Biden: Obama Considering ‘Executive Order’ to Deal With Guns  —  Vice President Joe Biden revealed that President Barack Obama might use an executive order to deal with guns.  —  “The president is going to act,” said Biden, giving some comments to the press before a meeting with victims of gun violence.

Obama Said to Name Jack Lew to Replace Geithner at Treasury  —  Obama Said to Name Lew Tomorrow to Replace Geithner  —  President Barack Obama plans to name White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew tomorrow as his choice for Treasury secretary, replacing Timothy F. Geithner, a person familiar with the process said.

Why President Obama is picking fights with Congress  —  Barack Obama is looking for a few good fights.  —  Obama, the same president who campaigned twice on breaking the cycle of conflict in Washington, sees the utility — even the necessity — of rattling Republican cages as he plunges …

Revealed: The Massive New Liberal Plan to Remake American Politics  —  A month after President Obama won reelection, America's most powerful liberal groups met to plan their next moves.  Here's what they talked about.  —  It was the kind of meeting that conspiratorial conservative bloggers dream about.

Inaugural Benediction To Be Delivered By Pastor Who Gave Vehemently Anti-Gay Sermon  —  The Presidential Inauguration Committee announced Tuesday that the President Obama has selected Pastor Louie Giglio of the Georgia-based Passion City Church to deliver the benediction for his second inauguration.

McConnell to take lead in entitlement talks, with Boehner in back seat  —  Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is poised to play a bigger role in negotiations to reform entitlement programs in the wake of the tax deal he helped forge last week.  —  Lawmakers see the passage of a bill …

Why Republicans Won't Bargain With Obama Again  —  James Capretta, writing at National Review, lays out what looks like the emerging Republican strategy on the debt ceiling.  Rather than take up President Obama's offer to cut Social Security and Medicare in return for higher revenue through tax reform …

At 100, still little love for Nixon  —  Richard Nixon would have turned 100 Wednesday, but about the only people marking the occasion are historians, family members and loyalists from the disgraced 37th president's administration.  —  And even they're slowly dying off.

Are Republicans Scared of Al Franken?  —  SNL star-turned-senator isn't drawing much early GOP opposition.  —  After winning election by the narrowest of margins in 2008, Sen. Al Franken looked like one of the GOP's most inviting Senate targets in 2014.  But instead, the party is facing …

California Town Hall Provides Glimpse At The Future Of The Gun Control Debate  —  Advocates on both sides of the gun control debate are prepared to make a lot of noise about the future of gun regulations in the wake of the Newtown, Conn. shooting.  That's the message from the first of House …

In U.S., Democrats Re-Establish Lead in Party Affiliation  —  In 2012, 47% identified or leaned Democratic, 42% Republican  —  PRINCETON, NJ — An average of 47% of Americans identified as Democrats or said they were independents who leaned Democratic in 2012, compared with 42% who identified as or leaned Republican.

Police: Man threatened to blow up CTA bus in ‘jihad’ … A man threatened to blow up a CTA bus and told police he was “jihad against the white devil” this week, causing evening rush hour passengers to flee in fear for their lives, authorities said.  —  A judge set bail at $90,000 Tuesday …

Paul Ryan Cosponsors New Fetal Personhood Bill … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Paul Ryan, Video, Fetal Personhood, Paul Broun, Paul Broun Personhood, Paul Ryan Fetal Personhood, Paul Ryan Personhood, Paul Ryan Personhood Bill, Personhood, Personhood Amendments, Personhood Bill, Sanctity-Of-Human-Life-Act, Politics News

DC Sex Workers Prepare for Huge Influx of Inauguration Partiers  —  If you require the services of a stripper or dominatrix over inauguration weekend, be prepared to pay extra.  —  Image by Shutterstock  —  When Steve Baker talks about the inauguration, he gets a little giddy.

Yahoo News exclusive: Trump releases birth certificate to Bill Maher, demands $5M  —  Donald Trump has placed himself in the middle of another controversy involving a birth certificate—this time his own.  —  In a letter obtained by Yahoo News, the real estate mogul and de facto leader of last year's …

Transcript of Nate Silver's ‘Ask Me Anything’ on Reddit  —  Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight took questions Tuesday on the popular social news site Reddit's “Ask Me Anything” section.  What follows is an edited transcript, with the questions and answers sorted into several subject areas.

Labor Secretary Will Resign  —  Hilda Solis leaves after serving since 2009.  Sebelius, Shinseki, and Holder to remain.  —  U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis.  —  Image by Richard Vogel / AP  —  Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis resigned Wednesday afternoon, three sources told BuzzFeed.

Health Care and Profits, a Poor Mix  —  Thirty years ago, Bonnie Svarstad and Chester Bond of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison discovered an interesting pattern in the use of sedatives at nursing homes in the south of the state.  —  Patients entering church …

Images of NRA, Congressional Republicans on the decline  —  PPP's newest national poll finds that the NRA's image has declined over the last three weeks following Wayne LaPierre's controversial press conference the week before Christmas.  —  The NRA now has a negative favorability rating …