Countering Putin, Rep. Israel pens column for Russian press  —  Vladimir Putin got his op-ed on Syria in the New York Times.  Now Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) thinks it's only fair for a Russian daily newspaper to run his response.  —  The DCCC chair on Thursday submitted a rebuttal article to Kommersant …

House votes 235-191 to stop ObamaCare's insurance subsidies  —  The House has passed legislation aimed at preventing people from receiving health insurance subsidies under ObamaCare until a better system is put in place to verify who is eligible for those subsidies.

Kerry: talks on Syria chemical weapons ‘not a game’  —  Washington (CNN) — Crucial talks on ending Syrian control of its chemical weapons began Thursday in Geneva with the top negotiators — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov — offering similar goals but different ideas on how to reach them.

The Rise of the New New Left  —  Bill de Blasio's win in New York's Democratic primary isn't a local story.  It's part of a vast shift that could upend three decades of American political thinking.  By Peter Beinart  —  Maybe Bill de Blasio got lucky.  Maybe he only won because he cut a sweet ad featuring his biracial son.

Shale criminal charges stun drilling industry  —  Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane's decision to prosecute a major Marcellus Shale natural-gas driller for a 2010 wastewater spill has sent shock waves through the industry.  —  But environmentalists Wednesday hailed the prosecution …

Exiting the Solar System and Fulfilling a Dream  —  Since the launch of the Voyager spacecraft in 1977, Voyager 1 has traveled over 11.7 billion miles from the launchpad pictured here.  That is equivalent to traveling to the moon and back almost 25,000 times.

The Collapse of the Obama Presidency  —  How bad has 2013 been for Barack Obama?  Let us count the ways.  —  In the first year of his second term, the president has failed on virtually every front.  He put his prestige on the line to pass federal gun-control legislation-and lost.

Obama on the path to success in Syria  —  Whatever the twisted path, whether by design or accident, the Obama administration has ended up in a better place on Syria than looked possible even days ago.  The president was wise to take up and begin to test the Russian offer to remove …

Afghan Taliban Attack US Consulate, Leave 2 Dead  —  Taliban militants attacked the U.S. consulate in western Afghanistan on Friday morning, using a car bomb and guns to battle security forces just outside the compound in the city of Herat.  It was not entirely clear whether any attackers managed …

Mayor Gray vetoes ‘living wage’ bill aimed at Wal-Mart, setting up decisive council vote  —  District Mayor Vincent C. Gray vetoed legislation Thursday that would force the city's largest retailers to pay a super-minimum wage to their workers, ending two months of uncertainty …

Perkins: Boycott Betty Crocker For Baking Wedding Cakes For Gay Couples  —  When gay rights advocates criticized Chick-fil-A for the company's financial support of anti-gay organizations, the Family Research Council decried their “gaystapo tactics.”  Apparently, the FRC believes that boycotts …

Pay raises drive McCrory's numbers down further  —  PPP's newest North Carolina poll finds Pat McCrory's poll numbers continuing to fall to their lowest level ever.  Only 35% of voters in the state approve of the job he's doing to 53% who disapprove.  McCrory's numbers had already pretty …

Biden calls House GOP ‘Neanderthals’  —  “Im going to say something outrageous,” Biden said at a party at his home in Washington to celebrate the 19th anniversary of VAWA, according to a media pool report.  —  “I think I understand the Senate better than any man or women who's ever served in there …

Richard Stengel leaving Time for State Department  —  Richard Stengel, the top editor of Time magazine for the past seven years, is planning to step down as managing editor for a new job at the U.S. Department of State, sources familiar with the situation tell POLITICO and Capital New York.

Boehner Seeking Democrats' Help on Fiscal Talks  —  WASHINGTON — With Congress momentarily freed from the Syrian crisis, lawmakers plunged back into their bitter fiscal standoff on Thursday as Speaker John A. Boehner appealed to the Obama administration and Democratic leaders to help …

Fox's Shepard Smith to Lead Breaking News Division With New Show, Managing Editor Role  —  Mediaite has learned this afternoon that Fox News anchor Shepard Smith will expand his role at the network, overseeing a newly-established breaking news division, taking on the role as its managing editor …

Fired after she came out to colleagues, Totino-Grace teacher leaves dissonance and silence behind  —  After enduring the Catholic school version of “don't ask/don't tell” for several years, Totino-Grace High School English/religion teacher Kristen Ostendorf unexpectedly came out to her colleagues …