Strauss-Kahn Case Seen as Near Collapse  —  The sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn is on the verge of collapse as investigators have uncovered major holes in the credibility of the housekeeper who charged that he attacked her in his Manhattan hotel suite in May, according to two well-placed law enforcement officials.

Minnesota government begins historic shutdown  —  Dayton renewed his call to tax the rich; GOP pointed to harm of long-term debt.  The governor and legislative leaders worked into the evening in a last-ditch bid for resolution.  —  Talks imploded Thursday between DFL Gov. Mark Dayton …

Rep. McCotter to launch presidential bid on July 2  —  Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich. will launch his presidential campaign on July 2, making him the third sitting member of the House to run for the White House in 2012.  —  McCotter will make his bid official in his home state of Michigan …

Geithner Said to Consider Leaving Treasury After Debt Debate  —  Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner has signaled to White House officials that he's considering leaving the administration after President Barack Obama reaches an agreement with Congress to raise the national debt limit …

Union curbs rescue a Wisconsin school district  —  “This is a disaster,” said Mark Miller, the Wisconsin Senate Democratic leader, in February after Republican Gov. Scott Walker proposed a budget bill that would curtail the collective bargaining powers of some public employees.

Romney backtracks on argument that Obama made economy worse  —  Over the last few weeks, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has argued that President Obama's policies have made the economy worse.  —  Here was Romney in New Hampshire on Monday:

The Legislative History of Section Four of the Fourteenth Amendment  —  The recent debate over the debt ceiling has led various commentators, journalists and politicians to consider the relevance of section Four of the Fourteenth Amendment, which provides:

BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL  —  Heritage: Yes, Obama still owns the tax break for corporate jets  —  A few non-profit arms of the Obama administration — namely Media Matters and the Center for American Progress — have attacked the Heritage foundation for correctly pointing out that President Obama signed general …

Does Johann Hari actually meet his interviewees?  —  Hari's use of quotes is beyond a joke and much worse than he has made out  —  If you look at the text below, you'll find an interview with the activist and former Afghan politician Malalai Joya carried out by Johann Hari for the Independent in July 2009.

Fund-Raising Begins Slowly for G.O.P. Candidates  —  Fund-raising by the Republican presidential candidates appears to be off to a slow start this year, hindered by the struggling economy, the absence of a clear and compelling front-runner, and the desire of many of the party's biggest donors to wait and see how the race develops.

Ohio governor signs law allowing guns in bars  —  (Reuters) - Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich on Thursday signed into law a bill that allows gun owners in the state to carry concealed weapons into bars and other places where alcohol is served.  —  The measure, which was forwarded …

Venezuela army assures calm after Chavez surgery  —  (Reuters) - Venezuela's army chief said on Friday there is no threat to the nation's constitutional order as President Hugo Chavez's revelation of cancer surgery shakes the political system he has dominated since 1999.

The Wageless, Profitable Recovery  —  Economists at Northeastern University have found that the current economic recovery in the United States has been unusually skewed in favor of corporate profits and against increased wages for workers.  —  In their newly released study …

Roger Ailes' Secret Nixon-Era Blueprint for Fox News  —  Republican media strategist Roger Ailes launched Fox News Channel in 1996, ostensibly as a “fair and balanced” counterpoint to what he regarded as the liberal establishment media.  But according to a remarkable document buried deep within …

An Open Letter To Jeff Bezos On Terminating The Amazon Affiliate Program In California  —  Dear Jeff-  —  Thank you for your letter today, informing me that after seven years of being one of your affiliates — and having earned for you about $150,000 in that time — that you “deeply regret” …

Smells Like School Spirit  —  Diane Ravitch is the nation's most vocal educational historian.  She once was one of the leading intellects behind the education reform movement — emphasizing charter schools, testing and accountability.  Over the past few years, she has become that movement's most vehement critic.

The Peril of Deep Defense Cuts  —  Our country has taken an axe to the national security budget after every war of the 20th century.  And every time we later regretted it.  —  Today Leon Panetta will take the oath to become our nation's 23rd secretary of defense.

Confessions of a Financial Deregulator  —  print recommend Send link clip secure rights  —  BERKELEY - Back in the late 1990's, in America at least, two schools of thought pushed for more financial deregulation - that is, for repealing the legal separation of investment banking …