If enacted, the measure will create a 13-year path to citizenship for most of the country's 11 million undocumented immigrants.

In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, Holder said the United States specifically targeted and killed one U.S. citizen, al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen, and knew about three other Americans who had been killed in counter-terror drone strikes.

TAKING THE FIFTH: IRS official says she has ‘not done anything wrong’… The Internal Revenue Service official who headed the division involved in targeting conservative groups invoked her constitutional right against self-incrimination Wednesday and refused to answer questions from a congressional committee. “I have not done anything wrong. I have not broken any laws. I have not violated any IRS rules and regulations,” Lerner said. – Tom Cohen

OBAMA TO MOORE: President Barack Obama will travel to tornado ravaged Moore, Oklahoma on Sunday, the White House announced today.

MARKET WATCH: U.S. stocks lose big gains on news of Fed dissent over stimulus. Dow falls 81 points.

TRAIL TRIVIA
(Answer below)
What unique transport invention did future President Abraham Lincoln patent on this day in history?

DAN (@DanMericaCNN) & MARK (@PrestonCNN)
What caught our eye today in politics

Anthony Weiner's odds at winning the 2013 race for New York City mayor – only two years after a sexting scandal sunk his congressional career – are long.

Polling shows that nearly half of New York City voters wish Weiner would have stayed out of the public light and not run for mayor this year (although he places second among a list of candidates). And he is entering into a race with cadre of candidates, including New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, the prohibitive favorite.

Weiner is particularly struggling with women. According to a Quinnipiac University poll released today, 52% of women said Weiner should not run for mayor, compared to 35% who think he should.

Despite the odds, the former congressman announced today that he will run for mayor in a video posted on his website. His announcement, long expected by New York politicos and members of the media, paints the former congressman as a champion for the middle class who acknowledges his past transgressions.

The fact that Weiner's chances of winning are long should not be a surprise. The 2013 race will be the disgraced congressman's first time facing voters since he resigned his seat in 2011.

But perhaps that doesn’t bother Weiner.

Sure he wants to win – anyone who has seen this video of then-Rep. Weiner knows he is passionate. But in terms of elected office, at age 48, Weiner is young and it is safe to say that if he were to lose, the 2013 mayoral election would not be his last run at elected office.

If he runs a disciplined race and doesn't implode, the 2013 campaign can serve two purposes for those future runs.

Firstly, the race can serve as a test balloon for future political endeavors. What worked and what didn't are two questions every campaign look to answer after a race is over. But for Weiner, in particular, how he communicated with voters and the kind of politician he hopes to be post-scandal will be fine-tuned in the 2013 race.

Secondly, and possibly most importantly, Weiner's run will likely blunt future references to the sexting scandal that sunk his congressional career. There is no doubt his lewd pictures will come up in this mayoral run, especially if Weiner becomes a legitimate candidate. But say he loses and decides to run for office again, it is unlikely that scandal references will carry the same weight.

the LEDE
Did you miss it?

Leading CNNPolitics: The investigator: Why Darrell Issa is sounding the alarm on Capitol Hill
He is best known as the Viper car alarm voice that instructs would-be thieves to “Please step away from the vehicle.” But in political circles, Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is a man who, after years of sounding the alarm about perceived Obama administration misdeeds, has struck a chord that is shaking up Washington. – Halimah Abdullah

Leading Drudge: Administration Clams Up
For the second straight day and the third time in one week, IRS officials will testify Wednesday in front of Congress about the agency’s improper targeting of conservative groups. Highlighting today’s House Oversight Committee hearing is IRS official Lois Lerner’s decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment and not answer questions. Lerner is still under subpoena to testify, meaning she will have to invoke her rights in person — and likely repeatedly. – Aaron Blake

Leading HuffPo: Split: GOP Divide Threatens To Hinder Momentum
A string of unrelated events is highlighting divisions among Republicans just when they'd like to show a united front and take full advantage of President Barack Obama's latest political problems. – Charles Babington

Leading Politico: 'I have not done anything wrong'
Lois Lerner, the director of the scandal-plagued IRS division that oversees nonprofit groups, struck a defiant tone in her first public appearance since the agency acknowledged that it wrongly targeted conservative groups applying for a tax exemption. – Lauren French and Kelsey Snell

Leading The New York Times: I.R.S. Official Denies Misleading Congress
The Internal Revenue Service official who first disclosed that the agency had targeted conservative groups, and in doing so ignited a controversy that has ensnared the White House, denied on Wednesday that she had ever provided false information to Congress. She then invoked her Fifth Amendment right not to testify. – Jeremy Peters

Leading CNN Money: The U.S. economy is like a horse... and should be playing baseball
As usual, today's congressional hearing featuring Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke didn't disappoint when it comes to tortured metaphors for the U.S. economy. – Annalyn Kurtz

TRAIL MOMENTS
The political bites of the day

– Congressmen use tax standards against tax organization –
REPUBLICAN REP. DARRELL ISSA, CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AT A HEARING: “I paid a lot of taxes in my life. Most people on the dais have. We know one thing – you cannot just say you are doing the right thing and expect the IRS to take your word and the check you send in. Documentation and the ability to verify it is essential when dealing with the IRS. We can expect no less when we deal with the IRS.”

– Congressional Democrat warns of special prosecutor for the IRS –
DEMOCRATIC REP. STEPHEN LYNCH OF MASSACHUSETTS AT A COMMITTEE HEARING: “If we don’t get, if this committee is prevented by obstruction or by refusal to answer the questions that we need to get to the bottom of this you will leave us no alternative but to ask for the appointment of a special prosecutor or appointment to special counsel to get to the bottom of this. This is a very serious matter. We would like to handle it in this committee. … I hope that is not the approach of the IRS going forward because there will be hell to pay if that is the route that we chose to go down.”

– E.W. Jackson: Nothing 'to rephrase or apologize for' –
E.W. JACKSON, VIRGINIA'S REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, AT A FREDRICKSBURG CAMPAIGN STOP: “I say the things that I say because I'm a Christian, not because I hate anybody, but because I have religious values that matter to me. Attacking me because I hold to those principles is attacking every church-going person, every family that's living a traditional family life, everybody who believes that we all deserve the right to live. So I don't have anything to rephrase or apologize for. I would just say people should not paint me as one-dimensional.”

