King may switch sides and join the Republicans after midterms  —  Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who caucuses with the Democrats, will decide after the midterm elections whether to switch sides and join the Republicans.  —  He is leaving open the possibility of aligning himself with the GOP if control of the upper chamber changes hands.

More Republicans See Health Care Stance as ‘Very Important’ to Midterm Vote  —  Views of ACA Little Changed Following Enrollment Surge  —  In looking ahead to this fall's elections, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to view a candidate's position on the Affordable Care Act as very important to their vote.

Eric Holder strays from planned remarks  —  Attorney General Eric Holder strayed from prepared remarks to slam the way he was “treated” by a House committee the day before, calling it evidence of “ugly and divisive” civil rights challenges facing him and President Barack Obama

House Conservatives Plot to Oust Boehner, Put Scare Into Cantor  —  One plan: Force the speaker to step aside before the new year.  —  Several dozen frustrated House conservatives are scheming to infiltrate the GOP leadership next year—possibly by forcing Speaker John Boehner …

Ryan Budget Attempts to Bridge GOP Divide  —  House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) carries enormous clout within his party, and he's going to need it.  —  A number of rank-and-file House Republicans, steaming mad at GOP leaders because of a recent Medicare vote …

Russia Didn't Share All Details on Boston Bombing Suspect, Report Says  —  WASHINGTON — The Russian government declined to provide the F.B.I. with information about one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects that would most likely have led to more extensive scrutiny of him at least two years …

Could America Become Mississippi?  —  The country's demographic trends could lead to racially polarized electorates akin to the Deep South.  —  Does a dramatic change in your social environment make you more conservative, and if so, what kind of change would it take?  —  JAMELLE BOUIE

The Fortune interview: Rupert Murdoch  —  Defending a newspaper empire amid scandal, splitting a global media conglomerate into two public companies, enduring a high-profile divorce, and struggling to repair frayed relationships with grown children — it's been a trying few years for Rupert Murdoch.

ObamaCare's Missing 3.2 Million  —  A mixed verdict from the Rand Corp.  —  The Rand Corp. is out with a new study titled “Changes in Health Insurance Enrollment Since 2013,” and ObamaCare cheerleaders like Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times are dancing for joy.

Black Culture and Progressivism  —  What started as a discussion of Paul Ryan's comments by has turned into a revealing debate on the nature of liberal politics in the United States.  —  Some pieces of news precipitate a kind of journalistic pile-on.  This can be unfortunate …

Retiring the A-10 Early Puts Troops' Lives at Risk  —  When we send our troops into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation to ensure they have the very best support possible so they can accomplish their missions and return home safely.  —  This is certainly true when it comes to close air support …

Dem senator defends the Koch brothers  —  Sen. Joe Manchin on Thursday strongly defended the Koch brothers from attacks by fellow Democrats, saying the wealthy and politically active businessmen are taxpaying Americans who are creating jobs.  —  “People want jobs.  You don't beat up people.

Why GOP Wins In 2014 Could Mean A Democratic President In 2016  —  This fall, in a strange aligning of the electoral stars, Republicans will defend governorships in several key presidential swing states: Florida, Iowa, Nevada and Ohio.  Pennsylvania and Wisconsin could also be added to that list …

Watchdog finds IRS employees promoted Obama in 2012  —  Internal Revenue Service employees encouraged taxpayers to vote for President Obama during his 2012 reelection campaign and disparaged Republicans, a federal ethics watchdog said Wednesday.  —  One IRS customer representative urged people calling …

Assistant principal, students hailed as heroes in Pennsylvania school stabbing  —  MURRYSVILLE, Penn.  (AP/CNN/PIX11) - After a 16-year-old allegedly went on a 5-minute stabbing spree at a Pennsylvia high school, hurting nearly two dozen people, stories of heroism amid the chaos are coming to light.

Illinois Democrat reveals ethics review  —  Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) said the Office of Congressional Ethics is reviewing him after reports in December about a $1 million grant his non-profit organization received more than a decade ago.  —  Rush told the Chicago Sun-Times he has been cooperating fully …

Huckabee: Men Hunt Together, Women Go To The Restroom Together  —  Mike Huckabee played up gender stereotypes in a speech delivered Tuesday night in Iowa.  —  As she live-tweeted the former Arkansas governor's speech at a fundraiser for Iowa's Faith and Freedom Coalition on Tuesday in Waukee …

IRS at the Crossroads  —  New evidence that Lois Lerner targeted conservative groups.  —  Congress's investigation into IRS political targeting accelerated Wednesday, with a referral for the criminal prosecution of a former Treasury official and new evidence to back it up.

BREAKING: Emails Show Lois Lerner Fed True the Vote Tax Information to Democrat Elijah Cummings … New IRS emails released by the House Oversight Committee show staff working for Democratic Ranking Member Elijah Cummings communicated with the IRS multiple times between 2012 and 2013 about voter fraud prevention group True the Vote.