Rachel Jeantel: ‘I Believe Trayvon Hit First’ (VIDEO)  —  Trayvon Martin's friend and George Zimmerman trial witness, Rachel Jeantel recently sat down with HuffPost Live's Marc Lamont Hill during a candid interview to discuss her perception on the confrontation between the former neighborhood watchman and the late 17-year-old.

Daily Caller questioner of Carney is high schooler  —  The Daily Caller reporter who asked White House press secretary Jay Carney about the Zimmerman family's security is a junior at the Potomac School in Maryland.  —  Gabe Finger, who told POLITICO he's 16, tweeted a photo …

House Republicans Pass Dead-End Bill To Delay Obamacare Individual Mandate  —  House Republicans passed legislation Wednesday to delay the Obamacare individual mandate for one year — the chamber's 38th attempt to repeal or dismantle the law.  —  The proposal is set to die in the Senate …

The Cheney in Waiting  —  Dick Cheney's daughter wants to be a senator!  To give Wyoming a conservative voice!  Well, it's about time somebody thought of that.  —  “Over the last several years, citizens across our great state have urged me to consider running for the Senate,” Liz Cheney said, announcing her candidacy via YouTube.

Jahar's World  —  He was a charming kid with a bright future.  But no one saw the pain he was hiding or the monster he would become. … Peter Payack awoke around 4 a.m. on April 19th, 2013, and saw on his TV the grainy surveillance photo of the kid walking out of the minimart.

U.S. Senators Said to Reach Deal to Temporarily Hold Down Student Loan Rates  —  WASHINGTON — U.S. senators reached a deal on Wednesday to temporarily hold interest rates on student loans at lower levels as they raced to get the measure completed before an August deadline, a Senate aide said.

Voters Approve of City's Progress, Poll Finds, but Seek Empathetic Mayor  —  After 12 years with a peevish and pragmatic billionaire running the city, New Yorkers are eager for a mayor with heart.  —  By a clear majority, the city's voters say empathy is the most important trait in the next mayor …

Virginia governor race 2013 poll: Terry McAuliffe holds narrow edge  —  Days before their first debate, Democrat Terry McAuliffe is maintaining a slight lead over Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in the Virginia governor's race, according to a poll on Thursday.

Town of Deer Trail considering hunting licenses for unmanned aerial vehicles, bounties for drones  —  ‘They fly in town, they get shot down,’ man says  —  Deer Trail Mayor Franks Fields displays proper drone-hunting technique.  (Photo by Amanda Kost/7NEWS)  —  Regular Photo Size

Marco Rubio stumbles  —  Todd Harris, the usually gregarious consultant to Sen. Marco Rubio, uncharacteristically resisted eight days of calls and emails seeking his thoughts for this column.  When he finally did reply, the answer was: “to be honest, another story about Marco and immigration is not high on Christmas list!!”

DNA test: Rep. Steve Cohen not the father  —  The woman whom Rep. Steve Cohen has been claiming is his out-of-wedlock daughter is not, according to a paternity test revealed on Thursday.  —  CNN had a paternity test done on Victoria Brink with Cohen's participation, although the Tennessee Democrat did not appear on camera.

Bipartisan group in House closes in on immigration reform compromise  —  The bipartisan “gang of seven” group of House members negotiating over immigration is closing in on a plan that would include a path to citizenship, but would impose new triggers on citizenship — and new conditions …

Testy Meeting Among Senate GOP on ‘Nuclear Option’ Deal  —  A meeting of Senate Republicans on Wednesday grew tense as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told his members he could have gotten a better deal on nominations than the one negotiated by rank-and-file Republicans.

IRS lawyer says scandal was overseen by D.C., names names  —  Top IRS officials in Washington, D.C. planned and oversaw the agency's improper targeting of conservative groups, according to the 72-year old retiring IRS lawyer who will testify Thursday before the House Oversight Committee.

Jim DeMint back at war with Republicans  —  Jim DeMint's at war with Republicans — again.  —  The tea party firebrand who made his mark in GOP primary races across the country is now at the helm of the Heritage Foundation where its political arm is doing the same thing: holding conservatives feet to the fire.

Former GOP Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell told her tax records were breached  —  Errant lien on house placed, publicized  —  More than two years after her upstart Senate campaign rocked the Delaware political world, Christine O'Donnell got an unexpected contact from a U.S. Treasury …

Republican presiding over VRA hearing once claimed abortion worse than slavery  —  Shortly after the Supreme Court gutted a key part of the Voting Rights Act, Republican Rep. Trent Franks of Arizonatold Politico that the best way to handle the ruling was to keep a low profile.