US-China relations chill over Snowden  —  Press secretary Jay Carney blasted China in unusually blunt terms as the administration hunted for Snowden, the leaker of National Security Agency documents who is now believed to be hiding out in Russia.  —  Carney dismissed Hong Kong's legal justification …

IRS chief: Inappropriate screening was broad  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service's screening of groups seeking tax-exempt status was broader and lasted longer than has been previously disclosed, the new head of the agency said Monday.  —  An internal IRS document obtained …

Justice Alito's Inexcusable Rudeness  —  A justice of the Supreme Court should not act like a high schooler on the bench; when the target is a fellow justice, the offense is even greater.  —  I suspect that the cause of cameras in the Supreme Court suffered a blow on Monday.

Immigration reform passes key Senate test in 67-27 vote on border measure  —  Fifteen of the “yes” votes were Republicans, suggesting supporters could hit the 70-vote threshold they hope to reach in the final vote.  It is thought a big, bipartisan vote could put pressure in the GOP-held House …

Richard Matheson, 1926-2013  —  Tor.com is saddened and staggered to learn of the passing of Richard Matheson, the esteemed author of I am Legend, The Shrinking Man, What Dreams May Come, Hell House, the script for the Steven Spielberg film Duel, and many Twilight Zone scripts, among many more works.

Mitch McConnell Is Either Very Bad at Math or Horribly Disingenuous  —  The Senate minority leader took me to task on Friday.  Unfortunately, he had his facts wrong on virtually every count.  —  Last Friday morning, I attended a ballyhooed speech given by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at AEI …

Greenwald: Beltway media types are ‘courtiers to power’  —  Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald yesterday clashed with “Meet the Press” host David Gregory, who'd asked Greenwald the following question: “To the extent that you have aided and abetted Snowden, even in his current movements …

Afghan forces put down attack on presidential palace: police  —  (Reuters) - Afghan forces put down an early morning attack by Taliban insurgents on the presidential palace and nearby buildings in central Kabul on Tuesday, with police saying all the assailants had been killed after a 90-minute gunfight.

Obama in the doldrums  —  Not yet six months into his second term, Barack Obama's presidency is in a dead zone.  —  A combination of familiar Washington intransigence and a more recent run of bad news and political setbacks have left him with less influence over his circumstances …

When Journalists Attack  —  With its rush to compare Obama to Nixon and to overhype any and all scandals, the media is ruining America's ability to engage in nuanced debate, says Jon Favreau.  —  If you saw the news at any point in the last month, chances are that you heard Barack Obama compared …

Was Hastings' Car Hacked?  —  The peculiar circumstances of journalist Michael Hastings' death in Los Angeles last week have unleashed a wave of conspiracy theories.  —  Now there's another theory to contribute to the paranoia: According to a prominent security analyst, technology exists that could've allowed someone to hack his car.

Ralph Nader outlines 2016 plan  —  Ralph Nader insists that he's done with his own presidential races, but he still has some plans for 2016.  —  “I'm going to find at least ten enlightened billionaires or multibillionaires and I'm going to have a criteria.  Have they spoken out about where they think the country is going?

Experts' verdict: Obama's climate effort a good first step but not enough  —  President Barack Obama's new climate change agenda may be ambitious, but experts warn it won't be enough to avoid the worst effects of a warming planet.  —  The climate threat is so severe, they say …

Climate Change and Financial Instability Seen as Top Global Threats  —  Survey Report  —  Publics around the world are concerned about the effect of global climate change and international financial instability, with majorities in many of the nations surveyed saying these are major threats to their countries.

For Women in Weiner Scandal, Indignity Lingers  —  Customers taunt Lisa Weiss.  “Talk dirty to me,” they joke.  “We know you like it.”  Colleagues refuse to speak with her.  Strangers mock her in nasty online messages.  —  “Clearly she's got mental issues,” declared the latest.

Santorum jumps into show business  —  (CNN) - Former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum is getting into the movie business.  —  The staunch conservative, who also served as a senator from Pennsylvania, was named the chief executive of EchoLight Studios, his political action group said Monday.