House passes clean debt ceiling bill  —  Democrats, again, saved John Boehner.  —  After a frantic few days, the House voted 221-201 to lift the debt ceiling until March 2015, removing the threat of a default until well after the November midterm election.  The bill was supported by 193 Democrats and just 28 Republicans.

Why I'm Getting Sick of Defending Obamacare  —  Incompetence, politics, and delays frustrate advocates of health care reform.  —  It's getting difficult and slinking toward impossible to defend the Affordable Care Act.  The latest blow to Democratic candidates, liberal activists …

The Hillary Clinton Papers: Not Much There  —  In February of 1998, in the midst of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, I interviewed Diane Blair about her dear friend Hillary Clinton.  —  Blair was ill then, suffering from cancer, but she was vehement about two things: that Hillary was a dynamite friend-smart …

‘Significant’ coal slurry spill blackens Kanawha County creek  —  CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State officials were trying this morning to contain a “significant spill” of coal slurry from a Patriot Coal processing facility in eastern Kanawha County.  —  Emergency officials said that the spill …

Shirley Temple Black, Screen Darling, Dies at 85  —  Shirley Temple Black, who as a dimpled, precocious and determined little girl in the 1930s sang and tap-danced her way to a height of Hollywood stardom and worldwide fame that no other child has reached, died on Monday night at her home in Woodside, Calif. She was 85.

Tea Party Senate Candidate Accused of Being a Huge Fan of the Bailout - This Is How He Responded  —  U.S. Senate candidate Matt Bevin responded Tuesday to a report alleging he once signed off on a memo supporting the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and the government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Inslee halts executions in state while he is governor  —  Gov. Jay Inslee this morning announced a moratorium on executions while he is in office: “During my term we will not be executing people.”  —  Gov. Jay Inslee is calling a moratorium on executions while he is governor.

The Left Fights Back  —  This weekend's massive protest in North Carolina shows that the GOP doesn't own morality.  —  I spent most of this past weekend answering two questions: “Why are you so interested in what happens in North Carolina?”  (Posed mainly by people not from North Carolina.)

Clarence Thomas: Society is overly sensitive about race  —  Americans today are too sensitive about race, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told a gathering of college students in Florida on Tuesday.  —  Speaking at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla., Thomas …

American Lugers Annoyed by Group's Gay Rights Video  —  KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia — There was a ripple of discontent over a gay rights issue at the Sochi Games on Tuesday, but it had nothing to do with Russia.  —  Several American doubles lugers said they were irritated …

Karl Rove hits Rand Paul for Bill Clinton bashing  —  Karl Rove took a shot at Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday for attacking Bill Clinton over his “predatory” behavior toward Monica Lewinsky, saying that it's not good strategy for running for president.  —  “Frankly, Rand Paul spending …

Store Owner: Employee Wore Banana Suit To Look ‘Less Alarming’ While Carrying AK-47  —  The owner of a Beaumont, Tex. gun shop on Tuesday explained why his employee was wearing a banana suit and an AK-47 to promote the store's grand opening this weekend.  —  “To help people know where the new spot is …

Holder Urges States to Repeal Bans on Felons' Voting  —  WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Tuesday urged states to repeal laws that prohibit felons from voting, a move that would restore the right to vote to millions of people.  —  The call was mostly symbolic …

The Rising Cost of Not Going to College  —  Overview  —  For those who question the value of college in this era of soaring student debt and high unemployment, the attitudes and experiences of today's young adults—members of the so-called Millennial generation—provide a compelling answer.

What AOL's Tim Armstrong Got Right  —  Wonder why it's so hard to “bend the cost curve” in health care?  Look no further than the universal freakout over AOL Inc. chief executive officer Tim Armstrong's recent remarks.  —  For those who haven't been following along at home, a recap …