Exclusive: Obama to include Republicans in hard-hitting convention  —  Advisers to President Barack Obama are scripting a Democratic National Convention featuring several Republicans in a prime-time appeal to independents — and planning a blistering portrayal of Mitt Romney as a heartless aristocrat who …

It's Jon Huntsman Sr, right Harry?  —  Harry Reid's source.  Probably.  —  Harry Reid has a Republican source who has told him that Mitt Romney didn't pay taxes in 10 years.  Who could he possibly known that would have that information?  Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman's dad sounds like the likely source.

In Real Estate Deal, Romney Made His Loss a Couple's Gain  —  MISSOURI CITY, Tex. — Look closely and it is there, sandwiched between Goldman Sachs Hedge Fund Partners II and D3 Family Bulldog Fund: the mortgage on Timothy and Betty Stamps's modest home on Gentle Bend Drive here.

Republican Party Chairman: Americans Who Want Romney To Release More Tax Returns Are The New Birthers  —  RNC Chairman Reince Priebus compared the overwhelming majority of Americans — including a growing number of Republicans — calling on Mitt Romney to release his tax returns to birthers …

Noonan: A Nation That Believes Nothing  —  Romney doesn't need to talk about America becoming like Europe—he needs to warn us about America becoming like California.  —  It's been a week marked by mistakes, some new and some continuing.  —  The pro-Obama Super PAC ad that essentially blames Mitt Romney …

The Killing  —  The Massachusetts multimillionaire who won his party's nomination largely on perceptions of “electability” had become the target of a ferocious blitz of negative advertising.  Partisans and media decried many of the attacks as misleading or false.

There Will Be A “Stand Your Ground” Hearing in the George Zimmerman Case  —  Since the beginning, there has been a rush to judgment in the case against George Zimmerman.  Since the first day of his involvement, Mr. O'Mara has emphasized that people should be patient and wait for the evidence …

Justice Dept. says it won't prosecute Goldman Sachs or its employees in financial fraud probe  —  WASHINGTON — The Justice Department said Thursday it won't prosecute Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs or its employees in a financial fraud probe.  —  In a written statement …

The Case for Gun Control  —  After the ghastly act of terrorism against a Sikh temple in Wisconsin on Aug. 5, Americans are pondering how to stop gun violence.  We have decided that it is, in the words of New York Times columnist David Brooks, a problem of psychology, not sociology.

Citing Drought, U.S. Expects Lowest Corn Yield in 17 Years  —  WASHINGTON — This year's corn yield is projected to be the lowest since 1995, according to an Agriculture Department report that sharply cut production estimates for some major crops because of damage from the nation's worst drought in 56 years.

Christie calls anti-Muslim conservatives “bigots”  —  The following video hasn't gotten any attention in the mainstream press, but it has lit a fire on right-wing web sites.  —  The shaky, grainy 16-minute speech was shot by an attendee during an Iftar dinner - the evening meal during Ramadan - at the governor's mansion two weeks ago.

Attacker in Afghan Uniform Kills 3 U.S. Soldiers  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan police officer shot and killed at least three American Special Forces soldiers on Friday after inviting them for a meal at a check post in southern Afghanistan, an Afghan official said, in what appeared …

Romney's Side Course of Culture  —  When Mitt Romney asserted last week that “culture does matter,” he settled into a pose that was more triumphalist than anthropologist.  Romney had begun by asserting that culture explained the difference in G.D.P. between Israel and the Palestinian Authority …

The case against reelection  —  There are two ways to run against Barack Obama: stewardship or ideology.  You can run against his record or you can run against his ideas.  —  The stewardship case is pretty straightforward: the worst recovery in U.S. history, 42 consecutive months …