Shutdown looms over ObamaCare  —  ObamaCare is at the center of a rapidly escalating fight that threatens to shut the government down this fall.  [WATCH VIDEO]  —  Senate Republicans, including two members of the leadership, are coalescing around a proposal to block any government funding resolution …

President to seek credit on economic uptick  —  President Obama will grab credit for an improving economy in a series of speeches this week that the White House hopes will increase his political clout.  —  The messaging effort is intended to portray Obama as focused on jobs …

Sacha Baron Cohen Exits Freddie Mercury Biopic Over Creative Differences With Queen  —  BREAKING... EXCLUSIVE... Sacha Baron Cohen is just not seeing eye to eye with the remaining members of Queen who have script and director approval over that biopic on iconic lead singer Freddie Mercury.

Policy Divisions Challenge Obama, But GOP Battles Its Own Discontent  —  Credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo  —  Challenges across the policy spectrum are keeping Barack Obama in political peril, with the public divided on initiatives ranging from Senate-supported immigration reform to Obama's signature health care law.

Republicans wait as O'Donnell weighs another campaign  —  In the three years since her unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign nearly caused a schism in the state Republican Party, little has changed for Christine O'Donnell as she considers another race.  —  O'Donnell continues to be regarded …

Michelle Nunn declares herself a U.S. Senate candidate  —  Shortly after 1 p.m. Monday, Michelle Nunn declared herself a Democratic candidate in the 2014 race for U.S. Senate, the very seat once held by her father.  —  The formal announce will come Tuesday, when she files the official paperwork.

Getting Detroit Back on Its Feet  —  After suffering through decades of economic decline and official mismanagement, the city of Detroit sought bankruptcy protection last week, becoming the largest American municipality to take that extreme step.  The city's debts total a staggering $18 billion …

Sex harassment suit filed against Filner, SD  —  The former top spokeswoman for Mayor Bob Filner sued him and the city for sexual harassment Monday, alleging he repeatedly made unwanted sexual advances toward her and put her in a headlock on several occasions so she couldn't get away.

George Zimmerman Emerged From Hiding for Truck Crash Rescue  —  George Zimmerman, who has been in hiding since he was acquitted of murder in the death of Trayvon Martin, emerged to help rescue someone who was trapped in an overturned truck, police said today.

House GOP August Plan: Hate on Washington  —  When House Republicans retreat to their districts for the August recess, they will each be armed with a detailed guide — an exceptionally detailed guide — on how to assure their already convinced constituents that Washington is broken.

Brazilian crowds delight pope, frustrate security  —  RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A wrong turn sent a humble Fiat carrying Pope Francis into the thick of a frenzied Rio crowd Monday, in his first minutes back in South America since becoming pontiff.  It was a nightmare for security officials …

Chicago alderman gets White House award, admits talking to FBI … Clout Street  —  In a case of only-in-Chicago political timing, the White House announced Monday it would honor Ald.  Joe Moore as a “pioneer for political reform,” the same day the veteran City Council member revealed …

The NYPD: Guilty of Saving 7,383 Lives  —  Accusations of racial profiling ignore the fact that violent crime overwhelmingly occurs in minority neighborhoods.  —  Since 2002, the New York Police Department has taken tens of thousands of weapons off the street through proactive policing strategies.

Zimmerman verdict poll: Stark reaction by race  —  The not-guilty verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman has produced dramatically different reactions among blacks and whites, with African Americans overwhelmingly disapproving of the jury's decision and a bare majority of whites saying …

Nate Silver Went Against the Grain for Some at The Times  —  Why did Nate Silver decide to leave The New York Times and accept an offer from ESPN?  —  That's the cause of great speculation in media circles at the moment.  As has been noted elsewhere, there's no question that The Times …

Harry Reid: Mitch McConnell ‘tried to make love to the tea party’  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is enjoying the possibility of a tea party backed challenger to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.  —  “He tried to make love to the tea party and they didn't like it,” …

CNN Contributor: Kate Middleton ‘Brilliant’ Because Duchess Delivered Boy In First Try  —  After Monday's much-anticipated arrival of an heir to the British throne, CNN's Royal Contributor opined that Prince William's wife, Kate Middleton, made for a “brilliant” royal because she was able to deliver a boy on the “first time.”

Q: Do you approve or disapprove of the jury“s verdict last week finding Zimmerman not guilty in MartinÂ's death?  —  This Washington Post-ABC News poll was conducted by telephone July 18-21, 2013, among a random national sample of 1,002 adults, including landline and cell phone-only respondents.