McCain calls Morsi ouster a coup d'etat, urges blocking aid  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called the ouster of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi a coup d'etat and pressed the Obama administration to suspend aid to the country on Sunday.  —  “It was a coup and it was the second …

A Hidden Consensus on Health Care  —  TO follow what's happening with the new health care law right now, you have to understand that for all the deep divisions on the issue, there's actually a real bipartisan consensus about how the American health care system ought to be reformed.

Teresa Heinz Kerry in critical condition  —  Teresa Heinz Kerry, the wife of Secretary of State John Kerry, is in critical but stable condition in a hospital in Nantucket, Mass.  —  Heinz Kerry, 74, was admitted into the emergency room at Nantucket Cottage Hospital after 3:30 p.m. Sunday, hospital spokesman Noah Brown said

Louisiana Republican Introduces Bill To Ban LGBT Rainbow Flag From Public Buildings  —  A city councilman in Louisiana is drafting a new set of ordinances that would ban the flying of rainbow flags on any public property after a constituent took umbrage with one such flag that was raised by a local LGBT organization.

Rep. Labrador: Bad immigration bill could be ‘the death’ of the GOP  —  Passing a bad immigration reform bill could politically damage the GOP, one prominent Hispanic Republican said Sunday morning.  —  “If we don't do it right, politically it's going to be the death of the Republican Party …

Perry vows Texas will pass abortion bill  —  Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) on Sunday promised his state will push through a law restricting abortion rights, which has gained national attention, within the next 10 days.  —  “We have a special session with some important issues in front of us.

Female inmates sterilized in California prisons without approval  —  The Center for Investigative Reporting  —  Doctors under contract with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation sterilized nearly 150 female inmates from 2006 to 2010 without required state approvals …

The Morality of Meditation  —  MEDITATION is fast becoming a fashionable tool for improving your mind.  With mounting scientific evidence that the practice can enhance creativity, memory and scores on standardized intelligence tests, interest in its practical benefits is growing.

House Republicans Draft Their Debt-Ceiling Playbook  —  With an anxious eye toward the coming debt-ceiling negotiations, House Republicans are drafting what members call a “menu” of mandatory spending cuts to offer the White House in exchange for raising the country's borrowing limit.

White House Down: Obama Version  —  I don't know how he does it, but Internet Wit Sans Peer, Iowahawk, wrapped up the week more succinctly than anyone: … The scandal in Benghazi still awaits a full investigation (as do the others in the to do scandal box, including the IRS abuse …

Science Is About Evidence, Not Consensus  —  Last week a friend chided me for not agreeing with the scientific consensus that climate change is likely to be dangerous.  I responded that, according to polls, the “consensus” about climate change only extends to the propositions that it has been happening …