Establishment renders harsh verdict on Edward Snowden  —  'He's no hero.  He put people's lives at risk,' Sen. Angus King (second from left) said.  AP Photos  —  Close  —  He is the toast of the libertarian left and the libertarian right.  But for most of the political establishment …

Earlier Denials Put Intelligence Chief in Awkward Position  —  WASHINGTON — For years, intelligence officials have tried to debunk what they called a popular myth about the National Security Agency: that its electronic net routinely sweeps up information about millions of Americans.

GOP congressman: Rate of pregnancies from rape is ‘very low’  —  Another Republican congressman ventured into the realm of rape and pregnancy Wednesday, saying at a committee hearing that incidences of pregnancy from rape are “very low.”  —  Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) …

Darrell Issa On IRS Investigation: Releasing Full Transcripts Now Would Be ‘Reckless’  —  WASHINGTON — One week after he released partial transcripts of interviews with IRS officials involved in the scandal surrounding the targeting of conservative groups, the chair of the House Oversight …

Walker says he will sign abortion ultrasound bill  —  Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Tuesday he will sign a measure that's quickly working its way through the Republican-controlled Legislature that would require women seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound.

Secret Service “Visits” Outspoken Critic of Obama - Because of Twitter?  —  I know, RIGHT?  —  After you read this- you will wonder what country we are in.  —  Tom Francois is an outspoken critic of Barack Hussein Obama- and has a robust Twitter presence.  He also likes to dabble with his “paint” program to create funny cartoons.

A Little Birdie Told Me  —  WASHINGTON — In her first two days on Twitter, Hillary Clinton did not bother to follow the man she wants to follow.  —  No @BarackObama for @HillaryClinton as of Tuesday night.  —  Hillary debuted firmly entrenched in Clintonworld, following Bill, Chelsea …

Bloomberg Urges No Gifts to Democrats Who Blocked Gun Bill  —  Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, in a sharp escalation in the battle over gun control, is seeking to punish Democratic senators by taking away the one thing they most need from New Yorkers: money.  —  On Wednesday, Mr. Bloomberg …

CBS anchor snubs sex scoop  —  CBS anchor Scott Pelley was furious after John Miller's scoop about the State Department sex scandal broke not on his “CBS Evening News,” but early Monday on “This Morning” hosted by Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell, network sources tell Page Six

Joe Biden: Al Gore ‘was elected president’  —  Vice President Joe Biden knows how to work a room.  —  In remarks made on Tuesday night at a fundraiser for Massachusetts Senate candidate Ed Markey in front of an audience of donating (doting?)  Democrats, Biden went for the jugular.

Blowing a Whistle  —  I'm glad I live in a country with people who are vigilant in defending civil liberties.  But as I listen to the debate about the disclosure of two government programs designed to track suspected phone and e-mail contacts of terrorists, I do wonder if some of those who …

The Visionaries: Kanye West Talks About His Career and Album ‘Yeezus’  —  Malibu, Calif. — From Shangri-la Studio here you can see the Pacific Ocean just over the fence lapping calmly at Zuma Beach.  And this compound is just as Zen, with recording equipment set up in various locations …

Challenging Obama-knows-best  —  “Trust-me” is President Barack Obama's preferred mode of action in times of crisis — and his go-to comment to nervous staffers has always been some version of “Relax, I got this.”  —  But that message is an increasingly hard sell for Obama in his second term …

Clear city's name in IRS scandal  —  Congressman Charles Rangel said, “There's a cancer in Cincinnati.”  That is just another example of how our region is taking collateral damage in IRS scandal.  The Cincinnati area is being portrayed as a hotbed of rogue, corrupt IRS employees.

Interns Win Huge Victory in Labor Lawsuit Against Fox  —  UPDATED: Fox says it is “very disappointed” after two interns who worked on “Black Swan” are granted a summary judgment win, while another intern who worked in Fox's corporate department will now be leading a class action suit.

Poll Finds Disapproval of Record Collection, but Little Personal Concern  —  In the wake of the exposure of two classified surveillance operations, most Americans expressed disapproval about the United States government's collecting phone records of “ordinary” Americans.