Breakthrough in Senate immigration talks; announcement set for Thursday  —  Senators seeking a solution to a deadlock over border security have reached a tentative agreement they believe could win the votes of a significant number of Republican lawmakers for the Gang of Eight comprehensive immigration reform bill.

Exodus International to Shut Down  —  Thirty-seven-year-old ministry for those with same-sex attraction marks its last national conference  —  Irvine, Calif. (June 19, 2013) — Exodus International, the oldest and largest Christian ministry dealing with faith and homosexuality announced tonight …

Barack Obama bombs in Berlin: a weak, underwhelming address from a floundering president  —  When John F. Kennedy delivered his “Ich Bin Ein Berliner” speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate on June 26, 1963, 450,000 people flocked to hear him.  Fifty years later a far more subdued invitation …

Rodney Davis team member issues racist rant attacking Erika Harold  —  To understand why the Illinois Republican Party keeps losing elections - look no further than the racist rant (copied below) from a GOP party official.  —  The email was sent to Republican News Watch's Editor …

House rejects farm bill, 195-234  —  In a blow to House GOP leaders, the House on Thursday rejected a five-year farm bill.  —  Members voted down the $940 billion bill in a 195-234 vote that only won 24 Democratic votes.  Most Democrats voted against the bill because it cut food stamp programs by more than $20 billion.

Longtime CNN Reliable Sources host moves on  —  Washington (CNN) - Longtime media reporter Howard Kurtz and CNN parted company as Kurtz and CNN confirmed the end of his 15-year run hosting CNN's Reliable Sources program.  Kurtz will become a contributor to Fox News.

Power  —  You should decide now what kind of Supreme Court you want.  Don't wait until after the Justices hand down the Term's major decisions.  That will be too late.  Make a real choice now about how much power you think the Court should have - before your judgment is skewed by either elation or outrage at the results.

Manchin hits back at NRA in new TV ad  —  Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Thursday hit back at the National Rifle Association, accusing its leaders of shifting their stance on background checks for political gain, and unveiling a new television ad defending his bipartisan gun-control measure.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Candidate Says Social Programs Hurt ‘Black Family’ More Than Slavery (Video)  —  The Virginia GOP's nominee for lieutenant governor, E.W. Jackson, gave a speech Wednesday in which he claimed government social programs have done more harm to the “black family” than slavery.

Dems start Obama-to-Clinton transition  —  Democrats in Washington are starting to shift from the Obamas to the Clintons.  [WATCH VIDEO]  —  Hillary Clinton has already racked up a couple of endorsements for the 2016 presidential race — and she hasn't even announced she's running yet.

Ted Cruz's Father Bribed An Official To Come To U.S.  —  In a report Thursday on NPR about how Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-TX) father shaped his vision on immigration, his father, Rafael Bienvenido Cruz, an immigrant from Cuba, said that while he “came to this country legally,” he basically bribed an official to get to the United States.

Tea party scalds Marco Rubio  —  The tea party returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, but this time the don't-tread-on-me crowd trod upon one of its own.  —  Much of the scene was familiar: the yellow flags, the banners protesting tyranny and socialism, the demands to impeach President Obama and to repeal Obamacare.

Scrapping equipment key to Afghan drawdown  —  KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — Facing a tight withdrawal deadline and tough terrain, the U.S. military has destroyed more than 170 million pounds worth of vehicles and other military equipment as it rushes to wind down its role in the Afghanistan war by the end of 2014.

The Chart to Watch?  —  Dylan Matthews at Wonkblog has a common chart illustrating the Fed's recent forecast errors:  —  The story is that the Fed has tended to overestimate the strength of the economy, and has consequently had to maintain easy policy longer than policymakers had anticipated.

SCOTUS: Aid groups not required to oppose prostitution  —  In a ruling backing robust free speech rights for recipients of government funds, the Supreme Court on Thursday struck down as unconstitutional the federal government's requirement that groups accepting U.S. aid declare their opposition to prostitution.

GOP poll has Gabriel Gomez down 3 in Mass.  —  A Republican poll conducted for a Super PAC boosting Gabriel Gomez found the GOP candidate trailing by only 3 points ahead of next week's Massachusetts special election.  —  The survey—conducted Monday through Wednesday by conservative pollster John McLaughlin …

Using ObamaCare To Create A Permanent Democratic Majority  —  If you have to keep it a secret, you probably shouldn't be doing it.  —  But the California legislature and the new Covered California health insurance exchange are conspiring to keep secret how they will dole out more than half …