Countering Putin, Rep. Israel pens column for Russian press  —  Vladimir Putin got his op-ed on Syria in the New York Times.  Now Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) thinks it's only fair for a Russian daily newspaper to run his response.  —  The DCCC chair on Thursday submitted a rebuttal article to Kommersant …

House votes 235-191 to stop ObamaCare's insurance subsidies  —  The House has passed legislation aimed at preventing people from receiving health insurance subsidies under ObamaCare until a better system is put in place to verify who is eligible for those subsidies.

Kerry: talks on Syria chemical weapons ‘not a game’  —  Washington (CNN) — Crucial talks on ending Syrian control of its chemical weapons began Thursday in Geneva with the top negotiators — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov — offering similar goals but different ideas on how to reach them.

The Rise of the New New Left  —  Bill de Blasio's win in New York's Democratic primary isn't a local story.  It's part of a vast shift that could upend three decades of American political thinking.  By Peter Beinart  —  Maybe Bill de Blasio got lucky.  Maybe he only won because he cut a sweet ad featuring his biracial son.

Shale criminal charges stun drilling industry  —  Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane's decision to prosecute a major Marcellus Shale natural-gas driller for a 2010 wastewater spill has sent shock waves through the industry.  —  But environmentalists Wednesday hailed the prosecution …

Exiting the Solar System and Fulfilling a Dream  —  Since the launch of the Voyager spacecraft in 1977, Voyager 1 has traveled over 11.7 billion miles from the launchpad pictured here.  That is equivalent to traveling to the moon and back almost 25,000 times.

Bomb Hits US Consulate in Afghanistan; 2 Dead  —  Taliban militants staged a suicide car bombing and then engaged in a gunfight with security forces outside the American consulate in the western Afghan city of Herat early Friday.  —  Police said two Afghan security forces were killed …

Perkins: Boycott Betty Crocker For Baking Wedding Cakes For Gay Couples  —  When gay rights advocates criticized Chick-fil-A for the company's financial support of anti-gay organizations, the Family Research Council decried their “gaystapo tactics.”  Apparently, the FRC believes that boycotts …

Fox's Shepard Smith to Lead Breaking News Division With New Show, Managing Editor Role  —  Mediaite has learned this afternoon that Fox News anchor Shepard Smith will expand his role at the network, overseeing a newly-established breaking news division, taking on the role as its managing editor …

Biden calls House GOP ‘Neanderthals’  —  “Im going to say something outrageous,” Biden said at a party at his home in Washington to celebrate the 19th anniversary of VAWA, according to a media pool report.  —  “I think I understand the Senate better than any man or women who's ever served in there …

Pay raises drive McCrory's numbers down further  —  PPP's newest North Carolina poll finds Pat McCrory's poll numbers continuing to fall to their lowest level ever.  Only 35% of voters in the state approve of the job he's doing to 53% who disapprove.  McCrory's numbers had already pretty …

So, you want a job in policy?  —  I haven't worked a “real job” since being an undergrad.  However, I often get asked by undergrads for advice about preparations for real world policy jobs.  I recently asked my former PhD student, Kate Kidder, a research associate at the Center for a New American Security …

Boehner Seeking Democrats' Help on Fiscal Talks  —  WASHINGTON — With Congress momentarily freed from the Syrian crisis, lawmakers plunged back into their bitter fiscal standoff on Thursday as Speaker John A. Boehner appealed to the Obama administration and Democratic leaders to help …

Mayor Gray vetoes ‘living wage’ bill aimed at Wal-Mart, setting up decisive council vote  —  District Mayor Vincent C. Gray vetoed legislation Thursday that would force the city's largest retailers to pay a super-minimum wage to their workers, ending two months of uncertainty …

Marijuana sellers unfairly penalized, say odd couple Norquist, Blumenauer  —  Legal marijuana dispensaries unfairly face a higher tax burden than other businesses, two strange political bedfellows said Thursday.  —  Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and anti-tax activist Grover Norquist …

Richard Stengel leaving Time for State Department  —  Richard Stengel, the top editor of Time magazine for the past seven years, is planning to step down as managing editor for a new job at the U.S. Department of State, sources familiar with the situation tell POLITICO and Capital New York.