– ‘I don’t trust the Republicans. And I don’t trust the Democrats’ –
REPUBLICAN SEN. TED CRUZ OF TEXAS IN A SPEECH ON THE SENATE FLOOR: “Let me be clear, I don't trust the Republicans. And I don't trust the Democrats. And I think a whole lot of Americans likewise don't trust the Republicans and the Democrats because it is leadership in both parties that has gotten us in this mess.”

– Misquoting Wolf –
PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY AT THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING: “Before I take your questions I wanted to mention something that I think is breaking now, as Wolf Blitzer would say, and that is that on Sunday, May 26th the President will travel to the Oklahoma City area to see firsthand the response to the devastating tornados and severe weather that have impacted the area on Sunday night and Monday.”

Gut Check Fact Check: Excuse me Mr. Carney, Wolf’s phrase of choice is “Happening Now.”

TOP TWEETS
What stopped us in 140 characters or less

Any fired IRS worker would have two levels of appeals to make. Those appeals take 338 days, on average: politi.co/11XXzlX—
Kevin Robillard (@PoliticoKevin) May 22, 2013

RNC sends FOIA request to IRS: gop.com/wp-content/upl…—
Jim Acosta (@jimacostacnn) May 22, 2013

Famous 5th amendment takers before Congress: Mark McGwire, Tareq Salahi, Oliver North, and now Lois Lerner.—
Marty Kady (@mkady) May 22, 2013

Scandals have tipped @StuPolitics's Senate rankings in SD, WV, AR, LA, AK, NC more favorable to GOP: bit.ly/14R0xW4—
Alexandra Jaffe (@ajjaffe) May 22, 2013

By way of passing description, NYPost refers to @MikeBloomberg as "the revenge-minded billionaire." m.nypost.com/p/news/local/m…—
Matt Apuzzo (@mattapuzzo) May 22, 2013

Woof! Meow! Congressman introduces bill that would allow some pets on #Amtrak. wapo.st/12VDng6—
lori aratani (@loriara) May 22, 2013

On July 1, the three biggest cities in America will have Jewish mayors. What say you @jonathanchait? tabletmag.com/scroll/132827/…—
Adam Chandler (@AllMyChandler) May 22, 2013

TRIVIA ANSWER from @DanMericaCNN

On this day in 1849, Abraham Lincoln, who would become president just 12 years later, filed for a patent on what he called a device for "buoying vessels over shoals."

"I, Abraham Lincoln, of Springfield, in the County of Sangamon, in the State of Illinois, have invented new and improved manner of combining adjustable buoyant air chambers with a steamboat or other vessel for the purpose of enabling their draught of water to be readily lessened to enable them to pass over bars or through shallow water," Lincoln wrote on the patent submitted to the U.S. Patent Office.

Lincoln, who regularly worked with merchandise as a young man in Illinois, had a great deal of experience with ships needed to be moved over shallow water. While traveling by boat on the Great Lakes, a younger Lincoln's ship ran afoul of a sandbar and was stuck. It was experiences like this that led Lincoln to patent his buoying device.

GUT CHECK WINNER’S CIRCLE
(why aren’t you in it)

No winners today. Poor Lincoln.

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Gone were Tuesday's repeated expressions of frustration, stern demeanor, and the suggestion that questions about scandals relating to the IRS, Benghazi talking points, and investigations of media outlets had become as frivolous as those that were raised about President Obama's birth certificate.

Instead, a more cheerful Carney on Tuesday went out of his way to praise White House reporters for getting tough, saying that there are a lot of "legitimate questions out there [and] it's part of our democracy and it's a great part of our democracy."

"The approach we take is, we get the information to you that we have as soon as we can, and we try to get that information to you as quickly as possible and as comprehensively as possible," Carney also said. "Now, quickly and comprehensively are not objectives that [we] always meet. And our approach is, we get the information we have to you and, as we get more information, we fill in the details."

Later, Carney declared that "we absolutely understand that some of the reporting on what are apparently criminal investigations are of interest and in particular interest to reporters and [there are] absolutely valid questions about that…so that's an environment that's legitimate, and we understand."

The charm offensive continued when Carney, who turned 48 Wednesday, said he felt "lucky" to be spending his birthday fielding reporters' questions and that he was "sincere" in his respect for a free press.

There was also individual praise to various reporters, declaring that one asked an "excellent" question regarding Syria and another had come up with a "smart way" to phrase a question on the Department of Justice investigation into the Associated Press.

"There are a lot of you, and you're good at your jobs and you're smart," Carney declared at one point to the more than 30 reporters in the White House Press Briefing room.

"When we have a ton of incoming questions, legitimate questions, you guys are doing your job," he also said.

Speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, the Texas Republican responded to criticism from members of his party over how to move forward with budget negotiations, taking particular aim at Sen. John McCain.

"The senior senator from Arizona urged this body to trust the Republicans. Let me be clear, I don't trust the Republicans. And I don't trust the Democrats," Cruz said. "And I think a whole lot of Americans likewise don't trust the Republicans and the Democrats because it is leadership in both parties that has gotten us in this mess."

That mess would be the federal debt, which members of both parties agree is too high. The agreement ends when discussing how to reduce it – Republicans favor sharply reducing spending, while Democrats argue for increasing tax revenue.

Under what is termed "regular order" on Capitol Hill, the two chambers each pass annual budgets, which are then negotiated in bicameral discussions. But since the House and Senate haven't both passed budgets in the same year for four years, that process hasn't been followed.

This year, both the GOP-led House and the Democrat-led Senate passed budgets, though they are widely disparate in terms of new tax revenue and government spending.

Some Republicans, like Cruz and Sen. Rand Paul, oppose beginning House and Senate negotiations on the budget until Democrats agree not to demand an increase in the federal debt limit.

McCain, along with moderate GOP Sen. Susan Collins, questioned that stipulation on the Senate floor, saying the demands were unreasonable.

"We put requirements on the conferees that are absolutely out of line and unprecedented," McCain said Tuesday.

But Cruz argued that a budget conference where Democrats insisted on raising the debt ceiling would eventually lead to more spending.

"Every Republican who stands against holding the line here is really saying, let's give the Democrats a blank check to borrow any money they want with no reforms, no leadership to fix the problem. I don't think that's consistent with any of our responsibilities," Cruz said.

Republicans, he continued, shared the blame with Democrats for presiding over runaway government spending.

