Texas House approves sweeping abortion restrictions  —  (Reuters) - The Texas House of Representatives approved sweeping abortion restrictions on Tuesday, including a ban after 20 weeks of pregnancy and tougher standards for clinics that perform the procedure.

Immigration reform heads for slow death  —  Republicans walked away from their 2012 debacle hell-bent on fixing their problems with Hispanics.  Now, they appear hell-bent on making them worse.  —  In private conversations, top Republicans on Capitol Hill now predict comprehensive immigration reform …

Seeing Opening, House G.O.P. Pushes Delay on Individual Mandate in Health Law  —  WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders on Tuesday seized on the Obama administration's one-year delay of a mandate for larger employers to offer health insurance or face penalties, demanding the same postponement …

McDonnell's corporation, wife allegedly benefited from $120,000 more from donor  —  RICHMOND — A prominent political donor gave $70,000 to a corporation owned by Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and his sister last year, and the governor did not disclose the money as a gift or loan, according to people with knowledge of the payments.

Just in Case George Zimmerman Walks Free...  Like so many people across the country, I have followed the murder trial of George Zimmerman very closely.  As we enter what is probably the last week of the trial, I am sure that everyone is anxious about the outcome.

Wal-Mart: The D.C. Council has forced our hand  —  Alex Barron is a regional general manager for Wal-Mart U.S. and is responsible for about 90 stores and 30,000 associates in the D.C. area, including all stores planned for Washington.  —  For almost three years, Wal-Mart has worked on a plan …

Sarah Palin Considering 2014 Senate Run  —  Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin on Tuesday said that she is considering running for Senate in 2014.  —  Appearing on Sean Hannity's radio program, Palin also reiterated that she would consider supporting a third party if Republicans don't return to their conservative roots.

Americans in Favor of National Referenda on Key Issues  —  Majority also backs shorter presidential campaigns and national primary  —  PRINCETON, NJ — A majority of Americans back three political reform ideas, including 68% who favor national referenda on key issues if enough voters sign …

Linchpin for Obama's plan to predict future leakers unproven, isn't likely to work, experts say  —  WASHINGTON — In an initiative aimed at rooting out future leakers and other security violators, President Barack Obama has ordered federal employees to report suspicious actions of their colleagues based …

Democrat on Democrat: Sen. Warren rips Sen. Manchin on student loan proposal  —  Liberal firebrand Elizabeth Warren blasted a fellow Democratic senator Tuesday as a dispute over how to stop student loan rates from doubling tore splits in the party.  —  The clash, which is highly unusual …

Sabotage governing  —  It's not unusual to hear dirty hippie liberal blogger types (and the occasional lefty Nobel Prize winner) point out that today's GOP has effectively abdicated the role of functional opposition party, instead opting for a kind of post-policy nihilism in which sabotaging …

Tribune Announces Intent to Pursue Separation of Broadcast and Publishing Businesses  —  Separation Designed to Maximize Shareholder Value, Provide Greater Financial and Operational Focus  —  Latest Step in Continuing Transformation of Dynamic Media Company

Justin Bieber Pisses Into Restaurant Mop Bucket — ‘F*** Bill Clinton!’  [VIDEO]  —  PISSES INTO RESTAURANT MOP BUCKET  —  ‘F*** Bill Clinton!’  —  EXCLUSIVE  —  Justin Bieber is an oblivious, self-important little twit who goes out of his way to make the working man's life miserable …

A brand-new U.S. military headquarters in Afghanistan.  And nobody to use it.  —  The U.S. military has erected a 64,000-square-foot headquarters building on the dusty moonscape of southwestern Afghanistan that comes with all the tools to wage a modern war.  A vast operations center with tiered seating.

Effects of Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Start to Be Felt  —  WASHINGTON — The federal government is moving quickly to extend benefits like health care and life insurance to gay and lesbian married couples in response to the Supreme Court decision that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act.

Whistleblowers  —  Two data points and a question.  —  Point one: Daniel Ellsberg yesterday in the Washington Post, in a piece on the Snowden case, referred to what might, surprisingly, be called the more easygoing legal climate of 1971, when he gave the Pentagon papers to the New York Times …