With Cantor's implosion and Brat's rise, get ready for an even more extreme Republican Party  —  The fight in today's GOP is now between hardline conservatives and radical nihilists  —  There are three key questions to ask and answer about House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's stunning primary defeat Tuesday night.

In S.F., Rick Perry compares homosexuality to alcoholism  —  Texas Gov. Rick Perry, speaking in San Francisco on Wednesday night, said the U.S. would better serve its diverse population by letting the states handle many economic and social policies, a point he perhaps inadvertently drove home …

U.S. Said to Rebuff Iraqi Request to Strike Militants  —  WASHINGTON — As the threat from Sunni militants in western Iraq escalated last month, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki secretly asked the Obama administration to consider carrying out airstrikes against extremist staging areas, according to Iraqi and American officials.

Political Polarization in the American Public  —  How Increasing Ideological Uniformity and Partisan Antipathy Affect Politics, Compromise and Everyday Life  —  Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines - and partisan antipathy is deeper and more extensive - than at any point in the last two decades.

The Troubling Case of Chris Hedges  —  Pulitzer winner.  Lefty hero.  Plagiarist.  —  In early 2010, the editors at Harper's Magazine began reviewing a lengthy manuscript submitted by Chris Hedges, a former New York Times reporter.  In the piece, Hedges had turned his eye to Camden …

Bush 41 jumps on his 90th birthday  —  Programming note: CNN will air “41ON41,” a film about President George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, based on interviews with 41 people who know him best, Sunday at 9 and 11 p.m. ET  —  (CNN) - Former President George H.W. Bush Thursday celebrated …

Tennessee Democratic Congressman Is Looking Everywhere For Hillary Clinton  —  “Does anyone have a good phone number” for the former secretary of state?  Staff for Rep. Steve Cohen are asking every Democrat on Capitol Hill.  Update: Cohen's office says the email is run-of-the-mill.

Iran has deployed Revolutionary Guard forces to fight al Qaeda-inspired militants in Iraq, Iranian security sources said  —  Iran has deployed Revolutionary Guard forces to fight al Qaeda-inspired militants that have overrun a string of Iraqi cities and has helped Iraqi troops win back control …

Impoverished Mother Dies In Jail Cell Over Unpaid Fines For Her Kids Missing School  —  A housing unit at the Berks County Jail where Eileen DeNino died.  —  CREDIT: Berks County, PA  —  A mother of seven died in a Pennsylvania jail over the weekend while serving a two-day sentence.

Five Major Cases The Supreme Court Will Decide This Month  —  The Supreme Court has already delivered major rulings this year on campaign finance and prayer in public meetings.  By the end of June, the Court is expected to hand down several more important decisions that could dramatically alter the law and affect Americans' lives.

U.S. Economic Recovery Looks Distant as Growth Lingers  —  WASHINGTON — Recessions are always painful, but the Great Recession that ran from late 2007 to the middle of 2009 may have inflicted a new kind of pain: an era of slower growth.  —  It has been five years since the official end of that severe economic downturn.