Justice Department to challenge states' voting rights laws  —  The Justice Department is preparing to take fresh legal action in a string of voting rights cases across the nation, U.S. officials said, part of a new attempt to blunt the impact of a Supreme Court ruling that the Obama administration …

The good wife?  Oh, give us a break!  —  Our would-be Mayor Carlos Danger has done it again.  —  After sitting for lengthy, sympathetic profiles with The New York Times magazine, New York and People — where he declared, “I feel like a different person” — serial online sexter Anthony Weiner and his wife …

Harry Reid: Hillary Clinton Will Be ‘Even Better’ Than Her Husband  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) gushed over Hillary Clinton's presidential prospects during an interview that aired Wednesday, saying that the former secretary of state will “handle things probably even better” …

Anthony Weiner's Lead in NYC Mayor's Race Evaporates After New Revelations of Online Affair: Poll  —  Weiner admitted Tuesday he had carried on explicit online relationships after he left Congress  —  Mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner has suffered a massive erosion of support among …

Rand Paul caught in the middle in Kentucky  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's campaign manager didn't hold back when he learned that his boss had a new GOP primary challenger.  —  “Matthew Griswold Bevin is not a Kentucky conservative, he is merely an East Coast con man,” …

Obama: Reporters tell me my ideas are ‘great’  —  President Obama said reporters praise his economic proposals as “great” and tell him they are “all good ideas.”  —  Obama made the remarks in a speech Wednesday in Galesburg, Ill. focused on the economy.  —  The address didn't include …

McCain: $1 coin could lead to bigger tips for strippers  —  The Arizona Republican joined Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.) in introducing the COINS Act last month.  Advocates for the measure contend that saying sayonara to George Washingtons …

The Unprecedented—and Contemptible—Attempts to Sabotage Obamacare  —  Doing everything possible to block the law's implementation is not treasonous—just sharply beneath any reasonable standards of elected officials.  —  When Mike Lee pledges to try to shut down the government unless …

WATCH: Terrifying video of Spain's deadly train derailment  —  Surveillance footage captures the moment when a high-speed train in Northern Spain veers off the rails, killing 78  —  On Wednesday night, a high-speed train derailed near the northern Spanish town of Santiago de Compostela …

Why I'm Boycotting Russian Vodka  —  Buzzfeed has a photo essay—"36 Photos from Russia That Everyone Needs to See"—that will bring anyone who hasn't been paying attention to the situation in Russia up to speed.  And Harvey Fierstein's opinion piece in Monday's NYT offers a great summary of Putin's escalating anti-gay pogrom:

The Right Candidate for New York Mayor  —  It certainly is unfortunate, for all involved, that Anthony Weiner's personal dilemma has hijacked the mayoralty race in New York.  This election, in my opinion, is a pivotal one for New York, as the City struggles to redefine itself while climbing …

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.

Republicans prepare for ‘Obamacare’ showdown, with eye to 2014 elections  —  (Reuters) - With the Obama administration poised for a huge public education campaign on healthcare reform, Republicans and their allies are mobilizing a counter-offensive including town hall meetings …

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.