"Unfortunately one of the reasons we got into this mess is because a lot of Republicans were complicit in this spending spree, and that's why so many Americans are disgusted with both sides of this House," he said.

It's not the first time McCain has pitted himself against Cruz and Paul. The 2008 GOP presidential nominee labeled the duo "wacko birds" earlier this year, not long after Paul's almost-13-hour filibuster protesting the use of drones. Cruz had joined Paul in demanding that the Obama administration answer questions about its drone policies.

And McCain similarly rebuked Cruz for some of his questioning during the nomination hearings for Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

Thomas Pickering, a former ambassador, will voluntarily appear for a transcribed interview conducted by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the panel's chairman said Wednesday. It's the latest development in the dispute over how and where to examine the review board's report, which Republicans regard as inadequate.

"I appreciate his decision to cooperate on a voluntary basis with our Committee's investigation of the Benghazi attack," Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican, wrote in a statement. "Our investigation includes an examination of criticisms career State Department officials have made about the [Accountability Review Board] report being 'incomplete' and letting senior officials 'off the hook.'"

Pickering said previously he would prefer to testify in a public hearing of the House Oversight Committee rather than submit to a private interview, but Issa demanded the meeting behind closed doors before any open session. After Pickering refused to be privately interviewed, Issa issued a subpoena for the former ambassador.

Republicans, including Issa, have questioned the Benghazi Accountability Review Board's findings on the attack last September at an American diplomatic post in Benghazi, which left four Americans dead.

The report, issued late last year, found "systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies" at the State Department in the lead-up to the attack in Benghazi. As a result, four State Department officials were disciplined immediately after the report's release. One resigned, while three others were placed on administrative leave and relieved of their duties.

But critics say the report did not go far enough, and did not include accounts from key witnesses to the attack who were on the ground as it happened.

The disparagement heated up earlier this month at a House Oversight Committee hearing featuring several witnesses who said they weren't interviewed by the review board.

Neither Pickering nor his co-chair, Admiral Mike Mullen, appeared at that hearing, leading to a bitter back-and-forth over whether they were invited to testify. The following weekend on NBC's "Meet the Press," Issa said he would request a deposition from Pickering and Mullen on how their panel reached its conclusions.

"Ultimately, if they got it right, we can put this issue to rest," Issa said. "We believe it was insufficient. We believe it's likely they did not interview all the people."

But in political circles, Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is a man who, after years of sounding the alarm about perceived Obama administration misdeeds, has struck a chord that is shaking up Washington.

Mark Sanford is living proof.

Heather French Henry, who won the Miss America pageant in 1999, said she's considering a bid but hasn't made a final decision quite yet.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, French Henry said Tuesday she was "not ready to confirm or deny" that she was considering a run against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

"I am completely honored that people are talking to me about this but I have made no decision," she said, according to the report.

McConnell isn't up for re-election until November 2014, but the race has drawn early headlines as Democrats consider stepping in. Actress Ashley Judd mulled a bid, eventually deciding against running after attack videos from McConnell started airing.

Privately, some Democrats worried Judd was too liberal a candidate for Kentucky, which hasn't sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1992, when Wendell Ford won re-election.

With Judd out of the race, Democratic eyes turned to Alison Lundergan Grimes, Kentucky's Secretary of State. Grimes has not ruled out a bid against McConnell in 2014, and was touted as a top potential candidate during a conference call with Democratic officials earlier this year.

In addition to considering her own bid, French Henry is open to supporting Grimes, according to the Herald-Leader.

On her official website, French Henry is listed as a veterans advocate, author/illustrator, artist/fashion illustrator, fashion designer, and public speaker. Her biography notes she received a bachelor's and master's degree in Fashion Design from the University of Cincinnati.

Her year as Miss America was spent advocating for veterans' issues around the country, including lobbying Congress to pass the Heather French Henry Homeless Veterans Act.

She's married to Steve Henry, the former lieutenant governor of Kentucky, who himself ran for U.S. Senate in 1998. He was embroiled in numerous controversies during his tenure, including using state employees to work at his wedding, and spending state funds to travel to the Miss America pageant.

In 2003, French Henry struck and killed a bicyclist who was crossing the street outside of a sidewalk. Criminal charges were not filed, and French Henry later recounted the accident and spoke of her lingering guilt during an appearance on Oprah.

Murray said that his decision to resign before his term is finished is for personal for reasons.

"In January I made a decision with my wife not seek political office in 2014." Murray said. "The next chapter of my life needs to be focused primarily on family. I wanted to take advantage of this moment in our lives, as childhood passes quickly and this is an important time for my family."

When asked if he was going to rule out running for office again Murray responded, "We'll see." He continued, "I'm not ruling anything in or out. I'm excited about this opportunity.

Murray said he intends to submit his resignation effective at end of day on June 2nd and begin his new role on June 3rd.

The lieutenant governor has taken heat recently over questions about his relationship with the disgraced Chelsea Housing Authority director and campaign funding.

CNN's Sara Fischer contributed to this report.

Lois Lerner read a statement at a House Oversight Committee hearing that declared she did nothing wrong and broke no laws before saying she would not answer any questions.

"I say the things that I say because I'm a Christian, not because I hate anybody, but because I have religious values that matter to me," Jackson told reporters Tuesday at a Fredericksburg campaign stop, according to the Washington Post.

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"Attacking me because I hold to those principles is attacking every church-going person, every family that's living a traditional family life, everybody who believes that we all deserve the right to live," he continued. "So I don't have anything to rephrase or apologize for. I would just say people should not paint me as one-dimensional."

An African-American pastor and attorney from Chesapeake, Jackson has compared Planned Parenthood to the Ku Klux Klan and hammered African-Americans for their "slavish devotion" to the Democratic Party.

He has also referred to gays and lesbians as "sick people psychologically, mentally and emotionally."

After Republican activists nominated Jackson at their party's convention in Richmond last weekend, Democrats began bringing Jackson's past statements into the limelight, seeking to discredit the conservative ticket, which includes gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli, at the top.

Cuccinelli, the state Attorney General, will likely face Democrat Terry McAuliffe, the former Democratic National Committee chairman, in the November election. Democrats will formally decide their nominee in a June 11 primary.

Poll numbers so far show neither party with a sizable lead in the race, less than six months before Election Day. Because Virginia voters elect the governor and lieutenant governor separately, it's possible that the winners could be from different parties.

