The Hear-Nothing Gun Crowd  —  Sometimes in American politics it seems as if we are all talking past each other, that whatever one side says about an issue like, say, taxes zooms right past the other side.  The current fight over gun control is not one of those moments.

North Korea says it successfully conducts hydrogen bomb test  —  Hong Kong (CNN)North Korea says it has successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test in a region of the country where it conducted three previous nuclear tests.  —  If the claim is verified, a hydrogen bomb test …

Harney County Sheriff: Armed Occupiers Will Face Charges  —  In a wide ranging interview Tuesday, Harney County Sheriff David Ward urged members of the community to distance themselves from the armed men occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.  —  “I think if one person gives …

Trump says Cruz's Canadian birth could be ‘very precarious’ for GOP  —  LOWELL, Mass. — Donald Trump said in an interview that rival Ted Cruz's Canadian birthplace was a “very precarious” issue that could make the Texas senator vulnerable if he became the Republican presidential nominee.

Cologne attacks: mayor lambasted for telling women to keep men at arm's length  —  Henriette Reker urges women to avoid being in close proximity to strangers to prevent sexual harassment  —  Cologne's mayor has been widely criticised for suggesting that women “keep at an arm's length” …

AP fact check: Obama gun-control actions wouldn't have stopped any mass shooting  —  To paraphrase Samuel Johnson: media fact-checks on Barack Obama's claims about guns may not be done entirely well ... but one is surprised to find them done at all.  Following Obama's emotional press conference yesterday …

The Clintons are in denial about Bill's sex scandals  —  Even though Donald Trump had already warned that Bill Clinton's past indiscretions would be “fair game” in the presidential race, the ex-president seemed surprised to face the issue as he began to take a prominent role in his wife's campaign.

Governor Doug Ducey Announces First Arizona Supreme Court Appointment  —  PHOENIX - Governor Doug Ducey today announced the appointment of Phoenix attorney Clint Bolick, an independent, to the Supreme Court of Arizona.  —  This is Governor Ducey's first appointment to the Supreme Court of Arizona.

Aetna departure a major blow for insurers group  —  Aetna, one of the nation's largest health insurers, announced Tuesday that it is leaving the insurer trade group America's Health Insurance Plans, dealing a blow to a powerful Washington lobbying group.  —  “Aetna has decided not to renew …

Lots of Rich People Seem to Be in Tough Financial Straits  —  Here's a fairly remarkable poll from Gallup about financial well-being.  The direction of the answers is unsurprising: if you earn more, you're more likely to have enough money to buy the things you need, and less likely to be cutting back on spending.

Trump Organization says proposed UK ban over Muslim remarks ‘a dangerous precedent’  —  Donald Trump's business conglomerate fired back Tuesday against a scheduled debate in British Parliament to discuss whether the Republican contender should be banned from entering the United Kingdom.

PM's office claims Indyk made up story of conversation with Netanyahu at Rabin funeral  — Indyk: Israel offered Palestinians portions of Area C in West Bank and a building freeze - Right from Wrong: Martin Indyk's latest low  —  Martin Indyk claims Netanyahu criticized Yitzhak Rabin at the slain prime minister's funeral in 1995.

Cruz camp mocks Rubio's ‘high-heeled booties’  —  Ted Cruz may be leading his fellow Cuban-American senator in the polls, but his campaign is nipping at the heels of Marco Rubio — literally.  —  “A Vote for Marco Rubio Is a Vote for Men's High-Heeled Booties,” Rick Tyler …

The Certainty of More Shootings  —  Below are Atlantic notes, from James Fallows and others, on the inevitability (or otherwise) of mass shootings in the United States.  Email hello@theatlantic.com to join the discussion.  —  Below you see the YouTube version of the official White House feed from earlier today.