Senate deals stinging defeat to Obama trade agenda  —  Senate Democrats on Tuesday delivered a stinging blow to President Obama's trade agenda by voting to prevent the chamber from picking up fast-track legislation.  —  A motion to cut off a filibuster and proceed to the trade bill fell short of a 60-vote hurdle, 52-45.

Jeb Bush to skip Iowa Straw Poll  —  No Iowa Straw Poll for Jeb Bush.  —  The likely Republican presidential candidate will instead attend a competing event, the RedState Gathering in Atlanta, the day of the Iowa event, GOP sources in Iowa told The Des Moines Register Tuesday.

U-Va. dean sues Rolling Stone for ‘false’ portrayal in retracted rape story  —  This image is included in a $7.5 million defamation lawsuit against Rolling Stone.  U-Va. associate dean Nicole Eramo argues that an image from the Cavalier Daily student newspaper (left) was turned into an illustration …

There Is No ‘Blue Wall’  —  If you were browsing campaign coverage at this point in advance of the 1992 election, you'd be reading a lot about the Republicans' impregnable “red wall.”  OK — it wouldn't have been called the “red wall” (the association of Republicans with red states and Democrats …

Man saves dog, but gets arrested anyway  —  A man saves a dog from a hot Mustang but was arrested because of how he did it.  The move landed Michael Hammons behind bars.  WXIA  —  CONNECT  —  ATHENS, GA (WXIA) - A man saves a dog from a hot Mustang but was arrested because of how he did it.

Who should save sight of S.C. man who can't afford surgery?  —  Luis Lang, an uninsured resident of Fort Mill, S.C., needs an expensive operation to save his sight.  Ann Doss Helms ahelms@charlotteobserver.com  —  ahelms@charlotteobserver.com  —  To start a lively discussion …

Revealed: FBI violated its own rules while spying on Keystone XL opponents  —  The FBI breached its own internal rules when it spied on campaigners against the Keystone XL pipeline, failing to get approval before it cultivated informants and opened files on individuals protesting …

22 Very Inconvenient Climate Truths  —  Here are 22 good reasons not to believe the statements made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)  —  Guest essay by Jean-Pierre Bardinet.  —  According to the official statements of the IPCC “Science is clear” and non-believers cannot be trusted.

The New York Times-Facebook Deal Is Here  —  It could represent a seismic change for both the publishing industry and for the media company itself.  —  1.9k  —  Shares  —  1k  —  Tomorrow morning, in what marks a tectonic shift in the publishing industry, the New York Times is expected …

Handicapping a Democratic Takeover  —  The 2016 Senate cycle is shaping up to be the opposite of 2014, with the map heavily stacked against the GOP.  —  The battle for control of the Senate is finally underway and if early indications are correct, Republicans can be no more confident …

Cuba's Castro concerned over ‘illegal’ activity at U.S. mission  —  Cuban President Raul Castro said on Tuesday that dissidents are receiving “illegal” training at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana, an issue he raised with U.S. President Barack Obama in talks on restoring diplomatic ties.

Obama's Catastrophic Climate-Change Denial  —  MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — THE Obama administration's decision to give Shell Oil the go-ahead to drill in the Arctic shows why we may never win the fight against climate change.  Even in this most extreme circumstance, no one seems able to stand up to the power of the fossil fuel industry.

Voters Worry Military Exercises May Lead to Federal Control Of States  —  Eight weeks of U.S. military exercises this summer in several southwestern states - dubbed Jade Helm 15 - have some wondering if the government is preparing for martial law.  Most voters don't oppose such exercises …

Obama: Wealthy Ignore Poverty By Sending Kids To Private Schools  —  During a conversation about poverty, President Obama said he was concerned that more wealthy people were separated from poverty because they chose to frequent private institutions instead of public ones.

Will police officer face charges over killing of Tony Robinson in Wisconsin?  —  Story highlights  —  (CNN)A district attorney in Wisconsin is set to bring an end Tuesday to weeks of uncertainty about whether a police officer will face criminal charges over the killing of an unarmed biracial man.

America's Changing Religious Landscape  —  Christians Decline Sharply as Share of Population; Unaffiliated and Other Faiths Continue to Grow  —  The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the number of U.S. adults who do not identify with any organized religion is growing …

Ben Carson Invokes Dred Scott Decision as Precedent for Ignoring Supreme Court Rulings  —  Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson raised eyebrows last week when he told Newsmax that a potential Supreme Court ruling to legalize same-sex marriage across the country would not have to be implemented …