Cover Story: Bert and Ernie's “Moment of Joy”  —  “It's amazing to witness how attitudes on gay rights have evolved in my lifetime,” said Jack Hunter, the artist behind next week's cover, “Moment of Joy.”  Hunter, who originally submitted his image, unsolicited, to a Tumblr, continued …

GOP Leaders Warn Pro Sports Leagues Not To Promote Obamacare  —  Senate Republican leaders have sent letters warning six professional sports leagues not to provide the Obama administration any assistance in promoting Obamacare.  —  The letters, dated June 27, warn the chiefs of the National Football League …

Witness describes Zimmerman's injuries, phone call to wife  —  A resident of the Florida community where George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin last year told jurors Friday afternoon how he encountered a bloodied Zimmerman immediately after the confrontation and took pictures of the murder defendant's injuries.

Hank Johnson: Clarence Thomas ‘Worse’ Than Edward Snowden For Gutting Voting Rights Act  —  WASHINGTON — Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) said Wednesday that the fact that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas voted this week to gut the Voting Rights Act — the 1965 law aimed at protecting disenfranchised voters …

House GOP's immigration playbook  —  Circle July 10 with red ink: It's now the most important day for immigration reform.  —  That Wednesday is when a hobbled, divided and raucous House Republican Conference will meet in the Capitol basement to figure out how to address the Senate-passed bill.

Alec Baldwin's pregnant wife Hilaria TWEETS about Rachael Ray and anniversary gifts during James Gandolfini's funeral  — She later insisted: 'I don't believe in bringing phones into a funeral and I never did and I never would'  —  It may not be considered funeral etiquette …

Bloomberg: ‘We disproportionately stop whites too much and minorities too little’ in stop-frisk checks  —  Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants cops to conduct more stop-and-frisk checks on minorities, not less, and believes whites are disproportionately targeted by the controversial measure.

Krugman hits Erickson for ‘fake populism’  —  In response to Erick Erickson's latest us-versus-them screed against the Acela-corridor...  Paul Krugman drops some Bureau of Labor Statistics data to show that the price of milk and bread haven't actually gone up at all.  And asks:

Federal Government Begins Extending Employee Benefits To Same-Sex Spouses  —  “[F]or the first time in history, we will be making important federal employee benefits, including healthcare and retirement benefits, available to eligible married gay and lesbian couples and their families,” Obama said in a statement Friday afternoon.

Jimmy Carter to Paula Deen: ‘Let the dust settle’  —  Former President Jimmy Carter has advice for his friend and celebrity chef Paula Deen.  —  “I've known Paula Deen quite well for a long period of time.  I advised her to let the dust settle and to make apologies,” Carter said in interview clips aired Friday on CNN.

Sarah Palin mocks GOP: ‘Great job’  —  Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had harsh words for the GOP establishment who voted for immigration reform, saying they “disrespect Hispanics” by passing the bill.  —  “Great job, GOP establishment,” began the statement Palin posted on Facebook on Friday.

Christie: Obama 'can't figure out how to lead'  —  VERNON TWP.  — Gov. Chris Christie veered to the right this morning, twice touting himself as a “conservative Republican” and taking a shot at President Obama within the first 10 minutes of a town hall meeting in Sussex County.

Woman indicted in mailing of ricin-laced letters to Obama, Bloomberg  —  Actress arrested in ricin case  —  (CNN) — A Texas woman has been indicted and charged with mailing ricin-laced letters to President Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a U.S. attorney's office in Texas said Friday.

Lois Lerner's plan: fight on  —  Darrell Issa's committee says Lois Lerner waived her Fifth Amendment rights — but her attorney says she isn't going down without a fight.  —  The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted 22-17 on Friday that the embattled IRS official voluntarily waived …

Father proposes deal for Snowden's voluntary return  —  (CNN) — The father of Edward J. Snowden has offered federal authorities a deal that he says would likely lead the accused leaker to return voluntarily to the United States to face espionage charges.  —  The proposal was laid out in a letter …

NC poised to become 1st state to drop federal jobless funds  —  RALEIGH, N.C. — With changes to its unemployment law taking effect this weekend, North Carolina not only is cutting benefits for those who file new claims, it will become the first state disqualified from a federal compensation program for the long-term jobless.

Nationalized gay marriage, now inevitable  —  Under the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriages even in states that have legalized it.  This week, the Supreme Court ruled DOMA unconstitutional.  —  There are two possible grounds, distinct and in some ways contradictory, for doing so.

In U.S., 43% of Uninsured Unaware They Must Get Coverage  —  Awareness higher, at 81%, among all Americans  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The vast majority of Americans, 81%, say they are aware of the 2010 Affordable Care Act's (ACA's) requirement that most Americans must carry health insurance or pay a fine.