President Obama and Mitt Romney are tied in a new CBS/New York Times poll but the president has lost ground on the economy. Romney’s one-point lead in a nationwide survey taken July 11-16 is within the three point margin of error, but he ‘s judged better for the economy (49 percent to 41) and since April there has been a five point fall in approval of Obama on this issue judged “extremely important.” In April, 44 percent approved, 48 disapproved, but in July only 39 percent approved and 55 percent were critical. Consolation for the president is that his supporters more “strongly” back him than Romney their candidate—52 percent to 29 percent of Romney supporters strongly backing him. It doesn’t look like much of a popularity contest though: both candidates had a net unfavorable rating.

George Zimmerman, the man charged with second-degree murder in the death Trayvon Martin, told Fox News’s Sean Hannity that he was “beside myself” after shooting the 17-year-old to death—and insisted “I am not a racist or a murderer.” Zimmerman said Martin had “bashed my head” into the pavement before Zimmerman shot the teen in self-defense. Zimmerman said he would tell Martin’s parents that he is “sorry” about the shooting. “My wife and I don’t have any children,” Zimmerman said. “I am sorry they [the Martins] had to bury their child. I can’t imagine what that must be like. I pray for them daily.” Zimmerman said he doesn't regret carrying the gun, and said this is "part of God's plan." Hannity’s interview is the first time Zimmerman has given an interview since Martin’s death.

The end appears to be near. Pentagon officials were in talks with Israel’s government Wednesday to strategize for what appears to be the Assad regime’s eminent collapse. Officials discussed the possibility of Israeli forces targeting Syrian weapon facilities should the regime collapse. Pentagon officials are advocating against such an attack out of worry that Israeli military intervention might cause Syrians to rally against a common enemy in defense of Assad. Officials say the bombing that killed several of Assad’s advisers Wednesday may be the turning point in country’s conflict. “Assad is a spent force in terms of history,” White House secretary Jay Carney told reporters. Earlier Wednesday, Syria’s national security office was bombed by a suicide bomber as the army tried to fend off attacks by the rebels.

Capital One Financial agreed on Wednesday to pay $210 million after being fined by banking regulators after call-centers allegedly misled customers into paying for extra credit-card products. The government said $150 million will be used to reimburse the customers, while the remaining will be split between the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In a statement, Capital One’s president for credit card business, Ryan Schneider, apologized to customers and pledged that the bank would “make it right.” The group that led the action against Capital One, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, said they felt vindicated by the decision.

So tell us how you really feel, Scalia. The Supreme Court justice told Piers Morgan Wednesday night that people frequently ask him about the controversial 2000 decision Bush v. Gore—and Scalia’s response? “That comes up all the time, and my usual response is ‘get over it,’” Scalia said. “No regrets at all, especially since it’s clear that it would have ended up the same way anyway,” he added. Scalia said there has been no "falling out" with Chief Justice John Roberts, despite earlier reports of a clash between them. "There are clashes on legal questions but not personally," Scalia said.

A deadly blast that struck a bus carrying Israeli tourists in Bulgaria on Wednesday killed seven people and wounded more than 30 others. The bus passengers were mostly youths. Witnesses told Israeli TV that someone boarded the bus and a huge explosion immediately followed. “All signs point to Iran,” says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, promising a strong response to the attack. This “is an Iranian terror attack that is spreading across the world. Israel will react strongly to Iran’s terror.” The incident coincides with the anniversary of 1994 attack on a Jewish center in Buenos Aires that left 85 people dead.

British police said on Thursday that they had arrested three Muslim men suspected of traveling to Pakistan for terror training. Richard Dart, 29, Imran Mahmood, 21, and Jahangir Alom, 26, allegedly traveled to Pakistan between 2010 and 2012 “with the intention of committing acts of terrorism or assisting another to commit such acts,” said Metropolitan Police in a statement. Police also alleged the three men counseled others on how to travel to Pakistan and find safe locations to train. Dart was the subject of a recent BBC documentary, My Brother the Islamist, in which filmmaker Robb Leach, Dart’s stepbrother, tried to figure out why Dart had become a hardline Islamist. Police said the arrests are not related to the Olympics.

Things took a turn for the ugly Wednesday at an Ohio town hall meeting for Mitt Romney when one his supporters called President Obama a “monster.” Romney, however, did not take the bait. “That’s not the term I would use,” Romney said. The woman, however, would not be deterred, saying “Well I can, I’m an angry mom.” Her response prompted laughter from the crowd.

