Top Items:

Fake CNN email used as dirty trick in South Carolina — CNN did not send out the email alert. — Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @politicalticker — It's not clear how many people received the fake email, though at least two members of the South Carolina GOP Executive Committee …
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Why Newt Gingrich is surging in South Carolina — NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — The final debate before the South Carolina primary brought into sharp relief why Newt Gingrich is re-emerging as a contender and Mitt Romney is stumbling toward the finish line. — With a rousing denunciation …
Discussion:
CNN, The Politico, newt.org, Hot Air, Wake up America, Washington Wire, Washington Post and Hardball Blog


The power of conservative victimhood — It took Newt about five minutes to steal the show at the final pre-South Carolina debate — If Newt Gingrich does pull off a victory in South Carolina on Saturday, he'll owe it to the skill with which he has tapped into the right's persecution complex …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, The Atlantic Online, Daily Kos, Salon.com, Rush Limbaugh and The Hill

“I THINK GRANDIOSE THOUGHTS” — Location — A Selection Of Speaker Gingrich's Thoughts Over The Years — Gingrich on Gingrich: — “I Am Essentially A Revolutionary.” (Adam Clymer, “House Revolutionary,” The New York Times, 8/23/92) — “Philosophically, I Am Very Different …

Romney calls on Gingrich to release House Ethics report
Discussion:
Daily Kos

Newt to GOP: Pass Medicare Part D or 'you don't deserve to govern'
Discussion:
American Spectator, The Politico and National Review

GOP Debate: Gingrich Kills Infidelity Question, and That's Just the Start
Discussion:
Indecision Forever

First Thoughts: Showdown in South Carolina
Discussion:
The Politico, A plain blog about politics and 2012 Decoded

McDonnell to endorse Romney for president
Discussion:
American Prospect, CNN and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

TPM2012 — Newt: CNN ‘Despicable’ To Bring Up ‘Trash’ Open Marriage Story
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Oliver Willis, Talking Points Memo, Hullabaloo and Seeing the Forest

Gingrich maintains 6 point lead
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Politics, The Hill, Wonkette, Scared Monkeys, The Politico, Crooks and Liars, Hot Air, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos and Wake up America

Herman Cain defends Newt Gingrich from CNN ‘crap’
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, Political Insider and Daily Kos

Breaking News: Supreme Court Decides Texas Redistricting Case, Reverses Lower Court — In a unanimous per curiam opinion, the Supreme Court (with Justice Thomas concurring separately in the judgment) has reversed the maps drawn by the three judge court and remanded to draw new maps under new standards.
Discussion:
American Prospect, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Off the Kuff, ACS Blog and Political Watch
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Court rejects Texas maps, delays W.Va. map — UPDATE 12:09 a.m Two hours after issuing its ruling on Texas' redistricting dispute, the Supreme Court put on hold a lower court's decision striking down the West Virginia legislature's new plan for electing that state's three members of the House of Representatives.
Discussion:
msnbc.com, Swampland and Election Law Blog

Judge-drawn Texas redistricting map tossed out by Supreme Court
Discussion:
The Politico


SCOTUS rules; sends case back to San Antonio court for further proceedings
Discussion:
Greg's Opinion and Election Law Blog

Supreme Court sends maps back in Texas redistricting case
Discussion:
CNN

Supreme Court Rejects Judge-Drawn Maps in Texas Redistricting Case
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, Washington Monthly, RedState and The Stranger …


SOPA and PIPA dead ? for now — House and Senate leaders abandoned plans to move on SOPA and PIPA on Friday — the surest sign yet that a wave of online protests have killed the controversial anti-piracy legislation for now and maybe forever. — SOPA sponsor Lamar Smith …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, Outside the Beltway, Wake up America and RedState, more at Techmeme »
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Reid Statement On Intellectual Property Bill
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The Hill, The Daily Caller, Policy Blog, GigaOM, Threat Level, The Politico, Techdirt and Wake up America, more at Mediagazer »

