The Scandal at the VA Is Real, and Obama Is Ducking It  —  Democrats can dismiss Benghazi and the IRS as pseudo-scandals, maybe, but 40 veterans have died, and where has Obama been?  Totally absent.  —  Up to now, President Obama and congressional Democrats had thought “so-called” …

D'Souza pleads guilty to U.S. campaign finance law violation  —  (Reuters) - The conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a campaign finance law violation, averting a trial that had been expected to begin the same day in Manhattan federal court.

Federal Judge Strikes Down Pennsylvania Same-Sex Marriage Ban  —  “We now join the twelve federal district courts across the country [that] ... have concluded that all couples deserve equal dignity in the realm of civil marriage.”  —  Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett delivers an address …

NPR To End ‘Tell Me More,’ Eliminate 28 Positions  —  NPR announced Wednesday that it would cease broadcast of the weekday program Tell Me More on Aug. 1 and eliminate 28 positions as part of a larger effort to end the company's persistent budget deficits.  —  “These times require …

Arthur Sulzberger's First Interview About the Turmoil at The New York Times: “I Would Have Done It Differently”  —  A week after the firing of Jill Abramson as executive editor of The New York Times, the newspaper's publisher, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., sat down with V.F.'s Sarah Ellison for an exclusive interview about the controversy.

Wife, attorney say blogger was pawn  —  It's still unclear how a political blogger gained access to the bedridden wife of U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran in her nursing home, but the man's wife and his attorney said he didn't sneak into the facility, and that he appears to be a pawn in a big political game.

Reid Hints at ‘Nuclear’ Summer Over Debate Time  —  On the morning of his Republican counterpart's primary back home in Kentucky, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he would not change the chamber's rules in his absence.  —  But Minority Leader Mitch McConnell might well be advised …

Convicted former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.: Presidential pardons for all ex-offenders  —  Former Illinois Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., who is serving the end of his federal prison term in a Montgomery federal prison.  —  ctoner@al.com By Casey Toner |  ctoner@al.com

As Candidate For Congress, Ted Yoho Suggested Limiting The Right To Vote To Property Owners  —  Recently unearthed footage of Rep. Ted Yoho speaking at Berean Baptist Church in Ocala, Florida, during his candidacy for Congress in the 2012 election cycle shows the Republican politician suggesting …

Dems desperately seek an Obama midterm strategy  —  For months, President Barack Obama has been telling donors that there's nothing more important to him than the November elections.  —  But many Democrats say their biggest worry for the fall is the president himself.

Adam Carolla: The gay mafia is real  —  The comedian and author sounds off to Salon on political correctness and why Asians prove discrimination is a lie  —  Adam Carolla, as ever, has a few things to get off his chest.  —  The comedian and podcaster, whose broadcast career began …

Comey: FBI ‘Grappling’ With Hiring Policy Concerning Marijuana  —  Monday was a big day for the nation's cyber police.  The Justice Department charged five Chinese military officials with hacking, and brought charges against the creators of powerful hacking software.

Jeff Zucker talks CNN's post-plane plans  —  Last night, CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker gave a hint of where the network will go next now thats its two-plus-month coverage of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is subsiding.  —  “I don't think there's any question about our commitment …

Republicans Have Edge on Top Election Issue: the Economy  —  Democrats have advantage on Affordable Care Act and economic inequality  —  PRINCETON, NJ — American voters rate the economy as the most important issue to their vote for Congress this year, and give the Republicans in Congress …

Lawsuit: Chicago cops physically, verbally abuse woman on video  —  A Chicago police officer hit a handcuffed, kneeling woman in the head, while another shouted racially charged comments at her and threatened she'd be murdered during a raid of a West Side tanning salon.

Primary day: 6 states, 5 things to watch  —  Today is the closest thing to a Super Tuesday this primary season, and the results of voting in six states will set the stage for some of November's marquee races.  —  The Democrats' best hopes for Senate pick-ups are in Kentucky …