Edward Snowden leaves airport and enters Russia after authorities grant him temporary asylum  —  MOSCOW — National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden left transit zone of a Moscow airport and entered Russia after authorities granted him temporary asylum, his lawyer said Thursday.

Why Rand Paul and Chris Christie went to war  —  Well, that was a splendid little war.  —  Over the last week, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul took the GOP's intra-party bickering to a new level, openly savaging each other on issues of national security, privacy and government spending.

A New Poll Suggests Trouble for Mitch McConnell  —  The Senate minority leader is tied up with a Democratic challenger and his favorable ratings are underwater with Kentucky voters, a survey finds.  —  With Congress gearing up for the August recess, Mitch McConnell can focus on his reelection campaign in Bluegrass State.

GOP's Long-Predicted Comeuppance Has Arrived  —  Republicans have dealt with some embarrassing moments on the House floor over the past year, but none so revealing or damning as today's snafu, when they yanked a bill to fund the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development.

pressure cookers, backpacks and quinoa, oh my!  —  It was a confluence of magnificent proportions that led six agents from the joint terrorism task force to knock on my door Wednesday morning.  Little did we know our seemingly innocent, if curious to a fault, Googling of certain things …

Bob Filner's attorney says San Diego is at fault for mayor's behavior  —  Revelation found in newly released document  —  SAN DIEGO - The attorney for San Diego Mayor Bob Filner placed “some responsibility and potential liability on the City of San Diego” for accusations of sexual harassment …

Teamsters Ordered to Stop Picketing Funeral Homes  —  A judge ordered one of Chicago's most politically powerful labor unions to suspend picketing against 16 funeral homes last week after receiving reports that striking Teamsters had, among other things, disturbed a child's funeral.

Democrats Using Voting Rights Issues to Protect Senate Majority  —  To hold Southern Senate seats, Democrats need blacks to show up and vote without Obama on the ballot.  Enter Eric Holder.  —  Without President Obama's name on the ballot, Democrats and civil rights leaders increasingly view voting rights …

A Rising Share of Young Adults Live in Their Parents' Home  —  A Record 21.6 Million In 2012  —  OVERVIEW  —  In 2012, 36% of the nation's young adults ages 18 to 31—the so-called Millennial generation—were living in their parents' home, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

Detroit's death by democracy  —  In 1860, an uneasy Charles Darwin confided in a letter to a friend: “I had no intention to write atheistically” but “I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention …

Hillary Clinton's 2008 slaps still sting President Obama  —  “Friendship” was the main course during Hillary Clinton's lunch with President Barack Obama this week, according to an Obama spokesman, but no one could have blamed Clinton for ordering a small side of I-told-you-so.

All This Inequality Talk Does Nothing for the Poor  —  Like any immigrant, I'm optimistic about the U.S. The crash will recede, confidence will come back and stronger growth will resume.  The zeal of ordinary Americans to work hard and prosper will prevail over the weary incompetence of the political class.

Higher Ed: Engine of Inequity  —  From Horace Mann to President Obama, and legions of politicians and educators in between, education has been heralded as the great equalizer, an institution that can balance (if not undo) racial, ethnic or other inequities that separate segments of society.

Jimmy McMillan: Anthony Weiner for mayor  —  The man who became known for his campaign tagline “The rent is too damn high” officially endorsed Anthony Weiner for New York mayor, he announced via Twitter on Thursday morning.  —  Jimmy McMillan, who rose to fame during the 2010 …

Rick Santorum: Pope's “Gay” Comments Were Taken Out Of Context  —  “I've read the whole transcript,” says the former presidential candidate.  He says the church won't be changing its stance on homosexuality anytime soon.  —  Via: Eric Gay / AP  —  Pope Francis made headlines this week …

Minnesota Dem Rep. Keith Ellison Sings For Marriage Equality (VIDEO)  —  A jubilant Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) posted a video to his YouTube account Thursday celebrating the first day gay marriage became legal in his state.  —  “Tomorrow, marry who you want, marry who you love,” Ellison said, after bursting into song.