McConnell Throws in Towel on DHS Fight, but Reid Is Waiting for Boehner to Cave (Updated)  —  Reid is holding out for more.  (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)  —  Updated 5:20 p.m. |  In an extraordinary sequence of events, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell offered Democrats exactly …

The disappeared: Chicago police detain Americans at abuse-laden ‘black site’  —  The Chicago police department operates an off-the-books interrogation compound, rendering Americans unable to be found by family or attorneys while locked inside what lawyers say is the domestic equivalent of a CIA black site.

Federal Officials Close Investigation Into Death of Trayvon Martin  —  The Justice Department announced today that the independent federal investigation found insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman for the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida.

Obama: Keystone pipeline bill ‘has earned my veto’  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama vetoed a bill Tuesday that would have approved the Keystone XL pipeline, making good on a threat to reject a proposal embraced by Republicans as a jobs measure but opposed by environmentalists as contributing to climate change.

Democratic FCC commissioner balks at net neutrality rules  —  A Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission wants to narrow the scope of new net neutrality rules that are set for a vote on Thursday, The Hill has learned.  —  Mignon Clyburn, one of three Democrats on the FCC …

Ron Paul: Black Caucus Only Against War Because They Want That Money For Food Stamps  —  “They are really against war because they want all of that money to go to food stamps for people here.”  —  w.soundcloud.com  —  Former Republican Rep. Ron Paul, the father of potential presidential candidate Rand Paul …

Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa won't run for U.S. Senate  —  Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Tuesday that he would not enter the race for Barbara Boxer's seat in the U.S. Senate, leaving state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris as the only major candidate.

Walker breaks out in national GOP race  —  PPP's newest national Republican poll finds a clear leader in the race for the first time: Scott Walker is at 25% to 18% for Ben Carson, 17% for Jeb Bush, and 10% for Mike Huckabee.  Rounding out the field of contenders are Chris Christie and Ted Cruz at 5% …

Do Voters Believe Obama Loves America?  —  U.S. voters overwhelmingly say they love this country, but one-out-of-three doesn't believe President Obama feels that way.  —  The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 35% of Likely U.S. Voters agree with this statement …

Nevada Lawmaker Says Cancer Is A Fungus, Recommends Simply Washing It Out  —  CREDIT: AP Photo/Cathleen Allison, File  —  Nevada Assemblywoman Michele Fiore (R) wants to reform the rules of end-of-life medical care so that more cancer patients can simply flush out their disease using baking soda.

Eric Garner's daughter on Al Sharpton: 'He's all about the money'  —  Al Sharpton (left) and Erica Snipes.  —  Al Sharpton is all about the Benjamins, a daughter of police chokehold victim Eric Garner claims in a bombshell videotape.  —  Erica Snipes tees off on the reverend as interested primarily …

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Durbin: Selma Anniversary Should Give GOP Pause About Opposing Loretta Lynch  —  Race and a top nomination for the Obama cabinet.  —  The nomination of Loretta Lynch for attorney general has not moved through the Senate quite as quickly as Democrats had hoped.

Black conservatives seek to draft Condoleezza Rice for Senate race  —  The Black Conservatives Fund wants to draft former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for a Senate bid in 2016, as they argue she represents the GOP's best chance to win a Senate seat in deep-blue California.

Hugh Hewitt to moderate first GOP presidential debate  —  Radio talk-show host Hugh Hewitt will moderate the first Republican presidential debate as part of a partnership between Salem Media Group and CNN.  The debate will take place Sept. 16 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Special Report: How Iran's military chiefs operate in Iraq  —  (Reuters) - The face stares out from multiple billboards in central Baghdad, a grey-haired general casting a watchful eye across the Iraqi capital.  This military commander is not Iraqi, though.  He's Iranian.