I.R.S. Focus on Conservatives Gives G.O.P. an Issue to Seize On  —  WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service's special scrutiny of small-government groups applying for tax-exempt status went beyond keyword hunts for organizations with “Tea Party” or “Patriot” in their names …

Issa: Obama Covered Up Benghazi Terrorism By Calling It An ‘Act Of Terror’  —  House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) responded to President Obama's forceful condemnation of the GOP's effort to portray his administration's response to the attacks on the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi …

Obama on Benghazi: 'There's No There There'  —  At a press conference today at the White House, President Obama said “There's no there there” on criticism of how his administration handled the Benghazi terror attack:  —  “And suddenly three days ago this gets spun up as if there's something new to the story …

Gosnell Jury: “We're Hung on 2 Counts”  —  After 10 days deliberating the case, jurors say they can't reach a consensus on two counts  —  Defense attorney Jack McMahon delivers his closing argument in the capital murder trial of former abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell.

Voters trust Clinton over GOP on Benghazi  —  PPP's newest national poll finds that Republicans aren't getting much traction with their focus on Benghazi over the last week.  Voters trust Hillary Clinton over Congressional Republicans on the issue of Benghazi by a 49/39 margin …

Did Obama Cry During His Press Conference?  —  Reuters thinks so, and says in its caption that this wire photo shows a “tear.”  —  Via: JIM BOURG / Reuters  —  The Photo Description  —  Via: JIM BOURG / Reuters  —  View Entire List ›

Bill Gates on Steve Jobs: We grew up together  —  We've seen plenty of Bill Gates on television, but we'd never seen him get emotional before.  It was a striking, yet subtle moment in Gates' 60 Minutes interview this week when Charlie Rose asked him about his longtime business rival, the late Steve Jobs.

GOP Rep. Stockman: ‘Democrats worship abortion’  —  Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Tex.) lashed out at Democrats over the issue of abortion on Monday just minutes after a jury returned a guilty verdict in the high-profile case of an abortion doctor accused of multiple homicides.

Who Can Take Republicans Seriously?  —  It is time for President Obama to abandon his hopes of reaching a grand budget bargain with Republicans.  —  At every opportunity since they took over the House in 2011, Republicans have made it clear that they have no interest in reaching a compromise with the White House.

Clintons freeze out Weiner  —  Bill and Hillary Clinton will not support Anthony Weiner in his dream of becoming mayor even though they love his wife, Huma Abedin, sources say.  “The Clintons wish Weiner would just disappear.  Every time he pops up, it's a reminder of Bill's scandal with Monica Lewinsky …

A talk with Jason Richwine: ‘I do not apologize for any of my work’ … “It seemed like that day lasted forever,” says Jason Richwine of last Wednesday, when he found himself in the middle of a media firestorm over his writings about Hispanic immigrants and intelligence.  “I knew that this probably would not end well.”

The Dark Art of Racecraft  —  Jason Richwine's place in the long history of research on race and IQ  —  Dave Weigel is one of my favorite reporters, but I think this piece on Jason Richwine, intelligence research, and “race” deserves a closer look: … It is almost as though the …