Chris McDaniel Challenges Mississippi Senate Primary Votes After Loss  —  The Tea Party-backed candidate who has refused to concede defeat to Republican U.S. Senator Thad Cochran in Mississippi's primary runoff said his campaign has found more than 1,000 instances of ballots cast by people who were ineligible to vote.

Is The Times Ignoring a Scandal at the I.R.S.?  —  Has The Times been interested enough in the politically charged events involving the Internal Revenue Service?  —  Many readers don't think so.  One, Harry Koenig of Monroe Township, New Jersey, wrote to me this week with strong words of criticism.

Congressional candidate feels opponent is a body double … OKLAHOMA CITY - An Oklahoma congressional candidate has announced he plans to contest Tuesday's primary election of long time Rep. Frank Lucas.  —  In a bizarre letter obtained by NewsChannel 4, Tim Murray says he doesn't feel Rep. Lucas is qualified for office.

Soul Legend Bobby Womack Dead at 70  —  Veteran singer had numerous hits, yet suffered multiple health issues throughout seven-decade career  —  Bobby Womack, the legendary soul singer whose career spanned seven decades, died Friday at age 70.  A representative for Womack's label XL Recordings confirmed …

Matt Drudge gives rare interview on WTOP Friday … WASHINGTON — More than the gridlock in Washington, political commentator Matt Drudge is concerned with immigration and the situation at America's border.  —  “I know there are big fights throughout the country,” he says.

Is climate change destabilizing Iraq?  —  This winter was not a good one for farmers in the Fertile Crescent.  —  A punishing drought hit most of Syria and northern Iraq during what's normally the wettest time of the year.  In the mountains of eastern Turkey, which form the headwaters …

TNR is lying again: “80 Percent of Conservatives Think the Poor ‘Have It Easy.’”  —  That headline refers to the results of a test — which I linked to here — used by the Pew Research Center to sort Americans into various groups, like “Young Outsider” and “Business Conservative,” based on their political predilections.

What Happened to the Facebook Phone?  Not Very Much, It Seems  —  Facebook has long wanted to be a major part of how you use your smartphone.  Now, it looks as if the company has all but abandoned one of its major strategies to do so.  —  The company has disbanded the team …

McDaniel Campaign Staffer Blames Tea Party's Leader Suicide On Political Opponents  —  “A good man is gone today bc of a campaign to destroy lives.  To all ‘so called’ Republican leaders who joined lockstep: I WILL NOT REST!”  —  Jonathan Bachman / Reuters

How the Guardian played down the assassination that sparked world war  —  Murder of archduke would have no ‘salient effect’ on Europe, declared Manchester Guardian, just 37 days before war erupted  —  “It is not to be supposed,” wrote a correspondent for the Manchester Guardian analysing …

Report: Mexican Military Chopper Crosses Into US, Shoots At Border Agents  —  TUCSON, Ariz. (CBS Las Vegas/AP) — Border Patrol agents in Arizona were reportedly fired upon by a Mexican military helicopter that traveled across the border.  —  Mexican authorities were conducting …

Democrats: No bluff, Obama will go it alone on immigration  —  The Obama administration is “not bluffing” in its intent to take executive action on immigration policy if House Republicans don't act soon, top Democratic leaders warned Thursday.  —  President Obama has delayed any potential changes …