Two people were arrested in Miami Beach after being caught trying to sell a Henri Matisse painting that had been stolen from a museum in Venezuela. The painting, “Odalisque in Red Pants,” had been stolen from the Caracas Museum of Contemporary Art in December 2002. Pedro Antonio Marcuello Guzman and Maria Martha Elisa Ornelas Lazo were arrested Tuesday after attempting to sell the painting to undercover agents. Marcuello had allegedly told the agents that he knew the painting was stolen and that he would sell it for $740,000.

Finding Nemo 2 has officially found its director. Andrew Stanton, who directed the 2003 original, will be returning to direct the sequel. Andrew Stanton most recently directed live-action box office disaster John Carter. No doubt he is hoping to replicate the success of the first Finding Nemo, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Picture and will be rereleased this fall. Finding Nemo 2 is scheduled for a 2016 release.

Ahead of a probable Emmy Award nomination, Modern Family star Sofia Vergara has topped Forbes’s list of highest-paid TV actresses, earning an estimated $19 million over the past 12 months. Vergara, 40, beat out Kim Kardashian, who earned $18 million and is one of three Reality TV stars Forbes lists in its top five rundown. In addition to the salary she earned from her Emmy-winning sitcom, the Colombian actress pocketed cash from product endorsement deals in both English and Spanish. Forbes also reported that Kmart paid her a $7 million advance for her clothing line. Also on the list was reality star Bethenny Frankel and Tina Fey, who was tied in the number five spot with Khloe Kardashian.

Religious groups and lawmakers including Sen. John McCain are firing back at former Republican presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann after she accused the Islamist group Muslim Brotherhood of infiltrating the U.S. government. Bachmann, along with four other Republican members of Congress, sent letters to five different agencies demanding investigations into the “deep penetration in the halls of our United States government” by the Muslim Brotherhood, singling out Huma Abedin, an aide to Hillary Clinton and the wife of Anthony Weiner, of having family connections to the radical group. “These attacks on Huma have no logic, no basis, and no merit, and they need to stop now,” McCain said in a speech Wednesday.

Pan The Dark Knight Rises at your own risk. After a handful high-profile movie critics, including the website Hollywood and Fine’s Marshall Fine and the Associated Press’s Christy Lemire, received death threats for giving the latest Batman flick negative reviews and tarnishing its pristine 100 percent approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the site has suspended user comments on the film for the first time in its history. “The job of policing the comments became more than my staff could handle for that film, so we stopped the comments altogether,” says Matt Atchity, the site’s editor in chief. “It just got to be too much hate based on reactions to reviews of a movie that people hadn’t even seen.”

It seems as though the rise of Anthony Weiner was greatly exaggerated. In a joint interview with his wife, Huma Abedin, in People, the former congressman said that he can’t “absolutely” say he’ll never run for public office again, but he’s “very happy in his present life.” “I’m not doing anything to plan a campaign,” Weiner says. Abedin says that she’s proud to be married to Weiner, despite the sexting scandal. “My husband did a really stupid thing. It was an extremely painful time," she says, adding that they have a “normal family.”

It's official: Jeremy Lin is leaving New York. The Knicks decided to decline matching the Houston Rockets' offer to keep the surprise sensation around for another year.  Lin will spend next season with the Houston Rockets, who signed him to a three-year $25.1 million offer sheet. The Knicks had first-refusal rights on Lin and haduntil 11:59 p.m. to match the deal, but sources say that the decision had been made as of 4 p.m. and was considered final. Houston’s offer included a third-year balloon payment of $14.9 million, which would have cost the Knicks at least $35 million in luxury-tax penalties had they attempted to match it.

The FDA has approved a new diet drug—it’s first in more than a decade. The medicine is called Qysmia, and the agency hopes it will help combat growing obesity rates. The advisory panel voted 20-2 to approve the drug, arguing that its benefits outweigh the potential side effects, as it provides another option for losing weight beyond diet, exercise, and surgery. “I think it’s clear from current research that there are problems with weight-regulating mechanisms in the brain that make it difficult for people to lose and maintain weight,” said the director of the New York Presbyterian Hospital’s Comprehensive Weight Loss Program. “We need to come to that realization that we’re better off treating people who are obese than blaming them.”

Holy lovefest, Batman. The first round of reviews for The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan’s breathlessly anticipated conclusion to his Batman trilogy, is in, and the notices—with few exceptions—are unqualified raves. The Hollywood Reporter calls the film, officially in theaters on July 20, “big-time Hollywood filmmaking at its most accomplished,” while The Playlist hails it as a “cinematic, cultural and personal triumph.” The brave few dissenters may need to seek out the help of the Caped Crusader himself: critics who panned the film, including the website Hollywood and Fine’s Marshall Fine, received death threats from diehard Batman fans.

