In midterm elections, Democrats can have some hope of retaining control of Senate  —  Senate races are not House races.  —  This seems obvious.  But amid increasing chatter about just how bad the national environment will be for Democrats in midterm elections this fall, it's an important point to remember.

GOP goes quiet on ObamaCare  —  House Republicans have no scheduled votes or hearings on ObamaCare, signaling a shift in the party's strategy as the White House rides a wave of good news on the law.  —  Not a single House committee has announced plans to attack the healthcare law in the coming weeks …

Here Are The Drunkest Countries In The World [MAP]  —  Alcohol consumption varies widely across the globe, and the U.S. stacks up pretty well compared to some other countries.  —  As the map below from the World Health Organization shows, Russians and their neighbors drink more than almost everyone else in the world.

The Unbearable Whiteness of Liberal Media  —  This article has been corrected.  —  On the staff of The American Prospect, I'm the only member of an ethnic minority.  That's not because I bring all the variety the magazine needs, or because the editors don't think diversity is valuable.

Hillary Clinton Already Answered The Benghazi Question Trey Gowdy Has For Her  —  Video Benghazi Investigation Benghazi Attack Trey Gowdy Investigation Trey Gowdy Benghazi Trey Gowdy Benghazi Questions Trey Gowdy Hillary Clinton Trey Gowdy Benghazi Committee Benghazi Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton Benghazi

Crazy Climate Economics  —  Everywhere you look these days, you see Marxism on the rise.  Well, O.K., maybe you don't — but conservatives do.  If you so much as mention income inequality, you'll be denounced as the second coming of Joseph Stalin; Rick Santorum has declared that any use of the word “class” is “Marxism talk.”

Voter Enthusiasm Down Sharply From 2010  —  Republicans, Democrats less enthusiastic about voting  —  PRINCETON, NJ — A majority of U.S. registered voters, 53%, say they are less enthusiastic about voting than in previous elections, while 35% are more enthusiastic.

Our newly efficient IRS  —  That's quite some efficiency.  Back in March, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen told a House committee investigating the targeting of conservative organizations that it “would take years to produce” all the data Congress demanded.  —  Now, just a day after the full House voted …

The Closing of the Collegiate Mind  —  Opponents of free speech have chalked up many campus victories lately as ideological conformity marches on.  —  There was a time when people looking for intellectual debate turned away from politics to the university.

Show Us the Drone Memos  —  WASHINGTON — I BELIEVE that killing an American citizen without a trial is an extraordinary concept and deserves serious debate.  I can't imagine appointing someone to the federal bench, one level below the Supreme Court, without fully understanding …

Eastern Ukrainians vote for self-rule in referendum opposed by West  —  DONETSK, Ukraine — Residents of two regions of eastern Ukraine turned out in significant numbers Sunday to vote in support of self-rule in a referendum that threatens to deepen divisions in a country already heading perilously toward civil war.

Chicopee woman faces wiretapping charges after allegedly recording her own arrest  —  SPRINGFIELD— A Chicopee woman apparently got a little too loud and belligerent while drinking on Chestnut Street Sunday morning, and refused to cooperate with police when they asked her to quiet down.