Shootings renew fire at gun-law adequacy

As the country continued to mourn in the wake of last week's Colorado shooting — and President Obama planning to visit victims' families on Sunday — lawmakers reignited debates about whether stricter gun control laws would have prevented the movie theater massacre that left a dozen dead.

Obama, in Colorado, comforts victims of theater shootings

President Obama flew Sunday to Colorado to console families of victims of the shooting rampage that killed 12 and wounded 58 people at a movie theater showing the latest Batman film.

Army destroyed report that favored software that detected buried bombs

The Army ordered the destruction of a report that praised the performance of an off-the-shelf software program that finds buried explosives in Afghanistan and replaced it with a revised less-favorable assessment, according to internal Pentagon documents.

Bill would clip wings of private drone use

Concern over the personal privacy implications of the nation's inevitable drone boom continues to grow on Capitol Hill.

Syrian regime losing on the media front, too

From the beginning of the Syrian uprising, the battle has been one of words as well as weapons and, as rebels strike ever closer to the heart of the regime, the state propaganda machine also appears under threat.

Another year, another stopgap bill instead of real budget

Congress is heading into the final stretch of its summer work period having passed none of its annual spending bills. What's more, with the start of the next budget year some 70 days away, it's unlikely that any of the bills will reach the president's desk for his signature.

GSA waste watcher also a 'boom-whacker'

Susan Brita, deputy administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration, who emerged as a whistleblower star for her role in uncovering an $800,000 taxpayer-funded Las Vegas conference, was herself a participant in a similar taxpayer-funded event just a few weeks later.

CURL: From bad to worse for President Obama

A lot happened last week — and none of it was good for President Obama.

NCAA to punish Penn State; Paterno statue removed

The NCAA announced Sunday that it will issue sanctions against Penn State in the wake of a scathing report that found that top university officials buried child sex abuse allegations against a now-convicted retired assistant and led to the tearing down of the famed statue of once-sainted coach Joe Paterno.

Inside the Beltway: In God they trust

The crowd stood below a monumental eagle and the words "In God We Trust" at a gathering recently in the grand foyer of the Rayburn House Office Building to address a visceral but oft neglected issue on Capitol Hill: religious freedom.

Sharp exchanges punctuate first Allen-Kaine debate in Virginia

Both U.S. Senate candidates in Virginia offered glimpses of their lines of attack in the race's first general election debate, with Democrat Tim Kaine repeatedly labeling Republican opponent George Allen a big spender and overt partisan, and Mr. Allen painting Mr. Kaine as a serial tax-hiker and cheerleader of President Obama's agenda, notably his high-profile federal health care law.

Conference: 'We can start to end AIDS'

The 19th International AIDS Conference opened Sunday night with an expression of gratitude for America's tremendous investments in the fight against the deadly disease — and a declaration that "we can start to end AIDS."

Promise, peril for U.S. companies in Myanmar

It's one of the last unexplored frontiers for American business, but the opening of the once-sealed economy of Myanmar as the country's military makes democratic reforms has both peril and promise for U.S. companies looking to invest there.

Ernie Els wins stunning British Open when Adam Scott collapses

Ernie Els has won his fourth major championship in an astonishing finish, rallying to beat Adam Scott in the British Open when the Aussie bogeyed the last four holes.

Al Qaeda: We're returning to old Iraq strongholds

The first online statement from the new leader of al Qaeda's affiliate in Iraq claims that the militant network is returning to the old strongholds from which it was driven by U.S. forces and their Sunni allies prior to the American withdrawal at the end of last year, and that it is preparing operations to free prisoners and assassinate court officials.

Syrian rebels say fight for Aleppo has begun

Syrian rebels have launched an offensive to "liberate" the country's largest city of Aleppo, an opposition commander said Sunday, while in Damascus government troops backed by helicopter gunships wrested back control of rebel-held neighborhoods.

Commentary

KNIGHT: Clueless in Minnesota and Michigan

At the Minnesota Supreme Court on July 17, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argued that Gopher State people aren't smart enough to be allowed to vote in November on whether to approve a voter photo ID constitutional amendment.

NANCE AND BLACKBURN: Women are fighting Obamacare's next battle

Conservatives have won the latest battle in the war to make President Obama's health care law obsolete. The House vote on July 11 to repeal Obamacare brings us one step closer to replacing it. Unfortunately, the repeal is unlikely to pass in the Democrat-controlled Senate, and the president has vowed to veto any repeal effort.

YOUNG AND CREWS: Season for relief from big government

The good news is that this year's budget deficit will be half a trillion less than last year's. The bad news is that it still will top $1 trillion.

EDITORIAL: Batman won't save you

The midnight massacre at a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colo., has put the issue of gun control back at center stage. Leftist lawmakers and TV anchors jumped the gun with the usual calls to restrict the Second Amendment. Propaganda aside, preventing tragedies like this in the future involves giving citizens the ability to fight back, not just be sitting ducks.

MILLER: Obama's jam-packed schedule

President Obama gave up his day job working for the American people so he could have more time to campaign for himself. To fit in all the fundraisers and stump speeches, he's set aside things like meeting with his jobs council and working with Congress. His priorities say a lot about his character.