– CNN's Ashley Killough, Paul Steinhauser and Peter Hamby contributed to this report.

New Jersey State Sen. Barbara Buono, already outspent by her opponent in ad money, used the spot to not only introduce herself but to take a few swipes at the Republican governor, who's up for re-election in November.

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"To hear Governor Christie tell it, everything in New Jersey's going just fine," the Democrat says in the ad. "Well I see another New Jersey."

She points to the state's unemployment rate; at 8.7%, the jobless rate stands well above the national rate of 7.5%. Buono also bemoans rising property taxes and college tuition costs in the Garden State.

Buono's campaign spent $1 million on the ad buy that begins running this week, a campaign official confirmed. Politico first reported the story.

Christie's campaign released their third television ad Wednesday, going after Buono's record as a budget official in New Jersey. The spot notes new taxes enacted during her tenure, and spending increasing.

"In just two short years, Senator Buono voted to increase taxes and fees 23 times, while overseeing a $13.4 billion increase in state debt, and the stunning loss of 240,000 of our families' jobs," said Christie's campaign Press Secretary Kevin Roberts.

With two major media markets–those of New York City and Philadelphia–covering most New Jersey, purchasing ad time can be expensive, with millions of dollars required to buy substantial time in the area.

Christie, for example, spent $1.2 million on his first re-election ad earlier this month.

Polls indicate the incumbent governor has a strong advantage over Buono, with the most recent Quinnipac University poll showing Christie ahead by Buono, 58% to 26%.

One of Buono's biggest challenges is boosting her name recognition. She released a web video earlier this week taking a light-hearted approach in telling viewers how to pronounce her name.

But according to the Quinnipiac University poll, Weiner, who announced his candidacy for mayor early Wednesday morning, is in second place in the battle for the city's Democratic nomination.

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The congressman, who was in his seventh term representing parts of the New York City boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn, resigned from the House in 2011 amid scandal over lewd photos sent via Twitter. He's now seeking political redemption by making his third bid for mayor.

And Weiner's announcement comes just two weeks after another politician whose career was left for dead following an infamous affair, former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, made a huge comeback by winning a special election to fill a vacant congressional seat.

According to the poll, which was conducted in the week before Weiner's announcement, 49% of New York City voters said Weiner should not run for mayor, with 38% saying he should make a bid and 12% unsure. The 49% figure is up five percentage points from a Quinnipiac poll conducted in mid-April. The survey indicates Democratic voters are divided, with 41% saying Weiner should run and 44% disagreeing.

Weiner's entry into the race finds him in the second spot for his party's nomination, according to the poll, with 15% of registered Democrats saying they would vote for Weiner if the primary were held today. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn remains in the top spot, at 25%. Quinn has long been the Democratic front-runner in the race, and if she's elected in the November general election, she'll become Gotham's first female and first openly gay mayor.

"With former Congressman Anthony Weiner seeking the Democratic nod, it still looks like Council Speaker Christine Quinn against the guys," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, in a statement hours prior to Weiner's announcement.

"But where she once was brushing up against the magic 40% number that could get her past a run-off, the wear and tear of the campaign, and possibly the addition of Weiner, are taking a toll on the front-runner," Carroll added.

The other Democratic candidates are at 10% or less in the survey, with more than a quarter of voters undecided. The poll also indicates that at this stage in the campaign, the eventual Democratic nominee would be the front-runner in the November election.

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted May 14-20, with 1,802 New York City voters, including 701 registered Democrats, questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points, with a plus or minus 3.7 percentage points for Democratic primary questions.

"Thank you Los Angeles - the hard work begins but I am honored to lead this city for the next four years," Garcetti, 42, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday morning. "Let's make this a great city again."

Lerner's decision essentially not to testify will follow a Senate Finance Committee hearing Tuesday where former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman and ousted Acting Commissioner Eric Miller both testified.

CNN: Search for survivors winds down as Oklahoma begins daunting recovery

What began as a hunt for survivors is now an arduous recovery effort. No new survivors or bodies have been found since Monday, the day a mammoth tornado ripped a 17-mile path of destruction in central Oklahoma and pummeled 2,400 homes. The mayor of Moore, which bore the brunt of the tornado's wrath, said he doesn't expect the death toll to climb any higher. At least 24 people, including nine children, were killed, the state medical examiner's office said.

ALSO SEE: CNNMoney: FEMA offers aid to tornado victims

WSJ: Electronic Health Data Gaining Favor

More than half of U.S. doctors have switched to electronic health records and are using them to manage patients' basic medical information and prescriptions, according to federal data set to be released Wednesday. The Department of Health and Human Services says it has reached a tipping point as it seeks to steer medical providers away from paper records. Advocates for electronic health records say they have the potential to make medical care safer and more efficient. In 2015, the federal government will start penalizing providers that haven't begun using electronic health records in reimbursements they get for treating patients.

WHITE HOUSE:

NYT: Debate Aside, Drone Strikes Drop Sharply

President Obama embraced drone strikes in his first term, and the targeted killing of suspected terrorists has come to define his presidency. But lost in the contentious debate over the legality, morality and effectiveness of a novel weapon is the fact that the number of strikes has actually been in decline. Strikes in Pakistan peaked in 2010 and have fallen sharply since then; their pace in Yemen has slowed to half of last year’s rate; and no strike has been reported in Somalia for more than a year. In a long-awaited address on Thursday at the National Defense University, Mr. Obama will make his most ambitious attempt to date to lay out his justification for the strikes and what they have achieved.

Politico: Jay Carney's blues

President Barack Obama brought in press secretary Jay Carney “to lower the temperature” in the briefing room back in 2011 — but reporters are increasingly skeptical about Carney’s demeanor and the veracity of some answers to questions about recent administration scandals. Carney, as laid back in private as he is buttoned-down in public, has clashed with the White House press corps repeatedly over the past few days as he struggled to address tangled official narratives on the I.R.S. probe of tea party groups and the administration’s response to the Sept. 11, 2012, attack in Benghazi. Testy West Wing exchanges are nothing new — Carney’s predecessor Robert Gibbs was especially fond of rhetorical brawling. But Carney’s latest dust-up with the media, a particularly contentious Tuesday briefing, exposed long-simmering tensions between a presidential spokesman who often questions reporters’ motives and a press pack who regard him as unwilling or unable to deliver straight answers.

