Exclusive: Clooney responds to ‘Daily Mail’ report  —  I want to speak to the irresponsibility of Monday's Daily Mail report.  I seldom respond to tabloids, unless it involves someone else and their safety or well being.  The Daily Mail has printed a completely fabricated story …

The tea party's embrace of martyrdom  —  Hiroo Onoda, the last imperial Japanese soldier to surrender after World War II, hid out in a jungle in the Philippines for 29 years, refusing to believe that the war was over.  He finally turned himself in, wearing his sword, cap and patched uniform, in 1974.

What's behind Boehner's nutty lawsuit threat  —  John Boehner's political career … (CNN) — House Speaker John Boehner's threatened lawsuit against President Obama has elicited scorn from the right and blistering attacks from the left.  So why is Boehner pursuing it?

Meet the Muslim-American Leaders the FBI and NSA Have Been Spying On  —  The National Security Agency and FBI have covertly monitored the emails of prominent Muslim-Americans—including a political candidate and several civil rights activists, academics, and lawyers—under secretive procedures intended …

Gay rights groups withdraw support of ENDA after Hobby Lobby decision  —  Several major gay rights groups withdrew support Tuesday for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that would bolster gay and transgender rights in the workplace, saying they fear that broad religious exemptions included …

Israel steps up offensive against Hamas  —  GAZA CITY — Israel ramped up its offensive on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip on Wednesday, bombing more than 100 targets overnight as Palestinian militants fired rockets deep into Israeli territory, striking beyond Tel Aviv in the country's coastal high-tech corridor.

In ‘sexting’ case Manassas City police want to photograph teen in sexually explicit manner, lawyers say  —  A Manassas City teenager accused of “sexting” a video to his girlfriend is now facing a search warrant in which Manassas City police and Prince William County prosecutors want to take a photo …

Morning Plum: Obama to set off bomb in middle of midterms  —  Now that Republicans have made it clear that they will not participate on any level in basic problem solving when it comes to our immigration crisis, it is now on Obama to determine just how far he can go unilaterally in addressing the problem …

5 Reasons Why New York Times Editorial Today Is An Embarrassment To Journalism  —  Ambassador Ron Dermer questions the integrity of today's New York Times ' editorial, Four Horrific Killings  —  The New York Times writes that “after days of near silence,” Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned …

The Most Shocking Result in World Cup History  —  We had Brazil favored to win Tuesday's World Cup semifinal against Germany (even despite the absence of Neymar and Thiago Silva).  —  Time to eat some crow.  That prediction stunk.  —  It's not that a German win was all that unlikely.

Immigration mess grows as Obama plays blame game  —  Photo by:  —  The massive crisis of tens of thousands of illegal children and hundreds of thousands of illegal adults flooding over our borders is, no surprise, not President Obama's fault.  It may have been entirely preventable, and certainly was highly predictable.

Courtroom Drama: Voting Rights Paid for in Blood Under Siege in North Carolina  —  Norma Corley (center, in blue) of Winston-Salem was among several hundred people who attended a “March to the Polls” rally on July 7, 2014, after the first day of the preliminary-injunction hearing challenging North Carolina's new voting law.

Ray Nagin, Former New Orleans Mayor, Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison  —  NEW ORLEANS — C. Ray Nagin, the former mayor of New Orleans who was convicted in February on corruption charges, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Wednesday in federal court in New Orleans.

Shocking moment ISIS militants take sledgehammers to Mosul tomb of Prophet Jonah as more than 50 blindfolded bodies are found massacred south of Baghdad  —  This is the shocking moment ISIS militants took sledgehammers to Iraqi tombstones - smashing them to pieces.

Midterm Calculus: Voting Totals Reveal Crucial Boost From Blacks in Cochran's Victory  —  Voting Totals Reveal Crucial Boost From Blacks in Cochran's Victory  —  The precinct level returns in Hinds County bolster the theory that a surge in black, Democratic turnout allowed Senator Thad Cochran …

‘We Must Open Our Hearts’: Glenn Beck Announces Major Border Event in Texas  —  Glenn Beck on Tuesday announced that he will be bringing tractor-trailers full of food, water, teddy bears and soccer balls to McAllen, Texas on July 19 as a way to help care for some of the roughly 60,000 underage refugees …

Senate confirms Castro as HUD secretary  —  (CNN) - Mr. Castro is coming to Washington.  —  The Senate on Wednesday easily confirmed San Antonio, Texas Mayor Julian Castro to be the next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.  The vote was 71-26 in favor of confirmation.