Harry Reid escalates nuclear threat in a big way  —  An important moment on the Senate floor just now: Harry Reid said he would be filing cloture today on a whole bunch of executive nominations, and challenged Republicans to act on them — a major escalation of the threat to change the Senate rules …

House approves farm bill in big win for Boehner, GOP leaders  —  The House approved a stripped-down farm bill Thursday in a tight 216-208 vote, giving a huge boost to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other Republican leaders after the embarrassing failure of an earlier bill last month.

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

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 …

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 …

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.

Obamacare's panicked Democrats  —  Why the employer mandate delay will backfire  —  Poor Democrats.  An election looms and their Obamacare train wreck is deservedly being called the worst law in American history.  Voters hate it, and why shouldn't they?  The Democrats' promises …

Eliot Spitzer submits signatures in NYC 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 …

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.

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.

Dominicans Freak Out Over Obama's Gay Ambassador Pick  —  Opposition to President Obama's nominee for U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic reached a fever pitch this week as religious organizers stage a “Lunes Negro” or Black Monday protest against James “Wally” Brewster.

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner apologizes, admits ‘I need help’  —  SAN DIEGO — Facing calls for his resignation amid sex harassment claims, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner issued an apology Thursday for his treatment of women and vowed to change his behavior, admitting “I need help.”