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Let Me Start: Filibuster Fight

Senators emerged from a closed-door meeting last night with no deal, though many said they're confident they could reach a deal today to tamp down the partisan
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. gestures as he speaks with reporters on Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 9, 2013 (Photo by J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. gestures as he speaks with reporters on Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Senators emerged from a closed-door meeting last night with no deal, though many said they're confident they could reach a deal today to tamp down the partisan standoff that has engulfed the upper chamber. Senate Majority Leader has vowed to change the rules of the Senate to allow executive branch nominees to be approved with a simple majority, something Republicans call the 'nuclear option.'

Nate Silver of The New York Times' Five Thirty-Eight blog sees a tossup for Senate control in 2014, and forecasts Republicans will hold 50 or 51 seats.

2nd Term Stylistics: The New York Times writes about how President Obama is using a 'hidden hand' approach in his second term, as opposed to the flood-the-zone strategy of being everywhere during his first four years in office.

The latest polling out of Virginia shows Democrat Terry McAuliffe with a four-point lead over Republican Ken Cuccinelli. In New York, Eliot Spitzer's ahead, Anthony Weiner is tied, and both are seen as bad news for Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Protests broke out in Los Angeles two nights after the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial.