CONDOLEEZZA RICE BACKS OUT OF RUTGERS COMMENCEMENT  —  You are here  —  Home » United States government » Condoleezza Rice backs out of Rutgers commencement  —  NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has backed out of delivering the commencement address …

Obama at WHCD: ‘My stellar 2013’  —  President Barack Obama took aim at Republicans, the media — and himself — at Saturday's White House Correspondents' Association Dinner - opening and closing his comedy routine with the botched rollout of Healthcare.gov.

Obamacare's doom  —  If the president wants to witness a refutation of his assertion that the survival of the Affordable Care Act is assured, come Thursday he should stroll the 13 blocks from his office to the nation's second-most important court, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

It's Not Just About Obama  —  THERE has been a festival of commentary of late bemoaning the pusillanimous foreign policy of President Obama.  If only we had a president who rode horses shirtless, wrestled a tiger or took a bite out of a neighboring country, we'd all feel much safer.

42 and 45 Overpower 44  —  WASHINGTON — THE First Family is all over the news, discussing the management of the economy, income inequality, raising the minimum wage, the vicissitudes of press coverage and the benefits of healthy eating.  —  Everywhere you look, the Clintons rule.

Abdul-Jabbar talks racism  —  Former NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said Sunday “more whites believe in ghosts than they do in racism.”  —  Racism is a systemic problem, he said on ABC's “This Week.”  Abdul-Jabbar penned an op-ed last week for Time Magazine discussing race and the racist history …

Gov. Perry talks botched Oklahoma execution; potential 2016 run  —  Washington (CNN) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Sunday that while last week's execution in Oklahoma was clearly botched, there's no need for sweeping changes in capital punishment laws across the country.

GOP candidate was once a female impersonator  —  Steve Wiles, a Republican state Senate candidate who supports North Carolina's constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage, once worked as a female impersonator at a gay nightclub in Winston-Salem and was gay at the time …

Outside Cash Floods North Carolina Judicial Race  —  The state is ground zero in the partisan war, and challenges to its conservative agenda will come before the state Supreme Court.  But ‘nasty’ ads are sinking the Democratic incumbent.  —  A marquee Senate race pitting Democrat Kay Hagan …

The Tale of Two Schools  —  Fieldston and University Heights are in the same borough but worlds apart.  How much understanding between their students can a well-told story bring?  —  University Heights High School is on St. Anns Avenue in the South Bronx, which is part of the poorest congressional district …

McConnell's Nuclear Blunder Haunts Republicans  —  This was a huge week for judicial nominations in the Senate.  Nine judges were confirmed, including one at the appeals level.  We also got confirmation that Republicans committed a terrible blunder last fall by forcing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid …