Iraqi Factions Jockey to Oust Maliki, Citing U.S. Support  —  BAGHDAD — Alarmed over the Sunni insurgent mayhem convulsing Iraq, the country's political leaders are actively jockeying to replace Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, Iraqi officials said Thursday.

Editor's note: Michael Gerson replaces George Will  —  Dear Post-Dispatch readers,  —  Starting today, Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson replaces George Will on Thursdays and Sundays.  —  Mr. Gerson, who grew up in St. Louis and still has family here, is a former speechwriter and top aide to President George W. Bush.

Megyn Kelly to Dick Cheney: Wrong, sir  —  FOX News' Megyn Kelly had some tough questions for former Vice President Dick Cheney on Wednesday night, after he and his daughter, Liz, offered a scathing review of the Obama administration's foreign policy.  —  “In your op-ed [in the Wall Street Journal] …

Brian Schweitzer says his ‘gaydar’ goes off when he sees Eric Cantor  —  (CNN) - Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer chose an interesting path and offered puzzling critiques since he tossed his name in the hat for a potential presidential run in 2016.  —  But comments the Democrat …

How Hillary Clinton Is Trying to Have It Both Ways on the IRS Scandal  —  With an eye on the presidency in 2017, another Clinton is parsing words and pandering.  —  Did Hillary Clinton sell out President Obama on the IRS scandal?  I assumed so when BuzzFeed Politics posted this tweet:

Public Faith in Congress Falls Again, Hits Historic Low  —  Of major U.S. institutions, Americans most confident in the military  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans' confidence in Congress has sunk to a new low.  Seven percent of Americans say they have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” …

Sources: Lois Lerner's emails likely gone forever  —  Ex-IRS official Lois Lerner's crashed hard drive has been recycled, making it likely the lost emails of the lightening rod in the tea party targeting controversy will never be found, according to multiple sources.

Immigration Reform Can't Wait  —  There is rarely a good time to do hard things, and America won't advance if legislators act like seat-warmers.

Why we're banning Redskins in The Seattle Times  —  The most controversial name in sports won't appear again in The Seattle Times' print edition or on the seattletimes.com home pages as long as I am sports editor.  —  It's time to ban the use of “Redskins,” the absurd, offensive and outdated name of the NFL team in Washington, D.C.

GOP chooses leaders today  —  House Republicans will decide on Thursday whether to respond to the stunning defeat of Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) by adding a representative from a deep red state to their leadership team.  —  Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) …

John Doe prosecutors allege Scott Walker at center of ‘criminal scheme’  —  By Patrick Marley and Daniel Bice of the Journal Sentinel  —  Madison — Prosecutors allege that Gov. Scott Walker was at the center of an effort to illegally coordinate fundraising among conservative groups to help …

HICKENLOOPER SUPPORTED GUN MAGAZINE LIMIT BECAUSE OF STAFFER PROMISE  —  Gov. John Hickenlooper told county sheriffs at a recent gathering he felt conflicted about supporting a bill that limited ammunition magazines, but because one of his “staff made a commitment,” he felt compelled to sign it into law.

High School In Woodbury Blocks Students From Accessing Conservative Sites  —  A Woodbury High Schooler claims he uncovered political bias in the implementation of a firewall blocking some political Web sites at his school.  —  18-year-old Andrew Lampart, a senior at Nonnewaug High School …

Return of the GOP hawks  —  “World events have proven Sen. McCain, myself, [Sen. Kelly] Ayotte, Rubio, other people who have been hawkish, to have been right,” Graham said.  “To those who wanted to get to the left of Obama, I'm glad we didn't take your advice.”

Seven in 10 Americans Back Euthanasia  —  Support strong for past two decades  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Most Americans continue to support euthanasia when asked whether they believe physicians should be able to legally “end [a] patient's life by some painless means.”

NPR Poll: In Senate Battleground States, Obama Ratings Lag … In the key battleground states that will decide control of the Senate this November, President Obama's approval numbers are lower than they are nationally - but not much lower.  —  That's the key finding in a new poll …

If She Had Drinks, You May Be a Rapist  —  The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights has been waging a war on campus due process, ordering colleges to change their disciplinary processes to make it more likely that students accused of sexual assault will be found culpable.

McCain to hit campaign trail for Cochran  —  In the final stretch of the Mississippi Republican primary runoff, Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) is getting support from a Super Bowl quarterback and now a former GOP presidential nominee: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).