‘Vote No, Hope Yes’ Defines Dysfunction in Congress  —  WASHINGTON — After the shutdown, the filibusters and years of stalled bills, it was the actual passage of legislation this week that revealed the true depth of congressional dysfunction.  —  The House vote to raise the debt limit …

TO MERGE WITH COMCAST CORPORATION TO CREATE A WORLD-CLASS TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA COMPANY  —  Strategic Combination Will Accelerate Delivery of Comcast's Technologically Advanced Products and Services to Time Warner Cable's Customers  —  Transaction Creates Multiple Pro-Consumer and Pro-Competitive Benefits …

Before O-Care debacle, Sebelius made many trips to White House  —  Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was in frequent contact with President Obama and senior White House aides before the disastrous launch of the federal ObamaCare exchange last year.

Former New Orleans mayor guilty of bribery, money laundering, fraud  —  (CNN) — Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, whose desperate pleas for help during Hurricane Katrina drew national attention, walked silently out of a courthouse Wednesday after a jury convicted him of federal corruption charges.

Vulnerable Dems want IRS to step up  —  Senate Democrats facing tough elections this year want the Internal Revenue Service to play a more aggressive role in regulating outside groups expected to spend millions of dollars on their races.  —  In the wake of the IRS targeting scandal …

Bill de Blasio lifts the left  —  On great matters of income inequality and social justice for what is called the 99 percent, a new star is born from the streets of New York, who has lifted the spirits of progressives everywhere.  The election of Bill de Blasio as mayor of New York City creates …

The Secularist Menace  —  Maybe I just travel in different circles from my old buddy Damon Linker.  But as a Man of the Left who is also a Christian, I just don't see the “broader, troubling trans-Atlantic trend of secular liberalism steamrolling competing, non-liberal visions of the good” that he laments at The Week.

Obama taps Kennedy widow for postal board  —  President Obama has nominated the widow of former Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) to serve on the U.S. Postal Service's Board of Governors.  —  The White House announced Obama's intention to nominate Vicki Kennedy in a statement Wednesday night.

Gary Miller to Retire From Congress (Updated) (Video)  —  California Rep. Gary G. Miller announced Wednesday he will not seek re-election.  —  “It has been a great honor to spend so many years in public service, striving to make a difference for Southern California families,” Miller said in a statement.

Gay Republican Candidate's Ad Poses Test for Party  —  Carl DeMaio is one of three openly gay Republicans running for Congress this year, and he would be at least the third to serve in the House if he wins.  But Mr. DeMaio on Thursday will take a step that none of them has …