CQPolitics.com - Second in an occasional series on appointed senators.

AP - Republicans are lining up behind a pointed political attack line: President Barack Obama is nationalizing American industry and socializing medicine.

AP - The U.S. and South Korea have pinpointed 11 underground sites in North Korea where it could conduct a third nuclear test, a newspaper reported Monday ahead of a summit between the two allies on the communist regime's growing atomic threat.

Politico - Bush made a show of not caring about the N.Y. Times, but Obama treats the paper with deference.

AP - The re-election of Iran's hardline president and a tough speech by Israel's hawkish prime minister signaled an increasingly difficult road ahead for President Barack Obama's hopes for ending Tehran's nuclear threat and brokering peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

AFP - North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has heaped praise on the military as his country defies United Nations sanctions by vowing to increase its nuclear arsenal, state media said Sunday.

AP - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel cannot live side by side with a new Palestinian state if it must continually be in fear of attack.

Politico - There's only one first couple, but Barack and Michelle Obama are hardly the only powerful pair in D.C.

AP - The lawyer for a former Yugoslav war crimes tribunal spokeswoman told U.N. judges on Monday they would be reining in free speech if they convicted his client of deliberately breaching confidentiality orders.

Reuters - Angela Merkel will meet U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington in late June for talks on Iran's presidential election, Middle East peace and next month's G8 summit, a spokesman for the German chancellor said on Monday.

Bloomberg - June 15 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama will try to convince the nation’s largest group of doctors today that his plan to overhaul the U.S. health-care system will lead to more efficient care and enhance the country’s fiscal health.

AP - The Supreme Court on Monday refused to review the convictions of five Cuban intelligence agents who say they did not receive a fair trial because of strong anti-Castro sentiment in Miami.

AP - The Supreme Court is refusing to get involved in local Texas governments' fight against hundreds of miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.

AP - The Supreme Court will decide whether student loans can be dismissed through bankruptcy with just a notice to the collector instead of a hearing proving that paying the money back would cause an 'undue hardship.'

AP - The Department of Veterans Affairs has started expanding the number of nondisabled moderate-income veterans eligible for health care in its system.

AP - Can you identify the musical instrument whose solo begins Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue?'

AP - The Supreme Court is stepping into a dispute between Shell Oil Co. and gas station operators who claim the oil company tried to drive them out of business.

AP - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad postponed a planned Russia visit by one day but will make the trip Tuesday, the Iranian Embassy in Moscow said.

AP - The European Union agreed on Monday to help the administration of President Barack Obama 'turn the page' on Guantanamo, saying individual EU nations will take detainees from the American prison in Cuba.

AP - ABC News will present a prime-time interview with President Barack Obama on health care issues next week.

Bloomberg - (Corrects deficit to $1.8 trillion in 17th paragraph.)

AP - The U.S. government is officially confirming North Korea's underground atomic test in late May, saying the blast was somewhat larger than the regime's first test, conducted in 2006.

AP - Italy says it is open to taking at least three detainees from Guantanamo.

AP - The U.S. and Mexico have agreed to work together to secure legal travel and trade across the countries' shared border.

AP - South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has arrived for talks with President Barack Obama that will be dominated by a nuclear standoff with North Korea.

AP - The Supreme Court won't stop the Federal Communications Commission from setting rules making it easier for new cable TV competitors to gain local franchises.

AP - Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says the government health insurance plan proposed by the Obama administration would increase competition and drive down costs.

AP - Ridding Russia's court system of corruption and political pressure is crucial to the country's future and must take precedence over other reforms, jailed former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky said in an article published Monday.

AP - Vienna police searching nine houses for weapons and other evidence linked to last month's rampage at a Sikh temple arrested a gunman Monday after he allegedly opened fire on officers.

Bloomberg - June 15 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama will try to convince the nation’s largest group of doctors today that his plan to overhaul the U.S. health-care system will lead to more efficient care and enhance the country’s fiscal health.

AP - The State Department says the U.S. is deeply troubled by reports of violence and arrests in Iran following the disputed outcome of its presidential election.

AP - The U.S. military is delaying release of its investigation into air strikes last month that killed dozens of civilians in Afghanistan, debating whether any more information on the incident should be made public.

Politico - In an Ideas piece, Bolton says Iranians must resolve to change the entire system.

Politico - In an Ideas piece, ex-NSC staff say shock at Friday’s results is entirely self-generated.

AP - Republicans are honing an attack line against President Barack Obama in an attempt to play on Americans' fears of government overreach and economic uncertainties, suggesting he is nationalizing American industry and socializing medicine.

AP - A bipartisan group of lawmakers asked the IRS Monday to stop imposing what they say are excessive penalties on small businesses that use questionable tax shelters.

