Rubio pledges to bust higher education ‘cartel’  —  Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Tuesday pledged to bust the higher education “cartel” in an economic speech laying out his vision for the country.  —  Rubio promised to cut the corporate tax rate, shift the U.S. to a territorial tax system …

Europe gives Greece 5 days to avoid bankruptcy … ATHENS — An emergency summit of European leaders called to salvage Greece's financial rescue broke up acrimoniously late Tuesday, with officials saying the country now has just five days to avoid bankruptcy.

Federal authorities raid home of Subway spokesman Jared Fogle in child pornography investigation  —  ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (July 7, 2015) - Federal authorities raided the home of Subway spokesman Jared Fogle Tuesday morning.  FBI sources told FOX59 state and federal investigators were serving warrants …

WaPo Op-Ed Blames Amy Schumer for ‘Inspiring’ Charleston Shooter  —  All this time we were blaming the Confederate flag, it turns out comedienne Amy Schumer was the only who “inspired” Charleston shooter Dylann Storm Roof to murder nine African-Americans.  —  So argues a Washington Post op-ed written …

Confederate flag flies again in Marion County  —  The Confederate flag at Marion County's government complex will be put back up after the County Commission voted Tuesday, July 7, 2015, to return the flag, which was taken down the week before amid growing controversy surrounding the deadly shootings …

F-16, Cessna collide over Moncks Corner  —  MONCKS CORNER, SC -Officials say an F-16 fighter jet collided with a Cessna over South Carolina, killing two people aboard the smaller plane.  The Air Force pilot ejected safely, however.  —  National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter …

SUMMARY AND KEY FINDINGS  —  The financial health of each state can be analyzed through the states' own audited financial reports.  By looking at states' basic financial statistics on revenues, expenditures, cash, assets, lia­bilities, and debt, states may be ranked according to how easily …

GOP has knives out for school lunch rules  —  First lady Michelle Obama's signature school lunch regulations are coming under fresh fire from GOP lawmakers, who view impending reauthorization legislation as their best chance yet to dial back the controversial nutrition standards.

Criminal charge dropped against woman jailed for not renewing dog license  —  KALAMAZOO, MI — A criminal charge against a Kalamazoo County woman who was late renewing her dog's license have been dropped, she said Monday.  —  Becky Rehr, 47, of Cooper Township, said the Kalamazoo County …

Jimmy Carter Says Jesus Would Approve Of Gay Marriage  —  Faith is important to former President Jimmy Carter, and he writes about it extensively in his new memoir A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety.  But his religious beliefs don't keep him from supporting every American's right to marry the person they love.

Bernie Sanders' populist message draws thousands to campaign event in Portland  —  The liberal senator from Vermont tells a crowd estimated at more than 7,500 that ‘establishment politics and establishment economics is not working for the middle class.’  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont …

Mayor of Whitesboro, N.Y., Insists This Village Seal Is Not Racist  —  In the weeks following the mass shooting at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina, there has been a debate in this country surrounding the prevalence of the Confederate flag in certain regions of the U.S. On Monday …

N.J. Dem lawmakers will try to force Christie's resignation  —  TRENTON — Democratic state lawmakers will soon introduce legislation that would force Gov. Chris Christie to resign from office because he is running for president, NJ Advance Media has learned.

Very rare orange-brown lobster caught off Maine coast  —  The split-colored specimen at the Pine Point Fisherman's Co-Op in Scarborough is a one-in-50 million lobster. … Were you interviewed for this story?  If so, please fill out our accuracy form.

Army plans to cut 40,000 troops  —  The Army plans to cut 40,000 soldiers from its ranks over the next two years, a reduction that will affect virtually all of its domestic and foreign posts, the service asserts in a document obtained by USA TODAY.  —  The potential troop cut comes …

Kids of Helicopter Parents Are Sputtering Out  —  Recent studies suggests that kids with overinvolved parents and rigidly structured childhoods suffer psychological blowback in college.  —  Excerpted from How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid …

The making of a Hillary Clinton echo chamber  —  One day in May, operatives from a Washington-based super PAC gathered New Hampshire mayors, state representatives and local politicos at St. Anselm College for a day of training.  —  They rehearsed their personal tales of how they met Hillary Rodham Clinton …

Tenn. man indicted for plotting Muslim massacre  —  A Tennessee man was indicted on Tuesday for a plot to burn down a mosque, school and cafeteria in a small, rural New York town with a large Muslim community.  —  According to federal charges, 63-year-old former congressional candidate …

Probing the Dark Side of Google's Ad-Targeting System  —  Researchers say Google's ad-targeting system sometimes makes troubling decisions based on data about gender and other personal characteristics.  —  That Google and other companies track our movements around the Web to target us with ads is well known.

Former International Court of Justice judge: Dick Cheney should face prosecution  —  As a young boy, Thomas Buergenthal recalls, his mother taught him to kneel every night and thank God for his love and his protection.  It's a habit, I suggest, that must have been difficult to maintain …

Bear Smashes Zoo Glass  —  “One of the bears had a rock about the size of a basketball and managed to break one of the windows,” the zoo's director of animal collections Tony Fisher said.  —  “At no time was there any danger of the bears getting out since there were still four layers of glass …

Republicans Aim to Hamper Obama's Policies With Spending Bills  —  WASHINGTON — From environmental and work force regulations to health care and contraception, congressional Republicans are using spending bills to try to dismantle President Obama's policies, setting up a fiscal feud this fall that could lead to a government shutdown.