CNN: White House officials discussed IRS communications plans

White House press secretary Jay Carney acknowledged Tuesday that senior Obama administration officials discussed when and how Lois Lerner, an IRS official, should roll out news that the tax agency had improperly targeted political groups. At the White house briefing, Carney revealed that Deputy White House Chief of Staff Mark Childress twice discussed communications strategy with Treasury Department officials. “In the communications I mentioned yesterday, between Treasury officials in the counsel's office, as well as the chief of staff's office and over here – the chief of staff’s office and the counsel's office, that there were discussions about the timing of the release of this information and the findings of the report,” Carney said.

CNN: Obama against prosecuting journalists, White House says

Following revelations that the Obama administration has launched investigations into journalists from both the Associated Press and Fox News over national security leaks, the White House said Tuesday that President Obama does not believe journalists should be "prosecuted for doing their jobs. I can tell you that in our conversation yesterday, [President Obama] reiterated just how important he believes it is that reporters, that all of you and your colleagues, are able to do your jobs in a free and open way," said White House Press Secretary Jay Carney at Tuesday's press briefing.

ALSO SEE: The New Yorker: The Justice Department and Fox News’s phone records

NYT: As Chinese Leader’s Visit Nears, U.S. Is Urged to Allow Counterattacks on Hackers

With President Obama preparing for a first meeting with China’s new president, a commission led by two former senior officials in his administration will recommend a series of steps that could significantly raise the cost to China of the theft of American industrial secrets. If milder measures failed, the commission said, the United States should consider giving companies the right to retaliate against cyberattackers with counterstrikes of their own. The recommendations are from the private Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property, which is led by two figures who parted company with the White House on strained terms: Dennis C. Blair, Mr. Obama’s first director of national intelligence, and Jon M. Huntsman Jr., the former ambassador to China who left his post to run, unsuccessfully, for the Republican nomination for president.

CAPITOL HILL:

CNN: Immigration reform clears key Senate hurdle

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" immigration reform bill on Tuesday, sending the measure to the Senate floor for consideration and giving the bill's backers their first major legislative victory. Members of the Democratic-controlled panel voted 13-5 in favor of the measure. If enacted, the plan would constitute the first overhaul of the nation's immigration policy since 1986.

ALSO SEE: CNN: Sessions takes on Senate immigration gang, vows to 'expose' flawed bill

Politico: House immigration talks hang on health care

House immigration negotiators have given themselves until the end of the week to hash out language on what kind of health benefits should be available to undocumented immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship, a crucial issue for the talks. If they can’t resolve this issue, the four-year immigration negotiations could come to a crashing halt. Top Democrats said late Tuesday they do not think Republicans will walk away from the talks.

CNN: IRS official to plead the Fifth at congressional hearing

The official in charge of an embattled Internal Revenue Service division will invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a Wednesday appearance before a House oversight panel, a spokesman for the committee said. Lois Lerner, who oversaw the IRS division handling requests for tax-exempt status, made her intentions known in a letter to the committee's chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa. Lerner was the first IRS official to publically admit that the tax agency was using extra scrutiny on conservative groups applying to become tax exempt. "The Committee has been contacted by Ms. Lerner's lawyer who stated that his client intended to invoke her 5th amendment right and refuse to answer questions," the committee's spokesman Ali Ahmad wrote in a statement.

WATCH: VIDEO – The central player at the center of the IRS scandal will plead the Fifth. CNN's Dan Lothian reports

WSJ: Senate Advances Call to Arm Some Syrian Rebels

A key Senate committee overwhelmingly approved legislation that calls on the U.S. to provide small arms to moderate Syrian opposition groups, underscoring growing sentiment among lawmakers for a change in the U.S. approach to the conflict. The 15-3 vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee showed broad support from both Democrats and Republicans for arming the rebels, though the legislation has to go through many more votes to be adopted, and even then wouldn't compel the administration to provide arms. Some lawmakers from each party voiced concern over the difficulty of ensuring weapons aren't misused and won't slip into the hands of radical Islamists aligned with al Qaeda. The vote came as the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, fighting alongside militants from Iran-backed Hezbollah, engaged in a third day of an offensive on the rebel-held city of Qusayr—a battle that, if won by government forces, could give a significant strategic boost to the regime.

Politico: NOAA still planning to furlough storm forecasters

Congress isn’t rushing to stave off looming furloughs for federal weather forecasters, even after they issued tornado warnings credited with saving countless lives in Oklahoma. Some lawmakers are open to looking at sequestration’s effects on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, home to the National Weather Service and its 3,500 forecasters. But they said it’s too soon to know whether Congress has an appetite for making a sequester fix for the forecasters, similar to the ones lawmakers approved for air-traffic controllers and meat inspectors.

POLITICAL:

CNN: Disgraced ex-congressman Weiner says he's running for NYC mayor

It’s official. After months of speculation, former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner announced in a YouTube video posted to his campaign website late Tuesday that he is running for mayor of New York City. “Look, I’ve made some big mistakes and I know I’ve let a lot of people down.  But I’ve also learned some tough lessons,” Weiner says in the video.  “I’m running for mayor because I’ve been fighting for the middle class and those struggling to make it for my entire life. And I hope I get a second chance to work for you.”

Politico: N.J. Dem Barbara Buono to launch big ad buy

New Jersey state Sen. Barbara Buono, the underdog challenger to popular GOP incumbent Chris Christie, is going on air with a $1 million TV ad buy, a media-tracking source told POLITICO. The buy is strictly for the New York City broadcast market, from May 28 through June 4, the source said, for a total of just over $1 million. A Buono spokesman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But Buono has been struggling to raise her name ID against a heavily-funded opponent, who has taken to the airwaves to define her early. Christie also caused a flap by appearing in Hurricane Sandy-related state ads recently, which seemed to promote his leadership.

NATIONAL SECURITY:

CNN: U.S. identifies some involved in Benghazi attack, lawmaker says

The U.S. government has identified "a certain number of people" believed involved in the Benghazi, Libya, attack, a senior Republican lawmaker told CNN on Tuesday. The lawmaker said that government investigators have put identities to individuals seen in surveillance video of the attack. "They know the names. That's what we haven't known. These are individuals they know now. Not just the pictures," the senior lawmaker said. The lawmaker, who is familiar with the status of the investigation, could not say how many had been identified. …The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that, according to unnamed U.S. officials, five men have been identified, and that the government has enough information to justify the U.S. military grabbing the suspects but not enough evidence to try them in civilian court.

