Democrats are in denial.  Their party is actually in deep trouble.  —  The Democratic Party is in much greater peril than its leaders or supporters recognize, and it has no plan to save itself.  —  Yes, Barack Obama is taking a victory lap in his seventh year in office.

‘These have been among the worst weeks of my life’  —  <p>House Benghazi Chairman Trey Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, used to get death threats in his previous line of work.  But watching his Benghazi investigation get slammed by accusations that it's a partisan assault on Hillary Clinton …

What The New York Times Didn't Tell You  —  “Nearly every person I worked with, I saw cry at their desk.”  —  If you read the recent New York Times article about Amazon's culture, you remember that quote.  Attributed to Bo Olson, the image of countless employees crying at their desks set …

VP Joe Biden to enter presidential race, reports FOX News  —  NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Sources tell FOX News Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry that Vice President Joe Biden will enter the presidential race. … There has been heavy speculation that Biden would run for the Democratic nomination.

Paul Ryan open to running for speaker  —  After weeks of insisting he would not run for Speaker, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Paul Ryan - according to those close to him - is now open to leading the fractured Republican conference, and seriously considering launching a bid for speaker of the House.

Dramatic motorcycle crash caught on video; DPS investigating  —  GRANBURY - The road rash and deep cuts all over Eric Sanders' body only begin to tell the story.  —  “I've got a gouge in my elbow that is bone-deep,” Sanders said.  —  The video tells the rest.

Americans' Desire for Stricter Gun Laws Up Sharply  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Fifty-five percent of Americans say they want laws covering the sale of firearms to be stricter than they are now, a distinct rise of eight percentage points from 2014.

Obama Regains Majority Job Approval; Most See GOP Infighting as Dysfunction (POLL)  —  More than half of Americans in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll approve of Barack Obama's job performance, a first in nearly two and a half years.  That compares with 71 percent disapproval of the Republicans …

Finally - a change in course on drug policy  —  “Greatness comes in simple trappings,” Richard Nixon once said.  It seems appropriate to quote the man who started the failed war on drugs to applaud good efforts to end it.  —  In an as-yet unreleased statement circulated to the BBC …

Anthony Mackie Endorses Donald Trump: He Worked His Way Up From Nothing  —  The Our Brand Is Crisis actor said he is “drinking the Kool-Aid.” … Looks like we might see Anthony Mackie on the campaign trail with Donald Trump.  During a sit-down chat with BET.com during the promotional trail …

‘I Will Take Something Good Out Of This’: Bride-To-Be's Family Turns Cancelled Wedding Into Banquet For Homeless  —  A California family has turned their bride-to-be's heartbreak into something positive.  —  Quinn Duane, 27, was looking forward to a lavish wedding at Citizen Hotel in Sacramento …

The women in the van  —  <p>A few dozen reporters who regularly cover Hillary Clinton gathered last August to watch the first GOP debate at her headquarters in Brooklyn.  MSNBC's Alex Seitz-Wald stopped for a moment and looked around.</p><p> A second later, he realized what seemed strange …

Texas cancels contracts with Planned Parenthood  —  Texas health officials announced Monday that they were taking steps to end the state's Medicaid contracts with Planned Parenthood after the release this year of undercover videos targeting the nonprofit's fetal tissue donation program.

Homan Square revealed: how Chicago police ‘disappeared’ 7,000 people  —  Exclusive: Guardian lawsuit exposes fullest scale yet of detentions at off-the-books interrogation warehouse, while attorneys describe find-your-client chase across Chicago as ‘something from a Bond movie’

Trump Is Right About 9/11  —  Donald Trump utters plenty of ugly untruths: that undocumented Mexican immigrants are “rapists,” that Syrian refugees are committing “all sorts of attacks” in Germany and represent a “Trojan Horse” for ISIS.  But he tells ugly truths too: that “when you give …