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.

The Path to Victory  —  Just a few weeks ago the Washington establishment said the Republican-led House of Representatives could never pass a funding bill that would keep the government open while defunding Obamacare.  They were wrong.  —  All across the country Americans spoke up, asking Congress to stop this terrible law.

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.

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 …

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 …

A Mayoral Hopeful Now, de Blasio Was Once a Young Leftist  —  The scruffy young man who arrived in Nicaragua in 1988 stood out.  —  He was tall and sometimes goofy, known for his ability to mimic a goose's honk.  He spoke in long, meandering paragraphs, musing on Franklin D. Roosevelt, Karl Marx and Bob Marley.

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.

Egypt court bans all Muslim Brotherhood activities  —  (Reuters) - An Egyptian court on Monday banned the Muslim Brotherhood from carrying out any activities in the country and ordered the seizure of the group's funds, widening a campaign to debilitate the Islamist movement of deposed President Mohamed Mursi.

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.”

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 …

Free to Be Hungry  —  The word “freedom” looms large in modern conservative rhetoric.  Lobbying groups are given names like FreedomWorks; health reform is denounced not just for its cost but as an assault on, yes, freedom.  Oh, and remember when we were supposed to refer to pommes frites as “freedom fries”?

The Day After Shutdown  —  So it's October ... or maybe it's six or ten weeks later, after a short-term continuing resolution has come and gone.  The clock strikes midnight, Congress has failed to fund the government, and the next day it shuts down.  —  What happens next?

Lois Lerner retires from IRS  —  Embattled IRS official Lois Lerner is retiring from the agency effective Monday, two congressional aides told POLITICO.  —  Lerner sparked the IRS scandal in May when she acknowledged that the agency wrongly targeted tea party groups applying for a tax exemption.

A Girl And A .22  —  Last Wednesday, I drove out to GAT Guns in East Dundee, Illinois, about an hour northwest of Chicago.  Located down the street from Santa's Village Azoosment Park (the day I drove by, beyond the over-sized candy cane-framed entrance, the park was still and silent) …

Dick Cheney and The One Shot Antelope Hunt  —  msevren@k2tv.com, facebook.com/michaelsevren  —  Dick Cheney's hunt ended without a bang as the Remington team won.  —  “The Remington team where the only team that was successful with all three of their hunters,” said Terry Martin, President of the One Shot Hunt Club.

Ed Marksberry Announces Independent Bid for Kentucky U.S. Senate Race  —  Saying Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes isn't speaking to progressives or their issues, Kentucky U.S. Senate candidate Ed Marksberry is dropping out of the primary to run as an independent.

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 …

In Supreme Court Opinions, Web Links That Go Nowhere  —  WASHINGTON — Supreme Court opinions have come down with a bad case of link rot.  According to a new study, 49 percent of the hyperlinks in Supreme Court decisions no longer work.  —  This can sometimes be amusing.