CNN’s POLITICAL GUT CHECK | for July 30, 2014 | 5 p.m.
—  n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

BOEHNER LAWSUIT ADVANCES … The Republican-led House approved a resolution on Wednesday authorizing Speaker John Boehner to sue President Barack Obama. The vote was 225-201.

GAO: HEALTHCARE.GOV COST $840 MILLION … The cost of developing the initially-troubled website HealthCare.gov ballooned to $840 million due to poor planning and management by the federal government, a government audit found. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversaw the error-plagued website launch, “incurred significant cost increases, schedule slips, and delayed system functionality” because of poor oversight of the project, according to the Government Accountability Office.- Rachel Streitfeld.
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CNN’s POLITICAL GUT CHECK | for July 29, 2014 | 5 p.m.
—  n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

OBAMA: NOT A NEW COLD WAR … Stepped-up sanctions against Russia are not part of a new Cold War, President Barack Obama said. "What it is, is a very specific issue related to Russia's unwillingness to recognize that Ukraine can chart its own path," Obama said. New U.S. sanctions announced by Obama will target three Moscow-based banks. – Laura Smith-Spark and Nick Paton Walsh
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CNN’s POLITICAL GUT CHECK | for July 28, 2014 | 5 p.m.
—  n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

FINAL COUNTDOWN … WHAT WILL AND WON'T GET DONE: Congress faces several big issues before beginning its August recess at the end of the week. While it appears lawmakers might get to a few things on the to-do list, other matters are likely to be left until they return. Here's what’s happening:
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CNN’s POLITICAL GUT CHECK | for July 25, 2014 | 5 p.m.
—  n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

ISRAEL REJECTS PROPOSED CEASE-FIRE ... Israel's security cabinet unanimously rejected a proposed one-week humanitarian cease-fire with Hamas. The United States and Egypt were moving closer to an agreement with Israel and the Palestinians on a temporary truce, starting Sunday, but Israel turned it down and asked for modifications. – Elise Labott

KERRY: NEVER BEEN A FORMAL TRUCE PROPOSED … Secretary of State John Kerry said no formal truce proposal has been submitted yet, just a framework. Kerry called leaks that Israel rejected the proposal “mischief.”
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CNN’s POLITICAL GUT CHECK | for July 24, 2014 | 5 p.m.
—  n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

JUST IN … CNN POLL: MOST SAY BORDER KIDS COULD STAY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES TEMPORARILY: According to a CNN/ORC International poll, a bare majority of Americans view migrant youth crossing the southern border as refugees rather than illegal immigrants. Most say they'd be willing to have the federal government temporarily relocate some of them to their communities or their city. – Paul Steinhauser
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CNN’s POLITICAL GUT CHECK | for July 23, 2014 | 5 p.m.
—  n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

ON CNN… BLOOMBERG SAYS FLIGHT BAN REWARDS HAMAS … Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in a combative interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer in Israel, said he was there “to show support for Israel's right to defend itself" and to underscore, in his opinion, that U.S. flight restrictions there are a mistake that only helps Hamas.
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CNN’s POLITICAL GUT CHECK | for July 21, 2014 | 5 p.m.
—  n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

OBAMA TO REBELS: WHAT ARE YOU HIDING? Obama called on Russia to rein in rebel fighters in Ukraine believed by many international leaders to be responsible for downing Malaysia Air Flight 17. He said Russia has failed to stop them from impeding investigators and accused rebels of treating remains poorly and removing evidence. "What exactly are they trying to hide?" he said. Obama said Russia must exert its "enormous influence" over the rebels. "It's the least they can do," he said. – Michael Pearson, Faith Karimi and Phil Black

SECURITY COUNCIL WEIGHS IN ON MH 17 CRASH ... The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution demanding international access to the eastern Ukraine crash site. The vote was 15-0.
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CNN’s POLITICAL GUT CHECK | for July 18, 2014 | 5 p.m.
—  n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

‘UNSPEAKABLE’ OUTRAGE’: OBAMA ON DOWNING OF JET … President Barack Obama called the downing of a Malaysia Airlines jet in eastern Ukraine an "outrage of unspeakable proportion." U.S. officials believe it was likely hit by a surface-to-air missile operated from a rebel-held area. Obama said pro-Russian rebels have received a "steady flow" of arms and training from Russia, including anti-aircraft weapons. He called for a "credible international investigation" and an immediate ceasefire. He also said one U.S. citizen was aboard the doomed 777. – Laura Smith-Spark and Nic Robertson
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