Trump adviser Michael Cohen apologizes for rape comment  —  Story highlights  —  Washington (CNN)A top adviser to Donald Trump apologized Tuesday for comments he made in an explosive interview while defending the Republican presidential candidate from a decades-old rape accusation.

Planned Parenthood hires crisis communications firm  —  Planned Parenthood has hired high-profile Washington public relations firm SKDKnickerbocker as it scrambles to deal with the ongoing scandal and release of a third undercover video Tuesday showing a clinic's staff handling fetal tissue after an abortion.

Cecil the lion's killer revealed as American dentist  —  EXCLUSIVE: A Minnesota father of two is discovered to be the hunter who shot dead Cecil - one of Zimbabwe's most loved lions  —  Cecil the lion - the most famous creature in one of Zimbabwe's national parks - was killed by an American hunter …

Jon Stewart's secret White House visits  —  Obama, aides took unusual steps to cultivate ‘Daily Show’ comic  —  Jon Stewart slipped unnoticed into the White House in the midst of the October 2011 budget fight, summoned to an Oval Office coffee with President Barack Obama that he jokingly told …

Dems clash with Kerry over Iran deal  —  Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee joined with Republicans in pushing back on the Iran nuclear deal Tuesday as Secretary of State John Kerry faced the panel.  —  Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) said he was “troubled by” …

Inside Rand Paul's downward spiral  —  He was once a serious contender for the White House.  Now, his campaign is fighting over what went wrong.  —  Rand Paul, once seen as a top-tier contender, finds his presidential hopes fading fast as he grapples with deep fundraising and organizational problems …

Walker Tells Private Group He'll Skip Florida Primary  —  Scott Walker has insisted he will be able to “compete anywhere in the country” as a candidate for president — but, at a private event in St. Louis on Sunday, Walker said he does not plan to compete in Florida, contradicting …

House conservative seeks John Boehner's ouster  —  The move by Rep. Mark Meadows represents a new level of opposition to GOP leadership from House's right wing.  —  Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) has filed a motion to try to force Speaker John Boehner from his leadership post.

Smoke That Pot Now, Chris Christie Tells Users in States That Allow It  —  Residents in U.S. states that have legalized marijuana should toke up while they still can, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said.  —  “If you're getting high in Colorado today, enjoy it,” Christie …

Camille Paglia: How Bill Clinton is like Bill Cosby  —  In exclusive Salon interview, the cultural critic finds parallels between Cosby and Clinton, takes down modern p.c.  —  Camille Paglia, the political and cultural critic, has been a brave and brilliant provocateur on Salon for almost 20 years now.

Mind-Blowing Temperature Fraud At NOAA  —  The measured US temperature data from USHCN shows that the US is on a long-term cooling trend.  But the reported temperatures from NOAA show a strong warming trend. … They accomplish this through a spectacular hockey stick of data tampering …

The Vox conversation  —  When Sen. Bernie Sanders launched his presidential campaign, few treated it as a serious challenge to Hillary Clinton.  Sanders, after all, isn't even a Democrat: He's an “democratic socialist.”  But his campaign struck a chord.  He's raised more than $15 million …

Delta Is About to Offer One of the Coolest Upgrades Yet—to Very Few Flyers  —  Exclusive: Inside the company's innovative plan to get its best customers off the airline and into private jets  —  Delta Air Lines is cooking up what may be one of the most appealing flight upgrades yet …

15% of Americans don't use the internet.  Who are they?  —  For many Americans, going online is an important way to connect with friends and family, shop, get news and search for information.  Yet today, 15% of U.S. adults do not use the internet, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of survey data.

Lena Dunham, Kate Winslet Face Off With Amnesty International Over Sex-Trade Debate  —  They join a chorus of stars opposing a proposal that calls for the decriminalization of prostitution.  —  In the past, celebrities like Jon Stewart, Madonna and Kristen Wiig have not hesitated …

Donald Trump Would Consider Tapping Sarah Palin For Future Trump Administration  —  Yesterday, Donald Trump appeared on “The Palin Update,” a show dedicated to all things Palin.  After Trump hailed Palin as a “tough and smart” leader who bravely stood up to “disgusting lies,” …

Here's Our Tally of Donald Trump's Wealth  —  The latest math on Donald Trump: $2.9 billion.  —  An analysis by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, based in part on a 92-page personal financial disclosure form made public last week, revealed a portfolio dominated by skyscrapers and golf courses.

Cop caught on dash cam threatening to ‘blow a hole’ through driver's head  —  A Medford police detective has been placed on administrative leave after he was caught on video threatening to “blow a hole through your f—ing head” while pulling over a driver who drove the wrong way at a traffic circle.

Jonathan Pollard, Spy for Israel, to Be Released on Parole in November  —  WASHINGTON — Jonathan J. Pollard, who was sentenced to life in prison in 1985 for passing classified documents to the Israeli government, will be released on parole in November after 30 years in prison, a government panel decided on Tuesday.

Why pro-lifers shouldn't trust the GOP  —  Wanna hear a funny story?  —  “Pro-lifers control the Republican Party.”  —  If you didn't fall over laughing, you must not be a pro-lifer.  —  The secular media loves to tell a make-believe story of a Republican Party controlled by an all-powerful, socially conservative cabal.

The Stonewall at the Top of the IRS  —  If the president doesn't tell Commissioner Koskinen to go, then we in Congress should impeach him.  —  Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen needs to go.  —  When it was revealed in 2013 that the IRS had targeted conservative groups …

Tom Brady's Four-Game Suspension Is Upheld by Roger Goodell  —  N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the four-game suspension of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, one of the league's biggest stars, for his role in the deflation of footballs used in the A.F.C. Championship game in January.