Mitt Romney better choose wisely because, according to a new CBS News/New York Times poll, voters say who they cast their ballot for depends a lot on a candidate’s running mate. Twenty-four percent of registered voters surveyed said the VP choice has a big influence on whom they vote for, 74 percent said it matters either a lot or somewhat, and 48 percent said the candidate’s pick matters somewhat. Only 25 percent don’t care at all whom their candidate chooses. While the poll finds that Republican voter enthusiasm has grown from 36 percent in March to 49 percent since Romney secured the nomination, Democratic enthusiasm has begun to wane. Overall, though, voters aren’t as psyched about the election as they were in 2008.

Opponents of Arizona’s controversial immigration law launched a new offensive Tuesday in order to stop the “show me your papers” portion of the legislation, the only element left standing after the U.S. Supreme Court threw out the three other parts of the hardline enforcement law last month. Civil-rights groups, religious leaders, and business organizations teamed up to lobby U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton to block the rule that requires police to check the immigration status of individuals that are stopped for other reasons, arguing that Latinos in Arizona would face systematic racial profiling under the law. Passed in 2010, the Arizona legislation was meant to combat the state’s status as the busiest illegal entry point into the country.

The European Court of Human Rights has ordered documents containing information on an “extraordinary rendition” center apparently set up by the CIA outside Warsaw, Poland where al Qaeda suspects were water-boarded and tortured in other various ways. The prison came to the court’s attention when, last month, a Polish whistleblower claimed he had knowledge of a document that detailed the prison’s establishment. In a leak published by a Polish newspaper, American officials “laughed,” refusing to sign the document, which included details about how to handle the death of an inmate. “They considered us amateurs and explained that this kind of business could not be dealt with by the means of formal agreement.” Polish officials have yet to confirm or deny that this so-called black prison even exists. The court has requested that the Polish government at least confirm the existence of the alleged document.

The Obama administration is determined to boost the success of U.S. students in science, math, engineering, and technology. Wednesday, it will announce a $1 billion plan to  build an elite roster of teachers by rewarding high-performing educators with salary stipends. In an effort to close the gap between American and international students, the Master Teacher Corps will offer an extra $20,000 to selected teachers who commit to participating for multiple years. President Obama described his goal while speaking at a rally in San Antonio Tuesday. “I’m running to make sure that America has the best education system on earth, from pre-K all the way to post graduate,” he said. “And that means hiring new teachers especially in math and science.”

Christians gathered at a the Greek Church of Gaza on Tuesday for a sit-in protesting the persecution of Christians in Gaza by Islamists. Specifically, the group was there on behalf of five Christians they say were kidnapped by Islamists who aimed to convert them to Islam. A day earlier, a protest had been held at the same church to demand that Hamas return the five who were allegedly kidnapped. While family members of the young man, a woman and her three children in question say that a Hamas lawmaker is holding them against their will, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights insisted, via a statement on Tuesday, that the group has seen their family members and are not being forced to change religions—they did so voluntarily. “If my son is not kidnapped, why don’t they just let him go home with me,” asked the mother of the 25-year-old missing man. “My son was brought up as a Christian. His love of Jesus is strong enough to keep him a Christian. He cannot change his beliefs all of a sudden.” Officials maintain that the people are under police protection while staying with a Muslim family.

Mitt Romney is travelling overseas at the end of this month to court American voters living abroad. Though most of the 2012 presidential campaign has been focused on keeping American jobs within U.S. territory, over five million American citizens live overseas. Romney will be hitting London and Jerusalem to spread his campaign message to those far away. Barack Obama did the same thing when he visited Berlin in 2008, conveying that just because some Americans live and work in other countries, doesn’t mean they can’t vote for or contribute money to a candidate at home. Romney’s hoping to at least take in the latter, with fundraisers in London and Jerusalem that cost $25,000 and $50,000 per couple respectively.

It’s Nelson Mandela’s birthday and in honor of the iconic former president, South Africans nation-wide are celebrating by doing good deeds. Citizens specifically performed public service for 67 minutes—one for every year of Mandela’s life dedicated to helping others in his country. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Daughter Chelsea visited Mandela in his home village for the celebration, planting a tree in honor of his “wonderful friend.” Mandela’s and Clinton’s  respective terms as president overlapped. “He didn’t call me a single time, not once, when he didn’t’ ask about Hillary and Chelsea,” Clinton said. “If it wasn’t too late, he’d ask me to go get Chelsea, bring her to the phone, ask about her homework.” South Africans celebrated in many other ways in addition to community service. For example, millions of students across the country sang “Happy Birthday” before beginning classes for the day.

