Boehner tells GOP he's through negotiating one-on-one with Obama  —  Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is signaling that at least one thing will change about his leadership during the 113th Congress: he's telling Republicans he is done with private, one-on-one negotiations with President Obama.

Al Jazeera Seeks a U.S. Voice Where Gore Failed  —  9:16 p.m. |  Updated Al Jazeera, the pan-Arab news giant, has long tried to convince Americans that it is a legitimate news organization, not a parrot of Middle Eastern propaganda or something more sinister.  —  It just bought itself 40 million more chances to make its case.

Enraged Chris Christie blasts Boehner, House GOP over Sandy aid  —  This post has been updated, as indicated below.  —  WASHINGTON - Enraged over Congress' failure to approve disaster relief for victims of Superstorm Sandy, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey unloaded Wednesday on House Speaker John …

GOP chair urges support for same-sex marriage  —  Both sides are ramping up their gay marriage arguments in Springfield.  —  View other photograph collections  —  SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady of St. Charles is calling GOP lawmakers asking them to support …

That Bad Ceiling Feeling  —  More thoughts about the fiscal deal:  —  One good thing is that the deficit scolds are furious: they had their hearts set on exploiting this crisis to push through benefit cuts, and it didn't happen — part of the larger good news that Obama didn't gut Social Security or Medicare this time around.

Reid will postpone filibuster reform  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will postpone filibuster reform until later this month, giving him time to negotiate a deal with Republicans, say Democratic lawmakers and aides.  —  A group of liberal Democrats had been pushing Reid …

New Year, New Dish, New Media  —  When I first stumbled into blogging over 12 years ago, it was for two reasons: curiosity and freedom.  I was curious about the potential for writing in this new medium; and for the first time, I felt total freedom as a writer.  On my little blog, I was beholden to no one but my readers.

Milky Way Contains At Least 100 Billion Planets, New Analysis Finds  —  The Milky Way contains at least 100 billion planets, or enough to have one for each of its stars, and many of them are likely to be capable of supporting conditions favorable to life, according to a new estimate from scientists …

Obama's Immigration Reform Push To Begin This Month … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Immigration, Video, Latino Politics, Senate Immigration, Latino Politics, Immigration Reform, Obama Deferred Action, DREAM Act, Latino Politics, Latino Politics, Politics News

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's letter to David Cameron  —  Read the letter about the Falkland Islands from the Argentinian president to the British prime minster  —  One hundred and eighty years ago on the same date, January 3rd, in a blatant exercise of 19th-century colonialism …

Arabs Brutally Attack US Yeshiva Student in Italy  —  A gang of Arabs brutally attacked an American yeshiva student visiting with his family in Venice, Italy.  Jewish community: This is rare.  —  A gang of Arabs brutally attacked an American yeshiva student visiting with his family in Venice …

After Newtown, company makes bullet-proof kid clothes  —  Miguel Caballero has been making bullet-proof clothes for politicians and other bigwigs for 20 years, but not for kids.  The latest US school massacre has changed that.  —  This year he plans a line for children — T-shirts, vests …