Radford business owner declines request from Joe Biden's entourage to stop in store  —  The owner of Crumb and Get It says he doesn't agree with the Obama administration's policies.  —  Vice President Joe Biden visits Danville, Floyd, Wytheville  —  Republicans seize on Biden's ‘put you back in chains’ comment

Give 'em hell, Mitt!  —  On Medicare, the Romney campaign is borrowing the strategic logic of a long-ago military legend.  —  Taking command of the French 9th army in 1914 as it retreated before the Germans, Marshal Ferdinand Foch uttered his immortals words: “Hard pressed on my right.

Cops: LGBT volunteer shoots conservative group's guard  —  (AP) WASHINGTON - A man suspected of shooting and wounding a security guard in the lobby of a Christian lobbying group had been volunteering at a community center for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Gov. Jan Brewer defies W.H. on immigration  —  Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed an executive order on Wednesday to deny benefits to young illegal immigrants who qualify under the White House's new deferred action policy.  —  The Republican governor issued the order in response …

Look Who the Press Is Blaming for the Ugly Campaign  —  Media Bias: What a surprise.  Mitt Romney finally throws a counterpunch to a series of outrageous Obama campaign lies, and the press accuses Romney of going negative.  The media's pro-Obama bias is a wonder to behold.

Ecuador Grants Asylum to Assange, Defying Britain  —  CARACAS, Venezuela — Ecuador said on Thursday that it had decided to grant political asylum to Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks.  Mr. Assange has been holed up for two months in the Ecuadorean embassy in London …

No Criminal Case Is Likely in Loss at MF Global  —  A criminal investigation into the collapse of the brokerage firm MF Global and the disappearance of about $1 billion in customer money is now heading into its final stage without charges expected against any top executives.

Red & Black student staffers walk out  —  The student editorial staff of the University of Georgia's The Red & Black newspaper walked out Wednesday evening after a non-student was named editorial director with final say on all editorial content.  —  The Red & Black's student editor-in-chief …

Americans Continue to Give Obama Low Marks on the Economy  —  Low rating on the economy may be more problematic than even lower deficit rating  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Three months before the election, President Barack Obama gets good marks from Americans for his handling of terrorism …

Artur Davis, who backed Obama in 2008, to speak at GOP convention  —  Former congressman Artur Davis, who officially seconded President Obama's nomination at the 2008 Democratic convention, said Wednesday that he will cap a remarkable political metamorphosis by addressing the Republican convention …

Swing state poll: After picking Ryan, Romney now leads in Ohio, Virginia — and Florida  —  Via Guy Benson, no self-respecting eeyore would leave a headline as rosy as the above unchecked, so here's me checking it right off the bat.  According to Gallup's tracker, Romney's gotten almost no bounce from the Ryan pick — yet.

What to Do with Political Lies  —  Fact-checkers are no longer enough: If lies are going to be repeated, the truth needs to be, too.  —  Shutterstock  —  My former Washington Post colleague Alec MacGillis has a thought-provoking piece in The New Republic today about “The Welfare Card …

Embracing the Right Fit  —  SO far, the Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan ticket has been given the approval rating typically reserved for a Hollywood bromance in the dead of August.  Two thumbs up for the cute Republican dudes!  —  The man from Janesville, Wis., was hoisted onto the love pedestal …

Paul Ryan's Youth Appeal  —  WHY MILLENNIALS LOVE RYAN  —  Boomers don't want to give up their sweet deal, but the rest of us in the screwed generation have reason to embrace Paul Ryan's ‘radical’ plans, writes Kirsten Powers.  —  Khalil Hamra / AP Photo  —  OBAMA, STAY OUT OF SYRIA!

Megadeth Singer Dave Mustaine — Barack Obama ‘Staged’ Aurora Shooting Massacre  —  Obama ‘Staged’ Aurora  —  Shooting Massacre  —  Dave Mustaine — the lead singer of Megadeth — believes Barack Obama “staged” the massacre in Aurora, CO in a sick, twisted plot to pass a gun ban.