Barney Frank: I want to be senator  —  Barney Frank, one day out of Congress, said on Friday that he has asked Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to send him back as an interim senator when Sen. John Kerry becomes secretary of state.  —  “A month ago, or a few weeks ago, I said I wasn't interested,” Frank said on MSNBC's “Morning Joe.”

Gingrich warns Boehner could have ‘disaster on his hands’  —  Newt Gingrich warned Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) that he risks losing control of his conference without a more coherant strategy.  —  “He can't keep thinking the way he's thought the last few months without having a disaster on his hands …

First Day of 113th Congress Brings More Women to Capitol  —  WASHINGTON — As the 113th Congress opens, the Senate and the House are starting to look a little bit more like the people they represent.  —  The new Congress includes a record number of women (101 across both chambers …

No, a $1 Trillion Platinum Coin is Not Legal  —  For some reason, the possibility of evading the debt ceiling by minting a $1 trillion platinum coin is getting some blogospheric love again.  This is based on a 2000 revision to the U.S. statute on money and finance that reads:

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Obama Signs Defense Bill, With Conditions  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama set aside his veto threat and on late Wednesday signed a defense bill that imposes restrictions on transferring detainees out of military prisons in Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

Battles of the Budget  —  The centrist fantasy of a Grand Bargain on the budget never had a chance.  Even if some kind of bargain had supposedly been reached, key players would soon have reneged on the deal — probably the next time a Republican occupied the White House.

Biden: Republicans had ‘epiphany’ on immigration  —  Washington (CNN) - Vice President Joe Biden said Republicans have had a major realization in their approach to immigration reform in recent weeks.  —  “Have you ever seen a time when Republicans have had a more rapid epiphany about immigration than they have this last election?”

Chief Justice Roberts to Preside at Obama Swearing-In  —  WASHINGTON - President Obama's inaugural planning committee will announce this morning that - surprise!  - Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. will deliver the oath of office to Mr. Obama when he is sworn in for a second term later this month.

Gore Went to Bat for Al Jazeera, and Himself  —  Al Gore at the Current TV studios in San Francisco in 2005.  He said Al Jazeera's coverage was “thorough, fair and informative.”  —  Al Gore's Current TV was never popular with viewers, but it was a hit where it counted: with cable and satellite providers.

HHS approves healthcare exchanges in 8 states  —  Eight more states won conditional approval Thursday to operate healthcare exchanges under President Obama's healthcare law.  —  California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Vermont and Utah will run state-based exchanges …

The 20 Most Annoying Liberals of 2012 (10th Annual)  —  Honorable Mentions: Bill Ayers, Bob Beckel, Joy Behar, Eric Boehlert, Margaret Cho, Candy Crowley, Code Pink, Lena Dunham, Dianne Feinstein, Ruth Bader-Ginsburg, Kathy Griffin, Eric Holder, Jesse Jackson, Ezra Klein, Rachel Maddow …

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 …

White House pushes forward on immigration ahead of bigger reform fight  —  The Obama administration's decision this week to ease visa requirements for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants represents its latest move to reshape immigration through executive action, even as the White House gears …

How To Change Pop Culture's Reliance On Violence  —  When the Motion Picture Association of America on December 20 came out in support of President Obama's efforts on gun control in the wake of the Newtown, the organization simultaneously aligned itself with the productive side …

U.S. Electricity Use on Wane  —  Americans are using more gadgets, televisions and air conditioners than ever before.  But, oddly, their electricity use is barely growing, posing a daunting challenge for the nation's utilities.  —  The Energy Information Administration is projecting …