ALSO SEE: Fox News: Sources challenge White House claim of all-hands-on-deck pursuit of Benghazi suspects

BuzzFeed: Advisers Urged Obama Early On To Release Comprehensive Benghazi Timeline

The White House Counsel’s office advised senior Obama officials to keep quiet about the attack in Benghazi during the weeks preceding last year’s November presidential election, according to two administration sources. BuzzFeed has learned that key members of President Obama’s national security team, including deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes, pushed to release a comprehensive timeline of events documenting the attack that would also synthesize the views of the various government agencies into one report. The CIA also wanted the White House to put out such a timeline, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. Those plans were quashed, however, when the White House Counsel’s office, which is led by Kathryn Ruemmler, advised the officials to not release any information to the public out of fear it could be used against them in any subsequent investigations and other legal complications.

WaPo: Petraeus’s role in drafting Benghazi talking points raises questions

The controversy over the Obama administration’s response to the Benghazi attack last year began at a meeting over coffee on Capitol Hill three days after the assault. It was at this informal session with the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that the ranking Democrat asked David H. Petraeus, who was CIA director at the time, to ensure that committee members did not inadvertently disclose classified information when talking to the news media about the attack. “We had some new members on the committee, and we knew the press would be very aggressive on this, so we didn’t want any of them to make mistakes,” Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (Md.) said last week of his request in an account supported by Republican participants. “We didn’t want to jeopardize sources and methods, and we didn’t want to tip off the bad guys. That’s all.”

Politico: Hagel to exempt DOD sex assault prevention workers from furloughs

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is exempting around 500 civilian sexual assault prevention personnel from this year’s mandatory furloughs, a senior defense official told POLITICO, in a bid to show the Pentagon is serious about cracking down on sexual assault in the ranks. Hagel is expected to make the announcement on Wednesday. His move comes after a rash of arrests and investigations into service members accused of sexual misconduct and a summit of top military leaders at the White House last week, when President Barack Obama called the problem “dangerous to our national security.” Hagel has ordered most of the department’s 800,000 civilian workers to take 11 days off this summer to help offset budget cuts under sequestration.

CNN: Army suspends general due to allegations of misconduct

The Army has suspended the top general at Fort Jackson in South Carolina due to allegations of adultery and assault, an Army spokesman says. Brig. Gen. Bryan Roberts was relieved of his duties Tuesday as commanding general of the Army training center and Fort Jackson while the allegations are being investigated, said spokesman Harvey Perritt of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. Roberts was suspended by Gen. Robert Cone, head of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. Fort Jackson, where Roberts was the senior commander, is where most new Army recruits go through basic training, which includes training about sexual assault prevention.

NYT: Iran and Hezbollah Support for Syria Complicates Peace-Talk Strategy

As evidence grows of increased Iranian support for the Syrian government, the Obama administration’s strategy to bring the bitter fighting there to a close faces more challenges than ever. With White House support, Secretary of State John Kerry has pushed for an international conference in Geneva in June that would bring representatives of the Syria government together with the opposition. The aim would be to negotiate a transitional government that would take over if President Bashar al-Assad vacates his post and to put an end to the civil war that has killed more than 80,000. But the stepped-up support Mr. Assad has received from Iran and Hezbollah in recent months appears to have fortified his belief that he can hang on to power and prevail militarily — or at least control a strategically significant swath of the country.

NBCDFW: Accused Fort Hood Shooter Paid $278,000 While Awaiting Trial

The Department of Defense confirms to NBC 5 Investigates that accused Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Hasan has now been paid more than $278,000 since the Nov. 5, 2009 shooting that left 13 dead and 32 injured. The Army said under the Military Code of Justice, Hasan’s salary cannot be suspended unless he is proven guilty. If Hasan had been a civilian defense department employee, NBC 5 Investigates has learned, the Army could have suspended his pay after just seven days. Personnel rules for most civilian government workers allow for "indefinite suspensions" in cases "when the agency has reasonable cause to believe that the employee has committed a crime for which a sentence of imprisonment may be imposed."

CNNMoney: Army plans to launch a reality TV show

Uncle Sam wants you ... to watch reality television. The Army is planning to launch a new reality TV program, "Starting Strong," on June 2, aimed at recruiting 18- to 24-year-olds to enlist in the military. The Army describes it as a "reality-TV inspired" advertisement, but it will look an awful lot like a standard TV show. There will be 10 episodes. Each is roughly 23 minutes long and is broken up by regular commercial breaks, and they're coming to your local TV station. A Facebook page for the series offers some teaser promotional photos.

AVIATION, REGULATION and JUSTICE:

NYT: F.A.A.’s Concerns Hold Up Use of Wildfire Drones

As wildfire season begins in Western landscapes that were covered in smoky haze for weeks at a time last summer, the federal government’s firefighters are exploring the use of small remote-controlled drones with infrared cameras that could map a fire’s size and speed, and identify hot spots, a particular danger. With a maximum wingspan of about 52 inches, the drones would supplement and perhaps replace manned surveillance aircraft, potentially reducing the risk to both pilots and firefighters. But the effort is being slowed by Federal Aviation Administration regulations. The use of drones in open airspace is regulated by the F.A.A., and its safety requirements effectively preclude unmanned aerial systems, or U.A.S.’s, from operating out of sight of a ground-based pilot. If distance or the smoke of a wildfire obscures a drone from observers on the ground, a piloted aircraft must be sent aloft to keep an eye on it.

LA Times: Immigration cases make up 40% of federal prosecutions, study says

Immigration-related offenses are now the leading type of federal prosecution, constituting more than 40% of cases compared with 22% for drug crimes, according to federal crime data. Many immigrants are now prosecuted because they try to cross the border again after being deported, according to a report released Tuesday by Human Rights Watch. Often, they are so desperate to get back to their families in the United States that prison time is not a deterrent, the report said. In the past, people with no prior criminal record would have been deported without being prosecuted. According to the report, "Turning Migrants Into Criminals," immigration prosecutions for illegal entry or reentry increased to more than 85,000 in 2013 from about 12,500 in 2002.

