NSA admits listening to U.S. phone calls without warrants  —  National Security Agency discloses in secret Capitol Hill briefing that thousands of analysts can listen to domestic phone calls.  That authorization appears to extend to e-mail and text messages too.

A 13-point gap with 10 days to go, but disengaged voters remain unpredictable  —  Democrat Edward J. Markey holds a solid lead over his Republican rival, Gabriel E. Gomez, as the two enter the final week of the special US Senate campaign, according to a new Boston Globe poll.

Rubio: Obama ‘failed’ in Syria  —  Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) hailed efforts to arm opposition forces seeking to topple Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad, but said President Obama's decision to aid the rebels may have come too late.  —  “Timing matters and these were options that were there for us …

McDonough: Iranian election a ‘potentially hopeful sign’  —  White House chief of staff Denis McDonough on Sunday called moderate Hassan Rouhani's victory in the Iranian presidential election a “potentially hopeful sign.”  —  He called it an opportunity to help defuse the collision …

Bill Schools Barry on Syria  —  WASHINGTON — NOT only is President Obama leading from behind, now he's leading from behind Bill Clinton.  —  After dithering for two years over what to do about the slaughter in Syria, the president was finally shoved into action by the past and perhaps future occupant of his bedroom.

Dick Cheney Laughs Off Privacy Concerns Over Government Surveillance  —  Former Vice President Dick Cheney (R), whose false statements helped propel the United States into an eight year war in Iraq, said Sunday that citizens should simply “trust” the federal government on matters of privacy and security.

Iran will send 4,000 troops to aid Bashar al-Assad's forces in Syria  —  World Exclusive: US urges Britain and France to join in supplying arms to Syrian rebels as MPs fear that UK will be drawn into growing Sunni-Shia conflict  —  Washington's decision to arm Syria's Sunni Muslim rebels …

Eric Holder has been an excellent attorney general  —  We were disappointed to read David Ignatius's June 9 op-ed column, “A mediocre attorney general,” purporting to represent the views of a number of unnamed Washington lawyers about Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.'s tenure.