AP - Fewer than half of Veterans Affairs clinics given a surprise inspection last month had proper training and guidelines in place for common endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopies — even after the agency learned that mistakes may have exposed thousands of veterans to HIV and other diseases.

AP - The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Monday that the former wife of popular anti-aging and skin-care guru Dr. Nicholas Perricone was too rash in her plans to discuss their relationship.

AP - The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday told North Korea to end its course of nuclear confrontation. He also urged Iran to agree to Washington's offer of direct dialogue and called on Syria to cooperate with his agency's investigation.

AP - An Irish company hoping to benefit from the Obama administration's emphasis on renewable energy purchased three Illinois wind farms near Chicago.

CQPolitics.com - When a Continental Connections commuter plane crashed in February killing everyone on board, the captain at the controls had failed two flying proficiency tests in the past, unbeknownst to operator Colgan Air.

Politico - He criticizes Obama’s administration for not voicing strong opposition to the election’s result.

AP - The Senate wants to replace a Bush administration program to secure driver's licenses with a plan that would cost states less money.

AP - Sen. Robert Byrd's office says the ailing lawmaker does not plan to return to work this week, but that he's expected to be released from the hospital in the near future.

AP - Fewer than half of Veterans Affairs centers given a surprise inspection last month had proper training and guidelines in place for common endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopies — even after the agency learned that mistakes may have exposed thousands of veterans to HIV and other diseases.

AP - On Monday, the Supreme Court:

Reuters - The European Union protested against reported executions in Iraq on Monday and called on Baghdad to resume a moratorium on the death penalty.

Reuters - As President Barack Obama tried to sell the American Medical Association today on his health care overhaul, the top Senate Republicans launched a familiar line of attack.

AP - Barack Obama isn't used to hearing boos.

AP - Accused al-Qaida mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed complained that interrogators tortured lies out of him, though he proudly took credit for more than two dozen other terror plots, according to sections of government transcripts released Monday.

Politico - Panetta is quoted as saying Cheney “smells some blood in the water on the national security issue.”

AP - A leading health care bill under consideration in Congress would cost the government an estimated $1 trillion over the next decade and reduce the ranks of the uninsured by about one-third, or 16 million individuals, congressional budget officials said Monday in a preliminary estimate of a partial draft.

AP - Fewer than half of Veterans Affairs centers given a surprise inspection last month had proper training and guidelines in place for common endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopies — even after the agency learned that mistakes may have exposed thousands of veterans to HIV and other diseases.

Reuters - Senior Obama administration officials are lobbying Congress hard to approve $108 billion for the International Monetary Fund ahead of a vote expected this week, according to documents that emerged on Monday.

AP - President Barack Obama on Monday said Iranian voters have a right to feel that their ballots matter and urged the investigation into vote-rigging allegations to go forward without additional violence.

AP - A Senate Republican is asking for information on any role first lady Michelle Obama's office may have played in her husband's decision to fire the watchdog for the federal AmeriCorps program over his investigation of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Politico - Obama speaks out against the Iranian crackdown, raises doubts about Iranian election results.

Politico - Pinching pennies, some media outlets opt to cover Obama's Chicago speech from the TV.

AFP - The US Supreme Court Monday refused to hear the case of five Cubans serving prison sentences for spying in the United States, effectively upholding their conviction by a lower court.

AP - British lawmakers are jostling over the best seat in the House.

Reuters - President Barack Obama won agreement from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Monday to accept three prisoners held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

AP - President Barack Obama on Monday welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's endorsement of Palestinian independence as a way to restart peace talks and called on Arab neighbors to join the discussion.

Politico - Billions in emergency funds are added to address the threat of the H1N1 virus recurring next winter.

AP - The International Criminal Court on Monday ordered former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba to stand trial on charges of commanding a militia that unleashed a campaign of murder, rape and pillage in the Central African Republic.

AP - Georgian police clashed with opposition activists in the capital Monday, arresting dozens and beating demonstrators, along with several journalists.

AFP - US President Barack Obama was set to meet with the leader of South Korea, who is seeking security guarantees as a standoff escalates with nuclear-armed North Korea.

CQPolitics.com - The Obama administration is set this week to endorse a requirement that lenders maintain at least a minimal financial interest in mortgages they resell, falling in line with legislation the House passed in May.

Politico - The legislation proposed by Sen. Ted Kennedy's committee still leaves millions of people uninsured.

AP - The Obama administration's plan to revamp regulation and prevent any more crashes like those that felled AIG and Lehman Brothers includes a bold new idea: Empower the Federal Reserve to oversee the biggest financial players whose failure could threaten other institutions and the economy.

CQPolitics.com - The Army Corps of Engineers set aside $1.1 million in stimulus funds to replace the guardrail along a waterless lake in a Dust Bowl town of 266 people.