Many New York Women Are Baffled at Loyalty Shown by Weiner's Wife  —  Sipping sparkling water by the bustling patios of Bryant Park on Wednesday afternoon, the young women touched on the usual topics of lunchtime gossip: men, work, relationships.  —  Then the discussion turned …

House Defeats Effort to Rein In N.S.A. Data Gathering  —  WASHINGTON — A divided House defeated legislation Wednesday that would have blocked the National Security Agency from collecting vast amounts of phone records, handing the Obama administration a hard-fought victory in the first Congressional showdown …

Sidetrack stops serving Stoli, other Russian products  —  Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted St., today said that it would be removing Stolichnaya Vodka and other Russian products from their shelves.  The decision comes in the wake of Russia's implementation of oppressive anti-gay laws last month.

Some Democrats Look to Push Party Away From Center  —  WASHINGTON — As President Obama made the case on Wednesday about how the American economy was improving, he went off script to underscore how significant the challenges were that remained.  —  “But — and here's the big but …

McCain, McConnell heading for spell of rocky relations  —  The relationship between Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is going to be awkward in the coming months.  —  McConnell finds himself increasingly constrained by both his new primary challenger …

What's the Matter With North Carolina?  —  The state went from beacon of tolerance to bastion of voter suppression in a month.  —  North Carolina is proving itself to be the poster child for all that is wrong with modern American democracy and—with thanks to Moral Mondays—also highlighting all that may someday save it.

The Inequality President  —  The rich have done fine under Obamanomics, not so the middle class.  —  President Obama made his fourth or fifth, or maybe it's the seventh or eighth, pivot to the economy on Wednesday, and a revealing speech it was.  We counted four mentions of “growth” but “inequality” got five.

Thank you, Ray Kelly  —  President Obama shouldn't nominate Ray Kelly to be secretary of homeland security.  He should give the New York City police chief a stern talking to.  He should invite him to examine his conscience and consider the error of his ways.  Failing that, he should hold him up to national obloquy.

‘Obamacare’ National Marketing Campaign To Cost Nearly $700 Million  —  CHICAGO (AP) — It will make you stronger.  It will give you peace of mind and make you feel like a winner.  Health insurance is what the whole country has been talking about, so don't be left out.  —  Sound like a sales pitch?

A Cut Above: President and Mrs. George H.W. Bush Join Patrick's Pals  —  Our little guy received some high-powered support this week when President George Bush 41 volunteered to shave his head to show his support for Patrick and Patrick's Pals.  —  Members of his Secret Service detail …

Tax writers promise 50 years of secrecy for senators' suggestions  —  Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and the panel's top Republican, Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah), assured lawmakers that any submission they receive will be kept under lock and key by the committee and the National Archives until the end of 2064.

DOD: Gitmo costs in 2013 to top $450M  —  The cost to run the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay in 2013 is $454 million — a figure significantly higher than previous estimates, according to a new Pentagon assessment.  —  The newest price tag, which was sent to the House Armed Services Committee …

Florida To Resume Voter Purge After High Court Ruling  —  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A federal court is dismissing a lawsuit that a Hispanic civic group and two naturalized citizens filed last year to block a voter purge in Florida.  —  The lawsuit became moot after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June.