Palin resigns as governor, leaves plans secret
(AP)
AP - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin abruptly announced Friday she is resigning from office at the end of the month, a shocking move that rattled the Republican party but left open the possibility she would seek a run for the White House in 2012.

Group Sotomayor belonged to sued over job tests
(AP)
AP - A civil rights group advised by Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor in the 1980s brought several discrimination lawsuits that sought to scrap the results of job tests because too few Hispanics scored well, according to new documents that are fueling GOP criticism of the judge.

MOUNTAIN OF DEBT: Rising debt may be next crisis
(AP)
AP - The Founding Fathers left one legacy not celebrated on Independence Day but which affects us all. It's the national debt.

Palin resignation splits GOP
(Politico)
Politico - Skeptics say Friday’s events diminished and perhaps demolished Palin's 2012 presidential hopes.

Palin plans to stay visible
(Politico)
Politico - She will give serious consideration to running for president in 2012, but has made no decision, friends tell POLITICO.

Obama begins July 4th celebration at Camp David
(AP)
AP - President Barack Obama is helping the nation celebrate its birthday and his daughter Malia celebrate hers.

Under Senate health care plan, either way you pay
(AP)
AP - First you paid to insure your car. Soon you may have to add health insurance premiums to that stack of monthly bills as well.

Republicans To Probe Sotomayor's Views on Racial Bias
(CQPolitics.com)
CQPolitics.com - Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee signaled anew Friday that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor will be questioned about lawsuits charging racial bias during her tenure on the board of a Latino legal advocacy group.

Documents describe chaos of Gitmo's early months
(AP)
AP - Newly released Defense Department documents and memos about the first years of operation of the jail at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, portray a chaotic and sometimes violent operation that its own commanders described as dysfunctional.

OAS chief tells Honduras to let Zelaya go back
(Reuters)
Reuters - The Organization of American States tried to convince Honduras on Friday to restore ousted President Manuel Zelaya, but it hit a wall as the country's Supreme Court warned the leftist would be arrested if he came home.