REGIONAL HEADLINES:

NYT: 2 More Antigay Attacks Are Reported in Manhattan

Just hours after hundreds of people held a rally in Greenwich Village to protest the killing of a gay man last week, two men were violently assaulted in separate attacks in downtown Manhattan because of their sexual orientation, New York City officials said on Tuesday. The attacks added to a troubling increase in reported antigay crimes in the city. “It is a shame that we have to get together to talk about some things that should never occur, that we always thought, you know, we’d gotten beyond that,” Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said.

Hartford Courant: Bill Drafted In Secret Would Block Release Of Some Newtown Massacre Records

The staffs of the state's top prosecutor and the governor's office have been working in secret with General Assembly leaders on legislation to withhold records related to the police investigation into the Dec. 14 Newtown elementary school massacre — including victims' photos, tapes of 911 calls, and possibly more. The behind-the-scenes legislative effort came to light Tuesday when The Courant obtained a copy of an email by a top assistant to Chief State's Attorney Kevin Kane, Timothy J. Sugrue. Sugrue, an assistant state's attorney, discussed options considered so far, including blocking release of statements "made by a minor." "There is complete agreement regarding photos etc., and audio tapes, although the act may allow the disclosure of audio transcripts," Sugrue wrote to Kane, two other Kane subordinates and to Danbury State's Attorney Stephen Sedensky, who is directing the investigation of the killings.

Denver Post: Colorado gubernatorial GOP primary getting crowded

At least five candidates are officially challenging Gov. John Hickenlooper in 2014 and another three are mulling whether to jump in the race . That so many are choosing to challenge the popular governor is, Republicans contend, a sign that a Democrat who once seemed invincible is vulnerable. State Sen. Greg Brophy of Wray, who hasn't made up his mind whether to enter the race, said Hickenlooper's backing of gun legislation during the 2013 session and concerns that he might halt the execution of a death-row inmate are some of the reasons Coloradans are frustrated.

Tampa Bay Times: Gov. Rick Scott signs elections bill to fix long voter lines

Gov. Rick Scott has finished the fix of the flawed election law that relegated Florida to a late-night joke in 2012 by signing an elections cleanup bill passed on the final day of the legislative session. The measure, signed by Scott late Monday before he left for a trade mission to Chile, reverses several provisions implemented in 2011 by GOP lawmakers in anticipation of the 2012 presidential election. Those changes, criticized by Democrats as an attempt to suppress votes for President Barack Obama, limited the early voting that the president's campaign capitalized on in 2008. The 2011 law also prevented early voting on the Sunday before Election Day and prohibited voters, particularly students, from changing their voting address at the polls. Scott, who had previously signed the 2011 bill into law and refused to use his executive powers to extend early voting in 2012 despite numerous requests, acknowledged the system needed a fix.

Boston Herald: Survivors urged to meet fund deadline

The driving force behind The One Fund Boston has an 
urgent appeal for hundreds of still traumatized Boston Marathon bombing victims — get your applications for a share of the tax-free $31 million in donations in on time, or you’ll be left out. “You would be amazed at how people in grief, with all sorts of uncertainty about their lives, don’t file. File at the last minute. File claim forms written in crayon,” One Fund administrator Kenneth Feinberg told the Herald yesterday. Loved ones of the four killed in the marathon bombings and manhunt days later and the 260-plus wounded all have until June 15 to apply for their awards. If anyone misses the deadline, they are ineligible, Feinberg said.

INTERNATIONAL:

Reuters: North Korea sends top Kim Jong-un aide to Beijing

North Korea sent one of its top military officials as a "special envoy" from its leader Kim Jong-un to Beijing on Wednesday, accompanied by a high-powered delegation in what appeared to be a bid to mend frayed relations with its most important ally. The delegation led by Choe Ryong-hae, vice chairman of the country's top military body, was the most senior to visit China since Kim's kingmaker uncle Jang Song-thaek made the trip in August 2012. Ties between Pyongyang and Beijing have been hurt by the North's third nuclear test, carried out in February, and by China agreeing to U.N. sanctions on the North and starting to put a squeeze on North Korean banks.

CNN: Military: 7 kidnapped soldiers freed in Egypt

Seven Egyptian soldiers who were kidnapped six days ago in the Sinai Peninsula have been freed, the spokesman for Egypt's armed forces said Wednesday. The men are now en route to the capital, Cairo, Ahmed Mohammed Ali said on his official Facebook page. Their release is a result of "the efforts made by the Egyptian military intelligence services with the cooperation of the tribal sheikhs and the noble people of Sinai," he said. It's not yet clear who kidnapped the soldiers or how their release was secured.

BBC: Parents quit Singapore probe into Shane Todd death

The family of a US man found hanged in Singapore have withdrawn from an inquiry into his death, saying they no longer have confidence in the system. Shane Todd's death in June 2012 was registered as suicide, but his parents believe he was killed over a project related to sensitive technology. Their withdrawal was announced on Wednesday, a day after they walked out of court, saying they had not had time to prepare for a new witness. The probe will go on in their absence.

CNN: Bombings in Iraq kill 19 people as worries over sectarian violence grow

At least 19 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded Tuesday in bombings in Iraq, police said. The latest attacks come amid a recent uptick in Sunni-Shiite violence in Iraq that has killed at least 266 people in the past three weeks, according to a CNN tally. The violence has conjured fears that the all-out sectarian conflict that erupted last decade is starting again. A suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest in Tarmiya killed three soldiers and wounded seven others in an attack on a checkpoint. Tarmiya is predominantly Sunni.

NYT: A Founder of the Revolution Is Barred From Office, Shocking Iranians

The decision on Tuesday to bar the presidential candidacy of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a founding father of the revolution and a former president, shocked Iranians, particularly among the 70 percent of the population that is under 35 and grew up when he served in many leading positions.  “They say a revolution eats its children,” said Mehdi, 27, a teacher. “But in the case of Rafsanjani the revolution has eaten its father.” The exclusion of Mr. Rafsanjani and another thorn in the conservatives’ side, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, could foreshadow even greater repercussions, analysts and commentators said.

ALSO SEE: Christian Science Monitor: Exclusive: Iran's frontrunner for president speaks of his life battling US power

Reuters: China's Li offers to help end Pakistan's energy crisis

China and Pakistan should make cooperation on power generation a priority, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said, as Islamabad seeks to end an energy crisis that triggers power cuts of up to 20 hours a day, bringing the economy to a near standstill. Li arrived in the Pakistan capital on Wednesday on the second leg of his first official trip since taking office in March after a visit to Pakistan's and China's arch rival, India. Tight security included shutting down mobile phone networks across the city. Pakistan was one of the first countries to switch diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China, in 1950, and they consider each other "all-weather friends".

