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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

Pentagon Lays Out Options for U.S. Military Effort in Syria  —  WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has provided Congress with its first detailed list of military options to stem the bloody civil war in Syria, suggesting that a campaign to tilt the balance from President Bashar al-Assad to the opposition …

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.

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,” …

George Zimmerman Emerged From Hiding for Truck Crash Rescue … George Zimmerman, defendant in the killing of Trayvon Martin, is sworn in as a witness in Seminole circuit court for a pre-trial hearing April 30, 2013 in Sanford, Fla.  —  Joe Burbank/Getty Images

Olympia Snowe: Liz Cheney challenge to Mike Enzi ‘unfortunate’  —  Liz Cheney has not made a case for her challenge to Mike Enzi in a Wyoming Republican primary next year, former Sen. Olympia Snowe told POLITICO.  —  The Maine Republican senator said the decision by Cheney …

Obama approval hits second-term record low  —  President Obama's job approval ratings have hit a record low since he was reelected, according to a new poll.  —  The new McClatchy-Marist poll found Obama's job approval rating at 41 percent, a drop from a few months ago when the same poll found …

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 …

Ex-NY Gov. Paterson says he may run for Congress  —  ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — In New York politics, where unlikely comeback attempts are becoming common, one of the most unexpected may be developing as former Gov. David Paterson says he's may run for Congress if Rep. Charles Rangel retires.

Obamacare: Because Mom said so  —  Jacobs said parents should be more concerned that Obamacare hampers job creation for the younger generation.  —  Getting young adults to take a second look at insurance — which will be heavily subsidized — is among the top communication challenges for those who support the law.

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.”

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.