Today's Times
- Ted Cruz, an insurgent backed by the Tea Party, defeated the candidate favored by Gov. Rick Perry of Texas on Tuesday in a runoff election for the Republican Senate nomination. Erik Eckholm writes that the contest revealed a wide rift in Texas between the party establishment and restless, anti-incumbent activists on the right.
- President Obama and Mitt Romney draw fairly evenly among voters when it comes to matters of the economy, but Mr. Obama's empathy and personal appeals give him an edge over his opponent in three of the hotly contested battleground states, according to new Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS News polling, Jeff Zeleny and Dalia Sussman report.
- House and Senate leaders on Tuesday reached a tentative agreement that would pay for federal government operations through next March, averting the prospect of another messy showdown in an election year, Jen nifer Steinhauer reports. The emerging legislation, developed with little fanfare and no drama, stands in sharp contrast to previous occasions when the government came within 30 minutes of shutting down.
- The high-profile fights about voter identification requirements highlight the deep flaws in the country's voting systems, with any prospect of fixing them mired in increasing levels of partisanship, Ethan Bronner reports.
- Though criticizing Europe has become a standard part of Mr. Romney's stump speech, his recent trip overseas has been framed by conciliatory words for the continent, with his advisers telling officials that they should not read too much into statements made for a domestic political audience, Ashley Parker reports.
- Julián Castro, the mayor of San Antonio, will fill the high-profile slot of keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention in September, catapulting him to the national spotlight and provid ing Democrats an opportunity to highlight what they see as a stark contrast with Mr. Romney when it comes to Latino issues, Michael D. Shear reports.
- The Postal Service is on the verge of its first-ever default on Wednesday, with Congress declining to act in helping stanch the losses, Ron Nixon reports.
- The White House and Congress raced to impose more punishing sanctions against Iran on Tuesday, as Mr. Romney's pledge to back Israel in its confrontation with Iran reignited that country's nuclear ambitions, Mark Landler and Steven Lee Myers report.
Around the Web
- Mr. Romney will embark on a “splashy†four-day bus tour starting Aug. 10, CNN's Political Ticker reports. Some in his party are expecting his vice-presidential pick to be announced then.
- The Romney campaign is trying to mend its strained relationship with the press, The Hill reports.
Happenings in Washington
- Represen tative Michele Bachmann, Republican of Minnesota, will speak to more than 300 students participating in the National Conservative Student Conference.
