Lou Reed, Velvet Underground Leader and Rock Pioneer, Dead at 71  —  New York legend, who helped shape nearly fifty years of rock music, underwent a liver transplant in May  —  Lou Reed, a massively influential songwriter and guitarist who helped shape nearly fifty years of rock music, died today.

Barack Obama 'approved tapping Angela Merkel's phone 3 years ago'  —  President Barack Obama was told about monitoring of German Chancellor in 2010 and allowed it to continue, says German newspaper  —  President Barack Obama was personally informed about secret US monitoring …

Chris Brown jailed on felony assault charge  —  (CNN) — Chris Brown and a bodyguard were arrested Sunday morning and charged with felony assault, the Washington Metropolitan Police Department said.  —  The singer and bodyguard Christopher Hollosy were allegedly involved in an altercation …

Cheney: Enzi lied about our relationship  —  Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday that Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) lied about their relationship when he said that the two had gone fishing.  —  Cheney's daughter, Liz Cheney, is challenging Enzi in the Wyoming Republican Senate primary.

Slaves of the Internet, Unite!  —  NOT long ago, I received, in a single week, three (3) invitations to write an original piece for publication or give a prepared speech in exchange for no ($0.00) money.  As with stinkbugs, it's not any one instance of this request but their sheer number and relentlessness that make them so tiresome.

University Refuses To Lend Laptop To Gay Student: ‘You Look... Like A Girl’  —  Florida Atlantic University senior Abdul Asquith was trying to get some studying done at the campus library this past Wednesday, but when he attempted to check out a laptop, he was told that he could not because of his gender presentation:

A frustrated and angry West Virginia has been cutting ties with its reliably Democratic roots  —  PINEVILLE, W.Va. — Those old enough to remember still tell visitors how this mountain town helped make history on April 26, 1960.  That was the day 600 people showed up in front …

Meet The Florida Men Who Got Dressed Up As George Zimmerman And Trayvon Martin For Halloween  —  Buster  —  A pair of Florida men decided to celebrate Halloween this year by dressing up as George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin, complete with blackface and blood-stained hoodie.

Clinton: Ideologues Reliable GOP Voters  —  Conservative ideologues are reliable voters who could threaten Democrat Terry McAuliffe's political chances, former President Bill Clinton warned Sunday as he joined his longtime buddy's campaign for Virginia governor.

Some health insurance gets pricier as Obamacare rolls out  —  Many middle-class Californians with individual health plans are surprised they need policies that cover more — and cost more.  —  Jennifer Harris, a self-employed lawyer in Orange County, has been paying $98 a month …

In Fed and Out, Many Now Think Inflation Helps  —  WASHINGTON — Inflation is widely reviled as a kind of tax on modern life, but as Federal Reserve policy makers prepare to meet this week, there is growing concern inside and outside the Fed that inflation is not rising fast enough.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz on Cheney shooting incident: ‘Look, it happens’  —  AKRON, IA — Republicans have become accustomed to defending former Vice President Dick Cheney's political record, but Texas firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz is now defending his reputation as a hunter.