Republicans to Tackle Cuts in Food Stamp Program  —  House approval of a scaled-back farm bill is setting up what could be an even bigger fight over food stamps and the role of domestic food aid in the United States.  —  Food stamps have been a part of farm bills since the 1970s to gain urban Democratic votes for the rural measure.

Mitch McConnell's problem: How can he threaten to obstruct the Senate even more?  —  There's a reason the Senate majority rarely goes through with filibuster reform: The minority can make the aftermath hellish.  —  Will Harry Reid actually change the rules?  (Michael Reynolds/EPA)

Revealed: how Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages  —  • Secret files show scale of Silicon Valley co-operation on Prism  —  • Outlook.com encryption unlocked even before official launch  —  • Skype worked to enable Prism collection of video calls

Exclusive: Rick Perry's October trip to Israel sign of another White House bid  —  Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday that he will visit Israel in October, a move that signals to the political world that he is seriously considering making another presidential run in 2016.

Pass the Bill!  —  It's beginning to look as though we're not going to get an immigration reform law this year.  House Republicans are moving in a direction that will probably be unacceptable to the Senate majority and the White House.  Conservative commentators like my friends Bill Kristol …

Obama's Alinskyite Administration  —  Judicial Watch, a conservative legal foundation, has used the Freedom of Information Act to uncover documents that show Eric Holder's Justice Department used a “community relations” unit to support and stage-manage public protests in Florida …

Could “North Colorado” be America's 51st state?  —  PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO  —  There's a growing effort to create a 51st state out of parts of northeast Colorado and southwestern Nebraska.  —  Ten counties started talking about seceding last month.  Now some people in Lincoln and Cheyenne counties …

Jay-Z says he texts with Obama  —  (CNN) - It's no secret that Jay-Z is close with President Barack Obama.  The hip hop artist held big fundraisers for the president, and his megastar wife, Beyoncé, performed at Obama's second inauguration.  —  But Jay-Z said this week their friendship …

Eliot Spitzer submits signatures in N.Y.C. race  —  Eliot Spitzer submitted 27,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot in the Democratic primary for New York City comptroller tonight, an effort completed less than four days after a rocky start.  —  Spitzer delivered the signatures …

Is Doubling Down on White Voters a Viable Strategy for the Republican Party?  —  Alan I. Abramowitz and Ruy Teixeira, Guest Columnists July 11th, 2013  —  Perhaps the key question in American presidential politics is how the growing and overwhelmingly Democratic nonwhite vote will affect future elections.

Public Esteem for Military Still High  —  Clergy in the Middle, Lawyers at the Bottom  —  Navigate this page:  —  Americans continue to hold the military in high regard, with more than three-quarters of U.S. adults (78%) saying that members of the armed services contribute “a lot” to society's well-being.

Who wins in a Clinton-Christie 2016 showdown?  —  Washington (CNN) - Call it a very early look at what could possibly happen in November 2016.  —  According to a new national poll, Hillary Clinton would top New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky in hypothetical presidential election showdowns.

Abortion Poll Finds Support For 20-Week Ban  —  Most Americans would favor sweeping new national restrictions on abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll.  But the poll also shows many Americans remain conflicted in their views on abortion.

Exclusive: Criminal charges against Solyndra founder are unlikely - sources  —  (Reuters) - The founder of bankrupt solar panel maker Solyndra will likely avoid criminal charges even if charges are brought against other former executives of the company, according to several people familiar with the investigation.