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.

Obama's debt problem  —  President Barack Obama won't be able to enjoy much of a victory lap from his win over congressional Republicans on the fiscal cliff fight.  —  There are about 16.4 trillion reasons why.  —  The staggering national debt — up about 60 percent from the $10 trillion Obama inherited …

Meet the New Class: The Senate Swears in a Historic 20 Female Senators  —  Today the Senate will make history, swearing in a record-breaking 20 female senators - 4 Republicans and 16 Democrats - in office.  —  As the 113th Congress is sworn in today on Capitol Hill, ABC “World News” …

Leave It Alone; It's Irrelevant to the Deficit  —  Dean Baker, an economist and the co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, is the author of “The End of Loser Liberalism: Making Markets Progressive.”  —  Millions of people are rightly outraged to hear that Social Security …

What's Inside America's Banks?  —  Some four years after the 2008 financial crisis, public trust in banks is as low as ever.  Sophisticated investors describe big banks as “black boxes” that may still be concealing enormous risks—the sort that could again take down the economy.

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 …

Senate panel to examine CIA contacts with “Zero Dark Thirty” filmmakers  —  (Reuters) - After the Senate Intelligence Committee's chairwoman expressed outrage over scenes that imply “enhanced interrogations” of CIA detainees produced a breakthrough in the hunt for Osama bin Laden …

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 …

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 …

Tim Carney: How corporate tax credits got in the ‘cliff’ deal  —  CHICAGO - JANUARY 22: A General Electric Co. (GE) logo is displayed on the door of one of the company's microwave ovens being offered for sale at a Sears store January 22, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois.

Fiscal cliff deal not great, but it shields Americans from tax hike  —  Editor's note: This op/ed is by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.  —  The first day of a new Congress always represents a fresh start.  This year, it also presents a perfect opportunity to tackle …