Richard Cordray: Any Legislation Which Has Even “Incidental Effects on the Economy” is a “Valid Exercise of Congressional Authority”  —  President Obama announced today that he was going to take a new step in the expansion of executive authority by recess appointing a head …

Suddenly, a fun candidate  —  The complaint that Iowa is not a typical American state is true but trivial because there is no such state.  Can you name one whose political culture, closely considered, is more like than unlike any other state's?  Anyway, someplace has to go first …

Morning Score: Paul raises $13M  —  EXCLUSIVE - PAUL RAISES $13 MILLION IN Q4: Ron Paul's campaign raised $13 million in the last three months of the year.  The impressive figure comes after he took in $8 million during the third quarter.  The cash flow will allow the Texas congressman to compete through later primaries and caucuses.

Oklahoma mom calling 911 asks if shooting an intruder is allowed  —  (CNN) — Home alone with her 3-month-old son, Sarah Dawn McKinley of Blanchard, Oklahoma, said she decided to make a stand when two men tried to break into her home on New Year's Eve.  —  McKinley, who had been widowed less …

Password case reframes Fifth Amendment rights in context of digital world  —  Beyond the log-in screen of Ramona Fricosu's laptop computer lies what federal prosecutors say could be the key evidence in the bank-fraud case against her.  —  There's only one problem: Prosecutors don't know her password.

Kodak Teeters on the Brink  —  Eastman Kodak Co. is preparing to seek bankruptcy protection in the coming weeks, people familiar with the matter said, a move that would cap a stunning comedown for a company that once ranked among America's corporate titans.  —  The 131-year-old company …

Keith Olbermann Blasts Current TV; Internal Memo Reveals Tension Over GOP Primary  —  “I was not given a legitimate opportunity to host under acceptable conditions,” Olbermann said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday.  “They know it and we know it.  Telling half the story is wrong.”

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How Many Stephen Colberts Are There?  —  There used to be just two Stephen Colberts, and they were hard enough to distinguish.  The main difference was that one thought the other was an idiot.  The idiot Colbert was the one who made a nice paycheck by appearing four times a week on …

Harder for Americans to Rise From Lower Rungs  —  WASHINGTON — Benjamin Franklin did it.  Henry Ford did it.  And American life is built on the faith that others can do it, too: rise from humble origins to economic heights.  “Movin' on up,” George Jefferson-style, is not only a sitcom song but a civil religion.

The Outrageous Immorality of the Anti-gay Movement  —  I'm a dope, a patsy, a dupe.  Or at least tragically naive: Somehow, it seems, I'm once again surprised by the unabashed dishonesty of our worst anti-gay opponents.  —  This time it's Dr. Rick Fitzgibbons of NARTH, writing a long piece about same-sex adoption.

Dallas teen missing since 2010 was mistakenly deported  —  DALLAS - “It's very frustrating,” Lorene Turner said.  —  She has spent hours on Facebook trying to find her granddaughter, Jakadrien.  —  “Once I get home I am up until 3 or 4 in the morning searching and looking,” Turner said.

Obama plans to cut tens of thousands of ground troops  —  (Reuters) - The Obama administration will unveil a “more realistic” vision for the military on Thursday, with plans to cut tens of thousands of ground troops and invest more in air and sea power at a time of fiscal restraint, officials familiar with the plans said on Wednesday.

Rep. Giffords to attend Tucson vigil marking anniversary of shooting  —  Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) will attend a vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the 2011 shooting that critically injured the congresswoman and left six people dead.  —  The event will be held at the University …

California review group blasts high-speed rail's funding plan  —  In another setback for high-speed rail in California, the project's peer review group told lawmakers today that it could not recommend bond funding for high-speed rail construction until its prospects for long-term funding are clearer.

Rick Santorum is coming for your birth control  —  The GOP presidential candidate is against non-procreative sex — even for married couples  —  Here is an actual Rick Santorum quote: “One of the things I will talk about, that no president has talked about before, is I think the dangers of contraception in this country.”

Herman Cain to launch 9-9-9 bus tour  —  Herman Cain's not a candidate anymore, but he's launching a new bus tour anyway.  —  The former Godfather's Pizza CEO announced plans to tour the country to raise support for the “9-9-9” plan that was the star of his aborted presidential run …