Weiner mocks British reporter  —  Follow @politicalticker Follow @KilloughCNN  —  (CNN) - Stopping on the campaign trail for a sidewalk interview, a clearly agitated Anthony Weiner mocked a British reporter Thursday and laughed as she asked him questions.  —  “It's hard to take you seriously …

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EXCLUSIVE: Alec Baldwin Set To Host New MSNBC Primetime Show (UPDATED)  —  Mediaite has learned from a senior source in the cable news industry with knowledge of MSNBC's programming that actor Alec Baldwin is getting his own weekly show in MSNBC's primetime lineup.

FIRST ON CNN: U.S. pulls diplomats from Lahore, Pakistan, amid terror threat  —  Washington (CNN) — The State Department has evacuated most of its diplomats from Lahore, Pakistan in response to a terrorist threat against the U.S. consulate, senior State Department and other senior U.S. officials told CNN.

‘Muslims peaked in the Dark Ages.  But since then?’:  Richard Dawkins embroiled in Twitter row over controversial comments  — The author of The God Delusion tweeted that the world's Muslims had won fewer Nobel Prizes than Trinity College, Cambridge  — His comments sparked anger among …

Why Seniors Are Turning Against The GOP  —  There's something going on with seniors: It is now strikingly clear that they have turned sharply against the GOP.  This is apparent in seniors' party affiliation and vote intention, in their views on the Republican Party and its leaders …

Iowa ethics board will investigate National Organization for Marriage  —  A national organization that opposes same-sex marriage may have violated state law by not disclosing its donors in its fight to oust Iowa Supreme Court justices, ethics officials said today.

A how-to book about inciting a moral panic.  —  Paul Bedard of the Washington Examiner has uncovered a fascinating document: an 80-page “talking points” monograph titled “Preventing Gun Violence Through Effective Messaging,” written by a trio of Democratic political operatives.

Russia's Stimulus Plan: Open the Gulag Gates  —  MOSCOW — A business owner in Russia has a better chance of ending up in the penal colony system once known as the gulag than a common burglar does.  —  More than 110,000 people are serving time for what Russia calls “economic crimes,” …

Apple's Tim Cook, tech execs meet with Barack Obama to talk surveillance  —  President Barack Obama hosted Apple CEO Tim Cook, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, Google computer scientist Vint Cerf and other tech executives and civil liberties leaders on Thursday for a closed-door meeting about government surveillance, sources tell POLITICO.

In McAuliffe's Former Car Company, Echoes of Romney and Bain  —  Remember the Democrats' withering attacks on Mitt Romney for his business dealings in China and holdings in the Caribbean?  The tables have turned.  Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe faces attacks from Republicans …

Rand Paul on Republicans' Voter Appeal and the Federal Reserve  —  How seriously are you thinking about the White House?  —  At this point we're thinking about ways to grow the Republican Party and won't make any decision about whether that involves me running or not for about a year.

Church Pastor's Niece, 10, Gunned Down Leaving Sunday School Class, Dozens Injured as Attacks Against Egypt's Christians Continue  —  An horrific attack has taken place against Egypt's Christian Coptic community, after several unidentified individuals indiscriminately opened fire in front …

Phony Fear Factor  —  We live in a golden age of economic debunkery; fallacious doctrines have been dropping like flies.  No, monetary expansion needn't cause hyperinflation.  No, budget deficits in a depressed economy don't cause soaring interest rates.  No, slashing spending doesn't create jobs.

EXCLUSIVE: Oklahoma Congressman Comes Out As A Birther  —  AFTON, Oklahoma — Although Freshman Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) believes President Obama may secretly be a Kenyan who forged his birth certificate, he thinks it's too late to do anything about it.  —  During a town hall meeting …

Fox News Poll: Phony scandals?  Not to voters  —  Benghazi.  Snooping on reporters.  The IRS and NSA.  The White House dismisses them as phony and fake scandals.  Americans do not.  —  A Fox News national poll released Thursday finds that 78 percent of voters think the questions …

Women's Health Care Access in Steady Decline  —  Health Commission numbers confirm decline in Texas women's care  —  As expected, the state-funded Texas Women's Health Program - designed to preclude women from obtaining services from Planned Parenthood - has at midyear served significantly fewer women …

Shushers: Wrong about movies.  Wrong about the world.  —  [Update: Some a**hole wrote a response to this piece, about “Respecting Cinema in the Digital Age”.]  —  There's been a delightful debate the last few days about how to accommodate the increasing number of people who want the experience …

NSA cites case as success of phone data-collection program  —  He was a San Diego cab driver who fled Somalia as a teenager, winning asylum in the United States after he was wounded during fighting among warring tribes.  Today, Basaaly Moalin, 36, is awaiting sentencing following his conviction …

Among Blacks, Spitzer and Weiner Find a More Forgiving Crowd  —  Seated on a dais, before a crowd of men and women still picking at their breakfast of fried chicken, sausage, eggs and grits, Eliot Spitzer smiled.  —  A series of ministers introduced him to the audience of 80 Brooklyn pastors …