Ted Cruz: The Distinguished Wacko Bird from Texas  —  In less than a year, Texas Republican Ted Cruz has become the most despised man in the U.S. Senate.  He's been likened to Joe McCarthy, accused of behaving like a schoolyard bully, and smeared by senior members of his own party.

Blame for Both Sides as Possible Government Shutdown Approaches  —  Tea Party Reps Say Stick to Principles, Even if Shutdown Results  —  If the federal government shuts down because Republicans and the Obama administration fail to agree on a budget, there will be plenty of blame to go around.

Clinton World Hints at Ditching Old Baggage for Hillary Run … Hillary Clinton's first major print interview since leaving the Obama administration seven months ago leaves two inescapable impressions: She is running in 2016, and this campaign won't look anything like her failed 2008 run.

Sorry, The Latest Anti-Obamacare Article To Go Viral Is Totally Wrong  —  An article published by Forbes claiming that Obamacare will increase health care costs by $7,450 for a typical family of four is spreading like wildfire across the internet, but causing eye rolls from economists across the country.

Nationalities of Kenya shopping mall gunmen unknown  —  NAIROBI — Kenyan security forces on Monday seized control of a luxury shopping mall that had been attacked by Islamist militants, but officials said some assailants remained hidden inside stores in the mall and little was known …

E.W. Jackson says non-Christians are engaged in ‘some sort of false religion’  —  At a morning sermon Sunday in Northern Virginia, Republican lieutenant governor candidate E.W. Jackson, a Chesapeake pastor, said people who don't follow Jesus Christ “are engaged in some sort of false religion.”

Lower Health Insurance Premiums to Come at Cost of Fewer Choices  —  WASHINGTON — Federal officials often say that health insurance will cost consumers less than expected under President Obama's health care law.  But they rarely mention one big reason: many insurers are significantly limiting …

McAuliffe leads Cuccinelli in Virginia governor's race  —  Democrat Terry McAuliffe has vaulted into the lead over Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II in a Virginia governor's race that has left many voters sour on both candidates, according to a new Washington Post/Abt SRBI poll.

Lois Lerner still Hill's favorite piñata  —  Lois Lerner is the political piñata that Congress still loves to whack months after she awkwardly acknowledged that the IRS wrongly scrutinized conservative groups for years.  —  Her sudden retirement on Monday after 12 years at the agency won't change that.

One Big Trader Lost Millions Betting on Romney, Study Finds  —  A new academic paper digging into presidential betting in the final weeks of the 2012 election finds that a single trader lost between $4 million and $7 million placing a flurry of Intrade bets on Mitt Romney …

Americans' Belief That Gov't Is Too Powerful at Record Level  —  Record number of Republicans say the federal government has too much power  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Six in 10 Americans (60%) believe the federal government has too much power, one percentage point above the previous high recorded in September 2010.

Bush: Obama should play golf  —  Former President George W. Bush said President Obama should not be criticized over his frequent golf outings.  —  Former President George W. Bush said President Obama should not be criticized over his frequent golf outings.

CASD in crisis after racially-charged text messages surface  —  The abrupt departure of the Coatesville Area School District superintendent and another senior administrator came two weeks after numerous exchanges of inappropriate and racially-charged text messages were discovered …

'If they found me, I'm white... so I'm dead': Survivors reveal how gunman executed non-Muslims - after asking them to name Prophet Mohammed's mother  — Survivors said they saw fellow shoppers mercilessly executed after being singled out as non-Muslim  — Shoppers said people were lined …

The Mower Gang: #Anarchy in Detroit, Part I  —  We all know Detroit's in trouble: A bankrupt city full of crumbling houses, abandoned factory buildings, and a dwindling population.  —  But while politicians, unions, and investors slug it out in bankruptcy court and grasp for their share …

Ex-FBI agent to plead guilty in leak to AP  —  A former FBI bomb technician who later worked as a contractor for the Bureau has agreed to plead guilty to disclosing national defense information about a disrupted terrorist plot to the Associated Press, according to the Justice Department.

Who is Obama scared of?  —  (CNN) - President Barack Obama has made it clear to the public that he's quit smoking.  But Monday he may have hinted at the real reason why: he's afraid of his wife.  —  The moment of candor followed a roundtable discussion during a conversation caught on camera …