John Kerry backpedals on Israel ‘apartheid state’ comment  —  Secretary of State John Kerry, under fire for warning that Israel risks becoming “an apartheid state” in the absence of a peace deal, released a statement Monday evening pushing back hard.  —  “I will not allow my commitment …

Welcome to the Finger-Wagging Olympics  —  It's time to look at ourselves — and our collective moral outrage — in the mirror, says former NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  —  Moral outrage is exhausting.  And dangerous.  The whole country has gotten a severe case of carpal tunnel syndrome …

Post-ABC News poll shows Democrats at risk in November as Obama's approval rating falls  —  Democrats face serious obstacles as they look to the November elections, with President Obama's approval rating at a new low and a majority of voters saying they prefer a Congress in Republican hands …

Cobb Co. police say suspect in Kennesaw FedEx shooting is dead  —  KENNESAW, Ga. —  Cobb County police say the person suspected of a shooting at a Kennesaw FedEx facility is dead.  The body is on FedEx property, police said.  —  Police said the suspected gunman died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Why Democrats Should Avoid the ‘R’ Word  —  From time to time, we all read something where suddenly words jump out from the page, grabbing our attention.  This happened to me the other day while reading a memo from Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg and strategist James Carville …

Candidates won't commit to McConnell  —  A slew of Republican candidates running for the upper chamber won't say whether they would back Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) if he bids for another term as GOP leader.  —  While Tea Party candidates often run against GOP leaders in Washington during primary contests …

Saving the System  —  All around, the fabric of peace and order is fraying.  The leaders of Russia and Ukraine escalate their apocalyptic rhetoric.  The Sunni-Shiite split worsens as Syria and Iraq slide into chaos.  China pushes its weight around in the Pacific.

Dems' hopes rise to keep Senate  —  The gossipy, amusing political narrative in the fight for majority control of the Senate is now all about the feuding between Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and the Koch brothers.  —  Last week Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee …

Charles Schumer promises immigration reform: ‘We are going to pass that bill and sign it into law this year’  —  Even Republicans will have to give on immigration reform if they want to be re-elected, the New York Democrat says Monday at the 12th annual Daily News/CUNY Citizenship NOW! call-in.

Ratings Slip at MSNBC as Jet Coverage Lifts CNN  —  April proved a cruel month for MSNBC, with the news channel hitting some of its lowest ratings in seven years, and its prominent morning show, “Morning Joe,” falling to third place in the cable news competition.

ISAF employee teams with Afghan to help women, children  —  ISAF Headquarters  —  After seeing the results of a September 2012 attack near International Security Assistance Force headquarters, an ISAF civilian employee decided to take action to help those most in need: women and children.

Sorry Democrats, Obamacare is still electoral kryptonite  —  Has the debate about Obamacare finally turned a political corner for Democrats?  Two recent events have caused much excitement on the left that perhaps it finally has.  —  First, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) …

White House Steps Up Effort to Confirm Federal Judges  —  WASHINGTON — With the possibility that Republicans could take the Senate in November, the White House and Senate Democrats are working swiftly to confirm judges to the federal courts in an effort to allow President Obama to leave a lasting liberal imprint on the judiciary.