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 …

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 …

GOP chief: ‘We need comprehensive immigration reform’  —  Washington (CNN) - One day after the Senate passed a full-spectrum immigration bill with overwhelming support, the chairman of the Republican National Committee re-emphasized the need for reform but said the final contours of the legislation are far from settled.

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.

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.

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 …

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:

Bottled-water purchase leads to night in jail for UVa student  —  When a half-dozen men and a woman in street clothes closed in on University of Virginia student Elizabeth Daly, 20, she and two roommates panicked.  —  That led to Daly spending a night and an afternoon in the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.

Court Lifts Stay, Same-Sex Couples Marrying Again In California  —  “The stay in the above matter is dissolved effective immediately,” appeals court judges write.  The lead plaintiffs in the Prop 8 challenge, Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, are getting married at San Francisco City Hall.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

Wendy Davis spoke with DGA chair Peter Shumlin  —  Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis, whose sensational filibuster in support of abortion rights vaulted her to national prominence and stoked speculation about a possible 2014 campaign for governor, spoke this week with Democratic Governors Association …

CBO: GOP abortion bill would raise deficit  —  Nearly every single House Republican voted last week to increase government spending and push the nation further into debt — all to limit abortion access for some women.  —  The official budget scorekeeper of Congress says the Pain-Capable …

Feds seek to seize homes of Jesse Jackson Jr. and wife  —  Federal prosecutors are now moving to seize the homes of former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife former Chicago alderman Sandi Jackson.  (CLTV)  —  Federal prosecutors asked a judge today to let the government seize …