Just two days after Ri Yong Ho, North Korea’s general military chief and vice marshal to the North Korean People’s Army, was ousted, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has assumed his role. By putting himself in control of the 1.2 million-person military, the late dictator Kim Jong Il’s son has further consolidated his control over North Korea. Kim does have the opportunity now, however, to use military resources to help the boost economy of his isolated and impoverished country. “Kim could have created a lot of instability and opposition by suddenly firing Ri Yong Ho, one of the most influential figures in the military,” said a senior research fellow at Seoul’s Sejong Institute. “By raising Kim’s authority over the army, the regime is able to wield more control over the military leadership.” Though North Korea’s neighbor to the South has no say in the matter, a senior regional economist at Barclays Capital in Singapore said the move is actually good for Seoul. “The transition has been smoother and faster than expected and I think this points us to more stability in North Korea and capital markets.”

Back in March, investigators for controversial Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said they had probable cause for believing that President Obama’s long-form birth certificate was computer-generated and faked. Now they say they have proof of the forgery. According to Mike Zullo, Arpaio’s chief investigator, the issue is that numeric codes on certain parts of the birth certificate indicate that those sections were never filled out, yet a section asking for the race of Obama’s father was completed using the identifier “African,” which was not used until 1989, 28 years after Obama was born—indicating, according to Zullo, that someone had tampered with the document. Hawaii state officials refuted Arpaio’s claim on Tuesday, confirming Obama’s citizenship. The White House released Obama’s birth certificate in April 2011, responding to “birthers” who believe that the president was born in Kenya, not Hawaii, and therefore ineligible for office.

Syria’s national security building was attacked by a suicide bomber on Wednesday, killing both the defense minister and President Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law, and critically injuring other ministers and security officials who were inside for a meeting at the time. The Damascus attack came as Syrian officials claimed to be fighting off a major offensive by rebel forces, and was the first since the uprising started 17 months ago in which high-ranking members of Assad's elite. The White House said that Assad's regime is "losing control."

Seven U.S. Army soldiers and two Marines are being punished—but not charged—for their involvement in the Secret Service prostitution scandal in Colombia. Officials confirmed the news to the Associated Press, though results of an investigation on the scandal and punishment details have not yet been released. U.S. Southern Command conducted the investigation in April after news broke about the Secret Service members’ sexual misconduct, which has tainted the agency’s reputation. The military members who are receiving administrative punishments were aiding Secret Service in preparations for President Obama’s visit to Colombia. Results of a recent, unrelated probe revealed that Treasury Department officials also solicited prostitutes.

Halle Berry has been rushed to the hospital following an accident on the set of her new movie The Hive. The Oscar winner fell and hit her head on a concrete floor while shooting the thriller. The film’s set has been shut down, and Berry’s reps have yet to comment on how she’s doing. This isn’t the actress’s first on-set injury: she broke her foot while filming Cloud Atlas in Spain last year, broke her arm on the set of Gothika in 2003, and was hit in the head with a lighting prop on the set of Catwoman and taken to the hospital in 2004.

Fox News just scored a huge interview. Sean Hannity landed what will be the first televised conversation with George Zimmerman, the former neighborhood-watch volunteer charged in the murder of Florida teen Trayvon Martin. It will air Wednesday at 9 p.m. on the host’s program, Hannity. In a preview clip, Zimmerman said he was apologized to the teen's parents, saying "I'm sorry they buried their child." In April, Hannity conducted an off-the-record phone interview with Zimmerman, and reports recently surfaced—and were debunked by Fox News—that Hannity offered to pay for Zimmerman’s legal expenses. Zimmerman is currently out of jail on $1 million bond awaiting trial for second-degree murder.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will give the keynote address at next month’s Republican National Convention in Tampa, NBC New reports. The coveted slot is typically reserved for a rising star in the party, the most famous recent example being young Senator Barack Obama, who was tapped for the keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic convention. The keynote speaker is traditionally not the vice-presidential nominee, so the selection of Christie essentially rules out the possibility of the governor becoming Mitt Romney’s running mate. A spokesperson for the convention has yet to confirm NBC’s report.

WikiLeaks is low on dough. Cash reserves for Julian Assange’s information aggregator have dropped from $983,600 in December 2010 to less than $122,370 at the end of last month. Unless it receives an influx of donations—"a minimum of €1 million immediately"—the site is prepared for its well to run dry “within a few months.” WikiLeaks has blamed its financial woes on Visa and Mastercard for not allowing their users to donate to the site. “Visa and Mastercard are contractually barred from directly cutting off merchants through the Carte Bleue system,” argued WikiLeaks in a statement, noting that a fund through Carte Bleue, the French credit-card system, has been set up for the website to solicit donations.