In U.S., Uninsured Rate Lowest Since 2008  —  Uninsured rate declines most among blacks and lower-income Americans  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the U.S., the uninsured rate dipped to 15.6% in the first quarter of 2014, a 1.5-percentage-point decline from the fourth quarter of 2013.

ACA data leave GOP exposed  —  “What a difference a day makes — 24 little hours.”  Those lyrics about romance and spring flowers also fit the bill last week for congressional politics and the 2014 midterm elections.  —  Last Tuesday, the White House hit the 7 million-plus mark …

Oligarchs and Money  —  Econonerds eagerly await each new edition of the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook.  Never mind the forecasts, what we're waiting for are the analytical chapters, which are always interesting and even provocative.  This latest report is no exception.

Jeb Bush Talks Approach If He Runs for President  —  COLLEGE STATION, Tex. — With eyes increasingly on him, Jeb Bush signaled on Sunday the kind of campaign he would mount if he runs for president, one arguing against ideological purity tests while challenging party orthodoxy on issues like immigration and education.

How politics makes us stupid  —  There's a simple theory underlying much of American politics.  It sits hopefully at the base of almost every speech, every op-ed, every article, and every panel discussion.  It courses through the Constitution and is a constant in President Obama's most stirring addresses.

The Color of His Presidency  —  Optimists hoped Obama would usher in a new age of racial harmony.  Pessimists feared a surge in racial strife.  Neither was right.  But what happened instead has been even more invidious.  —  A few weeks ago, the liberal comedian Bill Maher and conservative strategist …

Scott Brown, pick a party  —  Former senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.) was so busy picking a new state that he forgot to pick a party.  —  Whoever filled out Brown's formal statement of organization for his campaign exploratory committee left blank the small gray box asking for the candidate's party affiliation.

The game is up for climate change believers  —  Charles Moore reviews The Age of Global Warming by Rupert Darwall (Quartet)  —  Most of us pay some attention to the weather forecast.  If it says it will rain in your area tomorrow, it probably will.  But if it says the same for a month …

Vox Takes Melding of Journalism and Technology to a New Level  —  WASHINGTON — Ask Ezra Klein what prompted him to leave a high-profile position at The Washington Post to start a new website, and the answer is a little wonkish, even for the founder of the newspaper's Wonkblog, a mix of politics …

Tell us what you really think, Mr. Mayor  —  There are things that people know, or think that they know, about Rahm Emanuel: He is voluble, tireless, notoriously profane.  And yet, when I met him last month, all the stories hadn't prepared me for his intensity in person.

CROSSING CHRISTIE … - ARCHIVE - PHOTO BOOTH - DAILY SHOUTS - DAILY COMMENT - CURRENCY - AMY DAVIDSON - JOHN CASSIDY - ANDY BOROWITZ - SHOP

‘One-Man’ Organization Keeps Watchful Eye on College Race Admissions Policies  —  WASHINGTON — It was the last Monday in June, and the Supreme Court had just issued its latest decision on affirmative action.  The debate was starting about how much the court had restricted the use of race in college admissions.

Mickey Rooney, Legendary Actor, Dies at 93  —  Mickey Rooney, the pint-sized actor who was one of MGM's giant box office attractions in the late '30s and early '40s, died on Sunday.  He was 93.  —  As adept at comedy as drama and an excellent singer and dancer, Rooney was regarded as the consummate entertainer.

More Obfuscation on Benghazi  —  Testimony by the former acting head of the CIA makes clear that Congress's current approach isn't sufficient.  —  Last week's encounter between former acting CIA Director Michael Morell and the House Permanent Subcommittee on Intelligence may have brought us …

Supreme Court won't hear appeal of New Mexico gay-bias case  —  The Supreme Court building in Washington.  —  WASHINGTON — In a victory for gay rights, the Supreme Court on Monday turned down an appeal from a New Mexico photographer who claimed a free-speech right to refuse to shoot a wedding album for a same-sex couple.