While there is reportedly unambiguous evidence of a sexual encounter between former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn and the 32 year old Guinean hotel maid who accused him of rape, the case against him now appears near collapse.

The gist of a just published New York Times story is that the accuser has repeatedly lied to investigators in the case, had multiple cell phones she denied having, was connected to money-laundering and had received roughly $100,000 over the past two years from a drug dealer. Read More

For a time this afternoon, it looked like Kansas would have no operating abortion clinics come Friday morning when a strict new state law takes effect. But now Planned Parenthood has announced that it did receive a permit from the state and will be able to continue operations. The news came shortly after Planned Parenthood filed suit in federal court to enjoin implementation of the new law.

What’s it like inside a climate change deniers conference? A mix of the comically surreal, the deadly earnest and the achingly tedious.

Dems mocking Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) over campaign’s email plea for supporters to join him in Independence Day parade.

Evan McMorris-Santoro reports from the climate change deniers conference being held this week in DC.

Strict new regulations set to go into effect tomorrow in Kansas are purportedly intended to ensure that abortion clinics are safe and hygienic, but the new regs look an awful lot like a backdoor attempt to shut down abortion providers.

The ostensible news today is that the Justice Department is conducting full criminal investigations into the deaths of two Bush-era detainees while in CIA custody.

But let’s consider the historic implications. The President of the United States set up an officially authorized system of off-the-book, extralegal prisons and a regimen of government-sanctioned torture; and the consequences of this dark period will be — at most — two criminal prosecutions.

If you’re of a mind to get outraged over the substance of today’s Mark Halperin pseudo-controversy, Alex Pareene has the best rationale for doing so.

FEC approves advisory opinion for Stephen Colbert to form his PAC.