANTS VP PETRAEUS  —  President Obama whispered to a top fundraiser this week that he believes GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney wants to name Gen. David Petraeus to the VP slot!  —  “The president wasn't joking,” the insider explains to the DRUDGE REPORT.

Woman mentioned in Priorities ad died in '06  —  The pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA Action lobbed a heavy-duty attack at Mitt Romney this morning, airing an ad that links the closure of a GST Steel plant in Kansas City to the loss of a family's health insurance — and the death of a woman some time later.

It's Time to Stop Celebrating Harry Reid  —  Here is Harry Reid on Mitt Romney's taxes: “I was told by an extremely credible source that Romney has not paid taxes for 10 years.”  PolitiFact rates this a Pants on Fire lie.  —  An awful lot of liberals disagree.

Allen West Offended Everyone When He Ordered Chick-Fil-A For Entire Congressional Black Caucus  —  Rep. Allen West reportedly offended the entire Congressional Black Caucus when he delivered a selection of Chick-fil-A chicken and biscuits to the members' weekly meeting.

Marvin Hamlisch dies at 68: Sudden, brief illness halted busy life  —  As recently as July 21, Marvin Hamlisch had conducted a Pasadena Pops concert with Michael Feinstein.  As an emcee, he shared jokes, traded patter, was in his element.  —  Marvin Hamlisch' dies in Los Angeles after a brief illness, aged 68.

TRENDING: Koch brothers slam ‘guy who makes obscene gestures with a monkey’  —  (CNN) - Actor Zach Galifianakis may be known for his less-than family-friendly sense of humor, but billionaires David and Charles Koch demonstrated Tuesday they don't find him so funny.

A Wall Street Trader Received This Rainbow-Colored Cover Letter  —  It's a slow news day, so seeing this is a huge thrill...  A financial industry tipster was kind enough to send us this e-mail from an aspiring trader.  —  If you read from the bottom up, you'll note that Carl asks prospective …

OBAMA'S COLLEGE CLASSMATE: ‘THE OBAMA SCANDAL IS AT COLUMBIA’  —  I am President Obama's classmate at Columbia University, Class of '83.  I am also one of the most accurate Las Vegas oddsmakers and prognosticators.  Accurate enough that I was awarded my own star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars.

Exclusive: Brigham Young's Great-Great-Granddaughter on Mormonism and Mitt Romney  —  A direct descendant of Brigham Young, Sue Emmett left the church because of the very values she says would make Romney a frightening president.  She speaks exclusively with Jamie Reno.  —  Sue Emmett is Mormon royalty.

Oval Office Interview with President Barack Obama  —  President Obama sat down with Black Enterprise Magazine for an exclusive interview in which he talks about black businesses and unemployment.  —  In three months voters will head to the polls to decide whether to give President Obama a second term.

Fox News analyst: Sikh temple massacre ‘not domestic terrorism’  —  Fox News senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano is insisting that it was “not domestic terrorism” for a white supremacist to shoot seven people dead at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, but a Muslim U.S. Army major killing 13 coworkers at Ft. Hood was.

FIRST LOOK: Daniel Day-Lewis embodies ‘Lincoln’ in Steven Spielberg's historical drama  —  Penny for your thoughts?  —  Long-range paparazzi (and the occasional sneaky fellow diner) grabbed snapshots of Daniel Day-Lewis as he was shooting Steven Spielberg's Lincoln last fall.

Scalia Denies Stay, Texas Executes Mentally Retarded Man  —  “Seldom has an opinion of this Court rested so obviously upon nothing but the personal views of its members.”  —  The Supreme Court justices have jurisdiction over various regions of the country when it comes to injunctions, particularly when it comes to stays of execution.

Tucson Shooter Pleads Guilty  —  Loughner Likely to Get Life Term but Not the Death Penalty for 2011 Rampage  —  TUCSON, Ariz.—Speaking in a slow, sometimes slurred voice, Jared Loughner admitted to killing six people and wounding 13 others, including former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, outside a grocery store near here last year.

Syria: Iran vows it will not allow Assad to fall  —  Iran pledged that its “axis” with Syria will “never” be allowed to break when Tehran sought to bolster President Bashar al-Assad by sending a senior envoy to Damascus.  —  Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

Romney: America Is No Kibbutz His ties to Israel only extend so far.  —  Mitt Romney bills himself as an ardent friend of Israel running against President Barack Obama who hasn't visited the American ally since taking the oath of office, but Romney's friendship only extends so far.