Senator Kyl Drops Out of the Debt Talks, Leaving Zero Republicans at the Table  —  ABC News' Sunlen Miller (@sunlenmiller) reports:  —  Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., will also drop out of the debt talks, a source within his office confirms today.  The Arizona Republican's office will issue a formal statement shortly.

U.S. Jews not able to fly on Delta flights to Saudi Arabia  —  JERUSALEM — Jews and Israelis, or passengers carrying any non-Islamic article of faith, will not be able to fly Delta Air Lines flights from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia under Delta's new partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines.

Mystery Candidate Leads to Walk Out at Ames Straw Poll Land Auction  —  ABC News' Russell Goldman (@GoldmanRussell) and Arlette Saenz (@ArletteSaenz) report:  —  A little bit of intrigue at the Ames straw poll land auction...  Representatives of Republican candidates are meeting today in Ames …

Obama Addresses New York Marriage Equality Bill At LGBT Fundraiser: Issue Best Left To States  —  President Obama spoke at an LGBT fundraiser this evening in New York City, just as the New York Senate prepares to take up marriage equality legislation.  Obama addressed the measure directly …

Is Rick Running?  —  A Republican campaign veteran tells us that Texas Governor Rick Perry has decided to run for President, though the official word from Team Perry is still a definite maybe.  —  A Republican campaign veteran tells us that Texas Governor Rick Perry has decided to run for President …

Commander In Chief Misspeaks About Soldier Killed in Afghanistan  —  During his remarks to troops at Fort Drum today, the President was reminiscing about the times he has spent with the US Army's 10th Mountain Division, when he got something wrong. … The problem is, Jared Monti was killed in action in Afghanistan, on June 21, 2006.

New Jersey Lawmakers Approve Benefits Rollback for Work Force  —  TRENTON — New Jersey lawmakers on Thursday approved a broad rollback of benefits for 750,000 government workers and retirees, the deepest cut in state and local costs in memory, in a major victory for Gov. Chris Christie …

President Obama backs rights for gay couples in New York fundraiser  —  (CNN) — President Barack Obama took his act to New York on Thursday as the featured attraction at three back-to-back fundraisers, where he touted his progressive credentials, including support for equal rights for gay couples.

Military leaders know Obama's decision is a disaster  —  The press is reporting that the top military leaders have “endorsed” President Obama's Afghan troop withdrawal decision.  With all due respect to the fine reporters, that is not the news.  Under our Constitution …

The Rules of the Game  —  The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza joins a chorus of voices asking political observers not to underestimate Jon Huntsman's chances for winning the Republican nomination.  With his decision to skip the Iowa caucuses, Lizza argues, Mitt Romney has made it easy for Huntsman …

Perry gets tepid response at Latino convention  —  Gov. Rick Perry received a tepid response when he addressed the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials on Thursday, joking about the pronunciation of a Hispanic appointee's last name and frequently staring blankly …

Legislator warns of HIV epidemic in New York if marriage equality becomes law  —  While the debate over marriage equality continues to rage in Albany, one legislator from Clinton County, New York, fears that an HIV epidemic will break out in the Empire State if gay couples are allowed to marry.

Kansas: The First Abortion-Free State?  —  If new guidelines from the Kansas health department are enforced, the last three abortion clinics in the state could be forced to shut their doors this summer.  —  Back in April, the state legislature passed a law directing the Kansas Department …

EXCLUSIVE — Herman Cain: Jon Stewart Attacked Me 'Because I'm Black'  —  ThinkProgress filed this report from Iowa Falls, Iowa.  —  Earlier this month, ThinkProgress reported that GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain told an audience in Pella, Iowa that he would not sign a bill longer than three pages.

Why Sex With Creatures from the Future Is a Bad Idea  —  Researchers test sexual adaptations in time-traveling brine shrimp  —  When time travel finally becomes possible, we might want to think twice about getting it on.  According to a new study on tiny shrimp (Artemia franciscana) …

Marijuana bill officially introduced to Congress by Ron Paul, Barney Frank  —  Marijuana laws should be set at the state, not federal, level, Reps. Ron Paul and Barney Frank argued in a bill they introduced Thursday.  —  The goal of the bill, HR 2306, is not to legalize marijuana but to remove …

Answering Andrew Sullivan on Allison Benedikt  —  Andrew weighs in on the Benedikt controversy with a thoughtful post, which you should read in full.  He writes, at the end: … The outrage comes form the fact that many of us — I would dare say most American Jews — believe that you just don't get to walk away.

The Rise and Inglorious Fall of Myspace  —  It once promised to redefine music, politics, dating, and pop culture.  Rupert Murdoch fell in love with it.  Then everything fell apart  —  Alamy, Bloomberg, Getty Images  —  In 2006, Jeremy Jackson—the buff, bronzed former Baywatch child star—couldn't imagine a world without Myspace.

Two Men Charged in Plot to Attack Seattle Military Processing Center … SEATTLE - Two men were arrested late last night and are charged by criminal complaint with terrorism and firearms related charges.  The complaint alleges that Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif, aka Joseph Anthony Davis, 33 …

Firms Have Record $800 Billion Of Cash But Still Won't Hire  —  Companies are hoarding a record amount of cash as fears of another Lehman-like credit crisis, weak demand and a lack of incentives from the Obama Administration cause chief executives to choose a negative real return on their money …