Bill and Hillary Clinton are ‘livid’ at comparisons to Weiner's sexcapades and Huma's forgiveness  —  Bill and Hillary Clinton are angry with efforts by mayoral hopeful Anthony Weiner and his campaign to compare his Internet sexcapades — and his wife Huma Abedin's incredible forgiveness …

Pope Francis Says He Will Not Judge Gay Priests  —  ABOARD THE PAPAL AIRCRAFT (AP) — Pope Francis reached out to gays on Monday, saying he wouldn't judge priests for their sexual orientation in a remarkably open and wide-ranging news conference as he returned from his first foreign trip.

Are Republicans too divided to have a civil war?  —  A nasty fight is brewing among Republicans over a proposal to defund Obamacare.  Another intra-party fight is flaring over national security and the war on terror.  And yet another is well under way over immigration reform.

The Affordable Care Act's Rate-Setting Won't Work  —  Experience tells me the Independent Payment Advisory Board will fail.  —  Continuing efforts by congressional Republicans to “defund” further implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, even if it takes shutting …

Release Detail  —  July 29, 2013 - Weiner Should Drop Out, NYC Likely Dem Voters Tell Quinnipiac University Poll; Quinn Leads, With De Blasio, Thompson Tied For Second  —  Congressman Anthony Weiner drops to fourth place among likely Democratic primary voters in the race for New York City mayor …

Stranded by Sprawl  —  Detroit is a symbol of the old economy's decline.  It's not just the derelict center; the metropolitan area as a whole lost population between 2000 and 2010, the worst performance among major cities.  Atlanta, by contrast, epitomizes the rise of the Sun Belt …

Cruz: Republicans not willing to ‘stand up’ to defund Obamacare  —  The conservative plan to use the resolution that funds the government to cripple the president's health-care law has a problem, according to GOP Sen. Ted Cruz: other Republicans.  —  “The problem right now is we don't have …

Congressional Black Caucus recommends Sheila Jackson Lee for Homeland Security Secretary  —  Conservative bloggers went wild Monday when they got wind of the Congressional Black Caucus' suggestion that President Obama pick Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston for the post of Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Conservatives bashed me for speaking out about the Zimmerman verdict  —  America may be a nation of ‘free speech’, but be prepared to be bullied and harassed for speaking up, especially on race  —  Hours after the George Zimmerman verdict, I found myself at my computer, calling to mind a text I had first read in seminary.

Mitt Romney's Incredible 47-Percent Denial: “Actually, I Didn't Say That”  —  Poor Mitt Romney.  He seems unable to come to terms with one of the most significant episodes in his public life: the 47 percent video that undercut his chance of becoming president of the United States.

In U.S., 52% Back Law to Legalize Gay Marriage in 50 States  —  Americans would legalize gay marriage nationwide, favor equal rights for such unions  —  PRINCETON, NJ — If given the opportunity to vote on a law legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states, the slight majority of Americans …

Peggy Noonan: Obama Got To Point Where People Stopped Listening To Him Faster Than Most Presidents  —  “I think every president in the intense media environment we have now, certainly every two-term president, gets to a point where the American people stop listening, stop leaning forward hungrily for information.

Obama Vineyard vacation at $7.6m private resort, over 75 rooms booked for staff  —  MASSACHUSETTS WASHINGTON SECRETS WHITE HOUSE  —  The Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard, the exclusive playground for presidents and their families, is about to get its annual summer infusion of cash …

Widening Regional Divide over Abortion Laws  —  OVERVIEW  —  While the balance of opinion toward abortion nationwide has remained largely steady over the past 20 years, there are widening disparities in public attitudes on the issue across different regions of the country.

House GOP leaders may have trouble adjourning for the summer  —  House Republican leaders looking to adjourn for the August break at the end of this week could run into trouble, as members of both parties might vote against leaving to protest the lack of progress on spending measures, immigration, the budget and the farm bill.

Unisex Uniforms Debut As Army Opens Units To Women  —  The US Army debuted its new unisex combat uniform as women are welcomed into units.  (Source: http://www.army.mil)  —  FORD GORDON, Ga. (AP) — A new combat uniform with special consideration to the female body is now available at Fort Gordon …

Fast food strikes intensify in seven cities  —  The biggest walkout yet begins this morning — and the strikes could have far-reaching implications for labor  —  This morning marks the start of what will likely be the largest fast food worker mobilization in U.S. history …