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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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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.

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.

“Vaseline” comment sparks controversy at State House  —  Gov. LePage makes comments following budget rally  —  There is more controversy in Augusta on Thursday following comments Gov. Paul LePage made about a state Democratic senator from Aroostook County.

Feds Probe Firm That Did Snowden Background Check  —  WASHINGTON—Federal officials are conducting a criminal investigation of the private company that performed a 2011 security background check on Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked some of the nation's …

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.

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.

Donna Brazille, 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.

Congressman Says Gays Should Hide Their Orientation At Work  —  Joseph Diebold is an intern with ThinkProgress.  —  Credit: Gage Skidmore  —  WASHINGTON, DC — Following a speech at an anti-IRS Tea Party rally in front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) …

Obama to formally announce James Comey as FBI pick  —  President Barack Obama will announce Friday that he is nominating James Comey, a former hedge fund executive and senior Bush administration official, to be the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

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 …

Who Killed Equality?  —  There are two main schools of thought on income inequality: The fatalists, who contend that rising inequality is the ineluctable result of a changing economy, and the redistributionists, who blame a skewed tax system and lethargic government.  Perhaps it's time to consider a third.

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 …