Boehner reelected as Speaker; nine Republicans defect in vote  —  Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) was reelected Speaker of the House on Thursday after a week of rumors of a possible GOP revolt.  —  Boehner won a bare majority in a vote that saw nine Republicans vote for other GOP members …

America's Real Criminal Element: Lead  —  New research finds Pb is the hidden villain behind violent crime, lower IQs, and even the ADHD epidemic.  And fixing the problem is a lot cheaper than doing nothing.  —  WHEN RUDY GIULIANI RAN FOR MAYOR of New York City in 1993 …

Giffords to visit victims in Newtown  —  Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz) plans to meet with victims of the Sandy Hook shootings on Friday in Newtown, Conn., nearly two years to the day after she survived an assassination attempt.  —  The former congresswoman and her husband …

Time Warner Cable Drops Current TV Upon Sale To Al Jazeera … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Al Jazeera, Current TV, Al Jazeera Buys Current, Al Jazeera Current, Al Jazeera Current Tv, Calderone: The Backstory, Time Warner Al Jazeera, Time Warner Cable Current TV, Time Warner Cable Drops Al Jazeera …

Joe Biden's Friskiest Moments From The Senate Swearing-In (VIDEO)  —  As Vice President Joe Biden greeted new and returning senators on Thursday on Capitol Hill, he was all smiles.  “There's a lot to smile about today,” he said as he caressed the face of one of the attendees.

The culture war is over, and conservatives lost  —  It's time we conservatives accepted an alarming truth: Americans no longer agree with us  —  L  —  ate last year, I criticized the notion that Barack Obama won re-election by buying off voters with “gifts.”

Ten People We Are Grateful Are No Longer Members Of Congress  —  Under the Twentieth Amendment, “[t]he terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January.”

Defense Of Marriage Act: House Republicans Tie Federal Gay Marriage Ban To House Rules … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Gay Marriage, Republican Party, Video, 113th Congress, DOMA 113th Congress, Defense Of Marriage Act, Doma, Gay Marriage Ban, House Republicans DOMA, House Republicans Gay Marriage, Republicans Doma, Politics News

The Violence Against Women Act's Long Road To Oblivion  —  The Violence Against Women Act first became law in 1994 and has since been routinely reauthorized without controversy.  By providing resources for law enforcement to combat spousal abuse, it has protected countless women from domestic violence.

Tarantino Unchained  —  In early 2010, not long after the release of Quentin Tarantino's Second World War revenge epic, “Inglourious Basterds,” I began teaching a course on American history at Moscow State University.  When a Russian friend asked me what I thought of the film I told him I loved …

The Atlantic Will Experiment With Online Pay Models In 2013  —  The Atlantic is two things every legacy publishing company would like to be: profitable and more reliant on digital advertising revenues than on print.  But while that may have been good enough in 2012, for 2013 the magazine has a new goal …

Google Agrees to Change Its Business Practices to Resolve FTC Competition Concerns In the Markets for Devices Like Smart Phones, Games and Tablets, and in Online Search  —  Landmark Agreements Will Give Competitors Access to Standard-Essential Patents; Advertisers Will Get More Flexibility to Use Rival Search Engines

Good Riddance to Rottenest Congress in History  —  On January 3rd, the 112th Congress of the United States of America finally ends.  Thank God.  —  To properly evaluate the 112th, consider the record of its predecessor, the 111th Congress, which ran from January 2009 to January 2011.

Finally, Justice at Supermax?  If Anyone Can Make the Right Call, It's This Judge  —  He's tough.  He's courageous.  He tried Timothy McVeigh.  Now Richard Matsch takes on another critical case: a civil rights lawsuit alleging prisoner abuse and neglect.  —  Judge Matsch in 1997, during the Oklahoma City Bombing trial.

NDAA Signed Into Law By Obama Despite Guantanamo Veto Threat, Indefinite Detention Provisions … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Video, National Defense Authorization Act, National Defense Authorization Act 2013, Guantanamo Obama, Indefinite Detention Obama, Ndaa, Ndaa 2013, Ndaa Indefinite Detention …

Op-Ed: Harry Reid's filibuster plan and the Supreme Court  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has announced he will begin the new Congress today by violating Senate rules and forcing through a set of procedural changes that will undermine Senate conservatives' ability to influence legislation.

Geithner Said to Plan Departure Before Debt Ceiling Deal  —  Geithner Said to Plan Exit Before Debt Talks  —  Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner plans to leave the administration at the end of January, even if President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans haven't reached an agreement …

Republicans Open New Congress Slamming “Lapdog” Democrats With Corgis  —  “Nancy Pelosi's Obedience School.”  —  Image by Joshua Roberts / Reuters  —  WASHINGTON — House Republicans Thursday are rolling partisan welcome mat for newly elected Democrats, circulating a tongue-in-cheek guide …

Boy, 6, suspended from Silver Spring school for pointing finger like a gun  —  The parents of a 6-year-old Silver Spring boy are fighting the first-grader's suspension from a Montgomery County public school for pointing his finger like a gun and saying “pow,” an incident school officials characterized …