Rebel Yell  —  A close aide to Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) who co-wrote the senator's 2011 book spent years working as a pro-secessionist radio pundit and neo-Confederate activist, raising questions about whether Paul will be able to transcend the same fringe-figure associations that dogged his father's political career.

Kill the Bill  —  We are conservatives who have differed in the past on immigration reform, with Kristol favorably disposed toward it and Lowry skeptical.  But the Gang of Eight has brought us into full agreement: Their bill, passed out of the Senate, is a comprehensive mistake.

Boehner Considering Bill To Delay Obamacare's Individual Mandate For A Year  —  House Speaker John Boehner is encouraging his members to support a crafty legislative response to the Obama administration's decision to delay implementation of the Affordable Care Act's employer mandate, according to a highly placed GOP source.

Sarah Palin Considering 2014 Senate Run  —  Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin on Tuesday said that she is considering running for Senate in 2014.  —  Appearing on Sean Hannity's radio program, Palin also reiterated that she would consider supporting a third party if Republicans don't return to their conservative roots.

Democrats Plan Challenge to G.O.P.'s Filibuster Use  —  WASHINGTON — In a move that could bring to a head six months of smoldering tensions over a Republican blockade of certain presidential nominees, Senate Democrats are preparing to force confirmation votes on a series of President Obama's …

WATCH AND WEEP: HERE'S A VIDEO OF PEOPLE SIGNING A PETITION TO REPEAL THE BILL OF RIGHTS  —  Author and activist Mark Dice on Monday released what may very well be the most depressing “man on the street” video for 2013 (possibly beating “College Kids Who Don't Know U.S. History").

After 12-plus years, Texas gets a new governor  —  Gov. Rick Perry kisses his wife, Anita, before announcing that he will not run for re-election.  —  By some historical measures, the office of Texas governor is older than the United States, dating to the 17th or even 16th century.

Eric Cantor plans anti-IRS push  —  House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) on Tuesday will tell House Republicans that he plans floor votes before the August recess on a slew of bills in response to the IRS controversies.  —  The most intriguing: a bill to allow Americans …

Republican Women Cringe As Men Lead Abortion Fight  —  Another round of Republican men talking abortion leads the party's women to reach for the antacid.  —  Via: Mike Stone / Reuters  —  WASHINGTON — If the rumors are true, Marco Rubio is about to become the latest guinea pig in an experiment …

White House Has Known For Months Obamacare Implementation Wouldn't Work  —  Last week, it scaled back several required provisions.  They aren't the first.  And probably won't be the last.  —  If you've been reading all the Obamacare stories lately, you might get the impression …

Will Eliot Spitzer Even Get On The Ballot?  —  A disjointed campaign operation and tight deadline means collecting 3,750 signatures by Thursday could be a challenge.  “I can't give you specifics, but believe that it is well in hand.”  —  Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer collects signatures …

Dems pitch national park on the moon  —  Two House Democrats have proposed legislation that would establish a national historical park on the surface of the moon to mark where the Apollo missions landed between 1969 and 1972.  —  The bill from Reps. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) and Eddie Bernice Johnson …

Intimacy in an Iron Lung  —  The developing status of sexual surrogates for the disabled, as part of a right to health and well-being: So wrong?  —  “As my father lay dying and his private nurses washed him, made him comfortable and gave him his medication, they also lingered gently over his private parts as they sponged him.

The Secular Society  —  I might as well tell you upfront that this column is a book report.  Since 2007, when it was published, academics have been raving to me about Charles Taylor's “A Secular Age.”  Courses, conferences and symposia have been organized around it, but it is almost invisible outside …

30,000 California prisoners refuse meals in apparent hunger strike  —  Protesting California prison policies of indefinite isolation, inmates signal beginning of a hunger strike by refusing meals.  —  John A. Imani, seen right, joins about 75 demonstrators in front of the Ronald Reagan State …

Governor's son arrested, charged with intoxication, swearing  —  Sean McDonnell, the 21-year-old son of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, was arrested Saturday in Charlottesville and charged with public swearing and intoxication.  —  Few details of the circumstances surrounding the arrest were immediately available.

UPDATED - RAISE YOUR VOICE, NOT YOUR HANDS  —  The Broward Sheriff's Office, working closely with the Sanford Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies, has coordinated a response plan in anticipation of the verdict.  —  Freedom of expression is a constitutional right.

Vital Statistics on Congress  —  Data on the U.S. Congress - A Joint Effort from Brookings and the American Enterprise Institute  —  For more than three decades, Vital Statistics on Congress, a joint effort undertaken by Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute and Tom Mann of Brookings …

Introducing Congress for iOS  —  As Congress returns for their July session, the Sunlight Foundation is excited to announce our free Congress app for iOS devices that allows anyone to get the latest from Washington.  Download it here.  Now it is easy to learn more about your member of Congress …

Newsroom Diversity: A Casualty of Journalism's Financial Crisis  —  New numbers from the American Society of News Editors show that the progress of women and minorities in media has halted.  —  The American Society of News Editors (ASNE) recently released its annual study of newsroom diversity.