How Oklahoma Botched an Execution  —  Clayton Lockett's lethal injection suffered a problem more fundamental than the drugs  —  On Tuesday night, after Oklahoma botched the lethal injection of Clayton Lockett, the director of the Department of Corrections said Lockett's vein had not only “blown,” but actually “exploded.”

Warriors Had the Blueprint For a Dramatic Boycott Ready to Go  —  The plan was set, the product of a 30-minute players meeting.  The Warriors were going to go through pre-game warm-ups and take part in the national anthem and starting line-up introductions.

Senate Democrats plan vote to reverse Citizens United decision  —  Senate Democrats will schedule a vote this year on a constitutional amendment to reform campaign finance as they face tens of millions of dollars worth of attack ads from conservative groups.

Tim Pawlenty: Republican Party must back wage hike  —  Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty said Wednesday that Republicans should support a “reasonable” increase in the minimum wage.  —  “If you're going to talk the talk about being for the middle class and the working person …

White House Directed Incorrect Benghazi Narrative  —  Newly-released emails: “Video” to blame, “not a broader failure or policy.”  —  Newly-released documents reveal direct White House involvement in steering the public narrative about the September 11, 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi …

Is Barry Whiffing?  —  WASHINGTON — Stop whining, Mr. President.  —  And stop whiffing.  —  Don't whinge off the record with columnists and definitely don't do it at a press conference with another world leader.  It is disorienting to everybody, here at home and around the world.

Looking for complaints, Rick Scott instead finds praise for Obamacare  —  Scott meet with seniors looking for Obamacare horror stories, but found little complaints.  —  Sun Sentinel  —  BOCA RATON— Gov. Rick Scott visited a senior center Tuesday to warn about cuts he said Obamacare …

Americans in large numbers want the U.S. to reduce its role in world affairs, a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds  —  Americans in large numbers want the U.S. to reduce its role in world affairs even as a showdown with Russia over Ukraine preoccupies Washington, a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds.

Scientific American Editor: Fox Told Me I Couldn't Talk About Climate Change  —  An editor with Scientific American magazine said Wednesday he was shot down by a Fox News producer when he said he wanted to talk about the impacts of climate change.  —  Michael Moyer appeared on “Fox & Friends” …

The “apartheid” slur has a long history.  —  “I will not allow my commitment to Israel to be questioned by anyone,” John Kerry pronounced in a press statement yesterday.  Far be it from us to defy an order from the secretary of state.  It is clear to us, however, that there is something to which Kerry's commitment is far deeper.

Two Giant Banks, Seen as Immune, Become Targets  —  Federal prosecutors are nearing criminal charges against some of the world's biggest banks, according to lawyers briefed on the matter, a development that could produce the first guilty plea from a major bank in more than two decades.

China poised to pass US as world's leading economic power this year  —  Central Shanghai: China is likely to be the world's richest country by next year  —  The US is on the brink of losing its status as the world's largest economy, and is likely to slip behind China this year …

Finding the Best Path Forward to Protect the Open Internet  —  I am a strong believer in the importance of an Open Internet.  As President Obama has explained, “Preserving an Open Internet is vital not just to the free flow of information, but also to promoting innovation and economic productivity.”

Big donor secrecy: 'Irony, but it's not hypocrisy'  —  CHICAGO — Democratic attacks on the Koch brothers for secretive campaign spending have become a virtual plank in the party's platform, but it turns out big-money liberals can be just as defensive when their own closed-door activities are put in the spotlight.

Once opposed to ACA, now a convert  —  Dean Angstadt fells trees for a living.  —  He's a self-employed, self-sufficient logger who has cleared his own path for most of his 57 years, never expecting help from anyone.  And even though he'd been uninsured since 2009, he especially wanted nothing to do with the Affordable Care Act.

Which States Are in the Midwest?  —  Here's a somewhat regular argument I get in: Which states make up which regions of the United States?  Some of these regions — the West Coast, Mountain States, Southwest and Northeast are pretty clearly defined — but two other regions, the South and the Midwest, are more nebulous.