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.

Revealed: the top secret rules that allow NSA to use US data without a warrant  —  Fisa court submissions show broad scope of procedures governing NSA's surveillance of Americans' communication  —  • Document one: procedures used by NSA to target non-US persons

CNN Media Critic Going to Fox  —  Fox News said on Thursday that it had hired Howard Kurtz, the reporter who for 15 years has hosted the Sunday morning media criticism program “Reliable Sources” on a rival network, CNN.  —  Mr. Kurtz will take over “Fox News Watch,” the network's media criticism program …

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.

LePage slips ‘Vaseline’ jab toward Democratic senator  —  AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage on Thursday said a Democratic lawmaker, Sen. Troy Jackson of Aroostook County, “claims to be for the people but he's the first one to give it to the people without providing Vaseline.”

George Zimmerman trial: Jury selected, opening statements begin Monday  —  SANFORD - A jury has been seated and sworn for the second-degree murder trial of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, after more than a week of intensive jury selection in the high-profile case.

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.

On the left, Howard Dean open to presidential bid  —  San Jose, California (CNN) - Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor who electrified anti-war liberals during the 2004 presidential race, said Thursday he would consider another run for the White House - a statement that will surely be met …

Controversial GOP NH Rep. Tremblay resigns  —  Tremblay alleges Marathon bombing may have been faked  —  Controversial state Rep. Stella Tremblay, R-Auburn, resigned from the New Hampshire House of Representatives Thursday, moments before lawmakers were poised to pass a two-year …

George W. Bush's Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather Was a Slave Trader  —  A surprising new discovery about the notorious Thomas “Beau” Walker.  —  BUNCE ISLAND, Sierra Leone—Twelve American presidents owned slaves, eight while serving in office, and at least 25 presidents count slave owners among their ancestors.

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Louie Gohmert advises LGBT people to hide who they are at work  —  Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, said on Wednesday that he wasn't “aware of exactly which one you're talking about” when a reporter asked him about his position on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, but his attempt to dodge …

Opinion recap: Easing the leash on speech  —  Analysis  —  Conceding that it is hard to draw the constitutional line, the Supreme Court on Thursday attempted once more to spell out when the government may use its money to try to control what people are allowed to say if they take the money.

The New Economic Risk: Complacency  —  With each month of steady employment growth — in May, 175,000 jobs were created — the feeling of lassitude around the issues facing the American economy takes hold a little bit more.  —  Amid the gathering drumbeat of pronouncements of economic optimism …

Introducing Aaron's Law, a Desperately Needed Reform of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act  —  The Internet is up for grabs.  —  Foreign countries want to control it.  Military regimes use it to spy, to oppress, and to attack public and private institutions.  ‘Big Content’ sought to censor it and dismantle its architecture.

GOP leader steps down after rant on ex-Miss America  —  WASHINGTON — The local Illinois Republican Party official who called a biracial congressional candidate a “street walker” resigned Thursday, after his comments were widely denounced as offensive.  —  Jim Allen referred to Erika Harold …

Bloomberg Group Named Christopher Dorner, Other Murder Suspects On List Of Gun Violence “Victims”  —  Demonstrators trying to bolster support for gun control read aloud from a list of more than 6,000 gun violence “victims” — including at least 10 murder suspects who were killed by police.

WikiLeaks says Michael Hastings contacted it just before his death.  Are they implying he was murdered?  —  WikiLeaks just threw some gasoline onto the conspiracy fire.  On Wednesday night, they Tweeted: “Michael Hastings contacted WikiLeaks lawyer Jennifer Robinson just a few hours before he died …

Feds Probe Firm that Vetted NSA Leaker  —  WASHINGTON—Federal inspectors have been conducting a criminal investigation for more than a year of the company that performed a background check on Edward Snowden, the former systems analyst who leaked some of the nation's most closely held secrets to the media …

Pelosi Stops Talking About Abortion  —  At a press conference Thursday afternoon, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi ripped Republicans for not spending enough money on food stamps.  “They're taking food out of the mouths of babies,” Pelosi said of her Republican colleagues following the defeat of the farm bill in a floor vote.

FDA Ban on Gay Men as Blood Donors Opposed by American Medical Association  —  The American Medical Association voted Tuesday to oppose a decades long ban by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which prohibits gay men from donating blood.  —  The FDA ban originated in 1983 in response …

A Nation Divided Against Itself  —  Along with — and because of — dramatic social and demographic changes, America is quickly dividing itself into two separate nations, regional enclaves of rigid politics, as the idea of common national priorities fades further into a distant past.

Donna Brazile, Karl Rove dance  —  Putting their political differences aside, Democratic strategist Donna Brazile and GOP strategist Karl Rove shared a dance on Wednesday evening.  —  The pair took a spin onstage at the Points of Light conference in Washington, D.C., proving even they can get along when it comes to community service.