Astronaut Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on moon, dies at age 82  —  Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, died Saturday, weeks after heart surgery and days after his 82nd birthday.  —  His family reported the death at 2:45 p.m. ET.  A statement said he died following …

Republican Women For Obama?  [UPDATED: Another Fake “Republican” Exposed]  —  It happens all the time in talk radio: a caller will say that he is a lifelong Republican, and will recall fondly how he voted for Ronald Reagan.  Then he says that today's Republicans have gone too far …

AP Interview: Obama on Romney's ‘extreme’ views  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said Mitt Romney has locked himself into “extreme positions” on economic and social issues and would surely impose them if elected, trying to discredit his Republican rival at the biggest political moment of his life.

The End of the Line  —  Al and Tipper Gore at a rally in Boston after a presidential debate in October 2000.  The toll of the campaign was difficult for the family but ultimately set the stage for a reinvention.  More Photos »  —  AL GORE lives alone now, in a 10,000-square-foot colonial …

Poll shows Akin's slide in Missouri Senate race  —  U.S. Senate challenger Todd Akin's support in Missouri has plummeted since his remarks a week ago about “legitimate rape” and pregnancy, putting him 9 points behind Sen. Claire McCaskill in a race he was previously winning, according to a new Post-Dispatch/News 4 poll.

Nathan Lane Compares Paul Ryan To Wicked Witch Of The West … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Elections 2012, Joe Biden , Elections 2012, Paul Ryan, 2012 Election Blog, Mitt Rmoney, Nathan Lane Fundraiser, Nathan Lane Mitt Romney, Nathan Lane Obama Fundraiser, Nathan Lane Paul Ryan, Paul Ryan Medicare …

Police Decision to Shoot in Midtown Left 9 Wounded  —  As the two officers confronted a gunman in front of the Empire State Building on a busy Friday morning, they had to make a snap decision: Do they open fire in the middle of Midtown?  —  From a distance of less than 10 feet, the officers …

Success and Risk as The Times Transforms  —  “WHY on earth would you want this job?”  —  Two years ago, I set out to answer this question in my inaugural public editor column — if only because so many people at The New York Times had asked it.  Now, as I complete my term and hand the baton …

Romney invokes Massachusetts health law ahead of Republican convention  —  Mitt Romney is invoking his Massachusetts healthcare law in the lead-up to the Republican convention, alarming conservatives who argue it's a losing issue for his campaign.  —  Romney's new willingness to talk …

Learning to Like Mitt  —  Andrew Ferguson, reluctant Romneyite  —  Now that he's officially the Republican nominee for president and has an excellent chance of becoming the most powerful man in the world, I feel free to admit, in the full knowledge that nobody cares, that I never liked Mitt Romney.

Peggy Noonan Is Responsible For Mitt Romney's Awkward Ethnic Japery  —  Ronald Reagan's official dirty limerick writer and sodden Irish niece Peggy Noonan was just being helpful when she started giving advice to balky word-saying machine Mitt Romney in an effort to help him in his quest to become America's Cool Dad father figure.