BBC: Tax and energy to dominate EU summit in Brussels

EU leaders are gathering in Brussels for a summit to tackle tax evasion and improve Europe's energy market. After sharp divisions over the EU budget there may be more consensus on these issues, seen as vital in restoring Europe's competitiveness. Tax evasion costs EU states 1tn euros ($1.3tn; £0.85tn) a year – more than was spent on healthcare in 2008. A European Parliament resolution calls on the EU to halve that figure by 2020, by curbing tax loopholes and havens.

The Guardian: Some Afghan interpreters to be allowed to settle in Britain

About half the Afghan interpreters risking their lives for British troops are to be given settlement rights in the UK under a reworked package prepared by the coalition government. The package represents a climbdown from earlier suggestions that most interpreters would have to risk reprisals as collaborators by the Taliban after coalition forces leave a still unstable country at the end of 2014. Under the proposals any interpreters who have put themselves in physical danger working outside British military bases will be offered a resettlement package if they have been working for the UK forces for more than 12 months at the point of their redundancy.

BUSINESS:

WSJ: Vote Strengthens Dimon's Grip

James Dimon tightened his grip on the nation's largest bank on Tuesday as shareholders of J.P. Morgan Chase JPM +1.40% & Co. overwhelmingly endorsed his dual role as chairman and chief executive. A year after a multibillion-dollar trading fiasco tainted Mr. Dimon's reputation as Wall Street's best risk manager, just 32.2% of shareholders voted for a resolution to split the two positions. That was well below the 40.1% who voted to do so a year ago.

CNNMoney: Bank of Japan maintains policy, cheers Abenomics

Japan's central bank pledged Wednesday to maintain its ambitious quantitative easing program, saying that economic conditions in the country are improving. "Japan's economy has started picking up," the Bank of Japan said in a statement, citing improvement in exports, consumer spending and private investment. The central bank announced in April that it would expand its balance sheet by purchasing longer-term debt and securities like ETFs. The bank also merged its asset-purchase programs and suspended a rule that prohibited the purchase of longer-term debt.

CNNMoney: Apple grilled about tax havens

Apple executives defended the company's tax strategy on Capitol Hill Tuesday, claiming that it pays one of the highest effective tax rates of any major corporation. A Senate panel called the hearing to examine what committee leadership said was the iPhone maker's strategy of shifting income to an Irish subsidiary to avoid paying U.S. taxes. Apple officials said the money resided with its overseas operations, such as those in Ireland, not to avoid taxes but because of the growth of Apple's sales overseas. Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) CEO Tim Cook said the company paid an effective tax rate of 30.5% on profits it made on U.S. sales. He said Apple paid $6 billion in U.S. corporate taxes last year and expects to pay more this year.

WATCH: VIDEO – Apple faced a Senate hearing after it was accused of moving money overseas to avoid U.S. taxes. CNN's Joe Johns reports

After months of speculation, former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner announced in a YouTube video posted to his campaign website late Tuesday that he is running for mayor of New York City.

“Look, I’ve made some big mistakes and I know I’ve let a lot of people down.  But I’ve also learned some tough lessons,” Weiner says in the video.  “I’m running for mayor because I’ve been fighting for the middle class and those struggling to make it for my entire life. And I hope I get a second chance to work for you.”

His campaign told CNN he does not have any events planned for Wednesday.

Now that Weiner is in the race, the Democrat will undoubtedly face questions from voters and fellow candidates about the 2011 scandal that eventually led to his resignation from Congress.

His political career was derailed after he was found sending lewd photos and messages to multiple women. At first he lied, claiming his Twitter was hacked, but he later admitted to the indiscretions and left the House of Representatives.

But the former congressman from Brooklyn says he’s hoping for a second chance, and has been not-so-quietly testing the waters about a mayoral bid in recent months.

Rumors began swirling in January, after a filing with the New York City Campaign Finance Board revealed that Weiner’s mayoral campaign committee, created ahead of his unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination in the 2005 race, had a healthy $4.5 million cash pile.

Weiner later admitted in a lengthy, repentant New York Times Magazine profile in April that he was eyeing the mayor’s race, and confirmed that his political committee had spent more than $100,000 on polling and research.

Also in April, Weiner released a detailed plan outlining his ideas for the city. Called “Keys to the City,” the document, which appears to be a reworked version of a plan Weiner released during his 2009 campaign, lays out 64 ideas to revitalize New York City’s middle class.

Weiner asks New Yorkers for feedback on his plan in his video announcement, which also features a rare appearance from his wife Huma Abedin.

A longtime aide to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Abedin stayed mostly silent throughout her husband’s scandal, but has been publicly expressing support for his political comeback of late.

“We love this city, and no one will work harder to make it better than Anthony,” Huma says in the video.

This will be Weiner’s third run for mayor of the Big Apple – he ran in 2005 and launched a bid in 2009, but later dropped out when the city council extended the mayor's term limits, allowing incumbent Michael Bloomberg to run again.

Two polls conducted in April indicated that Weiner would jump to second place in the race for Democratic nomination, but would still trail by double digits frontrunner Christine Quinn, the city council president.

Asked about Weiner's candidacy at a forum in New York Wednesday, Quinn wouldn't mention her new rival by name.

"This race, I don't care who's in it, is about what the candidates have done for New York's middle class and what our vision is for New York's middle class moving forward," Quinn said. "And I don't care who enters the race. Nobody has a better, stronger, clearer record of delivering for working class and middle class New Yorkers than I do, and nobody has the set of specific ideas, plans and visions like I do."

–Kevin Liptak, Ashley Killough and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

Vice President Joe Biden, speaking at a reception honoring Jewish American Heritage Month, asked for the teleprompters in place for his remarks to be taken down.

“You can’t tell Barack that the teleprompter’s down,” Biden said, according to pool reports. “The standing joke in the office is Barack’s learning to speak without a teleprompter; I’m learning to speak with one. I apologize for the teleprompter.”

It’s not the first time Biden took a dig at his boss’s overreliance on the device: In 2009, he made a similar joke when one of his screens fell down during a commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

"What am I gonna tell the president?" Biden said as a gust of wind knocked down his left teleprompter. "I'm gonna tell him his teleprompter is broken. What will he do then?"