Bradley Manning: I want to live as a woman  — Facebook - Twitter - Reddit - Pinterest - Email  —  Bradley Manning, the Army private sentenced to military prison for leaking classified documents, revealed he intends to live out the remainder of his life as a woman.  —  “I am Chelsea Manning.

McCain: Assad sees ‘green light’ from US to use chemical weapons  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Thursday said that a weak U.S. response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had given the embattled leader a “green light” to continue using chemical weapons against civilians.

Sparks fly after Sen. Marble's ‘chicken’ comment in poverty hearing  —  DENVER — Democratic lawmakers couldn't believe their ears as they listened to Sen. Vicki Marble, R-Fort Collins, deliver a long soliloquy explaining that more blacks and Hispanics live in poverty, in part, because of fried chicken.

University of Virginia cuts some health benefits, citing ObamaCare costs  —  The University of Virginia said Wednesday that it will stop offering health insurance to some employees' spouses because of rising costs under ObamaCare.  —  The university said the Affordable Care Act will add $7.3 million to its healthcare costs next year.

The great Democrat hope: Government shutdown  —  They'd never say it publicly.  But catch many Democrats in an honest moment and they would admit that a Republican-led government shut down this fall might be the best thing — perhaps the only thing — that could revive their fading hopes of capturing the House next year.

Police: Texas Lt. Gov. Dewhurst Asked to Get Relative Out of Jail  —  In statement, Dewhurst says he acted as “concerned family member”  —  The Allen Police Department released the full audio of a call Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst made to police to find out what he had to do to get a recently arrested relative out of jail.

Ted Cruz, traitor to his class  —  Henry Adams said that politics is the systematic organization of hatreds.  For the left, over the past year it has seemed at times to be the systematic organization of hatred of Ted Cruz.  —  The freshman senator is not the first Texan to be so honored.

Liz Cheney Pays Fine For Fishy Fishing License  —  Republican Wyoming Senate candidate Liz Cheney paid a $220 bond Wednesday for making a false statement on an application for a fishing license last year, Jackson Hole News&Guide reported.  —  Records show that the daughter …

Polls show Louisianians disappointed with Jindal, blame Obama for post-Katrina response  —  President Barack Obama is shown here with Gov. Bobby Jindal and Gen. Thad Allen in 2010.  According to a poll released Wednesday, Jindal's approval rating in his home state has dropped 13 points below that of the president.

NSA gathered thousands of Americans' e-mails before court struck down program  —  The National Security Agency unlawfully gathered as many as tens of thousands of e-mails and other electronic communications between Americans as part of a now-discontinued collection program, according to a 2011 secret court opinion.

Wentworth Miller rejects Russian film festival invitation; ‘As a gay man, I must decline’  —  Actor and screenwriter Wentworth Miller today rejected an invitation to attend the St. Petersburg International Film Festival, citing Russia's anti-LGBT laws.  In a letter to the Festival's Director …

Recession's pain reaching deep into the economic recovery  —  The buying power of Americans continues to be weaker than it was when the recession ended four years ago, underscoring the lasting damage wrought by the downturn, according to a report released Wednesday.

Proposed Filner settlement reached  —  City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said Wednesday night that a proposed resolution has been reached to a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Mayor Bob Filner and the city.  —  Goldsmith said the City Council, which must approve any settlement, will review the proposal on Friday.

Jeffrey Singer: The Man Who Was Treated for $17,000 Less  —  Bypassing his third-party payer, my patient avoided a high hospital ‘list price.’  —  Every so often I have an extraordinary and surprising experience with a patient—the kind that makes us both say, “Wow, we've learned something from this.”

Obama's Plan Aims to Lower Cost of College  —  President Obama plans to announce a set of ambitious proposals on Thursday aimed at making colleges more accountable and affordable by rating them and ultimately linking those ratings to financial aid.  —  A draft of the proposal …

Bolton 2016?  —  How serious is John Bolton about potentially running for president?  He's about to start hiring for his political operation.  —  The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and conservative star is ready to hit the road, play in the 2014 midterm elections …