Romney, Santorum rip into one another at pivotal GOP debate  —  MESA, Ariz. — Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum ripped into one another at Wednesday night's GOP presidential debate in their last joint appearance before a chain of make-or-break contests.  —  Romney was helped out in his attacks …

BREAKING: Bush Appointee Finds DOMA Unconstitutional  —  Moments ago, Judge Jeffery White of the District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates the Constitution's equal protection clause in a case brought by Karen Golinski.

A pro-choice win in Virginia, assisted by “Saturday Night Live”  —  The Virginia governor backs off a forced-ultrasound bill in the face of pro-choice — and pop culture — outrage  —  Something incredible just happened.  Faced with a growing national outcry against a bill forcing an ultrasound …

No shovel for Obama  —  It was a rather odd sight: as an array of museum officials, including former first lady Laura Bush, took up shovels at the groundbreaking for the first national museum dedicated exclusively to African-American history and culture, the nation's first black president sat watching, no shovel in hand.

Haley Barbour Tells ABC News, 'Somebody Else Might Get In"  —  Could the battle for the Republican nomination go all the way to the Republican convention in August?  Could we see an entirely new candidate getting into the race?  —  One long-time Republican leader tells ABC News the answer to both questions is yes.

SACHA BARON COHEN BANNED FROM OSCARS: EXCLUSIVE  —  BREAKING... EXCLUSIVE: The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has pulled actor Sacha Baron Cohen's tickets from the 84th Academy Awards.  This means he is banned from attending the Oscars even though he is an Academy member …

Evaluation shows “Faked” Heartland Climate Strategy Memo is Authentic  —  A line-by-line evaluation of the Climate Strategy memo, which the Heartland Institute has repeatedly denounced as a “fake” shows no “obvious and gross misstatements of fact,” as Heartland has alleged.

Newt: Media never asked Obama about ‘infanticide’ - except it did (UPDATE: Or did it?)  —  Surprise!  Newt Gingrich is attacking the press.  —  Coming out of the debate's first break, CNN moderator John King read off a question: What are the candidates' views on contraception?

Do-Over Season  —  Is there really a chance that the Supreme Court might reconsider Citizens United?  —  A week ago, I wouldn't have thought so, and I still think it's an extreme long shot.  But a provocative statement last Friday by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer makes …

Scott Ritter's Other War  —  On a February afternoon in 2009, Ryan Venneman, one of only five full-time police officers in tiny Barrett Township, Pa., decided to spend some time hunting for sexual predators online.  Venneman entered a Yahoo chat room, where the minimum legal age is supposed be 18 …

CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT: #NOH8OnTheHill  —  Last week, we announced NOH8 Co-Founders Adam Bouska and Jeff Parshley would be hosting a special photo shoot in Washington, D.C. for any and all Members of Congress in the US Senate and House of Representatives who were willing to show their support …

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez Loses Her Hair Stylist Over Gay Marriage Opposition  —  An openly-gay hair stylist in New Mexico is protesting Gov. Susana Martinez's (R) opposition to same-sex marriage by refusing to style her hair unless she changes her position on the issue.

Sale of Philadelphia newspapers raises bias concerns  —  One group led by ex-governor Rendell  —  Philadelphia's two daily newspapers have long been accused of liberal bias, but critics say a group of potential buyers led by former Gov. Ed Rendell would turn the papers into mere mouthpieces …

CNN LIVE EVENT/SPECIAL  —  Full Transcript of CNN ARIZONA REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, 20:00-22:00  —  THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT.  THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.  —  UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The presidential race has been won by Governor Ronald Reagan of California.

Statement by the President  —  In my State of the Union, I laid out a blueprint for an economy that's built to last — where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone pays their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.  That includes a tax code that rewards companies who invest and create jobs in the United States of America.

Poll: Optimism on the economy doesn't lift views of politics  —  WASHINGTON - Americans are feeling better about the nation's economy but not about its politics, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds.  —  Despite building optimism that the United States is pulling out of its long downturn …

Climate scientist admits duping skeptic group to obtain documents  —  Heartland Institute president Joseph L. Bast, who described one of the documents the DeSmog Blog had posted as a “forged memo,” issued a statement Monday saying his group is considering legal action.  —  “Gleick's crime was a serious one,” Bast wrote.

LAPD chief backs driver's licenses for illegal immigrants  —  Wading into a politically charged debate, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said California should issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.  —  The chief becomes one of the most prominent local figures to support the idea …