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 …

Republicans for Snowden  —  A left-right House coalition rushes to stop metadata collection.  —  Few things are more dangerous than Congress in heat, and so it is this week as a libertarian-left wing coalition in the House of Representatives is rushing to neuter one of the National Security Agency's antiterror surveillance programs.

Nice speech, Mr. President.  You still can't do much to help the economy  —  Barack Obama flew to Knox College in his political home state of Illinois to deliver a ballyhooed economic speech Wednesday afternoon on the plight of the hard-knocks middle class.

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.

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.

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 …

‘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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Boehner, Cantor blast Rep. Steve King for drug mule comments  —  Top House Republicans issued a rare rebuke of one of their own members Wednesday, denouncing comments by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) that depicted many immigrant children as criminal drug runners.

Senate approves deal on student loan rates  —  The Senate voted 81-18 Wednesday for legislation on student loan rates, splitting Democrats in the chamber.  —  Seventeen Democrats voted against the bipartisan bill that would cap most student loan rates at 8.25 percent.

Senate bill shields Exxon pipeline spill payments from taxes  —  Arkansas' bipartisan Senate duo hopes to ensure people affected by the roughly 5,000 barrel oil spill from an ExxonMobil pipeline in March won't be taxed on disaster compensation they receive from the company.

Tea Party Congressman Compares African American Civil Rights To Snail Darters  —  Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) compared the civil rights of African Americans and other minorities to the rights of animals during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, sparking outrage from lawmakers.