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.

Ex-Bush Aide: Jeb Told Me He Misheard Question About Invading Iraq (VIDEO)  —  Ana Navarro, a former aide to ex-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), said on CNN Tuesday that the potential presidential candidate told her he'd misheard a question about the Iraq War.  —  Navarro, who was Bush's director …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

AOL Has Been in Talks to Spin Off HuffPost as Part of Verizon Acquisition Deal  —  According to numerous sources, while it has been negotiating its deal to sell to Verizon, AOL has also been in advanced discussions with a number of parties to spin off its flagship Huffington Post content unit.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

More ominous signs of Christian persecution  —  My daughter Aubrey and I arrived in Dallas and our home in Woodbridge on Sunday morning.  We had departed from Palm Beach Gardens Saturday evening after we watched Austen head off for her senior prom — a doggone big deal, dads!

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 …

Hillary Clinton's damage control operation gets more troops  —  Hillary Clinton's campaign is getting more firepower to help with its damage control.  —  Correct The Record, an outside rapid response and research group dedicated to defending the records of Clinton and the other Democratic …

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.