Bowe Bergdahl's Vanishing Before Capture Angered His Unit  —  WASHINGTON — Sometime after midnight on June 30, 2009, Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl left behind a note in his tent saying he had become disillusioned with the Army, did not support the American mission in Afghanistan and was leaving to start a new life.

Republicans have a mandate for their Benghazi probe  —  Democrats in recent weeks weighed whether to abstain from involvement in House Republicans' new Benghazi investigative committee, labeling it an unnecessary probe into questions that have already been answered.  —  The American people disagree.

Bodies of 800 babies, long-dead, found in septic tank at former Irish home for unwed mothers  —  In a town in western Ireland, where castle ruins pepper green landscapes, there's a six-foot stone wall that once surrounded a place called the Home.  Between 1925 and 1961, thousands of …

Brevard judge tells attorney, 'I'll beat your ass,' allegedly throws punches  —  BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. —  Court deputies had to break up a physical fight between a Brevard County judge and a public defender after an argument during a hearing on Monday.  —  Judge John Murphy is accused …

Book: Obama told donors he might be in ‘strong position’ to amend Constitution  —  President Obama told Democratic donors he might be “in a very strong position” to demand a Constitutional amendment on campaign finance reform during his second term, according to a new book.

The perils of progressivism run deeper than Obama.  —  “For a president who came to office hoping to restore public faith in government as a force for good in society, the mess at the Department of Veterans Affairs threatens to undercut his reputation for effectiveness,” writes New York Times reporter Peter Baker in a “news analysis.”

The Political Polarization of Physicians in the United States  —  An Analysis of Campaign Contributions to Federal Elections, 1991 Through 2012  —  ONLINE FIRST  —  Adam Bonica, PhD1; Howard Rosenthal, PhD2; David J. Rothman, PhD3  —  JAMA Intern Med.  —  Figures  —  Tables  —  References

Thad Cochran and the Age Issue That No One Wants to Talk About  —  On my way out of Mississippi, a few reporter friends e-mailed me with a problem.  They were being assigned to cover an unexpectedly hot race—no polls had shown Chris McDaniel losing steam since a supporter illegally videotaped …

The Administration's explanation for why it was lawful not to wait 30 days to complete the Bergdahl exchange  —  National Security Council Caitlin Hayden just issued this statement concerning “why it was lawful for the Administration to proceed with the [Bergdahl] transfer notwithstanding …

Agents search homes of Swallow, Shurtleff  —  Swallow and Shurtleff » Investigators look for evidence of bribery and obstruction of justice.  —  | The Salt Lake Tribune  —  Sandy  • It made for a couple of surreal scenes: cops searching the homes of Utah's two former top law-enforcement officers.

Charges detail Waukesha pre-teens' attempt to kill classmate  —  By Ellen Gabler of the Journal Sentinel  —  The 12-year-old girls had been plotting the murder for months, police say.  —  Morgan E. Geyser was allowed to have two friends over each year for her birthday.  This year, she'd celebrate on May 30.

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON DEFENDS PRISONER SWAP  —  BROOMFIELD, Colo. (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton gave a measured defense Monday of the Obama administration's controversial decision to swap five Guantanamo Bay detainees for a U.S. soldier held hostage in Afghanistan, noting that many of America's allies make similar deals.

Hillary Clinton's Senate years curiously missing from her memoirs  —  BOOKS SENATE HILLARY CLINTON 2016 ELECTIONS IRAQ WAR SECRETARY OF STATE  —  Next week Hillary Clinton will release “Hard Choices,” a memoir of her years as secretary of state.  The book is Clinton's first since Living History …