Senate Postpones Vote on Internet Piracy Bill
Discussion:
Gothamist and The Stranger …

Taxes at the Top — Call me peculiar, but I'm actually enjoying the spectacle of Mitt Romney doing the Dance of the Seven Veils — partly out of voyeurism, of course, but also because it's about time that we had this discussion. — The theme of his dance, for those who haven't been paying attention, is taxes — his own taxes.
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, Washington Post, The Moderate Voice, Prairie Weather, Paul Krugman and Greg Mankiw's Blog
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Obama Administration Approves Rule That Guarantees Near-Universal Contraceptive Coverage — Our guest blogger is Jessica Arons, Director of the Women's Health and Rights Program at American Progress. — Today, in a huge victory for women's health, Health and Human Services Secretary …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Washington Monthly, Salon, The Gateway Pundit, Hullabaloo and Lawyers, Guns & Money


Canada Pledges to Sell Oil to Asia After Obama Rejects Keystone Pipeline — President Barack Obama's decision yesterday to reject a permit for TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone XL oil pipeline may prompt Canada to turn to China for oil exports. — Prime Minister Stephen Harper …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and White House Dossier
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Singing legend Etta James dies at 73 — Etta James, here performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2009, died Friday, January 20, due to complications from leukeimia, said her longtime friend and manager, Lupe De Leon. The singer was 73. — HIDE CAPTION — Etta James through the years
Discussion:
TalkLeft, The Atlantic Online, Washington Post, The Democratic Daily and Gothamist


Love online: 100,000 Grindr users exposed in hack attack — The Grindr app, left, and founder Joel Simkhai's profile. — A popular “meat-market” smartphone app that spawned a sexual revolution in Australia's gay community has been compromised by a Sydney hacker, potentially exposing …
Discussion:
Gawker, AKSARBENT, Towleroad News #gay and The Raw Story

Health plans ordered to cover birth control without co-pays — Most healthcare plans will be required to cover birth control without charging co-pays or deductibles starting Aug. 1, the Obama administration announced Friday. — The final regulation retains the approach federal health officials proposed …


Afghanistan's Soldiers Step Up Killings of Allied Forces — KABUL, Afghanistan — American and other coalition forces here are being killed in increasing numbers by the very Afghan soldiers they fight alongside and train, in attacks motivated by deep-seated animosity between the supposedly allied forces …
Discussion:
News Desk, The Long War Journal, emptywheel, Weasel Zippers, Pat Dollard, Battleland and The American Conservative

The GOP's suicide march — “Are you better off today than you were $4 trillion ago?” — former presidential candidate Rick Perry — It's the campaign line of the year, and while the author won't be carrying it into the general election, the eventual nominee will.
Discussion:
Booman Tribune, Betsy's Page and FITSNews


Why the feds smashed Megaupload — The US government dropped a nuclear bomb on “cyberlocker” site Megaupload today, seizing its domain names, grabbing $50 million in assets, and getting New Zealand police to arrest four of the site's key employees, including enigmatic founder Kim Dotcom.
Discussion:
New York Times, Gizmodo, Gawker, Hit & Run, The Lede, Digits, TechCrunch, TalkLeft and Wall Street Journal, more at Mediagazer »
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Justice Department Charges Leaders of Megaupload with Widespread Online Copyright Infringement
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Guardian, The Heritage Foundation, Stuff.co.nz, TechCrunch, Gizmodo, Washington Post, The Verge, GigaOM, Threat Level, TalkLeft, Pat Dollard, Law Blog, Big Government, The Gateway Pundit, Deadline.com, Scared Monkeys, Techdirt and New York Times, more at Mediagazer »


Obama Sings Soul Tune in Harlem — Shortly after taking the stage tonight for a fundraiser at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, President Obama broke into song. — Obama, standing behind the presidential podium, thanked his hosts and the performers who preceded him, including soul singer Al Green.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Impolitic, Gothamist and alicublog