Obama's approval rating grows following memorable week  —  Story highlights  —  Washington (CNN)Could Barack Obama's great week mark a turning point in his poll numbers?  —  After months of stagnant approval ratings, a new CNN/ORC poll finds that for the first time in more than two years …

Chris Christie Announces Run, Pledging ‘Truth’ About Nation's Woes  —  LIVINGSTON, N.J. — Gov. Chris Christie declared his candidacy for president here on Tuesday in a 20-minute speech full of New Jersey-style swagger, vowing that as president, “there is one thing you will know for sure: I say what I mean and I mean what I say.”

A college balks at Hillary Clinton's fee, books Chelsea for $65,000 instead  —  When the University of Missouri at Kansas City was looking for a celebrity speaker to headline its gala luncheon marking the opening of a women's hall of fame, one of the names that came to mind was Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Ted Cruz rides the backlash  —  Sen. Ted Cruz is hoping to ride the conservative backlash on gay marriage to the front of the Republican presidential pack.  —  The Texas Republican has hit the Supreme Court with repeated rhetorical barbs in the wake of its ruling Friday that allowed …

VIDEO: Brawl Breaks Out In Front Of South Carolina Statehouse Over Confederate Flag  —  COLUMBIA, S.C. (CBS Atlanta/AP) — One man has been arrested after a fight over the Confederate flag in front of the South Carolina Statehouse.  —  The brawl started about 7:15 p.m. Monday …

The Next Culture War  —  Christianity is in decline in the United States.  The share of Americans who describe themselves as Christians and attend church is dropping.  Evangelical voters make up a smaller share of the electorate.  Members of the millennial generation are detaching themselves from religious institutions in droves.

At the Supreme Court, a Win for Direct Democracy  —  IN 2000, voters in Arizona adopted a state constitutional amendment that created an independent commission to draw congressional districts.  But the commission immediately faced a legal challenge: the United States Constitution gives …

Justice Department faults Ferguson protest response  —  FERGUSON  • Police trying to control the Ferguson protests and riots responded with an uncoordinated effort that sometimes violated free-speech rights, antagonized crowds with military-style tactics and shielded officers from accountability …

Misty Copeland Is Promoted to Principal Dancer at American Ballet Theater  —  Misty Copeland, whose openness about race in ballet helped to make her one of the most famous ballerinas in the United States, was promoted on Tuesday by American Ballet Theater, becoming the first African-American …

The only prudent way forward for Greece  —  GREEK PRIME Minister Alexis Tsipras chose an academic expert on game theory as finance minister, so it's fitting that his left-wing government has now decided to play games with the fate of Europe and the global economy.  Alas, it's no theoretical exercise.

Donor Says Girl Scouts Can't Use $100K Gift for Transgender Girls  —  So the organization gave the money back.  And now they want your help.  —  Courtesy Girl Scouts of Western Washington  —  A $50,000 donation is cause for celebration at the Queen Anne offices of the Girl Scouts of Western Washington.

Ku Klux Klan to protest removal of Confederate flag on July 18 at Statehouse  —  The Ku Klux Klan has been approved to hold a protest rally at the Statehouse next month against removing the Confederate battle flag, with the group calling accused mass murderer Dylann Roof a “young warrior.”

Rand Paul Meets With Cliven Bundy on Nevada Campaign Stop  —  Republican presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul met with southern Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy on Monday during a question-and-answer session in the town of Mesquite with about 50 supporters and activists interested in land rights.

Ted Cruz Knows How To Go Viral  —  Ted Cruz is a populist, so the first thing he does when he wakes up every morning is reach for the iPhone on his nightstand and scroll through his @ mentions on Twitter.  The cascading column of messages directed at the conservative firebrand is not exactly a hallelujah chorus.

‘The Solution I Propose Is Massive Civil Disobedience’  —  ASPEN, Colo.—Scholar Charles Murray traces his latest book back to a story he heard from a family friend: a small business owner who found himself targeted by a federal regulatory agency.  “Like most businesses of his sort …

California vaccine bill SB 277 signed into law by Jerry Brown  —  SACRAMENTO — Ending months of speculation, Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed into law Senate Bill 277, which requires almost all California schoolchildren to be fully vaccinated in order to attend public or private school …

Apple Music First Look: Rich, Robust — But Confusing  —  Paid streaming music has arrived on Planet Apple, where it was regarded as unworthy for years.  Today, the tech giant has entered the streaming music business with its much-anticipated Apple Music subscription service.