All Eyez on Him  —  The junior senator from Florida had a heck of an election year: Short-listed for VP.  Wrote a memoir of his Cuban heritage.  Gave a tough, moving convention speech—maybe the best of its kind since Obama's.  Michael Hainey talks to Marco Rubio about growing up in the shadow of Castro …

CNN Poll: 57% of Americans say Israeli attacks in Gaza are justified  —  Washington (CNN) - A majority of Americans say that Israel's current military strikes against Gaza are justified, according to a new national survey.  —  A CNN/ORC International poll released Monday indicates that 57% …

The Twinkie Manifesto  —  The Twinkie, it turns out, was introduced way back in 1930.  In our memories, however, the iconic snack will forever be identified with the 1950s, when Hostess popularized the brand by sponsoring “The Howdy Doody Show.”  And the demise of Hostess has unleashed …

THE FINAL DAYS OF THE MEDIA CAMPAIGN 2012  —  OBAMA ENJOYS SURGE IN POSITIVE COVERAGE THE LAST WEEK OF THE RACE; ATTENTION TO ROMNEY DROPS  —  In the final week of the 2012 presidential campaign, Barack Obama enjoyed his most positive run of news coverage in months, according to a new study …

Investment Falls Off a Cliff  —  U.S. Companies Cut Spending Plans Amid Fiscal and Economic Uncertainty  —  U.S. companies are scaling back investment plans at the fastest pace since the recession, signaling more trouble for the economic recovery.  —  Half of the nation's 40 biggest …

Republicans at a crossroads  —  LAS VEGAS — Republican governors are torn between essentially staying the course in the wake of Mitt Romney's loss and a more proactive strategy aimed at radically shaking up their party in an effort to reach out to young and minority voters.

White House Changed CIA Talking Points  —  Senior Republican members of Congress confirmed Sunday that the Obama administration changed CIA guidance to senior officials that had identified the Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi as an al Qaeda attack.  —  “The intelligence community had it right …

Andrew Cuomo, fake Democrat  —  New York's governor might lead his party in 2016.  So why won't he fight for a state Senate majority they earned?  —  If the New York state Senate remains controlled by the Republican Party, it won't be because of the voters.  Democrats have 30 seats, with 32 required for a majority.

97 Republicans sign letter urging Obama to avoid Rice nod for State  —  Nearly 100 House Republicans on Monday called on President Obama not to nominate Susan Rice as Secretary of State.  —  In a letter to Obama, the 97 Republicans said the credibility of the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations …

Losing Humanity  —  This 50-page report outlines concerns about these fully autonomous weapons, which would inherently lack human qualities that provide legal and non-legal checks on the killing of civilians.  In addition, the obstacles to holding anyone accountable for harm caused by the weapons …

Paul Ryan Emerges as Power Broker in Fiscal Talks  —  WASHINGTON — Gone is the private jet and the motorcade that swept him from the tarmac to the private hotel entrances.  His security staff has been reduced to a few Capitol Police officers, soon to fade away.

Can conservatives prevent the U.S. from becoming California? … As bad as last Tuesday night was for the national Republican Party, it was far, far worse for the California Republican Party.  Not only did Golden State Democrats maintain control of every statewide elected office …

From wedding dress to suicide vest: How Russian Islamic convert kissed her daughter goodbye and blew herself up at cleric's home  —  Brought up as an Orthodox Christian by her mother, Aminat Kurbanova looked a picture of happiness at her wedding nine years ago - marrying the man with whom she had fallen in love at drama school.

How Many 2008 McCain Voters Went Libertarian in 2012?  —  Campaign Spot reader Michael writes in, having examined the claim of the missing Republican voters — the drop off from McCain's 2008 total to Romney's 2012.  Immediately after the election, many were left incredulous in response …