John McCain: Arizona execution ‘torture’  —  A botched execution in Arizona on Wednesday amounted to “torture,” said the state's senior senator John McCain.  —  The longtime Republican lawmaker, who experienced years of torture while being held in captivity by the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War …

Joining fundraising spree, first lady asks for ‘biggest, fattest’ checks  —  (CNN) — First lady Michelle Obama jumped into the White House fundraising spree on Thursday, prodding supporters in Chicago to hand over the maximum campaign contribution in an attempt to shore up Democrats' chances in upcoming midterm elections.

Behind the Scenes in Putin's Court: The Private Habits of a Latter-Day Dictator  —  The President wakes late and eats shortly after noon.  He begins with the simplest of breakfasts.  There is always cottage cheese.  His cooked portion is always substantial; omelette or occasionally porridge.

Watch Obamacare Architect Jonathan Gruber Admit in 2012 That Subsidies Were Limited to State-Run Exchanges  —  Earlier this week, a three-judge panel in the D.C. Circuit Court ruled that, contrary to the Obama administration's implementation and an Internal Revenue Service rule …

Kerry Proposes Weeklong Halt to Fighting in Gaza Strip  —  CAIRO — Secretary of State John Kerry has proposed a two-stage plan to halt the fighting in the Gaza Strip that would first impose a weeklong truce starting Sunday, an official involved in the negotiations said on Friday.

Michigan GOP Mayor Compares Atheists To Nazis, KKK  —  The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and two other groups on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the mayor of Warren, Mich., who banned an atheist group from setting up a station alongside one run by a prayer group in the city hall atrium.

Army War College to investigate plagiarism claims against Walsh  —  GALLATIN COUNTY  —  BOZEMAN, Mont. -  —  In a written statement to NBC Montana Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Army War College said it will convene an Academic Review Board to look into allegations of plagiarism against democratic U.S. Senator John Walsh.

David Gregory: Dead Head Talking?  —  NBC News' chief White House correspondent, Chuck Todd, and Morning Joe's Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski are jockeying to replace the moderator of Meet the Press.  —  Whenever he got around to reading the unpleasant item in the Page Six column on Wednesday …

Regulator assailed for quick ‘spin through the revolving door’  —  News that a departing member of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is headed for a major industry group with business before the agency is prompting criticism from advocates who call the move a record-fast “spin through the revolving door.”

Obsessing About Gaza, Ignoring Syria (And Most Everything Else)  —  The responses to what I write about the Hamas war fall into several categories.  My least favorite sort of response is the kind that invokes Hitler in some way.  Here is an e-mail that is representative: “I hope Hitler kills you and your family.”

U.S. Considering Refugee Status for Hondurans  —  Hoping to stem the recent surge of migrants at the Southwest border, the Obama administration is considering whether to allow hundreds of minors and young adults from Honduras into the United States without making the dangerous trek through Mexico, according to a draft of the proposal.

Texas gun nuts' scary ritual: How hatred of a president turned profane  —  The “open carry” crew is now spouting right-wing conspiracy theories and waving guns in the worst place imaginable  —  Three weeks before the assassination of John F. Kennedy, a concerned citizen from Dallas named …

Tacoma casino cancels Nugent shows, citing racism  —  TACOMA, Wash. — Emerald Queen Casino will cancel two Ted Nugent concerts that were scheduled August 2 and 3 over allegations of racist remarks by the singer.  —  Puyallup Tribe officials said the decision came after learning that Nugent has said racist remarks.

Paul Ryan's Plan: Rebooting Compassionate Conservatism  —  The ex-VP candidate has been touring the country has he formulates an anti-poverty plan Republicans can get behind.  Now he's unveiling some of the details.  —  After traveling around the country for the last year to better understand …

Glenn Beck's audacious defense against Boston Marathon bombings defamation suit  —  On April 15 of last year, a thin kid with a bright smile named Abdulrahman Alharbi decided he would stop and watch the Boston Marathon for a few minutes.  A Saudi Arabian studying English in Boston …